#i mean 5 5* in single patch with event 5* coming in 40 & 1 pulls after 80 & 76 standard

[byorkewkew]

I'll draw poodle Navia later

+ sphere snek neuvi and his melusine daughters (i need to check if i have photos of all of them from the side bc of their tail shape 🤧🤧

[watermelonwrites]

Pumpkin Shopping

Here we go!  Artoder day 5: Jack-O-Lantern (courtesy @rainbow-sheeps).  There are no Jac-O-Lanters actually in this, but ya know that happens sometimes.  I would also like to say that 1) this is my first time actually writing down something about this oc an 2) this is a show I haven't seen in over a year so sorry if the canon characters are a bit ooc.

Fandom:  Young Justice

Chacters: Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen, August Mora (original character)

Pairings: none

Summary:  August and the boys go pumpkin shopping in hopes of making up for all the time August lost.

August hadn’t celebrated Halloween in years, 40 years to be exact.  Between being homeless and getting kidnapped by a maniacal witch boy, they never really had the time, but this was a new chance.  Halloween 2020 was their chance to make up for all the Halloweens they missed.  They were 10 the last time they carved pumpkins with their family and 16 when Klarion took them.  Now they were 20 and extremely lucky they didn’t age in real-time while he had them captive.  Sure they missed 34 years of events, but they can up for that now.  They have a second chance.

So here they were, at the grocery store with Jaime and Bart, buying pumpkins.

“How come we can’t go to the pumpkin patch this year?” He pouted as he clung to the side of the cart as Jaime pushed him along.  “We go every year Hermano.”

“Probably because it’s midnight,” August explained in place of the exasperated and exhausted, Jaime.  “Also we might look kinda weird going to a pumpkin patch with just the three of us and no children.”

“Are you sure about the no children thing?”  Jaime chimed in with a sideways glance at Bart as he hopped off the cart as they neared the pumpkins.  “I feel like between the two of you I’m basically a single dad.”

“Hey,” August said throwing their hands in the air and walking backward to join Bart, “It’s not my fault Canary thought we’d be a good match.  They like sticking you with the time freaks.”  With that, they spun on their heel and threw their arm around Bart, who was rummaging through the bin of pumpkins to find the perfect one.

“Ah-ha!  He exclaimed pulling the largest pumpkin out of the cardboard crate.  “This is perfect!”  He lifted it over his head in victory before plopping it in the cart.

“Good luck gutting that one,” Jaime said with a smirk as he grabbed a cleanish midsized pumpkin from the crate and placed it in the cart.  He turned to see August staring pensively at the bin.  “What’s the matter?”

They furrowed their brows in response.  I haven’t carved a pumpkin since I was 10, I don’t even know what qualities to look for?  Do I want one of the clean ones?  Do I want a really round one?  Do I want a small one or a big one?”  They continued to ramble on before they were cut off by Jaime.

“Hey,” he said in a gentle voice that betrayed his true feelings, that no matter how much he complained about these idiots, he cares about them. “I know this is important to your whole ‘reclaim your time’ thing,” he said quoting what had been his friends mantra since they first met. “But in the end, it’s just a pumpkin.  Pick the one that stands out to you.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even all that good, it just has to be the one you like the most.”  At the end he tipped the brim of August’s hat down with one finger, which to them held the same meaning as a shoulder pat or hug.

Feeling a renewed sense of confidence August turned their attention back to the bin and picked a pumpkin.  It was a strange mixture of green and orange.  It was covered in warts and had basically no stem.  By all accounts it was hideous, but August said it was special and that was enough.

On their walk back to Jaime’s car a thought popped into August’s head. “Where the heck are we gonna carve the pumpkins?”  The boys both stopped in their tracks, clearly, neither of them thought about that either.  “Cause I mean, Jaime’s mom hates me-”

“She doesn’t hate you.”

“And Bart can’t have guests, especially at this hour.”

Bart then got a grin that usually signified a bad idea, which August was always down for.  “We could always do it at your place.”  He supplied.

“But they live at the watchtower?” Jaime said confused. 

“Exactly,” Bart said, pointing his finger at Jaime.

“Oh you know I’m in.”  August chimed excitedly.

[gendertheft]

all of them for fox

ask game here

why are you like this

1. Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

fox didn’t really get a chance to be close to the siblings in his age group for quite a few reasons. 

