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sticks-and-stone · 3 years

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Potts Preserve

September 21, 2019 - September 22, 2019

This was my first time camping since February when I went with my roommate and the dog we had at the time. Before that it was just camping with my father as a kid or drunk with my friends in high school (trips I almost don’t remember at all). So this trip was a pretty big deal with very few expectations or preparedness. I wanted to find a hobby that would not cost much, but would require significant planning and time out of my life before, during, and after. So camping seemed like a good fit. I decided to start planning monthly trips. So this was the first one!

When I first decided to go on this trip, I had next to no supplies. I wanted to go with whatever I had or could improvise as a way to get started on a list of things I wanted to add to my kit. What better way to figure out what I needed than to realize it in the moment!

This trip was only going to be a quick overnight so that in the event that we realized we had too little, we wouldn’t be stuck out there for days. I found a site that was owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and was free to use with a reservation. So I booked the site and called up an old friend, Jenna. Jenna and I did a lot of drunk camping together in high school and she had a foundation of camping with her own father as a child, so I knew she would be right for the job. She and I had also gone a long period of time without hanging out, so it was a good opportunity for us to catch up!

When we began planning this trip, I had a tent, and some other small stuff, but not a whole lot of anything else. We borrowed a cooler from my roommate, a chair from my parents, and just bought beer on our way out to the campsite.

I wanted to get a good night’s sleep before getting up midmorning on Saturday to meet Jenna and go, but I ended up staying up late. Like a child before her first trip to Disney World, I was restless, excited, and hyperactive. When I woke up (too early) the next day, all that excitement was squashed when I realized I had started my period. I was worried this would happen, but I was hoping my Day One would be on Sunday, but alas, I was going to have to go camping on my period. And not just any camping trip, a camping trip that I wasn’t totally sure I was prepared for. As it turned out, the portable toilets were close and clean enough for me. YAY!

Jenna showed up exactly on time - I really have to give her props for that. She helped me load up the car and then we took off! We stopped at my parents' house (they were out of town) for a little firewood and one of their camping chairs (Jenna did not have one) and also at a gas station for beer and snacks. Then we were on the road for real; it was about midday.

The drive down was quicker and easier than we expected. After not seeing each other for a few years, we had PLENTY to talk about and catch up on. She told me about all of her drama, I told her about all of mine. It was lovely. We arrived at the campground without getting lost or even a little turned around at all. There were about 4 other groups there already set up and as it was late afternoon on a Saturday, everyone seemed to be pretty settled in.

We found our spot. Unlike the other spots that people had set up around us, we did not have a fire pit, a picnic table, or a grill. Everyone else seemed to have all three. We didn’t mind and we found a nice flat place to lay our tent out. We found out later that what we chose was not a spot at all and that we were not even supposed to be back there.

We got the tent set up and I began to work on the air pump that I had borrowed from my roommate. I needed to strip the wire so that I could split it and plug it into the car battery that dad gave me to run the fan. We had no other form of electricity and no other way to pump the air mattresses up. I broke it. I ended up strippping the wires too much and the whole contraption became non-functional. We were only there for one night, though, and what’s sleeping on the ground other than the authenticity of a camping trip?

From the time of arrival until just before dusk (about 3 hours) we thought it would be nice to open up the tent to allow the breeze and light to enter it. Well, neither did and what did enter our tent was about 10,000 love bugs. So I went in there with our one bottle of bug spray and closed myself in. I held my breath and sprayed the shit out of the aerosol canister until I was sure everyone was dead and I could not hold my breath any longer.

To give the homemade bug bomb a chance to work, we decided to explore the area and go on a hike. We made it about a mile away from camp and it started raining. The trail seemed to come to a dead end so we just turned around and went back. I have a terrible sense of direction and would have honestly gotten completely lost if it hadn’t been for Jenna to guide us.

We got back to camp after our hike and I checked on our tent - no more living love bugs, but piles of dead ones on the ground. It was gross. I got Jenna and the broom and we got rid of as many of the dead bodies as we could. We would shake the rest out the next day when we packed up to leave.

We sat around the fire and played the guitar for a bit when suddenly I realized that we were going to get bored. We had been drinking beer since we arrived and we'd been going through it pretty fast. I never really thought about how to pass the time.

I went walking around looking for firewood. I had nothing to chop it with or nothing to cut the large limbs, but I could use leverage and my body weight for most of the work I needed to do.

The entire time we were there, I made sure to keep a list of all the things I thought about having that we didn’t have. The first being string, the next, an air pump that plugged into the car. Then a sponge. I started to realize that we had enough to survive in the woods, but we did not have enough to THRIVE. This trip was rough supplies-wise, but we made do. Thankfully we brought enough beer to ward off TOO much boredom.

