Ironman France - Race Setup begins in Nice

My training regimen has included a mandatory morning swim in the Mediterranean:) Here's the spot where I usually hit the water, about 100 yards from the apartment building where I am staying.

I think those are the buoys for the Ironman swim stretching out into the water.

Oh, and I was warned by Steve about the rocky beaches in Nice. He's absolutely right:) No sand, so bring your flipflops and an extra towel for padding.

I am so glad that I came over to France for an extended duration (I'll be here until July 3). It is truly spectacular! The first 8 days have been full of training, working, exploring Nice, meeting some of my neighbors and getting somewhat settled.

The French passion for cycling is understandable after riding my bike here for a week: Villefranche, St Jean Cap-Ferrat, the village of Castagniers, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins...cycled through all of them. Antibes is my favorite so far, with all the old architecture and mazes of alleyways in the Fort Carre area, filled with cool shops, fun people and great cafes.

And Switzerland is only an Ironman bike ride away:) I rode with a group on Friday outside Nice, and in the morning they had started in Geneva, Switzerland, about 120 miles away!

All the hard training is done, now it's short workouts, rest, do all the race registration and logistics at the end of the week, and the race will be here!

I went for a short run tonight on the Promenade des Anglais, right along the waterfront, and they were beginning to set up the tents and seating at the Ironman finish line. And most of the tents went up today for the Ironman Expo. Can't wait, really...I'm ready to run this race:)

Tomorrow is another fun trip to Cannes, stay tuned!