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

fox never knew her mother

3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like? 

fox never knew her real dad and her adoptive father…complicated in the worst of ways honestly. he’s also dead

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

the singular event that changed fox’s life wasn’t something he witnessed, but something that happened to him. he’s told the barest bones of it to his ex girlfriend and hasn’t shared with anyone else. it’s a difficult subject for fox, because he feels like what happened to him and what he did in response is his fault.

5. On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

small wooden charm fox keeps in their inner pocket dedicated to the traveler, for luck. some copper pieces, mostly what fox pickpockets on instinct. their thieves’ kit, also in an inner pocket. an old bandana in case they need to hold someone up - they haven’t done that in a while so it’s mostly just in there, forgotten. small knife intended to cut purses, and one single gold coin that fox DID forget about because that should be in the main stash in their bag. 

6. Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

a lot of forestry…a lot of heights. there’s free running, and a general feeling of being able to play. 

7. Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

being restrained and failure. 

8. Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

they’ve fired a crossbow! and a short bow. the first target with both was just normal targets.

9. Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

no, it’s the same. poor and in unstable housing - fox moves around a lot now, and as a kid fox has lived in the woods surrounding a town as a small feral child and then in a warehouse with other kids. 

10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

it kind of depends on the people he’s around - with people he considers friends, he’s more casual, less layers, but with people he doesn’t know, fox layers up. 

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

to not go into much detail, but during the attempted murder attempt at sixteen. 

12. In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

when fox walked in on her girlfriend cooing at a really big spider and put two and two together that pip really did want to take over the world with spiders and said “pip im breaking up with you i can’t do this” 

13. Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

no

14. Does your character remember names or faces easier?

faces, but fox has a knack for names

15. Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

material possession…fox doesn’t have a lot and what they do have fox wants to keep. 

16. Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

like…success in the vaguest terms, but i think fundamentally fox wants to be happy

17. What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

a toy doll that got passed around as everyone stole it from each other to play with…fox liked Winning and having that meant they Won

18. Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

ambition! fox likes people who want to be better.

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

probably…fox hasn’t been in a lot of relationships but i think like… just being nervous that he’s just being tolerated? it can get irritating because fox does get into moods where he wants to be validated which can be annoying real quick. 

20. In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

fox doesn’t tend to compare himself to others - but when they do it’s always in the terms of actions. what this person did that got that result? they want to learn

21. If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

blames himself first, usually, unless fox is aware that whatever happened to him wasn’t his fault. he knows what effect he has on people sometimes. 

22. What does your character like in other people?

being curious, kindness, easy to mess around with, generally people who would want to hang around them - fox can get along with a lot of different people as long as they aren’t like. Law Enforcement

23. What does your character dislike in other people?

cruelty for the sake of being cruel and proven disloyalty.

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?

not very. fox can work well in a group setting, but has issues with trusting people to pull through or even to like. treat them well. 

25. How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

pretty quickly and not at all! fox has been burned before and has a pretty good handle on people, so if they think something’s up and it’ll hurt them, they just stop trusting you. 

26. How does your character behave around children?

fox has a tendency to wind them up until they get overexcited, but does make sure they’re having a good time, honestly. she likes kids! 

27. How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

stab. if not stab then Avoid. 

28. How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

it depends on what the situation is. because it can be as fast as “gets to the point where fox decides that this is going to be taken personally and hence will stab” or rarely the “just leaves”

29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

well...as a kid fox wanted to like. to be able to climb trees as a career path and explore and i think it did eventually come true for them.

30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Beans. 

31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

when there’s a patch of sunlight and the time to have a Nap. 

32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

being around rich people and actually having to Talk with them and not be Rude

33. In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

from someone they don’t know? defensive. otherwise willing to improve.

34. Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

move onto a different solution and come back to it if the next few don’t work

35. How does your character behave around people they like?

more likely to play pranks, generally playful, likes to hang around them if it’s okay

36. How does your character behave around people they dislike?

cold shoulder. very short and to the point talking to them. will leave them behind at the first chance.

37. Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

defending their honor

38. Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

both! whichever’s easier at the time.

39.Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

nope. 

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

like they’re people working a shitty job. fox isn’t prone to chatting, usually, but they tip and always know what they want to get.

41. Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

oh fox thinks they deserve what they want and they always want it right then and there.

42. Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

yeah. 

43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

yeah

44. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

the thing is, fox is a very good liar. the thing is, fox has not been able to say “i love you” to a person in a very long time.

45. What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

fox doesn’t think about death. it’s just an ending, and they’re pretty sure it’s going to happen sooner than later. maybe they meet their god, which would be neat as all hell. 

