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just-another-fanfiction-writer · 6 years

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Excuses - Peter x Reader ONESHOT

Heyo, my potatoes! ♥ I really missed writing a lot and with @starksparker 10k Writing Challenge coming around (congrats again :3) I thought I’d just join and write something real fluffy :D I hope you enjoy! ♥

Starksparkers’s 10k Writing Challenge

Prompt - “Just save your breath.”

Words - 2,954

Warnings - none really :P

“Come on, just one more chance.”

Your stern eyebrows and firmly crossed arms underline the seriousness of the situation. Yet Peter’s dark brown eyes melt your heart and you feel your knees getting weak.

“Please Y/N”, he pleads with his puppy eyes and you finally give up with a groan.

“Okay, but this is your last chance”, you point out, seeing Peter’s eyes grow wide and a big smile forming on his pink lips.

“I’m serious!”

“Of course”, Peter nods, trying to look serious as well but failing as he can’t hold back his smile.

“If you don’t show up in time, you better don’t come crawling back to me with yet another excuse.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there. I promise.”

“I really do hope so”, you cross your arms again.

And with that the bell rings to the first lesson and you two get to the classroom.

Sitting behind Peter isn’t that bad after all. Though a lot of times it distracted you from the lesson, you could stare at him the whole time wihtout being noticed. You could look at his soft curly hair and imagine how your hand runs through it. Sometimes you drew little sketches of him in one of his nerdy shirts and god these broad shoulders. They look so strong, just like his arms. With those arms he could carry you everywhere.

Suddenly Peter moves his head to the side, making you quickly look away. Luckily he just looks outside and is completely elsewhere with his mind instead inside this classroom. You can see his expression and he seems to be brooding over something. In the end he sighs, his shoulders slump down and he pays attention to the lesson again.

Were you too hard on him?

He is quite a soft soul after all. But no. He left you out in the rain way too often already. This would be your last attempt. The last attempt to see if this friendship could become more. Sure, it wasn’t a date - at least you two didn’t call it that - but otherwise you two were never alone. Either you were in school around teachers and other students or out and about with your friends Ned and MJ.

You basically did everything together in this group. Especially after school. But after developing a crush and harbouring it for some time, you want to move forward. But with all of these failed dinners and trips, you feel like moving backwards.

This time it has to work out.

“Can I come in?”

“Uh, yeah.”

The door opens hesitantly and Aunt May’s head pops around.

“Getting ready for a date?”

“It’s not a date!”, Peter immediately exclaims and stops doing his hair for a second to look at his aunt angrily.

“Oh right. The ‘We’re-not-on-a-date-because-we’re-friends” date.”

“Aunt May”, her nephew whines, clearly wanting her to stop.

“Okay, okay. I’m on my way to work anyways. Have fun...and don’t mess it up this time. Tell Y/N how you feel.”

With these wise words she leaves.

“Well, that’s the plan”, Peter mumbles to himself, looking at his reflection. As the day came closer to the evening, his pulse slowly but surely rose. Today had to be the day.

Today he’ll finally confess his feelings.

No longer should he keep his love for you a secret.

Everyone else knows already, so why shouldn’t you? Would it be so far fetched, that you might feel similar feelings for him? In the end you gave him far more ‘last’ chances than anybody else. Eiher you are a really kind person (which you are too him anyways) or you actually care for him a lot. And maybe enough for more than a simple friendship.

And if it wasn’t enough, he wouldn’t make a big fuss about it. You two would stay friends and he would find a way to get over you or push the feelings aside, even if it isn’t really healthy.

In ten minutes he would make his way to the restaurant. This way he should be early enough that even if something comes in between, he should have enough time to be back before you even come.

At least so he thought.

How long has it been?

Oh, just a minute.

You’re too early anyways. No need to worry. This time you want to believe what Peter said. This time he would come and you two would have a lovely evening together.

Just the two of you.

Right here in this restaurant. It’s a bit fancier, but not too fancy. In the end the two of you go there as friends. Sure, you wear a dress tonight which is your go-to dress for a date, but you just didn’t want to be underdressed in this restaurant. And just maybe Peter likes seeing it on you.

A small smile forms on your lips, thinking about his reaction, telling you how beautiful you look tonight.

As you stand in front of the restaurant next to a simple lantern, you watch people going by. Some of them are in a hurry to get home to their loved ones and for some others the night shift is about to start. Yet others are searching for a bar to enjoy the evening with their friends and colleagues. Some are doing their last-minute shopping for the weekend in the grocery store across the street. And the rest of them are with their dates, holding hands, whispering sweet nothings to each other or laughing about the same thought both of them just had.

A cute couple stops in the middle of everything to look up at the night sky to the single star, that shines so strong, it’s brighter than the lights of the city. They look at it for a moment and then back at each other. They seem very much in love.

Finally they take a step towards each other and share a short but passionate kiss. With a big smile on their faces, they continue down the road.

Just now you notice how you were watching them the whole time, holding your chest, where inside your heart’s still pounding with Peter on your mind.

If this night goes wrong and Peter doesn’t show up or he doesn’t return your feelings, you wouldn’t know what to do.

Yet there’s still time for him to show up. Surely you would wait a bit longer if he wasn’t right on time. A few more minutes would do it. The traffic is really bad on these kind of days. Especially on Friday evenings, being such a lovely summer night.

With the air cooling down you actually feel a bit cold on your arms. Rubbing your arms to warm them up, you look up to see the star the couple looked at covered by dark clouds approaching and they seem to burst any second.

Another look at the clock on your phone. He should be here any minute now.

He will be here. Just give him some more time.

He’s probably just around the corner.

So you keep looking at the corner, he'd come around and only look away to check the time on your phone every two minutes.

And as times goes by your hope does, too.

By now rain pours down onto your completely soaked dress, as you sit on the sidewalk leaning against the lantern, your arms wrapped around your legs.

It’s two hours after the time you two agreed on. Though Peter is far too late, you still sit there in the rain. You just want to see if he’ll ever come. If he even shows up.

Were you that stupid to think he liked you more than a friend?

Maybe.