As the sun went down and the alcohol made its way further into our bloodstreams, we decided we were hungry and wanted to eat the food I had brought for us. What I had brought was really simple. It was two pre-made PB&J sandwiches, pre-made mac and cheese, and PB&J crackers.

Dinner was a disaster. The sandwiches I made got soggy from the ice melting and the container failing to do its job in the cooler. The mac and cheese was attempted cold, but then it was decided that we would put it in the pot in the fire and see if we could heat it up. That actually worked out pretty well - but was all we had. Luckily, Jenna came armed with hummus and crackers and had bought some beef jerky at the gas station.

We went to sleep soon after dinner and made sure we got nice and drunk first because we had forgotten that we were sleeping on the ground that night. After all the alcohol, I was ready to crash. My body temp was high though so I put on the fan and slept on top of my blankets.

About halfway through the night I was woken up by the feeling of my bones turning to ice and cracking. I was violently shivering in my bed and wasn’t sure my toes were still attached to my body. I had to pee too. So I stood up clumsily in our little tent and put on my shoes. I looked over and Jenna was fast asleep but now wearing more clothes than she went to bed in - I guess she woke up the same way I did.

I walked to the bathroom and peed. I took comfort in the smelly plastic bin as it seemed to have held on to the day’s heat and trapped it inside. I was suddenly disgusted with myself for enjoying a port a potty, so I walked back to the tent.

When I got inside I turned off the fan. I looked through my suitcase - nothing but more short sleeved shirts and shorts. I took my shoes off but left my socks on and covered them with a second pair. I took the folded king-sized sheet off of my deflated twin size mattress and used that as extra cover in addition to the small throw blanket I had. I was able to make it a few more hours like that until the urge to pee woke me up again.

This time, it seemed warmer outside the tent so I took my double pair of socks off and slipped on flip flops. Jenna was still asleep so I stumbled out of the tent toward the bathroom. I handled my business and came back to the tent - this time, no lingering in the port-a-potty for warmth.

As I approached the site, I saw Jenna moving around outside the tent with her flashlight. I assumed she was doing the same thing I was - taking a midnight pee - but as I got closer I could see that she was in fact setting up the fire. As I got close enough I asked if she was trying to warm up so she could sleep, and she looked at me confused and said “No, this is today’s fire, it’s 6:30”. I was shocked and confused, but proud that we had made it to morning.

We had no breakfast. So we drank more beer. We were out of water, so I decided it was time to leave. We packed up quickly and cleaned the tent and tarps and then we were on our way out.

As we tried to exit the gate, our code wouldn’t work and we had to wait for a forest cop to show up and let us out. We probably waited an hour or so, but when he finally did arrive, he was super nice and as it turns out, from Jacksonville! We chatted with him for a while until a car pulled up behind us. We were finally on our way home!

The ride home was a bit different than the ride there. We double and triple checked my list and talked about all of the things we HAD to get for next time, which things I already had at home, and which things needed to be purchased. Overall the trip was fine, we decided, but we could do WAY better.

Observations:

SO MANY LOVE BUGS - they literally covered everything

We needed to pack the car more strategically - we had to pull everything out to get to the tent and table that we needed to set up first

We needed rope/string

More stakes for the tarp and the tent would not be a bad idea

A table or some platform to unpack on would be handy

Our air pump broke - we needed one that plugged into the car.

It's super important to keep the tent closed completely.

We needed a shovel to dig out the fire pit

We needed more lights around the site - the fire was not enough

Citronella candles would not be a bad idea either

Should have brought extra bug spray

We didn’t have much to do beyond sitting and drinking beer. We vowed to bring at least some books and crafts for next time. I want to learn to whittle.

I needed to stay more organized with the supplies as we unpacked. Things got messy.

Get Outside,

Stone.

#camping #outdoors #tent camping #tent #adventure #Potts Preserve #SWFWMD #Florida

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spiderwho · 5 years

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The Journal

Part 1 of the series Between The Chaos

Summary: Y/n is tasked to rob a well known business man who could also be someone very dangerous that y/n does not feel like quarreling with.

A/n: there is not much y/n x tom action in this chapter but don’t worry it’ll come in the second one

Warnings: curse words

Word Count: 3k

Part 2

“It’s just a simple job, in and out, you can do it,” Adrian reassured you from the drivers seat,

“Easy for you to say, you don’t have to rob a high class business man and possible mob boss,” you fired at him, clutching your bag close to your chest,

“You’ve done stuff like this before, just think about the cash you’ll have in your hands after this,”

Closing your eyes and concentrating on the relieving feeling of making this months rent and bringing down your debt was convincing enough to get you out of the car. The busy morning clutter of people on the street distracted you a bit from the task at hand. You had hardly slept last night, thinking about today and the early hour that you had to get up at.

Tom’s tower was intimidating to look at. Slick reflective windows boarded it all, reflecting your timid figure as you hauled open the glass door. Your heels echoed down the lobby, as your eyes quickly swept the area. You knew that to get in to his office, you had to get past a receptionist on his floor, and for her to let you in his office, you’d have to have a good purpose.