[thesportssoundoff]

Five Things To Draw From The Contender Series Season Two

Joey

August 20th

It has JUST enough Dana White in it

Do you wanna know why the Dana White Contender Series worked and Lookin' For A Fight doesn't? One show has too much Dana. Too much Dana and his friends doing stuff you just can't possibly care about no matter how big of a DW stan you are. Too much Dana White and his friends eating food at Guy Fieri-esque "average guy" restaurants. Too much of Dana and his friends doing EXTWEME sports stuff or making food or just being dudes. Every MMA fan watches Lookin' For A Fight for a few minutes of Dana White being rich with his not as rich friends (Din Thomas, Nick The Tooth, Gian Villante and Matt Serra) to the yuk yuks and ha ha's and for whatever fight recap we're getting. The series to me fell off a cliff when it became less about the shows and more about Dana White.

Dana White's Contender Series is JUST the right amount of Dana White. The show is named after him and the concept itself is based around him so that much makes sense. Where the Contenders Series gets it right is that it captures Dana in the place we WANT to watch him at. We watch Dana watch fights, react to fights, gush about fighters, freak out about finishes and showcase the passion he still has for MMA. That's the Dana White that made the UFC a big deal by being a relentless borderline desperate madman with a product he would not allow the public to forget about. Watching Dana White, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby freak out after a great finish is something we can all get behind and something that's genuinely cool about the Contender Series. Seeing Dana flip out about refs, judging or just be the world's richest fan may wear thin on some but again, it's reminiscent of what made Dana White a big deal to begin with. To the fans, he IS a fan---just the one with the highest decision making power in the sport. The best parts of the Contender Series are when Dana just arbitrarily decides to fuck over Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby by saying something like "We agreed on two guys but I'm going to bring in one more guy!" is easily the most real part of the Contender Series and gives you a reason to remember the guy who Dana pulled the executive decision on.

The first season was an attack on weaknesses, the second season was an attack on size

Here is how the Contender Series breaks down across their two seasons. I've listed the number of signings and the number of fights per division. I did not include guys getting developmental deals EXCEPT for Greg Hardy because I think his deal is probably different than what guys like Bevon Lewis and Chase Hooper are getting.

DWTCS Season 1 Total Signees: 16 (15 men, 1 woman) Signees By Weight Class, signings per fight: Bantamweight- 3 3/6 Middleweight- 3 3/5 Featherweight- 3 3/6 Light Heavyweight- 2 2/6 Flyweight- 2 2/8 Lightweight- 1 1/2 Heavyweight- 1 1/3 Women's Bantamweight- 1 1/1 Welterweight- 0 0/2 Women's Strawweight- 0 0/1

DWTCS Season 2 Total Signees: 23 signings (21 men, 2 women) Signees by Weight Class, percentage of signings per fight: 

Lightweight- 5 5/8 Heavyweight- 4 4/7 Middleweight- 4 4/7 Light Heavyweight- 3 3/3 Featherweight- 2 2/7* Welterweight- 1 1/3 Bantamweight- 1 1/2 Flyweight- 1 1/1 Women's Strawweight- 1 1/1 Women's flyweight- 1 1/1 Women's Bantamweight-

The UFC hid absolutely nothing as it pertains to what Season One was really about. The deepest division in MMA (lightweight) got two fights in it, the second deepest in theory is welterweight and it got two fights as well. The top division to get contender series fights was flyweight which, I suppose, might be surprising to some. The Contender Series though was about finding new talents in divisions of need and in truth, there's no doubt that flyweight needed depth. Maybe not a wealth of talent but depth to fill  up the ranks. Light Heavyweight was targeted as the organization seemed to finally realize that the DC/Jones/Gus trio was in need of something new to switch it up. The same could be said for bantamweight where the UFC is probably as tired as the rest of are of this Cruz/Dillashaw/Assuncao/Garbrandt chokehold at the top of the division. Light heavyweight is tied with bantamweight and unsurprisingly enough featherweight for the number of Contender Series fights.  Season two sees a return of dominance from lightweight but ALSO a rise in heavyweight, middleweight and MORE light heavyweight signings even if there's less fights. This season was a predominantly "big" one as signed 11 fighters in weight classes 185 and up. They even managed to double the number of signed females as well which is kind of good but also kinda trash since 2 women is probably STILL not enough for a series that runs eight weeks. That's gotta get fixed up.

All in all, I think we're seeing what the pattern for Contender Series' is going to be; they're going to try and sign guys and gals when they need them at specific weight classes. The nature of 145 and 155 lbs suggests that talent will always be there but as we've seen the divisions like 125, 185, 205 and HW need primary care. These divisions will get the attention regardless of what's poppin' at other weight classes.