But even a friend wouldn’t be this mean and leave you literally out in the rain for so long without even a message or anthing.

But he seemed to be such a good guy...

“Y/N!”

It does suprise you a little, that he really has the guts to still show up, but you don’t even pay attention to him. You don’t even look at him as you stand up. Peter immediately walks up to you completely out of breath and you can already hear his ridiculous excuses without him even saying them out loud, as he tries to catch a breath.

“Y/N, I’m...I-”

He cuts off as you lift your face and he sees your tears in the pouring rain.

“Just save your breath. I don’t want to hear your excuses. A friend doesn’t do something this cruel to another. Do you now what time it is? You’re more than two hours late! You could’ve even texted to tell me that you couldn’t make it. You know...sometimes I think you like to see me suffer. You’re really awful, Peter Parker. Anyways, I’m going home and don’t come running after me.”

And with that you leave Peter, who just stands there, watching you walk out of his life.

Is it suppossed to just end like this?

He wants to explain. He wants you to know it’s not your fault. He wants you to know how much he cares about you, that he really didn’t want to hurt you.

Wasn’t this responsibility there. The responsibility of being the ‘friendly’ neighborhood Spiderman, who saves people and catches criminals.

If you’d only know.

In this moment it hits Peter like lightning.

You’re the person he trusts most. You kept supporting him whatever he was doing. You didn’t give up on him. You believed he’d be in time for one of the dinners. You always waited for him.

This has to mean something, doesn’t it?

This night suppossed to be the night he would finally open up to you.

And this night is far from over.

But how should he tell you?

In his train of thought, Peter’s eyes mindlessly follow a couple walking into the restaurant and that’s where an idea comes to his mind.

With a towel lazily hanging around your neck and tears finally dry, you come out of the bathroom in your sleepwear and still slightly wet hair and go to your room. As you sit down, you take a look around.

It’s all still the same. The same four walls. The same mess as before.

But it feels so different. So empty.

Your eyes finally rest on the frame on your cluttered desk.

In it is a picture of you and your friends in Disneyland. You all wear Mickey Mouse ears with a big smile. Even Peter does.

You remember how excited you were to be on the new rollercoaster. Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you want to take it) there was only space for two more people and MJ and Ned let you and Peter go first. And you didn’t expect how fast and scary the ride would get. Out of fear and excitement you mindlessly grabbed Peter’s hand and you kept holding hands the entire ride. Somehow it felt like your hand belonged in his.

It was quite awkward when getting out of the ride, but for some reason Peter’s eyes and smile were brighter that day. He seemed to have a lot of fun.

A sudden knock tears you from your thoughts and weirdly it doesn’t come from your door, but from your window, which you turn around to.

“What the-?!”

The red and blue coloured spider looks to the left and right and back to you. With one hand and both feet sticking to the wall outside like glue, he lifts his free hand, which holds a paper bag and pulls on his mask with two fingers to reveal a brunette boy you know too well.

“Peter?!”

“Can I come in?”, he asks through the window with ‘Sorry’ written all over his face.

You quickly lock your door and open your window to let Peter in. With feet first, he jumps into your room, almost knocking over your lamp. You can’t even react so fast to catch it, but Peter catches it easily and puts it back.

Meanwhile your mind runs on overdrive, not being able to think one thought through.

“Uh, I-I’ve brought food...from the restaurant. I hope you like it”, he stutters, holding up the bag and scratching the back of his head. With every word he speaks, you feel anger rise up more and more inside of you until you can’t hold back anymore.

“Why didn’t you tell me your freaking Spiderman?!”, you yell at him under your breath, not wanting your parents to hear you two. You start to punch Peter’s chest with all your anger.

Anger about him not telling of course, but also about not figuring it out yourself and pressuring Peter, while he was saving people. It seems so obvious to you that he’s Spiderman, now that you know. Everything hints to it.

Why didn’t you notice it before?

Peter on the other hand simply let’s his head hang down, not stopping you. Instead he just puts his mask and the bag on your desk, seeing the picture you were looking at before.

As you look at the picture yourself, you finally stop, your hands resting flat on his beating chest.

“I like to remember this day a lot”, Peter mentions, still looking at it, now with a sad smile.

“We had a lot of fun this day. For once I didn’t have to be Spiderman. I could just enjoy some time with my friends and...with you.”

As you look back at him, his cheeks turn into a bright pink and you don’t really know for sure, what he’s trying to say. Your mind’s still kind of caught up on the fact that Peter is Spiderman and that he’s standing in front of you in his suit, awkwardly looking to the side.

“I’m really sorry for what happend. I didn’t want to hurt you at all. I just...I didn’t know how to tell you. And I hoped that I could be at one dinner with you at least. I really wanted to spend more time with you. I wanted to show you that I care about you and that I can be reliable. I wanted to show you that...I...uhm...that I like you...more than a friend.”

Upon seeing your surprised face, Peter panicks and starts rambling.

“Well, I mean i-if you don’t feel the same way, that’s no problem of course. I just...thought you’d need to know. We can stay fr-”

“Pete”, you interrupt him, tapping his chest, pulling his attention back to you. You bite your lip, trying to hide the growing smile but a side smile slips through as you look at his chest, softly stroking the elastic fabric with your hands. You always wondered how it feels like.

As you look back up at him, your eyes meet and your heart’s pounding out of your chest, butterflies about to pop from your stomach.

“I like you too”, you finally admit, quickly adding, “more than a friend.”

Your heart jumps a little, seeing a big bright smile forming on his face.

“Really?”, he asks, taking your hands on his chest into his.

“Really”, you reply with a blush, trying to avoid his gaze, but his eyes keep drawing you back. These warm almost amber-colored eyes just mesmerise you.

And somehow he’s so close, his eyes a lot closer than before and his lips are so very close...

First, it is like electricity you feel running through your whole body. From everywere he touches to your fingertips down to your shivering knees and to the tip of your toes.

Then it’s like a drug, you’re getting high on. It feels like it’s healing all the wounds of every minute and hour you waited for him, erasing every doubt in your mind and lifting all the weight from your heart.