Thinking quickly, your eyes landed on a coffee station along one of the grey walls sitting underneath a blown up photo of a sports car. Typical men.

You walked up to it, grabbing one of the mugs and pouring some of the hot coffee in. A light breeze followed by a tall figure came to the small set up next to you. You tried your best to conceal your slight scare that they gave you. Glancing over in the corner of your eye, you caught the blonde man looking at you already,

“New here?” He asked, picking up a sugar packet.

Your mouth hung open, attempting to form words as you turned your head to look at him completely,

“Y-yeah, second day,” you stuttered,

“Oh, well, have fun,”

Offering a tight lipped smile, and shuffling away, you came up to the elevator, pressing the up button multiple times with impatience. Now that guy will remember you, since you spoke to him. You’ve started a trail, a bad trail. Since he’s never seen you before until today and something from the bosses office will go missing the same day, that leads a suspicious trail leading to you. You’ve already messed up

Luckily no one else was in the elevator and you were able to ride up alone and overthink. Every heist job that you had was the same; you’d doubt your abilities, come way to close to having a panic attack, and consider backing out and changing your name legally. You’ve stolen prized jewelry, ancient artifacts worth thousands from people you would’ve never guessed owned such goods. Only once did you ever fail, so the probability of succeeding is still in your favour.

As the elevator slowed to a stop, you fixed your posture, pulling your shoulders back and standing straighter.

There was a receptionist before his office just as you were told. You mentally checked that off your list of hurdles that you made. She was an older looking lady with fiery red hair, and a resting face that wasn’t entirely welcoming. Just as you were walking by, she looked up at you from her computer, you greeted her with a small smile and pointed to the mug in your hand, signaling that you intended to drop it off at Tom’s desk. She gave you a nod and buried her nose back in her work, but you didn’t make it much further,

“Excuse me, wait a second,” the lady called to you, her voice carrying a ringing drawl,

Stopping just before the door, it was almost bittersweet to make it thus far without anymore mishaps. Turning back to her, you walked over slowly, not trusting your knees to not give out before you. The red haired woman eyed you intensely beneath her quirky cat framed glasses, as if testing to see if you’d crumble beneath the weight of her stare. You were sure you had been busted,

“Mr. Holland doesn’t allow any bags or purses in his office when unattended,”

A shaking breath escaped your lips, and you hoped she hadn’t heard it,

“Right,” you exhaled, coming closer to her desk and setting your purse down on the end of it, noticing the name plate that spelled ‘Elaine Newman’,

“You new here?”

“Yes, it’s only my second day, and um, I’m on coffee duty this morning,”

“Coffee lady is everyone’s favourite lady,”

She put her attention back to her screen, dismissing you without saying a word. Finally making it in to his office, you let the door shut behind you. Not wanting to be in here any longer than needed, you ran over to his desk and carefully set the mug down,

“Journal, journal, leather journal,” you repeated to yourself as you began opening the drawers.

You’ve only ever seen it in photographs that Rick gave you to analyze. He made it very clear how badly he needed this book with subtle threats towards you that cemented themselves in your memory. An unpleasant scar on your thigh proves that he’s not above harming you, and you’re not stupid enough to think he wont do it again.

Opening the very last drawer, losing hope, you picked through it’s contents, at last holding a leather journal in your shaking hands. You felt so eased suddenly that you considered kissing the damn thing. But now wasn’t the time to celebrate, not until it was turned in to Rick.

Making Sure everything is the same as when you came in, you stuffed the journal behind your belt, so it was nice and snug between your back and pants and concealed by your black blazer. Using your hair to hide your face from the camera above the door, you made your way out. The receptionist either didn’t notice you come out or just didn’t care as she didn’t say anything else to you.

Just as you grabbed your bag, the elevator doors dinged open and out walked the one man you were never hoping to run in to. You had never seen Tom Holland in person until now, not at all prepared for how much more attraction he held in person.

Reluctantly keeping your head low, you stalked towards him calmly. Though not able to fight temptation as he came closer, you peeped up at him and time seemed to stand still when your eyes met. It made your heart beat impossibly harder. In his eyes held power, grit and a gleam that made you want to stop and stare in to them for a while longer. But you were only on his turf for business, and didn’t feel safe staying any longer. Once you were in the elevator, you kept watching him with a stern, unreadable expression, as the doors closed.

Tom twisted a bit to watch you step in the contraption, coming to a stop before the doors closed while holding eye contact with your soft orbs. He had never seen you here before, and he’d definitely remember a face like yours,

“She’s new,” Elaine spoke up from her spot, “and cute,”

“How new?” Tom asked, not turning around to face her, knowing she wouldn’t be bothered to look up at him,

“Two days. She brought your coffee,”

“Everyone knows I don’t drink coffee, Elaine,”

“Well, maybe they’re getting old, like me,”

Shrugged it off, he figured he’d see you again, and continued with his schedule, opening the door to his personal office. The coffee should’ve been his first clue that something was off. No matter who brought him his warm morning beverage, they all knew he only drank tea. But your fresh face was fogging up his thoughts, you left him wanting more.