The LFA Situation

23 fighters were signed  by the UFC this season. 12 of those fighters were immediately coming to the UFC from LFA with no stop in between. That number includes Greg Hardy who had every amateur fight in LFA. The other promotions that pop up? Bellator (!), Brave FC, Valor Fights, Alliance MMA, Phoenix FC, Hex Fighting Series, CXF and CFFC. Over half of the signings came straight from LFA to the DWTCS and that number balloons if you extend it to, say, "fought in LFA within their last three fights before the Contenders Series." In many ways this really isn't much of an issue since LFA is the top regional organization in the world. It's also worth remembering that Mick Maynard probably knows more about every single fighter who has ever walked into one of those shows than he does any other organization. He may know a guy like Ryan Spann better than any fighter on the UFC roster to be entirely honest. This is more about the underlying issues when it comes to MMA organizations OUTSIDE of just LFA.  This sport needs a healthy group of regional organizations producing top talent at a healthy enough clip to keep the UFC and Bellator beasts alive. Bellator can't survive just on whatever California based amateur wrestler they've signed or whatever SBG flunky they can bring in. The UFC can't survive just on whatever Alexis Davis based Brazilians and LFA champions they rack up. The sport needs to have a healthy stream of places for young fighters to fight, get paid and get experience. LFA only holds so many shows a year and as such, we need to always be cognizant of whether or not there are alternatives out there for fighters to make it to the UFC. Clemson and Georgia and Bama don't deliver EVERY NFL prospect to the NFL; you gotta have options for guys.

There will always be snubs

Rule of life for ya boys and gals; There will always be competent folks left out of jobs when the number of capable applicants outweighs the number of open positions. It was said that in season one of Dana White's Contenders Series, the UFC went into it unaware of how good the show would be and as such had a limited number of open slots available for signees. Per twitter scribes like Nolan King, they went into this season signing LESS talents because they knew the Contenders Series would take up a much larger portion of talents. Even so, there's still going to be folks who leave disappointed they didn't get signed. For instance dudes like Chris Curtis, Austin Vanderford, Julian Erosa and Dontale Mayes off the top of my head were quality fighters who didn't earn themselves deals. Don't get caught up in who did and didn't get signed because the agitation is not worth the effort. Just accept that snubs will happen and take solace in the fact that a snub just means you're going to get a short notice call eventually. If anything, the snubs from Season One created quite a few promising prospects for Season Two.

This is an unsustainable product

MMA scribes always love to talk about NEW and FRESH ideas as if those translate to money. We've seen the PFL's NEW AND FRESH idea struggle to generate an impact with the MMA consensus. Bellator's ratings are way down with "NEW AND FRESH" tournaments all over the place (and by the by, since when are tournaments new and fresh) and the Contender Series is the latest NEW AND FRESH idea people are gaga about. Dana White at the end of Season Two made what I think was the most honest statement of all the honest statements we got during the Contender Series. When asked about doing more of these on ESPN, he made it clear that they pretty much drain what they feel is the talent pool and as such, they need to let a year go to build them back up. Eventually we're going to hit a year where there won't be an immediate build up of talent on the regional circuit to put all the great fights on. Eventually there's going to be a season where you don't average nearly four finishes an episode across eight weeks. Things will eventually hit a rough patch because that's life in MMA.

We also need to accept that the value of MMA is in its quantity, not its quality. We've seen that quality fights don't do the numbers you'd expect them SO a large percentage of what is "value" is in the sheer scheduling. I hate to hurt the feelings of "LESS IS MORE!" people but the brand of MMA lives on not its immediate impact but it's impact over a 364 day stretch. The UFC doesn't do a 40+ event a year schedule because it wants to but because networks pay when you do it. "Make sure every fight feels special" sure SOUNDS awesome and great until you squint, look at your schedule and realize that to make big money in this biz, you need to almost be omnipotent on a spiritual level. Can't do that with an eight week stretch where every fight MEANS something. My suggestion is to just enjoy the Contender Series as it is and not get caught up in trying to make everything into the Contender Series.

[southpaw4lee-blog1]

HH12HR-028 Like None Other

HH12HR-028

Hurricane Heat 12 Hour - Las Vegas

Recap of the Las Vegas Hurricane Heat 12 Hour event (really Mesquite Motorcross Park in Littefield, AZ) with Krypteia Kyoul Cha as the lead.

This was my first ever Hurricane Heat 12 Hour event. 

