The Easy Part

Two weekends ago I took the Evil Genius camping, then we went up to Camp Kanata for the Fall Outing Sunday afternoon. This weekend I took Bigun camping with her Indian Princess tribe Saturday night, and since EG and I didn't get to do any of the real camp-y stuff, I took both of them up to Kanata again for all of the camp fun.

I never thought Ironman would be the least exhausting of these three weekends.

This is week 38 of the 39 week Ironman training plan.  Only race week is left. This is quite a relief. The second week of taper is supposed to be easy. Nice and slow workouts, about an hour each. Still do something long on Saturday.  Total time was about 7 hours. I got plenty of rest. It was pretty glorious.  This is also the kind of week where every little nagging pain starts to flare up and finally maybe heal. This is supposed to be the easy part.

After I did the long workout it was a much more relaxed approach to getting ready for the camping trip. I still had all the gear pulled out from the previous trip, and we had plenty of time to get all the veggies cut and ready. I had to pick up Bigun from a friend's birthday party and we got right out to Jordan Lake to get the tent setup and started camping.

We really did have a blast. I was starting out completely exhausted and hungry. Then it started raining as soon as I got the potatoes on the campfire.  She lost two hot dogs just by walking around looking for a dry place to eat, poor thing. But then the rains cleared and we had some huge s'mores and everything ended up ok.  Bigun was the last kid standing, she hung out with me and the other dads around the campfire until about 11:30, which was really fun. I think that's her favorite part.

About 4 am I woke up and really had to pee. Found a headlight and stumbled into the woods behind the tent. I thought it was morning already, there was a full moon that was as bright as the sun out there. All of the clouds had moved on and there was more stars than I've ever seen over the Raleigh sky.  It was about 40*, so cold and beautiful. I don't know why I enjoy peeing outside so much but it really is better than peeing inside. I also took a moment to soak in the night sky before crashing out again.

After breakfast Bigun went with her friends into the mud and water for a bit on Sunday morning. We needed to get out of there without dallying. Instead, I went down there to get her, grabbed a few pics and then we got lost in the woods trying to get back to the car. I don't know how you get lost on one trail that goes for 300 yards, but I did it.  The important part was that I convinced her that we weren't lost, we just needed to turn around and go back.

Our Giant S'mores

Sunday morning in the tent

Yes she went in the water in pajamas

After we got home I laid down on the bed and told Kelley I thought I had lyme disease.  Even got her to check my head for ticks. She thought it was just a hangover. She might have been right, but unimaginative. I had to pull it together for another round at Camp Kanata.

Last sunday EG and I got up to Kanata around 4 pm, just in time to meet up for the hike, dinner, and ceremony. She was really upset that we didn't get to do any of the other camp activities, and Bigun was pretty upset that 3rd years don't really have a fall outing where her tribe went up to the camp. So I piled them both in the car and we went up there just to crash this weekend's first and second year fall outing. We got to do all of the fun camp stuff.  Archery, the climbing wall, a ropes course, play some tetherball and cornhole, it was a blast. They were worn out.  Bigun really wanted to get in the canoe, but EG wouldn't do it so we had to pass. That was the only strife.  It was pretty perfect, and we were out of there around 4 pm.

On the climbing wall

Daddy got inverted!

Ropes course! Balancing on a wire

EG on a wire

I got one pic like this of just Bigun during her first year fall outing

The archer and the ham

Bigun is ready!

teaching EG to shoot!

Me and my little Archers of Loaf!

It was a blast. We had a really good time up there. it was a great way to end the week. Yes I was tired and again didn't get to see any of my beloved fall college football, but the way Clemson played against FSU was disturbing anyway. These are the kind of things we just do for our kids. This is how we fit it all in and make those memories. Great week!