Opening one of the two solid tall doors, he entered his spotless, modern office. Sun shone in all around from the picture windows, giving the room added warmth and glow.

Tom took a lot of pride in his empire, after all, he built it all on his own. To outsiders, he’s a prestigious and respected business man, but not all his business has seen the light of the public eye. He did well to keep a squeaky clean reputation, and his personal affairs hidden in the dark.

He took a seat in his chair, getting to work immediately, opening the bottom right drawer, lifting the files and other contents, searching for what he needed. All that he met was the stained oak the desk was furnished out of. Uneasiness began to settle in his gut as he pulled out all the junk in there,

“No, no,” he murmured in a panic,

“Problem?” Harrison asked, catching Tom in his frazzled state, strutting in the room with two black mugs in hand, one of them for himself and the other for Tom.

Tom stopped, looking at Harrison, his eyes glazed over in quick thought. You, someone he’s never seen before in this building, that also happened to walk by him to his office, claiming to be in here for a purpose, just stole from him,

“Start looking for the journal,” Tom ordered Harrison, then raced out the room.

You took deep breaths in an attempt to calm your adrenaline. Times like this, you picture yourself from others point of view. To everyone that passed by you, you were just another woman; this time a business woman, making her way out of the building and down the block. Adrian was waiting for you with the get away vehicle just a few more meters but the distance was killing you,

“Hey!” Tom shouted, darting in between passerby’s as fast he could to you.

You yanked the handle, and quickly glanced back to Tom. The look of distress on his face made you feel a tang of guilt, and it almost stopped you, almost. But you can’t afford to think like that with the position that your stuck in,

“Drive,” you told Adrian sitting in the driver’s seat. He took off, and you sighed, closing your eyes so that you don’t look in the mirror and see Tom,

“You got it?” Adrian asked, once he got comfortable on the road. To answer, you pulled the book from your purse and flashed it in front of him. He chuckled, muttering a victorious ‘yes’.

You met Adrian when you started doing work for Rick and since then he’s been your partner in crime, literally. It surprised you to meet some one within Rick’s gang that was actually kind and had empathy for you. This made you able to trust him and rely on him in times like these,

“What is so special about this book? I risked my neck for this thing, it better have riddles and clues to a buried treasure, like out of Indiana Jones,” You fired off, genuinely stumped about the hype around it,

“That’s pretty much it,” He said next to you, “It’s like the key to everything, a secret weapon, like a superpower,”

“All in a book,”

Tom stormed back in his public offices, vision red, and your distinctive face burnt in to his memory,

“Who was that woman?” he grilled the receptionist at the front lobby. Her eyes grew wide, throat suddenly dry unable to give an answer,

“I want surveillance, traffic and any other cameras you can get a hold of to find her, and call me as soon as you get a lead,”

Standing in the elevator alone, he took deep breathes, in and out. Your seemingly innocent face continuously flashing before his eyes, mocking him, until the doors dinged open. He found Harrison standing in his office, “Any luck?”

“None,” Harry responded, slipping his hands in his pockets.

Tom remained oddly calm as he strode to his own desk, and flung the nearest object resting on it to the wall, satisfied when it shattered to the ground,

“What the hell happened?” Harrison asked,

“Some woman, just waltzed in here, went through my shit and stole my journal,” Tom explained in an impatient tone,

“She had to know what she was doing. Why would she come in here for a book?” he continued,

“Maybe she likes to read?”

“This is no joke Harrison. Everything I did, every cheat code, every secret, every method that I built to get to my business to the top is in that book. If that lands in the wrong hands it’s over for us,”

Adrian walked you in to your small apartment and helped himself to your tight spaced kitchen as you gave Rick a call,

“Good, good. Now lay low for the next week or so, Holland’s gonna be sitting behind every camera in the city until he finds you. I’ll send someone over to collect it in two days just to keep everything low-key,” Rick growled through the line,

“Will they have my money?” you sassed, tossing the leather book down on the counter in front of you,

“Sure thing. Expect a big bonus, you did good sweets,”

You hung up without another word, not baring to hear him speak anymore. Groaning and rubbing your hands over your face, you rested your elbows on the cool surface of the kitchen island,

“It’s over with, don’t fret about it anymore,” Adrian attempted at comforting you,

“No, it’s not. I’m stuck with the damn thing till Friday and even after that I can’t go anywhere that I can be spotted,” you whined.

The end of your business with Rick couldn’t come soon enough. It took a big mental toll on you. But the only way for it to completely end is for you to move away after college, which is exactly what you were planning on,

“So, no celebratory drinks tonight I take it?”