Additional Gear List Items:

Along with the standard hurricane heat gear list, our additional gear was a 5-gallon bucket, a small pocket notebook, and two 12”x12”x1.5” concrete pavers/stepping stones.

Pre-event:

Walking up to our check-in location, we noticed other hurricane heaters all lined up and such. Wait, that’s not my class, is it? That was a separate Hurricane Heat class “warming up”, thank goodness – relief #1.  It was cool meeting and talking to complete strangers who you will be spending the next 12 hours together.

Greeting:

Krypteia Kyoul Cha welcomed Class 028, and informed us this was his very first leading of a Hurricane Heat 12 Hour event.  He was excited about the challenge we were about the take on, as well as stating it’s going to suck.  We were all excited, nervous, and anxious for what we were about to endure.  Krypteia Cha went over rules, general information, and some additional items that needed to be taken care of and that we should know – one of which was that the Spartan Endurance team gave him the approval to not change his “plan”, even if it comes down to this event being a black class. A black class means there are no finishers.  Boom!! Nervousness ramped up 500%.  My mind started thinking “what does he have in store for us?”, “will I be able to handle it?”, “will I finish?”  Mind games before the 12 hour event even started.  

The format for the event was laid out for us…6 different time hacks, with each having the opportunity to cut people.  There would also be an elimination gauntlet between task 5 and task 6.  In completing each task, you would be given a number on where you finished, the lower the better.  After task 5, your average would be calculated and determined who would be in the elimination gauntlet.  Challenge accepted; try to be at the top of the class.

We lined up for waivers, gear check, etc., the usual housekeeping items.

Task #1:

Grab your ruck and your 5-gallon bucket.  We were told to follow the Sprint course until we reached the river, fill your bucket with water (guys must fill approx. 3/4 full, and women approx. 1/2), and return back to base camp.  Welcome to the hurricane heat, and your first time hack.  Go!

Off we went, trying to jog as best we could with approx. 50lbs in our rucks because nobody wanted to get cut in the very first time hack.  Eventually, it slowed to a fast walk as we covered approx. 1 mile of sand to reach the river.  I made my way around some people waiting in line, jumped in the river and filled up my bucket.  Off I went back to base camp carrying the bucket of water (switching hands every 30 seconds or so), through beach sand, trying to prevent as little water as possible from splashing out.  Back to base camp after carrying this bucket of water for a mile, I check in with Krypteia Cha and received #13.  Sweet, #13 out of 62.

Task #2:

Grab all your gear. We were told our task was to complete four laps of: barbed wire crawl, “will breaker hill”, low crawl, and down the hill with the tires…each lap would increase in intensity and weight.  Lap 1 – ruck only.  Lap 2 – ruck and single paver.  Lap 3 – ruck and both pavers.  Lap 4 – ruck, both pavers, and water bucket.  Everything would go with you through each obstacle, with the exception of the bucket through barbed wire.  This was absolutely  brutal; as I thought many times “what the heck am I doing here, doing this crazy task”. It sucked, I embraced it, and made it though.  Although I wasn’t happy with my number when I checked in at the end, #24 was what I was given and what I had to accept.  We were given time to fuel up, and repair gear as needed.

Task #3:

Grab your ruck and both the concrete pavers.  We were told to run the Sprint course, bypass all obstacles except for the low crawl and barbed wire crawls, and cross the finish line.  Instead of giving us a maximum time limit for this task, Krypteia Cha said atleast one person must finish in 90 minutes, or else there will be additional punishment.  Time started, and off we went!

There were two individuals who were fast, and they took off.  Mostly everyone else went at a brisk walk, or moving with purpose.  At first, I had one paver attached to the front of my ruck, and the other I was carrying.  After about 1/2 mile going like this, I decided to attach one of the pavers to the back of my ruck, and still carry the second paver.  This didn’t take a lot of time, but still yet quite a few people had passed me.  Frustrated, yet calm, I just started walking and knowing I could catch and pass people. Walking the Sprint course alone, in complete darkness except for a headlamp, with only the thoughts in your head to keep you going, that’s tough.  Lucky for me, I caught up to Sam around 2.5 miles into the task, and we stayed together until the finish line.  Checked in, and received #11...still happy, staying in the top and keeping my average low. As it turned out, one guy finished within 4 minutes of our time hack, so we were safe on additional punishment.

We had a somewhat lengthy wait time after task 3, and after the event we were told our “rest periods” after the tasks were 1) to fuel up, and 2) so you would get cold, tired, and stiff and be that harder to start back up.  During this wait time, Kyrpteia Cha told us that unlike other 12 hour hurricane heat events where there are individual as well as team portions, this event would be all individual time hacks – relief #2.

