The Tickleberry Run

What you're looking at is the aptly named Tickleberry run. Now some of you may know this route at the marathon route for Ironman; however, I have added a unique twist...... by doing a reverse brick.

Here's how it all went down. I drove my truck out to OK Falls and parked at the end of 10th street where the Ironman bike route turns South and heads off towards Oliver and Osoyoos. From there I followed the return leg of the Ironman marathon towards Penticton. Once I reached Skaha beach, I cut across to the channel and ran past the flotilla of tourists and back to my folks place. All told 13.33 miles or 21.46 kilometers or 1/2 marathon.

Upon my arrival, I hopped on my bike and rode back to the truck following the hill climb on McLean Creek road which was a bit longer of a route @ 27.91 Km.

Now, you may be asking why call it the Tickleberry run? Well just down the street from where i parked is the world famous Tickleberry's - Ice Cream. At the end of the 3 hour day you pack up your bike and head inside for a single scoop hand made waffle cone.... my personal favourite is peanut-butter binge. Man, the heck with chocolate milk.... go ice cream. Now a single scoop is actually piled high and you head outside to the parking lot and find a seat at the always seemingly packed picnic tables... come to think of it, I have never been there when it isn't busy. Anyhoo.... you start licking on this ginormous cone and no matter how speedy you seems to bee, there is always ice cream dripping down your hand by the end, just like when you were a kid.

Again it is worth mentioning, as the temperature hit +32˚C while I was out today, that there is something really strange about running for a little over 2 hours in the heat following an inviting body of water. Every now and then your brain believes that it is a little hot and starts to try to convince you to jump in..... no you won't, but you sure think about it.

Now for something completely different, as Python used to say.......

So I am pulling into my parents driveway after my scrumptious ice cream as they were just leaving to head to Kelowna to get my mom's sutures out, as she just had her surgery on her hand. As I round the corner, I see them talking to another car and as I pull up, I ask them who they were talking to and they said that it was my Auntie Mary and my Uncle Ken. So I pull into the drive and who should appear, but my lovely wife and our darling children. Quelle Surprise! I could not believe it. They were supposed to be at home in Winnipeg.... WOW! They had literally just flown out to surprise me for my birthday tomorrow. For those of you who do not know... I am turning .... wait for it..... wait for it..... 40..

Even as I type this I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it, but nevertheless, they are here and I am absolutely flattered beyond belief.

We finished the day by jumping in the truck and heading to the beach where I finally got my wish and jumped into the crystal clear water and let the voluptuous molecules of hydrogen and oxygen envelope my sweaty body.... how's that for some adult triathlon content?