You shook your head no to him,

“I’m gonna take off then, wouldn’t wanna spoil your exciting evening,”

Leading Adrian to your door in silence, he stopped before you, “Before I forget,” he began, while pulled what looked like a ticket of sorts from his coat pocket,

“There’s a Gala coming up in a few days. I can’t attend, and I know you’re supposed to lay low for a while, but I think you should go, it’d be a nice treat,” he offered you the black ticket with silver scripture,

“What kind of Gala is it?”

“Private, high class, formal, prestigious,”

“Sounds like something I shouldn’t go to,”

“I know for a fact that asshole Rick, wont be there, you’d have fun. I’ll even drive,”

Looking down at the card, you really did consider it. All you’ve been doing for the past year and a half is exhausting work on top of school. One night out shouldn’t hurt, you deserve it,

“Alright, I’ll consider it,” you told him, taking the ticket from him,

“Great, text me tomorrow,” Adrian patted your arm before heading out the door.

You turned and gazed quietly around your home. No matter how you decorated, or how many times you’d clean and rearrange it, it never quite felt like a home. Loneliness tainted the walls, and all the welcome signs and rugs in the world couldn’t bring any comfort. It was the best you could get with your budget, and you were ready to burn it down.

With a huff, you strode back to the kitchen and began making your self a cup of tea. Holding the warm mug and concentrating on the warm drink making it’s way down your throat helped to relax your tense muscles and racing mind.

In the corner of your eye, the journal sat mocking you. It made you think of Tom again, and how you hope you never see him again. If this really is all that everyone is talking, about then he wont rest until your head is on a platter.

Mumbling some curse words, you grabbed the journal from the counter, growing sick of looking at the damned thing, and took it to your bedroom. You had a special hiding place for sacred items that you’ve thieved, just as a precaution until someone came around to collect it.

Pushing your squeaky bed over a few inches, you pulled a faulty floorboard out from it’s place. It was a smart hiding spot that you discovered when you first moved in by stepping on the end it with your heel, scaring the shit out of you when the other end of it seesawed up towards you. The book fit perfectly in the crevice with the dirt and dust, and the board fell back in place like a puzzle piece.

Resting your back against your bed frame, still sat on the floor, you faced your full closet. In the very back of it hung a sleek black dress you wore to your prom two years ago. Things were simpler then in high school, back when everything seemed like it was going to be okay.

Shaking your head from the empty nostalgic feeling, you got up and hauled out the dress. The Gala sounded very tempting, and with no real reason to not go, you decided to leave your decision on your prom dress. If it fit, you’d go. If it didn’t, you’d stay home and wallow in your self pity for another night.

You laughed lightly at yourself for the silly notion, but tried it out, nonetheless.

You stepped in to the dress, and began pulling it up, struggling a bit when it got as far as your hips and required some twisting and tugging,

“What a bad idea,” you whispered to yourself in the full length mirror you shuffled over to. Once it budged from your grown hips, it slid with ease up to the rest of your torso, the zipper on the side securing it in to place, and bringing in your waist.

Turning back and forth in the mirror to inspect all sides of the dress, you smiled because it fit you better than ever.

It’s settled, you’ll be attending the Gala tomorrow night.

#tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland #mob!tom #mob!au #tom and harrison #tom holland gif #cute tom holland #mob!tom x reader #mob!tom x y/n #mob!tom x you

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trogersracing · 5 years

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Challenge Roth - 2019

I signed up for this (my second full distance triathlon) before having ever completed my first. I randomly saw a tweet from the race organizer that several registrants had not completed the sign up process and they were re-releasing the entries. I wrote a hasty email not thinking I’d be one of the first to respond and was amazed that I was able to nab a spot. Knowing that I could try to sign up for the race lottery for the next years and never get an entry I took advantage and decided to go for it. I though it would be a nice ‘A race’ for the summer not knowing how Barcelona would go or what else Carly and I would be getting into for travel. Fast forward a bit and I qualified for Kona at Barcelona so Roth became much more of a ‘fun’ race, but still an important tune up and experience before going to the big island. I was excited to race the distance again and experience the fabled Challenge Roth atmosphere.

Though the body seemingly had other plans, in late January/February I thought what was a strained groin turned out to be a mild hernia. Carly and I joke that I literally ‘busted a gut’ at Barcelona. The other line was that the my body was rejecting me and this was a not so sublt hint to cut this shit out. Regardless, I took quick action and scheduled the surgery ASAP knowing that I’d have a bit of downtime and then slow build back to form. I was able to maintain general fitness right up till the scheduled surgery date.