Task #4:

Grab your weight (could be weight alone, or the ruck – everyone took the ruck, knowing we had food/water with us) and your bucket filled with water.  We were told to back track the Sprint course to the sandbag carry obstacle.  Once there, we had to complete three loops of the sandbag obstacle, with our ruck, bucket, and sandbag.  Lap 1, done…lap 2, done…lap 3, we could drop our ruck and just carry the sandbag and water. It saved A LOT of people from mentally collapsing.  Once three laps were completed, we checked in.  I received #9, felt really well about that.  Now, keep grinding!  After checking in, we were told to take our buckets back to “will breaker hill” by the barbed wire, grab our pavers from base camp, and take them to the buckets…done. Waiting, eating, getting cold and stiff, and pondering what task #5 was and how this hill would be incorporated.

Task #5:

Since we already had all our gear at the bottom of the hill, we were told what our next task was. Krypteia Cha’s inspiration was Sisyphus (being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity)…we were to make four trips up the hill, in bear crawl position, while pushing our gear. Trip 1 – ruck.  Trip 2 – paver.  Trip 3 – paver.  Trip 4 – paper/rock/scissors to determine if you would push or carry your bucket up the hill.  A Facebook post regarding this task early in week by Kyoul said “So I just beta tested a checkpoint. I wanted to kick my own ass halfway through it.”

Here we go, we’re bear crawling! This was pretty brutal, as the hill was +/- 200 yards long at a 40% incline.  Pushing your ruck was the hardest; I switched between slowly rolling it, and laying it flat and pushing.  Once that was at the top of the hill, pushing each one the pavers up the hill wasn’t so bad.  Now, the paper/rock/scissors…rock beat scissors, win!  Yes, carrying the bucket up the hill.  I felt so bad for those who had to push their bucket.  Once we got our gear to the top, we had to take everything (once again), under the low crawl, down the hill and over the tires, and then back through the barbed wire.  This task sucked, but I completed it.  Check in, and received #10.  I pulled out my notebook, wrote down my numbers and calculated my average to be 13.4. Wow, I’m happy, and that has got to be enough to keep me safe.

Gauntlet:

Back at base camp, we were told the safe number.  15. Whew, I’m safe…now I just need to hear my name called off for reassurance.  Listening, listening, Nathan Lee; good, relief #3.

Now, for the gauntlet.  There were two heats of 10 racers who had to duct tape their feet together and bear crawl bunny hop around a 250 foot oval track. The bottom 5 in each heat (total of 10) would have to compete again in an elimination round, with 5 moving on, and 5 being cut.  All of us who were safe stood around and cheered the contestants on, “keep going” and “you got this”.  I found out about this later, but after the elimination round, those who had to compete in the gauntlet had the choice to honor Krypteia’s “5 moving on, and 5 being cut”, or as long as they finished the elimination gauntlet, they passed to task 6…they all decided to not cut anyone, so they all got to move on.  Two people did cut themselves and quit before the elimination round.

Task #6:

During the night, our numbers we were given were written in colored ink.  Now, figure out your 6 order color combination in 15 tries…oh, and you better figure it out because you don’t want to be the first ever 12th hour hurricane heat cut.  On my 5th try, I guess correctly!  

Yes, I just completed this thing, I did it!  All of us finishers high-fived and fist-bumped each other.  We lined up, and got our coveted shirt, dog tag, wedge piece, and two patches.  After almost 13 hours of physical and mental tasks, carrying heavy and awkward objects all over the place, crawling and dragging gear, it was over.

Recap:

The week leading up to the Hurricane Heat 12 Hour, my mind was going in all different directions, but mostly to the negative side.  As each time hack and task was completed, the negativity went away, and the notion of “I can do this” took over.  Now me, being someone who likes to compete on my own and have my pass/fail rate in my own hands, was somewhat relieved when Krypteia Cha told us his event would be 100% individual time hacks, and no team events like previous preconceived events. After we were done with all six tasks, I was so relieved and happy that I completed this awesome event.  My training partner Sam Slosman also finished, as we took a couple deep breaths, snapped a couple selfies, we knew our training and friendship got us through this.  Eating breakfast a couple hours later, my girlfriend asked me if I’d ever do another one…my immediate answer was no.  But, like the addiction you get after finishing a regular race, I think we all know now I’m addicted and will be showing up to future HH12HR events.