And at last there’s just love. In every inch of your body and every inch of your mind. It’s overflowing with love and with memories of him. All these memories of happiness caused by him through a simple joke, which made you laugh, through comforting words in dark times or just through holding his hand in the rollercoaster.

You have never known how much he means to you until this very moment.

Your lips part, but you share that same smile.

“So...you said you brought food?”

“Captain America? No way! I don’t believe you.” “Well, you wouldn’t have believed me that I’m Spiderman, if I hadn’t shown up in my suit.” “Okay, you’re right. But really?” “Mhm...oh and Captain America’s best friend...Bucky, I think? I could hold off his punch and I heard he’s one of the strongest of them?” “You’re such a show off”, you point out, making both of you laugh, when suddenly a knock comes from your door.

“Sweetie, you okay? Who’re you talking to?”

With big eyes you look at each other and you quickly have to come up with an excuse.

“I’m skyping with Peter and my headphones don’t work.”

“Oh, you’re cute friend from school? Tell him I said hello!”

“Mom”, you groan, looking at Peter, who just has a big old grin on his face.

“Good night, sweetie. And don’t stay up too late.” “Good night, mom.”

After she left, Peter still grins at you. “You should listen to your mother. She’s a wise woman, y’know?” “Shut up, Spiderman”, you kick Peter, making him roll off the bed laughing.

You spend the rest of the night together, talking about a lot of things you two had to catch up on and afterwards watched some Netflix, cuddling in your bed.

In the end this was better than you imagined a first date with Peter Parker, the friendly neighborhood Spiderman and your best friend...now boyfriend.

GOT ANY GOOD IDEAS FOR A PETER X READER FANFICTION? LET ME KNOW! REQUEST ARE STILL OPEN! :) CLICK HERE FOR REQUESTS!

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sillysalie · 2 years

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This week was actually pretty intense and exhausting 😩 From dealing with pre & post-election stress and anxiety, to losing a loved one, juggling work deliverables in between, plus #TheLABSummer2022 class and photoshoot then our Time Trial 5k for @adidasphgirlscanrun. Phew! 😬 But do you know what’s the best way to end this long week? Finishing 5k strong with a new PR! I still don’t know how did I even survived the run with 3hrs sleep, w/o a pacer and earphones! 😂 But I know that I’m not running alone ‘coz in every street corner, there’s always someone cheering me on. Thank you, GCR1 fam and Coach @nylahbautista! We would’t be able to reach this far without you guys 💖 To my GCR2 babes, congrats to us!! We did it! There’s still a lot of trainings to do, but lezzgow crush that 10k next!! 🏃🏻‍♀️💨 #AdidasGirlsCanRun #GCRSeason2 https://www.instagram.com/p/CdlDO3kJlgG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#thelabsummer2022 #adidasgirlscanrun #gcrseason2

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letsmarconicolo-blog · 5 years

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XRP’s Parabolic Bulls Run, Soon Will Cross $4 USD

The previous two days, the third largest cryptocurrency in the crypto market has been enjoying the bullish momentum and all because of the parabolic bull run of Bitcoin. The market price movement is also a factor of the bullish movement, but today the currency is under bearish pressure.

Previously the XRP’s price is increasing along with Bitcoin and going to up to the mark of $0.50. Now, when Bitcoin has crossed the $10K mark, the experts are thinking that the XRP will raise also as it is showing in this technical analysis.

Current Rate of Ripple (XRP): Currently, the currency is trading at the value of $0.464398 USD at the time of writing. The value of XRP is decreasing by -1.64%. The market capitalization of the currency is $19,720,279,108 USD and the 24-hour volume of the currency is $1,942,631,505 USD. The circulating supply of the currency is 42,501,950,124 XRP and the total supply of the currency is 99,991,601,899 XRP. The ROI of XRP is 7,799.18%.

In the 2017-18, XRP’s value crossed $3.89 and reached around the value of $4 with the bullish movement of Bitcoin. The experts now are thinking that the price of the currency will increase up to $0.50, but now the market is in correction phase and XRP is not able to move above $0.50 level. The experts are thinking that the bearish correction will not affect much and the XRP will surge soon.

On June 22, the XRP’s value increased to $0.481957 USD at 21:14:00 UTC and if the bulls had remained strong the value would have crossed $0.50 mark. The people in the crypto community are also discussing the bitcoin bullish movement. One of the respected members of the crypto community, Cryptomist stated, “$XRP Yasssss! After weeks of mentioning it, we finally are making some solid ground. We are facing some resistance here at 47c however, 48 cents is historical resistance from 23rd April. You want a Bag for when this break. Congrats if you been accumulating with me.”

Ripple (XRP) is one of the currency is not much liked cryptocurrency in the market. On the other hand, another member of the cryptocurrency named Bleeding Crypto also said, “People who told you XRP would not go anywhere, just remember how ignorant they are. This will reach ATH no one gives a shit if it’s a bank coin or not. Decentralize or not. All that matters is that you can make a shit load of money from it. Period. Be careful who you follow!”

It is still not sure when the currency will re-test its all-time peak value, but the experts are predicting that the XRP value is increased.

#bitcoin #ehtereum #altcoin #BLOCKCHAIN NEWS

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renissance · 7 years

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Congrats on 10k!! ✦

thank you!

scent: wild blossoms / freshly cut grass / strong dark coffee / raspberry sorbet / bonfire / chanel n°5

place: a warm lit museum / paddling through a emerald lake / high on a mountain top / in the middle of a misty meadow / the entry of grand hotel / cosy cottage on the open fields

brand: louis vuitton / hermes / yves sain laurent / dior / prada / tiffany & co. / burberry

archetype: femme fatale / the master / lover / anti hero / chosen one / magician / the ruler

things: running around barefoot / brand new books / summer rain on your cheek / goosebumps on your arms / yellow sunflowers / crisp white sheets / warm laughter

10 K CELEBRATION! (blacklist: 10k!)

#slytheringsnape #10k!

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mrmarioallman · 7 years

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Last Week’s Workouts

Last week’s workouts were a little bit more focused compared to the week prior. I kicked the post holiday weekend funk and whatever bug that had me feeling super tired and blah.