Thanks to private insurance the surgery itself was an amazing easy process and my doctor was amazing. We schedule the surgery they day I got back from a trip to the USA for work. Literally….. off a red-eye at Heathrow and into the Hospital. I was a sight. That was Tuesday, February 19th. Not knowing most people take two weeks off of work for this thing I went to work the next day. I was slow moving to say the least but it i’d go nuts sitting around the house. I took a walk a few days later and Carly forbade me to get on my bike…. for a week. On the 28th I started doing some easy rides and slowly worked into some easy runs. I got in the pool for the first time on March 17th, nearly a month later. The week of March 18th was my first week ‘back’ in building fitness. I had a mountain to climb in the ten weeks to prepare for Roth.

During the down time it was tough to see instagram filled with everyone out on the spring training camps and gearing up for earlier season racing as my fitness plummeted. But I filled the time trying to ‘think’ about some of the aspects of racing I don’t usually get to ponder and to consider a few of my gear choices.

I knew I was in capable hands and that my fitness would return and it was better to take the time now and make a proper recover and gains than risk greater damage. I slowly got back into my standard routine of cycling to work, running and eventually swimming. I had the odd sting or stretch but overall the recovery went very well. The rest was also good mentally, I knew that the summer was going to be long and that I had two very big races on my calendar that I needed to stay ‘checked into’ I was able to spend some time thinking about my racing, things that were important to me and places I wanted to develop. I didn’t pull everything I thought about into my training or racing but it was good to think about some of these things, research, listen to what others had to say and spend my time preparing and know why I was (or wasnt).

Below you can see my fitness and training (gains) from early Feb through to the race.

Feb 15th. The low point.

Race Day.

Training Volume to get to Challenge Roth

Average training hours during build. (does not count commuting)

Average (and max) TSS during build. (does not count commuting). The spike at the end is the race.

This doesn’t take account an average of 39 miles (3 hours) a week of commuting. A complete week of commuting would be 75 (5 hours) but that sometimes doesn’t happen with other work or professional commitments. I don’t count the cycling as part of ‘training’ but it doest factor into general recovery or how I’m feeling in terms of energy level. The commute is also good for bike handling skills and distressing at the end of the day.

Trips taken… work and pleasure

I fly back to the USA about every eight to ten weeks so I was able to put my next trip off till mid-april which allowed me to get into a good rythm with training before the next disruption. I made a bit of a weekend out of it and and saw some family on the weekend after which was a nice way to end the (short) trip. My parents live in rural NH so there was ample time (and space) to get a few runs under my belt.

Live Free or Die.

May was quite but June saw us traveling to the states for two full weeks for two weddings and my sisters graduation. I took the bike over and used the time to get in some long rides up into the white mountains and around Maine as well as open water swims in Sebago. We planned to take a week of ‘work’ and then a week of holiday so it was the first week that I was most concerned with continuing the gains where once I was on ‘holiday’ it would be slightly easier to find the time.

Carly’s mom organized this mural in Maine and the ‘sister’ mural in Iraq. Both painted with the assistance of young kids to show there is more that unites than divides us.

However, it was not an easy ask as we had a full slate of friends and family to see during the week. There was a fair bit of running around the eastern seaboard seeing friends and family but all totally worth it.

At the end of the weeks I had been able to put in a couple of quality longer bike and run efforts and got to race week at very nearly the same ‘fitness’ that I had with Barcelona. That summer played out much differently with more racing including London Marathon and 70.3 WC’s so the fitness was much deeper then but I was happy with how fast I was able to get my body ready.

Roth itself….

As soon as I entered I held a spot at a hotel in Nuremberg and began looking for an Airbnb closer to the race start. I knew that many stayed in Nuremberg so it wasn’t ‘bad’ but staying in Roth or Hipolstien was far better. Luckily enough, after much checking I snagged a great place in Hipolstien next to the train station and was able to cancel the hotel. As a whole house it had more than enough space for Carly and I to enjoy the weekend and the race atmosphere and made it very easy to get to/from Roth on the train for briefings and to/from the race finish.

Carly and I flew into Munich Thursday evening and after a quick car rental pickup were shooting north very, very, quickly on the Autobahn to Roth. We stopped for a quick bite to eat that evening on our way up and crashed once we got in. Friday morning I woke and walked down to the swim start for a short swim in the canal during the allocated trial time. Afterwards, Carly and I met up for a food shop and I assembled my bike. Once assembled I was out for a ride to test everything out and short run to get the legs moving. During the ride I went to check-in and crossed that off the list. The check-in process on Friday mid day was very easy and I was in/out in ten minutes. Very well managed.

I spent the remainder of the day Friday and Saturday preparing my gear and setting up the my prototype hydration bladder for the bike (more on this later). Once prepped it was a decent amount of relaxing and just enjoying ourselves around the house and small town.

Beer!

and sausage!

Saturday I had a quick ride and run followed by dropping my bike off at T1. The race also requires you drop off the run bag so that it can be transported to T2. I had scored an amazing rack spot right at the end of a row and next to the pro’s so my run out of T1 was very easy and no searching for my bike!

