Help! Need Advice....

I know I have 4 months to figure this out, but I thought it would be good to start early. I have to start figuring out the logistics of getting myself and bike from Iowa to Canada for the Ironman Muskoka 70.3 on Sept 14th. Mainly, I am concerned about how to get my bike there. I am 90% sure I'm going to fly and I've never flown with my bike, I've always just driven to races. According to google it would take 13.5 hours to drive. It kind of depends on what my school schedule looks like whether or not it would even be feasible time wise to make the road trip.

Anyway, I am in need of advice/experiences/recommendations: If I fly should I a) take my bike with me on the plane or b) ship it from my LBS to a LBS in Canada. Any stories, experiences you can share? Also, does anyone have experience flying with a bike or shipping a bike across countries? How about bike boxes? Where can I get one/rent one?

Should I drive or fly? Would it be worth it to suck it up and do the driving?

One more thing...I am considering doing a local sprint tri the weekend after I get back from Muskoka, so I would want to make sure I could get my bike back within 5 days or so after the race. Is that feasible if I ship it?
So, to sum it up, please share your experiences/advice about traveling with bikes when flying.

Thanks!

A duathlon and a 10k

So, I've been racing the past couple weekends. Last weekend was a duathlon in Greenwich, CT and yesterday I did a 10k trail run on Block Island (a little island off the coast of Rhode Island). I placed 3rd in my AG at the du and 4th at the trail run. I was pretty stoked about that. At the du they handed out little goodie bags in lieu of medals. The bag was a mesh pull string one and had a nice pair of socks, running gloves, and a clif bar inside. The value of those things was more than my race entry fee, which is cool. Anyway, here are a few pics...
This is me with one of my teammates who also placed. Notice the goodie bags we have slung over our shoulders.
Happily taking some water right after crossing the finish line.
My crazy team!

In Transit 32 has arrived

In this episode: Elizabeth and I are finally recovered from injuries and back on the pavement. This show covers race plans, nutrition, bike porn, life anxiety, word of the week, and much, much more! Enjoy!