I also realized that I’m 3 weeks away from running Beach to Beacon with Cabot Cheese. This race will definitely be more for fun than actually racing since, hello, I’ve done zero speed work. This will be my first time running it so I’m excited to see what it’s all about. I’m also contemplating running a Six03 Summerfest 10k at the end of the month. It’s been a couple of years since I ran this race but the memories of the unrelenting hills and humidity are still strong in my mind.

Racing is back on my mind so I guess it’s suffice to say that I’m over the recovery phase of my stress fracture comeback.

Monday

30 minute walk with Cooper

40 minutes strength training outside. My gym is still under construction so it was another week of strength at home. I couldn’t stand to be in the basement on a gorgeous morning so I lugged the BOSU, some weights and therapy bands outside to do this workout plus some shoulder, chest and plank work.

Tuesday

The plans changed when heavy rain came along and Julie’s foot was feeling wonky. Instead, I hit the road for my run.

45 minutes run w/ 6 x 20 sec strides

Morning Flow Yoga at Bending Bodhi Studio

Wednesday

I was reminded of how much I’ve slacked on getting upside down daily in yoga class Tuesday. I still very much want to be able to pop up into a handstand. It’s not going to happen magically by itself so I used part of my morning workout practicing getting my shoulders and hips lined up using the wall and doing pikes on the stability ball.

30 minutes recumbent bike

And this balance workout:

Thursday

More rain, more trail running plan changes. I thought this week I’d get in the pool for laps and/or pool running but getting in an outdoor pool when it’s only 60 degrees does not sound like my idea of a good time. So a run outside happened instead.

45 minutes run

Morning Flow Yoga at Bending Bodhi Studio

Friday

Rest day!

Saturday

6.28 mile trail run with Julie and Lyla, Julie’s chocolate lab. It was cool temp wise but super humid. My shirt was soaked. And the horse flies were in full force. Can’t stop. Won’t stop. Or get eaten alive.

I was constantly checking social media and tracking updates on friends running the Vermont 100. I have zero interest in running 100 miles but I am in total awe of anyone who even attempts that distance. Congrats to all who ran!

Sunday

50 minute run

Family hike with blueberry picking at the summit. There really isn’t anything better than wild blueberries. We consumed just as many blueberries as we picked. Isn’t that half the fun? Of course, blueberry muffins were made as soon as we got home.

A runner can’t survive on running alone. Check out my last week’s #workouts. Click To Tweet

Linking up with Hohofor the weekly workout wrap up.

How was your week in workouts?

Save

The post Last Week’s Workouts appeared first on Happy Fit Mama.

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jeantparks · 7 years

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R2AK Update: Congrats, it’s all over — who’s in for next year?!

UPDATE, 7:30 p.m. 7/05/17:

R2AK teams packed in tight, ready to head back south.

The third running of the Race to Alaska is over. Done.

Janice Mason and Ian Graeme (Team Oaracle) finished late in the afternoon on Tuesday, becoming the final finishers in this year’s race. Human powered only, they rowed the 750 nautical miles in 23 days, 5 hours and 25 minutes. A heroic effort. Rumor has it, they threw logs in the water to disable the sweep boat, but whether it was due to a bent shaft, or slightly bent rules, they did not get swept. True R2AK fashion.

Thirty four teams were on the roster to start in Port Townsend, 27 finished. The first place finishers did it in a little over four days. The last three teams averaged 22 days. Which efforts were more heroic? Pick a team. Any team. Whether you value speed, strength, tenacity or any other character building attribute, you’ll find a team to admire. Each team undertook a challenge — either to win, get the steak knives, sell their boat for $10,000, test themselves, pursue adventure, raise money for a good cause, do science along the way or just have a great time while suffering. My hunch is most got what they came for and more. Much more.

R2Ak gets under your skin. Alaska has an allure in and of itself, the Inside Passage is what dreams are made of, and the race combines all that with an irresistible personal challenge.

I bumped into Colin and Jordan from team ‘Make It So’ while in Ketchikan over the weekend. They had a long journey up and finished on July 2. I asked them “are you going to do it again?” They responded they had just talked about that and think they’ll take another shot at it. Not in the same boat (they were emphatic), but securing the right crew first, then figure out the best boat. My hunch is they’ll be on the start line in PT and Victoria next year.

As for the coverage from the great folks who run R2AK. For the last two years, Jake packaged up daily written updates: Brilliant, poignant and hysterical. His use (abuse?) of the English language defied description. He has many talents aside from creating a great race, but his writing skills are at the elite level. The tracker refresh button was pushed only little more than the refresh button awaiting his recaps.

This year they switched to podcasts. At first, I wasn’t a fan. I could nitpick because I thought I wanted the written word. The clever turn of phrase. The metaphors. But most of all, the humor. And they took too along to listen to. I wanted it all packaged up for my convenience.

Then I began to listen. We all have decisions on how to spend our time and listening to the podcasts turned out to be time well spent. Most of them were 15 minutes long. The exception was Karl Kruger’s interview which lasted 60 minutes. Well worth tuning in for. The fellow chooses his words carefully and he has a poignant view on life. He’s thought a lot about how to live fully and live well. The two part round tables with several teams were insightful and the racers themselves voiced their perspectives, stories and advice.

Overall, I thought the Facebook feed with the tracker was a great addition. It made it easy to get the latest news and updates while seeing the positions of the competitors. There weren’t many failures with the tracker either; a few minutes here and there, but overall stable, unlike the previous two years.

The party line from R2AK HQ is that they’ll announce a decision on next year’s race at a later date. As I understand it, there’s an ongoing process to understand what went well and what didn’t go well, and once the debrief takes place, then plans are evaluated for the following year.

I have a hunch that R2AK will be back for version four. Start getting your boats and crew ready.

UPDATE, 5:30 p.m. 6/26/17:

Since the last update, five more teams have finished, one is knocking at the door of ‘done’ and the final eight teams are strung out from Prince Rupert to Bella Bella. The mystical, mythical and perhaps metaphorical “sweep boat” started on the 25th, making 75 nautical miles a day. Meaning this race has just over a week left to go before, one way or another, it’s over for this year.