Thank you Krypteia Cha for organizing and putting on such an awesome test of fitness/training, problem solving, and our mental will and determination.

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

ADA 2012: Diabetes Company Updates from the Expo Floor

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ADA 2012: Diabetes Company Updates from the Expo Floor

Although many attendees were heard grumbling that "nothing groundbreaking" came out of the annual ADA Conference this weekend, I spent most of my time there darting around the Expo for one-on-one meetings with company execs, and came home with a notebook full of juicy updates on what all the "players" are up to.

(Don't miss the Dexcom and Insulet updates! Spoiler alert: new & improved versions are being actively evaluated by FDA now)

Starting with the smaller players, here's what I learned:

VALERITAS

This company's super-simple patch pump, the Valeritas V-Go, is undergoing a small initial launch on the East Coast. Aimed at type 2 diabetics, the pump replaces daily injections with a once-a-day disposable pump that can be set to give doses in 20, 30, or 40 unit increments. So far, it's covered by Medicare part D and they're working on other health plans.

We like the form factor of this pump, but having a hard time imagining the big benefit to someone who only takes, say, four or fewer injections a day. Having to prefill and insert this pump every single day seems fussier than just taking out your insulin pen for a poke a few times a day...? We're just sayin'...

DANA DIABECARE

This company always has a large, colorful booth at ADA even though they're virtually unknown in the U.S. This year, they were showcasing their Dana pump with iPhone controller. Yes, it's an actual iPhone app that controls the pump! It looks very cool, but isn't anywhere close to getting approved in the U.S. If I got them right, they haven't even submitted for FDA approval since the agency is clearly blockading the notion of controlling an active medical device from a smartphone (some day our prince will come!)

We're told this company is very successful across Asia, China, Indonesia, Polland, Sweden, and in New Zealand — where they're proud to boast 50% of the pump market (which made me giggle — how big could that be anyway?)

DEXCOM

The Gen4 Dexcom is sleeker, faster, able to scale tall buildings! OK, so that last bit refers to an expanded connectivity range of up to 20 feet, which is super-important for users like me who keep wandering out of range unwittingly. Grrr.

The new version will have a more accurate sensor and a brand new receiver that looks suspiciously like an iPod nano dipped in tar, as it is black all over, little scroll wheel and all.

Dexcom Gen4 is being evaluated at FDA now, and the company hopes to gain approval by the end of March (!)

New software is also being developed to make getting your data out and using/viewing it a better experience.

VP of Science and Technology Tom Peyser tells us a new study was just released, comparing the Dexcom Gen4 to Medtronic's new Enlite sensor, also not yet FDA approved. The study, led by by Dr. Steven Russell, showed favorable results (details coming soon) for the Dexcom Gen4.

I also got a quick glimpse of the Dexcom Gen 5, which they're already working on! Whaddya think this one looks like? Yup, can you say iPhone?

side note: once again, Dexcom hit it out of the park by hosting the rockingest party at ADA! Which isn't just a party, they like to emphasize: it's also a fundraiser for ADA

INSULET

Insulet was showing off its new, smaller Eros pod (awaiting FDA approval), which is 1/3 smaller and 25% lighter than the current pod.

"It's all about smaller, that is our story," says Peter Devlin, the company's head of commercial marketing.

But the new pod, when it comes out, will also be introduced with a whole new PDM model, which uses a new communication frequency. The form factor looks just like the current PDM, except that it is jet-black instead of blue. (What's up with this back-to-black trend? I thought we knew that patients like colors...?)

The other big change in the new PDM is a revamped IOB (insulin on board) function, that will now indicate meal bolus insulin still in your system instead of just showing corrections. As a long-time Omnipod fan and user myself, I say: hallelujah! The "mystery IOB function" has always been the one thing I didn't much like about this system.

Insulet is currently testing the new pod in seven Artificial Pancreas study sites around the world. Devlin tells me they are collecting patient data using something called the iDex, a combo of OmniPod and Dexcom (!). Focus of the research is "primary drivers in the algorithm" — aka trying to figure out the best way to control a combo system.

I asked them: what about a pod or other single-site device with a double cannula for glucose monitoring and insulin delivery? "We're working on it," is all Devlin w(c)ould say.

MEDTRONIC

The company has just submitted their new and improved, smaller Enlite CGM sensor to FDA, so it's now being evaluated together with the Medtronic Veo, the advanced pumping system available in Europe that offers the low-glucose suspend (LGS) feature. LGS is potentially life-saving technology that can shut off insulin delivery automatically for two hours if the CGM detects a hypoglycemic event and the user doesn't respond to alarms.

