French Creek and the Importance of Getting a Strong Start...

I have a race routine. It's not religious, but pretty general. It doesn't ball me up if I get out of routine but it does help to alleviate some stress on race day. Adding a puppy named Potter might have been a monkey wrench in my routine.

Saturday morning was the normal, up at 5:00am with the dogs: a quick out for Potter, then feeding, and then a longer out for both Layla and Potter. After this, Layla usually sneaks off to her room and goes to sleep, Potter starts a morning of raging.

This particular Saturday morning was a little different, as Potter and Layla started a vigorous wrestling match. I laid down on the couch and passed out. I woke up a half hour later and see the kids still wrestling.  "Layla you rule. Thank you for taking care of the puppy!" I laid down and when back to sleep. Precious Sleep.

7:00. I get up. The dogs are still at it. "totally awesome!" I think to myself, as I start to head up stairs to get monkey up.  I look over in the office. A scream from the core of my existence escapes from my mouth, "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!"

The office looks like a CSI scene. There is what appears to be blood all over the carpet. After closer examination i realize it is a Gatorarde Prime and a series of raspberry hammer gels. Potter went in my zipped up race bag, and pulled them out, drained them and spread them all over our formerly white carpet. Now I
know how the vigorous wrestling match was fueled.

Then I see it. My brand new camel back, which was zipped in my race bag, in the corner, and the bladder, which was zipped up in the camel back, pulled out, chewed up and killed.

" ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?"

Diane charges down the stairs after hearing my second blood curdling scream in 5 minutes.  We look into the kitchen where we see the two dogs, sitting and looking at us,  perhaps admiring their carnage, but sitting looking cute and angelic.

I stare at Potter, "I'm going to eat you. You cute little bastard. With Cheese. I'm going to eat you with cheese on a sub roll."

....

While staging for the French Creek race my teammate Jake looks over to me and says, "fatmarc, do you know your camel back is leaking?"  I reply, "yup, my bladder was puppy altered this morning, and is currently being held together with a series of black tape patches, I'm hoping they hold at least through the first lap. Would you like a puppy?"

Jake laughs.

Despite a rocky start, French Creek was fun. Thanks to the wonder of black tape, I was able to finish the race pretty hydrated. Fun day for sure. Congrats to Marcus and his team for a really fun course that was really challenging. Monk and I both went in with modest goals, (finish, don't get hurt) and both came away pretty pleased with the day.

it doesn't get much better than that.

Samantha said to me, "Puppy's are so cute so you can't kill them when the destroy your stuff."

amen.

respect
fatmarc