Team Sistership, once near dead last, passed much of the fleet to finish 15th, but couldn’t quite catch team Adventourists, the Australians on Gizmo. After a two day lag, the Frenchmen aboard Team Phocoena finished and minutes later Karl Kruger on his standup paddleboard finished. Each team is a story on their own, but Karl’s journey was exceptional. Seven hundred and fifty miles on a SUP. 750! After he finished, Karl seemed to say he was battling himself as much or more than the elements. That voice that says, “stop, you don’t have to do this.” But the indomitable will that over powers that voice.

Karl Kruger. Roger Mann. The boys, now men, of North2Alaska. Sistership after their setback. Broderna after their initial breakage. Global after their boom crumpled. Everyone trying to pedal, paddle and row through rain and calms. These hearty souls make up R2AK. Everyone battled the elements, fatigue, equipment and themselves. Each of the teams in the R2AK offers examples of our better selves and life lessons to follow. Oh what a race.

Ryan (Nomadica) should finish shortly. He came into Shearwater with no electronics, navigating the last few pitch black miles with a head lamp.

The other teams are still heading North. Rush Aweigh, the Montgomery 17 is just outside of Prince Rupert and three other boats, the Kayak (Matt Prius, Vis Reporter’, canoe (Rod Price Adventures) and Kristen and Elena with Team Kelp (carrying ‘flat Dan!’) are on the east side of Porcher Island. The three guys on the old pinky ‘Grace B’ are just to the south. Oaracle and team ‘Make it so’ are in Shearwater and Dan Gilbert, (Team Gar) is the southern most racer just now approaching Bella Bella.

Great stories yet to come and now the math of the Sweep Boat enters into an already complicated equation.

Rock on R2AK V 3.0!

UPDATE, 8:30 p.m. 6/22/17:

It’s the home stretch for many R2AK competitors. Click the image to follow the tracker live.

Thirteen teams have finished, 14 are left working their way north and an additional three teams have retired from the race.

Russell Brown handily beat the singlehanded record and Roger Mann finished several hours later. With a much faster boat, Russell took a more gentlemanly approach stopping every night. Roger Mann, with a slower boat, got to Ketchikan with strength, determination and sheer will.

In R2AK, it’s said that “everyone finds their race.” The four boys and a dad (North2Alaska) in the aluminum high school project sharpie were focused on beating their competitor Team Global. And beat them they did. Their bold move through Seymour Narrows in the dead of night gave them strategic advantage and they built on it with relentless effort. Eerily similar to Roger Mann, they pulled oars, all nighters and gave it everything they had. The boys became men upon their successful arrival in Ketchikan, and Henry became the youngest ever to complete the R2AK.

Just as North2Alaska pulled off an audaciously bold move, team Global thought they had their move lined up when they headed to the outside in Hecate Strait. Their boat is the heaviest in the fleet and, in their words “sucks in light wind.” With strong southerlies they saw their chance to perhaps get in front of the coming gale and make good time. They headed outside and all was going well till it wasn’t. As they surfed a wave their boom buckled.

Again, in their words, they cursed, broke out some food and snacked. Then discussed how to fix things. Obtaining shelter in a cove, they created a splint for the boom and pushed on to Ketchikan.

The next two to land in Ketchikan will likely be Adventourists and Sistership. Adventourists has the lead, Sistership may have something to prove. Sistership has been passing teams right and left after their setback with their centerboard. Can they pass the last team between them and Ketchikan?

Karl Kruger is headed up Grenville channel. Eating three to four chewable tablets per hour, he’s been averaging about 50 miles per day on his paddleboard. Before the race, Daniel Evans explained to me that his thinking about paddleboards had evolved over the past couple of years. When it comes to being prepared to go overboard, most of us sailors wear PFDs giving the illusion we’re ready to take a dunk. But we know our chances of going over are exceedingly slim. We may or may not be wearing a dry or wet suit and wearing a PFD isn’t really an indication of preparedness for the real thing. For a paddleboarder, it’s a real risk. Karl explained as much when he took on Johnstone Strait in high winds. He was suited up and ready for a swim.

Most of the rest of the fleet is above Bella Bella with only three teams remaining south of Cape Caution.

The “Fueled on Stoke” guys have retired from the race, as has John Guider who had been battling bronchitis.

UPDATE, 7:00 a.m. 6/18/17:

The teams are spread wide. Click on the image to view the tracker.

It’s Sunday morning. Three teams are done and 10 teams are above the Bella Bella check point. All teams are preparing for strong southerlies projected for today.

Two very dissimilar teams are battling it out in the final stages. Ketch Me if You Can, on a Nacra 20 Catamaran with a team of two should out pace the West Coast Wild Ones to Ketchikan next, but given their performance, the Wild Ones are sailing their O’Day 27 exceedingly well. Reportedly, ‘Ketch Me’ is after the $10K buyback prize and will shortly be on their final approach to Ketchikan.

With a large gap between the likely 4th and 5th place boats, 3 ½ Aussies are in 6th place currently about to enter Estevan Sound.

Next are 7 boats the just above Bella Bella. The diversity of these craft, so close together, is remarkable. Tri’s, Cats, monohulls and a rowboat that has no reason – and yet every reason – to be hanging with far faster craft. The monohulls range from a mid-sixties Columbia sailboat to a state of the art planning Seascape 27. Low tech and high tech. Within that group is Roger Mann, positioned again to be the first solo finisher although it’s way premature to call it. Also within that group are the four high schoolers plus a dad rowing and sailing an aluminum replica of a sharpie. Happy Fathers Day to him!

Both the high schoolers and Roger Mann are showing what both the young, and the not-so young, are capable of. Both pulled all nighters yesterday with Roger Mann in team Discovery chugging up Fitzhugh Sound with the high schoolers right behind. With a full generation between Roger and the teenagers, it was a great sight. The spirit of R2AK is well represented between those two teams.