Dimonds get the best settings.

Saturday was very hot so we spent the rest of the day relaxing around the house trying to avoid getting dehydrated. I spent a bit of time prepping my bottles for the next day and double checking everything I could.

Get in my belly!

Race day….

Up at 4:30, had a Honey stinger wafer and banana and some PH. Out the door by just before 5 am to walk to T1. Got to T1 as a rain started but before the majority of crowds so was able to get easy access to bathrooms and sort the bike quickly and drop off the bike bag. I spent a few minutes chilling under a tree with Carly trying to avoid the rain but soon enough it was time to dawn the wetsuit and get this party started. I felt fueled, hydrated and ready.

I made my way back into T1 and over to the starting pen. As I had indicated a Sub 9:00 hour goal I was placed into a distinct starting group just after the pro men and women start. I was a bit psyched (nervous) about this as it would leave the roads a bit more clear for the first loop of the bike and make it a bit easier to pace and see where I was for the race in terms of place.

Swim

Washing machine.

I started at about the middle of the starting line 2-3 people back from the front. I was terrified that I’d get kicked in/around my incision during the swim so my primary goal was to make it through the swim unharmed. Once the cannon fired it was an instant washing machine. Definitely the most hectic swim start I’ve ever participated in and given that all the people there were quick it continued on for a while. I have no illusions of fast swimming to tried to just stick to my race and my pace and get into a good rhythm. Being in a canal the swim is calm and course simple. Down with the current and then back against with a quick out and back the other way just before the finish. I was consciously ‘pushing’ but not killing myself. I know that sometimes i allow my mind to wander when swimming so I kept checking in to keep focus and maintain pace. I wanted to get a sub 60 swim and thought that with the ‘easier’ course versus the rough seas on Barcelona it would be doable.

Just. start. running.

On exit I glanced at my watch 60:41… fuck.. pretty much the exact same time as Barcelona. Not a bad time by any measure but I had been hoping (expecting) a slightly quicker swim. Oh well, no time to dwell on it and right into T1. The volunteers are amazing and had my gear dumped and sorted quickly. Socks and number on and out to the bike. I momentarily grabbed my bike and started running before I realized I didn’t have my helmet on which was on the bars. Big no no…. stopped and helmet on before any harm done (officials saw).

ignore the time. next job.

Swim – 60:41 – 251st OA

Out to the start line and on the bike…

Bike

I wanted to give a solid effort on the bike here and shave time off the 4:49 from Barcelona. The course is rolling but giving the amazing road surfaces you always have the ability to move fast.

The bike course is stunning and it passes through some lovely german countryside and towns. There are people lining the entire course cheering which makes the atmosphere even better. Every hill you’re treated with cheering fans on both sides.

With the prototype bladder my goal was to take in the just under 2 liters in the bike as well as two (and a half) bottles on the bike for a mix of fluids and fuel. I’d supplement this with half a honey stinger wafer every 30 minutes or so for some ‘real’ calories.

The bladder worked amazing well and it was great to be able to take small swigs while in aero position or whenever desired. I supplemented that with bottles when it started to run dry or I wanted to larger draw of fluid. Overall it worked really well and I was able to move over and ignore all the aid stations. I don’t think this really saved me any time but it certainly goes to a level of confidence that I can have everything I need for a full distance race right on my bike and not be beholden to the aid stations and be carrying it in a very aero manner (inside the bike). Certainly if it had been hotter (or I had lost a bottle) I would have taken water or other from the stations. I’ll continue to refine my fueling mix and the bladder itself to maximize the volume and make sure I’m getting the type of energy I need during the bike.

The highlight of the bike was easily Solar Hill. Rolling through Hipolstien you round a small corner and there is just a mass of people in front of you. They’re screaming and making noise and right in your face. Its hard not to push up the hill and takes a fair amount to ride the hill ‘like a triathlete’. I clocked through the second loop at around 2:20ish and felt happy with the pace though wanted to be a bit quicker.

The second loop I kept on the gas and took a bit of solice in that I saw two Freespeed athletes come up to me about halfway through the second lap. I rode with them for a good portion of the remainder of the race and felt it was a good indicator that I was moving along well and where I sat in the overall leaderboard.

I did over cook one decent through a small town and had to bunny hop the bike up on the curb at about 30 mph and then back off to keep from hitting the shoulder. I scared a good portion of the crowd who must have thought I was a gonner… also got my heart going…. really didn’t want to be ‘that American’ who couldn’t keep it right side up.

Bike 4:46 – 82nd OA

Marathon…

Rolling into T2 I saw a lot of bags still on the ground around my number so knew I was in ‘decent’ position but had some work ahead of me. A very quick transition saw my shoes and PH hat on and I was out the door. I think I had the 9th fastest T2 of the day…

I had a goal of wanting to run sub 3 for the marathon and knew the splits I needed to run to achieve that. I started out feeling strong and set off a bit under that pace hoping to build a buffer. The course brings you first through a bit of town before putting you on two out-n-backs along the canal.

