Powerman World Long Course Duathlon Championships
Venray, Netherlands, Sept. 3 - 10, 2001

In 2001, I had the good fortune to travel to Holland for the World Duathlon Championships and compete in the Clydesdale division.  It was a trip of a lifetime.  The trip took me from St. Paul to Newark, NJ to Brussels, Belgium and finally to the small city of Venray, Holland.  After several attempts by our bus driver to find the local hotels that the Team USA members would be staying at, he finally found the Hotel Asteria.  This was despite the fact that we tried pointing out to him that it was within sight of the highway off ramp that we took entering the city.

The Hotel Asteria. This would be my home away from home for the next week.  I think my only complaints were that it didn't have an ice machine or a hot tub.  Everything else was top notch.

Bob Guzek.  Fellow member of the St. Cloud River Runners and travel companion.  I was a bit apprehensive about traveling halfway around the world and Bob jumped at the chance for a reason to go to Europe.  The result -- instant travel guide.  Here Bob is fending off the effects of jet lag with some wine and chips (The paprika flavored Doritos were definitely a new experience!!)  We also samples some of the local Camembert cheese and Belgian beer.

Here, Bob and I are having breakfast with the McClain's, who we met in the Newark Airport on our way to Europe.  Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Jack competes in the 80+ age division and is a very inspirational athlete.  Mrs. McClain (pictured) travels the world with Jack as he races.  Immediately after the race in Holland, the McClains were traveling to Italy for the World Short Course Duathlon Championships.

Two of the signs to greet me.  Obviously someone had mistaken me for Satan and was not pleased with my presence in Venray.

We did a little sight seeing one afternoon and tried to learn our way around the twisting, angled streets of Venray. Bob was a little regretful that he didn't bring a bike with and was stuck using one of the wonderful hotel rental bikes.  This was actually a bit on the high end compared to what most of the locals rode. We rode around the tree lined roads of the Van Gogh Institute where we met Shemp the Shetland pony among other critters.  At the time we thought the campus of the Van Gogh was some sort of artist school.  We learned later that it was a mental hospital.  How fitting that I would be drawn to the place.  I think it also helps explain Shemp's bad haircut.

In the evening we were treated to a welcome reception and dinner at the Hotel Zwann, in downtown Venray.  This was an opportunity to sample more of the wonderful Belgian beer (LaTrappe turned out to be my favorite of the week) as well as the local cuisine.  This meal consisted of Cream of Asparagus soup, raw herring, rabbit, mussels, and a variety of vegetable salads and potatoes dishes.  Beef was pretty scarce yet due to disease outbreaks in Europe.  This event was a good opportunity to meet some of the other team members and staff from around the US that would be racing that week.

Picture day turned out to be pretty cold and rainy and a bad hair day for many, myself included.

Later that day, the rest of the St. Cloud contingent arrived via a stop in Amsterdam.  In the first photo (l. to r. Jill, Sheila, Pam, Marja and Laura).  Marja is a Dutch native and was an acquaintance of mine from our SCSU days.  Neither of us had any idea that we had Jill and Laura as mutual friends.  It was a surprise, to say the least, when we recognized each other.

Know one really knew what this guy's story was.  He just wandered through and it made for a good photo!

That evening we were joined by Bill and Carl for dinner.  Bill (wearing the "Athletes in Action" shirt) was another Clydesdale competitor in my age division and Carl was his roommate for the week.  Favorite quote of the evening:
Waiter to Bill: "What would you like to eat, sir?"
Bill:  "I don't care.  I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"
Waiter with panicked look in his face: "I'm sorry sir, but we don't serve horse meat."

To be continued . . .