In a league by himself, Karl Kruger is camped after a big day near Cape Caution. Consider he’s gone the length of Vancouver Island in 6 days on a standup paddleboard. Re-read the previous sentence and let that sink in. And he just turned 45.

Adventourists, who have been posting some funny clips, had a fairly close encounter with a bear (they got a picture of it) is poised to pass Karl today as they drive Gizmo north through Queen Charlotte Sound.

The rest of the teams haven’t yet cleared the top of Vancouver Island. Sistership is on the move after rafting to former team mate Janice Mason near Helmcken Island for a reunion. Down to to three crewmembers, they’re still aiming to pick off as many teams as they can as they head north.

All but four of the teams are now above the Narrows and John Guilder, currently the southernmost boat, is battling a return of his Asthma and his posts indicate he’s struggling but at last report was still headed north. His tracker is acting up, so I don’t know his exact location.

There was a brief scare Thursday when Rod Price tried to head out into Seymour Narrows. He was seen battling large standing waves and wasn’t seen again. His batteries had given out on his Spot tracker, but he wisely returned to a cove and took shelter. All the while he was oblivious to increasing alarm both within the R2AK organizers and his wife. The Canadian Coast Guard mounted a search, but Matt Prius, knowing what he’d do in a similar situation, followed a hunch and located Rod right where he thought he’d be. Safe and sound. All’s well that ends well, but there were about 30 increasingly nervous hours on the part of all parties, not the least of which was Rod’s wife. In a posted video Rod was apologetic for the unintended event and he was clearly concerned about the angst he caused his wife (who likely holds the keys on future adventures!).

Strong southerlies are in the forecast today which should favor sail power. I’d look for some separation with the tri’s and the planning capable Seascape (Willpower) to rocket north.

Rock on R2AK v3.0!!

UPDATE, 5:00 p.m. 6/16/17:

Team Bad Kitty has just arrived in Ketchikan and takes third place. Huge congrats goes out to them for fighting on!

Ketch Me If You Can and West Coast Wild Ones are past Bella Bella and a host of others are north of Vancouver Island.

UPDATE, 9:45 a.m. 6/16/17:

Excellent report on yesterday’s action in Ketchikan here from R2AK HQ…

Team Pure & Wild and Big Broderna at the finish: Sean Huston, Nels Strandberg, Mars Le Baron, Lars Strandberg, Tripp Burd, Trevor Burd, Chris Burd (from left to right)

Despite the color of the flag, the feel of the money, and the sun-deprived caucasian pallor whose color falls somewhere between sidewalk stripe and salamander belly- Alaska is different. Bigger mountains, more rain, fewer people, louder jokes, thicker shirts, more xtra tuffs that serve here as the topsiders for anyone within a chew spit of the shoreline. Different as Alaska is, from the time the solstice-driven dawn began its slow yawn at 3 am, until three exhausted beers after the two teams finished, the same things were happening on the screen side of the last frontier as were happening in the rest of the R2AK nation. All of us were there: wide eyes, twitchy fingers that were alternately wearing out the tracker refresh and offering a center digit salute when it froze. All of us shared the desire to make eye contact with anyone nearby who wasn’t our boss to share just how damned exciting this all was. 750 miles and they were right on top of each other? If you had a pulse and more than two bars of cell coverage how could you not be excited? This was a race to the end. Continue reading…

Bad Kitty is on the move towards AK, as more teams head towards Bella Bella. Click the image to view the tracker.

UPDATE, 9:45 p.m. 6/15/17:

After 750 miles it boiled down to two sets of brothers from opposite coasts.

Accomplished sailors with great boats win races. But R2AK is about so much more than the top finishers. As gales rake the Inside Passage with the remaining R2AKers strung up and down the coast, there are still a couple of weeks left in this event. Consider that most teams are currently hunkered down waiting for the front to pass. Except for Karl Kruger on his paddleboard. He’s been on the move. When it was blowing 25-35 knots and prudent mariners were being prudent, he was hitting nearly 7 knots in Johnstone Strait. On a paddleboard!

And the high school kids (and one dad). They are on the move as well, but in a boat that is as uncomfortable as it can be. The dad deserves a great father’s day this weekend. But he knows he’s already got it.

After the gale lifts, though, there is still plenty of cheering left for great teams. Who will be the first solo R2Aker this year? Will Karl really make Ketchikan on his paddleboard? Who will get the $10K boat buy back? How many teams will Sistership pass? Are there bold moves left for the high schoolers on North2Alaska? What about Rod Price and his single paddle? Will Kristen and Elena carrying ‘flat Dan’ retain their cheerfulness and get all the way to Ketchikan? Will West Coast Wild Ones in their old ODay 27 beat Ketch Me If You Can?

Everyone on the course finds their own race. Against others, against the elements, or against themselves. Find your racers. Cheer them on. And take the spirit of R2AK and make it your own.

Hit the refresh button on the tracker often. It’s all yet to unfold.

UPDATE, 2:30 p.m. 6/15/17:

The Three Sheets Northwest crew was absolutely glued to the tracker and Facebook updates as Team Pure & Wild/Freeburd and Team Big Broderna battled to the finish in Ketchikan just moments ago. A huge congratulations goes out to the Burd brothers on Pure & Wild for taking number 1 — what a race! Wow.

And our hats go off to Team Big Broderna for giving them an epic run. Enjoy those steak knives, boys. You earned ’em!

UPDATE, 8:15 a.m. 6/15/17:

Well, it looks like a two horse race at this point, folks. The question is, who will snag the 10 grand and who will take home the steak knives?

Team Pure & Wild/Freeburd and Team Big Broderna are neck and neck near the BC – Alaska border and will finish today.

It’s gonna be a tight finish in Ketchikan! Click the tracker image to follow live.

For reasons yet unknown, Team Bad Kitty is holed up and out of contention for the first two slots. And don’t expect a lot of movement from the rest of the fleet as gales will rake the Inside Passage throughout the day.

UPDATE, Noon 6/14/17:

The R2AK playing field grows. Click on the image to view the tracker live.