Starting the first I saw Carly which put a bit of pep in my step and I was feeling good. I knew my swim was solid and I had bike taken some time off my bike so I was in good position. Running a sub 3 marathon would really put me across the line with a decent finishing time. I saw the pro women coming back towards me on the first out and back and started to see a number of the fast AG’s as well so knew I wasn’t too far off the lead guys.

I was quickly running with another racer and after a chat realized he to was looking to run about that time so we linked up for the next few miles. After a few aid stations though he dropped back and I continued on at pace. As I passed Carly the second time to start the (longer) out and back to the north of the canal the wind picked up and the sun came out. It started to heat up a bit and my body started to feel tired. Over the next few miles my mind went from ‘sub 3’ to I need to make sub 9 overall. My legs really started to weight and at each aid station I started to go for the coke and fruit. Going for that stuff before mile ten was much earlier in the race than I usually begin going for that sort of thing.

By the time I turned back around and was heading off the canal for Roth I was feeling wrecked. I saw Carly and indicated no joy and tried to get my head into the game. ‘Common man, you’re more than halfway done… suck it up’. The nice bit was that running through town there was way more fans and support which kept the spirits up. It was a bit easier to push and find that energy reserve to keep moving. That said, this was, personally, a very, very rough run. I really felt like throwing in the towel and calling it a day. I felt slow, my legs were like limp sausages. After a couple hours of pushing my body to keep going my mind was also starting to throw in the towel. Failure creeped in and took hold.

But I kept on pushing forward. ‘Just keep moving’ I told myself. If I kept going I would finish, and finishing at the time I would, even if outside my goal is an accomplishment many spend an entire career trying to achieve. Don’t to that dishonor by throwing in the towel now. Keep going.

Hurting. Hard.

By the time I made it to the turn around pond with three miles left I knew I’d finish the race and gave it one last go for the downhill miles back to Roth. Back into the crowds I found the last bit of reserve and pushed through the town and into the finish stadium. It was a pretty epic finish scenario with the announcers and crowd in the stands and an experience I’ll not forget.

Don’t trip now.

Run – 3:07 – 57th OA

I crossed the line exhausted but finished. I knew I hadn’t made my place or time goal I had wanted but it was a quality race effort in an amazing venue. I can’t be mad with the performance. Into the recovery tent I went over to the timing services to see how I placed. 8:57… I was amazed, I had (somehow) bested my Barcelona time by a minute and slid in under the 9 hour mark. Given my training leading up to the race this was a great time and an affirmation of my underlying fitness.

The only hit on this race was the post race food. For the last few miles all I could think about was getting some good german sausages once finishing. The smell of fans cooking (and eating) them was thick the last miles. Certainly, I thought, this to would await for me at the finish. However I was disappointed on finish and the food options were rather lack luster. They were well stocked with the offerings they did have and there were some nice options but just not what I (or my body) had in mind at that moment. So after downing a few chocolate milks and pastries I left the tent to find Carly. On finding me she promptly fixed the problem and supplied currywurst and beer which instantly made me feel better. We chilled for a little while and then, with not much more reason to hang around left to find the bus replacement back to Hipolstein. After a short wait and bus ride I was home and showered. We went into the little town and had a quality dinner (avoiding the chaos of Roth) and relaxed with some beers.

At around 8pm we jumped in the car and went back to T2 to pick up my bike and gear. After which we found a place to ditch the car and went to the finishing stadium to cheer on the late finishers and watch the fireworks. It was really something to watch the racers who had been out there for 13/14/15 hours come across the line and receive their medal. I cant imagine being out there and racing for that long… The mental toll (outside of the obvious physical effort) is mind blowing. The fireworks at the end of the evening were the perfect ending to the day and it was nice to get some fireworks in over the 4th of July weekend!

The race provided a number of valuable experiences and I was able to take away some great lessons from both the prep and overall experience.

Good:

2nd Full distance race, 2nd sub 9 hour finish (and on 11.5 hours a week of training)

500 euro back for finishing sub 9 hours

fitness coming back after the surgery with no post race issues

hydration bladder prototype worked well

overall weekend was much more ‘low stress’ than my first full race and gave me a good level of confidence for the distance in Kona

Bad

swim not as expected, if only by a minute or two

biked uneven (in retrospect) and paid the price on the run

run sucked, but with mid 20 mile weeks averaging leading up it is not surprising that a sub 3 marathon didn’t happen

Please let me know if there is anything about the race (or training) you’d like to know or for me to expand on. I’m happy to share my experience and help others have a great day out at Roth. Its an amazing event!

Challenge Roth – 2019 was originally published on Rogers Racing

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