Before I begin.

After many years of dreaming,planning and putting off,I have finally made it to the point where I'm off to Sth America for an epic bike trip of a liftime.I have been to many places in the world as a tourist.I have been to many as an athlete of sorts.Never have I decided to combine the two and try a huge trans-continental ride.I've dreamt about it,planned it countless times, scoured maps and journals in anticipation but it's never happened.Until now!

The first time I thought about riding through South America I had only just completed my first Ironman triathlon.That was in 1991 in Ironman Canada.Since then I have completed 15 Ironmans,two double Ironmans,four Ultra stage races and well over a hundred other races of varous, lesser distances.I've crashed lots,been hit by seven cars,spent a week in a Thai hospital and passed out on a treadmill while training to run from coast to coast in Australia.In all that time my dream never became a reality.Until now!It came down do just buying a new bike,a trailer,some camping gear and a plane ticket.I was finally off to an unknown land for an adventure far removed from anything that I had done before.

My original plan had been to do this trip alone but a few weeks before my departure an old mate of mine from Canada contacted me and asked if he could tag along for the ride.Curtis Flock is a legend of sorts in Ironman Canada circles,holding the dubios record of having the most ex-girlfriends competing in the one Ironman event with him.It was four for those who may not have been there for the very public announcement.Curtis has also completed many Ironmans and in fact his best time is just a few seconds faster than mine at nine hours and fifty two minutes.Not pro level but we can hold our own against most people so as you can imagine fitness wasn't going to be an issue.Being together day in,day out would be the challenge.A challenge we were totally up for.

So on the 14th of March 2006 we both made our separate ways to Buenos Aires in Argentina.I flew in from Cairns,Australia and Curtis from Calgary,Canada to join up for what we hoped would be the grandest of adventures.Here's how it all turned out.