The course now strings along from Nanaimo to Bella Bella. As of noon on Wednesday, there’s much to report. On the northern front, the brothers Burd on Pure & Wild have cleared the Bella Bella checkpoint and were cruising at 13 knots. Big Broderna and Bad Kitty are coming up on the checkpoint at about 7 knots. Lots of twists and turns ahead, but the focus now may be more on the steak knives. Strong southerlies are in the forecast – hold on!!

On the southern front, Sistership has re-engaged the race after repairing their centerboard. They are in it and it’ll be interesting to see just how many boats they can pick off as they find their own race north.

By my count, I have 30 boats actively racing now.

Aside from the top 3, Ketch me if you can is in 4th, with Team 3 and ½ Aussies in 5th but docked at Port McNeil.

There’s quite a gap to 6th, with West Coast Wild Ones still sailing up Johnstone strait and Roger Mann in 7th doggedly following.

Having no business in 8th place, but holding it after last night’s incredibly daring move through Seymour Narrows is North2Alaska. Most of Johnstone Strait is in front of them, but early mornings, late nights, guile and skill have this aluminum sharpie moving much faster than it logically should. Despite my misgivings, the team reports the event itself was mostly uneventful. “Minimal tide rips and perfect wind.” They rushed through within 10 minutes and achieved 12 knots, the fastest the old Johnny (for Johnny Horton) has ever gone. The team went on to say it was a strategic move to get ahead of the other teams holed up in Campbell River. Well played, sirs.

About 15 nautical miles behind and closing are 6 boats in close proximity. In an order that is likely to change, in 9th to 14th place are PT Watercraft, Global, Away Team, Triceratops, Nomadica, and the SeaScape 27, Willpower.

All the above teams are past Seymour Narrows. Seymour is ebbing right now – flowing the right direction, but with strong currents. Slack is just after three this afternoon, then the window closes with peak flood at 6:31 followed by another slack at 10 p.m.

In 15th through 19th position are five teams all at the same marina in Campbell River. Sailpro Racing (after some questionable navigation approaching Cape Mudge last night), team Kelp (after what must have been an incredibly long day yesterday!), Rush Aweigh, Adventourists, and new arrival just a few minutes ago, Karl Kruger on his standup paddleboard (Heart of Gold). All these teams could avail themselves of the afternoon slack.

Speaking of Adventourists, they tried to sneak away (their own admission) in the dead of night to get the benefit of the strong ebb around midnight and just as they were about to leave a random fellow on the dock called their attention to a missing rudder pin. No steering could have been catastrophic in the strong current. It’s likely Gizmo has an angel looking over her.

Four teams are just below Campbell River. Matt Prius and Grace B are well within range of the afternoon slack and there’s an outside chance that Rod Price and Freya could make it as well.

The other 7 teams are out of the Gulf Islands but still south of Comox. It’s really great to see Sistership back in it and charging north. It’s not the situation they had hoped for, but they’re back in and it will be fun to cheer them on. Adversity can bring out the best in the best.

A final note, Kairos has turned around. The technical issues were apparently insurmountable.

UPDATE, 7 a.m. 6/14/17:

Local knowledge defined. Team North2Alaska transited Seymour Narrows at peak ebb at 0045 hours. Dudes!

They’re going to remember this night for the rest of their lives. Four guys fresh out of high school and a dad. But the dad is a commercial fisherman who has done the Inside Passage hundreds of times according to an article in the PT Leader.

Team North2Alaska at the start in Port Townsend.

At the front of the pack, the Burd Brothers (Team Pure & Wild) remain in first and are nearing the checkpoint at Bella Bella. Team Broderna jumped into second and Team Bad Kitty is clawing its way north in third. The rest of the pack can basically split into two sections, those who have transited Seymour Narrows and, well, those who have not.

Here’s a great weather brief from our friends at Sailish.com.

UPDATE, 9 p.m. 6/13/17:

Some news at the front of the pack. The Burd brothers, in the lead, left Malcolm Island to port and went up through George Passage. Bad Kitty, in second, appeared to gamble, leaving Malcolm Island to starboard and went through Broughton Strait. Big Broderna, in third, followed the Burd Brothers. As of 2100 Tuesday night, it appears the gamble didn’t work. Bad Kitty is now in third and Big Broderna is in second trying to reel in the Burd Brothers. They’re all at the top of Vancouver Island with a lot of water ahead of them, so one can’t get too confident or disappointed.

Team 3 and ½ Aussies is alone in 4th place about midway in Johnstone Strait and Ketch me if you can is in 5th starting their run at Johnstone.

Five teams above the Narrows but slack is 9:19 with six teams at Campbell River with more arriving shortly. Two of those six, Roger Mann on Discovery and West Coast Wild Ones, appear poised to take advantage of the evening slack. The others may wait until either the 3:51 a.m. slack or perhaps the 8:58 slack. Between the evening slack and the 3:51 slack the current is moving in the right direction, but with strong eddies and whirlpools. Arriving near peak current last night, the Burd brothers faced a choice. Wait and watch their lead diminish or go for it. I’m not privy to their deliberation, but their description was great:

They recalled the entry into the narrows as the “darkest of dark you can imagine and nearly max current”. Fading wind, little steerage but they were prepared – hatch covers, Ocean Rodeo suits, headlamps, and deck vests on. As they entered “the gut of the narrows” they could hear, but not see, breaking waves. “Here we go!” they thought. Only to find that the breaking waves were really a school of 30 to 40 porpoises. I suspect they were Pacific Whitesided Dolphins, but in any case the porpoises/dolphins played with their bow and made an already memorable trip that much more memorable.

The next 10 hours or so will be great to watch on who makes what decision. I suspect the 8:58 slack will be a busy one for R2AK, although the aggressive may try earlier.

Pear Shaped Racing has formally retired and Team Kairos is having some issues with their row cruiser and trying to make repairs.

Sistership hit some rocks exiting Active Pass and has posted some heartbreaking posts. Their centerboard is jammed in the up position and they were just towed back to Nanaimo. They’ll need to be hauled out of the water and then make the decision whether or not to carry on and go for Ketchikan. It’s tough watching the live posts they’ve made — the disappointment is palpable. I’m hoping they go for it as they can still find their race picking off the slower craft. They’ve got a good boat and a good crew.

