All is quiet on the western front; the 2010 Ironman World Championship in Kona is in the books as of 4am this morning. Bikes are being boxed, last sips of Kona coffee are being savored, and - as I write - there are no doubt hundreds of athletes standing in front of compression sock strewn hotel beds, toiling over which pair to wear on the airplane. Fortunately, NONE of them go best with 'any' outfit, so may your choices be obvious and pain free. Own it.

We've been having quite a week here at the TEAM CLIF BAR House on Ali'i Dr in Kona. Between athlete visits & interviews, new CLIF SHOT Energy Gel sampling, the Triathlounge set-up, and grilling all sorts of stuff on the BBQ it's been pretty much non-stop this week. Lots and lots of good stuff all week and - honestly - I really didn't think it could get a whole lot better.

Until, of course, TEAM CLIF BAR triathlete Chris McCormack won one of the most exciting triathlons we've ever

Thursday, October 7th will live in infamy. For at least the next 24 hours.

Stop one on Thursday found us downtown at 7am, scouting out an ideal spot from which to experience the splendor of philanthropic exhibitionism that is The Underpants Run; an annual, grass roots, word-of-mouth run of ridiculocity raising money for Special Olympics of West Hawaii, as well as (this year) the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii. Ahh yes...the color, the camaraderie, the Kona coffee saturated

Day two (Wednesday) saw its share of stars, more sweat and internationally applicable smiles.

Holding up at Clif Bar base camp (here on the south side of Ali'i Drive) for the whole of the day turned out to be the right move. Why leave when you have the likes of Chris McCormack running through your front yard (and stopping by for a casual hello), and Linsey Corbin (and hubby) popping by for both an interview AND to share some of her private label, 'Montana Made Ale'?

Kona, Hawaii, USA, Earth - Strange is the land of the Iron-people. As strange as it is inspiring. Athletes auspicious in their apex fitness, bikes blurring lines of sand-strewn paint, fast moving throngs donning colorfully copious yardage of what I believe the locals call 'spandex'. Hard to say exactly, as they have roughly 300 words for it.

Anyway, the Clif Bar crew are here and ready to rock, run, and roll; to support any and all looking for quick, convenient, deliciously all