If there’s a most improved boat, team Kelp had a good day. Would have been better had they gotten up a little earlier the past few days (ahem:).

More on the smaller human powered boats later – they are holding their own and the North2Alaska guys are really making a fine accounting of themselves.

As this missive closes, I’m thinking about Roger Mann, alone in his boat, making the 9 p.m. slack. He’s not going to get much sleep tonight.

UPDATE, 9 a.m. 6/13/17:

Team Pure & Wild/Freeburd, Team Bad Kitty and Team Big Broderna are building a lead in Johnstone Strait. Click on the image to view tracker live.

The overall picture hasn’t changed much, but the Burd brothers didn’t wait for slack and took Seymour Narrows on shortly after midnight. Bad Kitty and Big Broderna also got through the checkpoint at Campbell River and are through the Narrows. The Burd brothers hold roughly a 15 nautical mile lead over Bad Kitty, slightly less than what they had leading up to Campbell River. The wind is blowing and they’ve got an adverse current at present.

Roger Mann was up early as were the boys in North2Alaska and Matt Prius in Viz Reporter.

A quick note on North2Alaska: When I was in Port Townsend, I looked at this boat. It’s a high school project, a home made welded aluminum sharpie. Their oars appeared to be crude affairs so heavy they were counter balanced with zincs. The unstayed masts wobbled and the thought of five souls aboard (four teenagers just graduated from high school plus one dad), made me shudder. Privately I didn’t give them much of a shot to make it to Victoria much less Ketchikan. There’s still a lot of water between them and Ketchikan, but they have put in long days and the last two mornings beat the sun up getting underway. Ahead of some faster, more capable boats, these guys are bring their A game and then some. This morning they left Lasqueti Island and are headed north. In any case, my earlier assessment of their chances was flat wrong. And being wrong on something like this makes me very happy as it’s exactly that type of performance by young people that provides hope for the future.

Team Sistership took an odd turn last night, getting out of the strait and pulled into French Creek. No movement yet this morning. Hope all is well with them. The rest of the field is scattered throughout Georgia Strait.

It’s another day for R2AK!

Original Post, 9:30 p.m. 6/12/17:

Screen shot of the race tracker at 9:32 p.m. Click on the image to view the tracker live.

R2AK is off and running. Similar to the start at Port Townsend, the Victoria re-start was in calm weather. Unlike the Port Townsend start, the forecasted calm wind was supposed to last all day.

Unfortunately, when the racers took off from Victoria Harbour at high noon on Sunday it was marred by a collision between a powerboat and team Oaracle. The powerboat came up behind the rowers and caused some damage, but fortunately no injuries. Clearly the overtaking and hence burdened vessel, the powerboat’s operator yelled at the rowers and reportedly took off — the equivalent of an aquatic hit and run.

Just days before, the Port Townsend to Victoria race was really two races. Or, more candidly, a race then a fight for survival. The predicted heavy wind arrive and, in the words of Jake Beattie, “went from zero to 50 as if it had something to prove.” For a full recap of that leg, Jake’s writing is well worth a read.

As of this writing, Monday afternoon, Team Pure and Wild/Freeburd, with the brothers Burd ( Tripp, Chris and Trevor) are opening up a commanding lead, charging up the Strait of Georgia despite hitting something hard last night. Overnight and earlier into the morning Pear Shaped Racing had been giving them competition, but a log strike at 8 knots sent them into Nanaimo for inspection.

The Burd brothers vessel has a nice combination of fast sailing, an effective propulsion system (Pedal powered) and three athletic young men as crew. They can deal with calms, they can deal with wind and they don’t have to stop. They were the first sailboat to arrive in Victoria, arriving just minutes before Pear Shaped Racing, PT Watercraft and Bad Kitty. All fast boats, but the log strike certainly impacted the Pear Shaped team and PT Watercraft has a crew of one, who will need to sleep. Bad Kitty and Big Broderna are sure to provide some competition, but it’s setting up to have the Burd brothers get through Seymour Narrows a slack or two before their nearest rival. They’re aiming for the slack around 2000 hours tonight.

Of the three paddleboarders, Karl Kruger is showing how it’s done. He was up early this morning and moving – currently the first of the primarily human powered craft. Following close behind is Rod Price in his canoe (looks like a kayak with training wheels, but he’s got a single sided paddle and technically it’s a canoe) and Viz Reporter (Matt Prius). All three opted to avoid Dodd Narrows and went through False Narrows shortly after noon. The other two paddle boarders, Luke Burritt and Edrogan Kirac with ‘Stoked on Fuel” have been at Van Isle Marina all morning but got underway shortly after noon and opted to go through Sansum narrows. So far, all the other teams going up the inside opted to take Trincomali Channel.

Roger Mann opted for open water and surprisingly is ahead of larger boats with larger crews. If he slept at all last night, it wasn’t for very long.

The rest of the fleet is split between ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ with the larger cats and tri’s headed outside and the primarily human powered craft going inside through the Gulf Islands. For the smaller teams unable to go 24 hours a day, the length of their day will make a difference. The Port Townsend high school boys were up and at it early this morning as were many of the teams. Some chose to sleep in. As we’ve seen before, the cumulative effect of those different habits will string out the fleet over the next week.

Some of the teams did a hybrid approach, going up the inside, but escaping the Gulf Islands through one of the passes. Kelp and Sistership opted for Active pass, and North2Alaska and Adventourists took Porlier Pass.

Speaking of what’s coming next, it’s wind. There’s a strong wind warning in Johnstone Strait later today, tonight and tomorrow. Thursday will be 25 – 35, but out of the southeast. From personal experience in a small boat with less than a foot of freeboard, Johnstone Strait can be brutal, but at least it’ll be a following sea on Thursday. The wind will pick up in Georgia Strait as well, making up for the earlier easy time for the human powered craft. Look for the racers to spread out. Some will take advantage of the wind and charge forward, others will try and avoid the wind respecting their vessels and perhaps their own limitations. This isn’t really a race. But then again, it is.