The new Enlite sensor has "accuracy benefits," has only a 5-7 minute lag time over fingerstick tests, and the "insertion volume is 69% smaller," they tell me. Medtronic is hoping for a decision from the FDA within 12-18 months.

Concern on the part of FDA is two-fold, apparently:

They're worried about false claims that the Enlite sensor "cures hypoglycemia" — Medtronic has to be careful with their language so that patients won't hear the implied claim, "I won't get hypo using this pump."

"But people are already low when it shuts off, so it doesn't prevent hypos," noted Greg Meehan, VP and GM of the company's CGM business.

They're concerned about sensor accuracy that might make the automatic shut-off kick in unnecessarily.

"It gives you so many pre-alarms as you're starting to go low that it's impossible to ignore," Meehan says. "And there's a REALLY LOUD siren when it actually turns off. No way you are going to miss that!"

On the Artificial Pancreas front, Medtronic's big news is the dual sensing technology it is testing. It's pairing its current CGM sensor with optical sensor technology that came from its 2009 acquisition of PreciSence to improve reliability for use in a closed-loop system.

This alternative sensor is based on optical technology, as described in a recent report by ASweetLife.org: "It is injected into the upper layer of the skin and measures the amount of glucose binding to fluorescent receptors within the sensor. When glucose binds to the receptors, the receptors give off light that can be measured, quantified, and reported back in terms of glucose concentration. This optical means of quantifying glucose levels in the tissue would act as a second check for the existing sensor, and the two together could be read and correlated by the closed loop system to ensure accurate glucose inputs were being used by downstream algorithms."

The optical sensor system is still under development, but has already been tested in pigs and humans.

"We spent the last few years 'productizing' it. The chemistry is on the tip of the optical sensor. The optical sensor will continue to work even if the cannula of the first sensor is pulled out," says Rajiv Shah, senior engineering director at Medtronic.

Shah tells me the company needs about three years to move the product forward so it can be commercialized. Some may be skeptical that this sensing technology is viable at all.

"25 years ago I was told subcutaneous (current) sensing would never work," Shah says with a smile.

Meanwhile, algorithms are being developed to better understand the lag time, be able to deal with delays, understand system flaws and even consider individual medical history, which can be programmed in.

"Whatever algorithms do, they have to ensure safety," Shah says.

Finally, of course I had to ask Medtronic: why didn't they make their new MySentry CGM remote monitor compatible with their own stand-alone CGM product, the Guardian? It just seems crazy... There are several business reasons, apparently.

"MySentry started as research product... it was not intended to pair with the Guardian. We started work on it a number of years ago, and by the time we had the opportunity, we even wondered, should we launch it, or just wait to move to the next generation?" Meehan says. "We didn't expect to get FDA approval."

The company says they don't actually sell a very big volume of Guardian products on their own. Rather, most are sold as part of the integrated system with the Revel pump. They talked about a "short lifespan of the product" as they move to newer models. There will be no Guardian 2, they stated clearly.

"It's true: we've underserved the stand-alone CGM market. Our focus has been on the integrated system," Meehan admits.

Finally, I asked them about the recent spat with Regence Health in the Pacific Northwest. Apparently, a nasty fight over pricing levels caused Medtronic to break off relations with that insurance provider, leaving patients ostensibly in the lurch.

"We're referring patients to local distributors who can get them their pump supplies. No patients will be left out in the cold," says director of PR Amanda Sheldon. Maybe not, but that's got to be a pain, having to shift all your prescriptions and order history over to yet another layered organization, get your doctor in touch with them for prior authorization, etc., etc. It seems like it's always the patients left holding the bag when these things occur!

SANOFI

Physicians were lining up to see the big show about the new iBGStar meter that connects directly to an iPhone or iPod touch. I imagine it's an even bigger wow factor for doctors to see a glucose testing device — something historically considered part of their clinical turf — plugging into a mobile phone. What? You mean my patient might be yapping to her best friend, or playing Angry Birds while testing? No worries, docs, we already do 15 other things while testing anyway. Am I right, PWDs?

Since cell phones and consumer devices change so fast, the question came up about product lifecycle. What happens when newer versions of Apple products render the iBGStar outdated? "We expect a 15-month lifecycle on this product," said Dennis Urbaniak, VP of U.S. Diabetes at Sanofi. I guess that means lots of upgrading required for users.

In the realm of "advancing the scientific dialogue," Sanofi submitted no less than 150 research abstracts to this year's ADA, Urbaniak says. "And we're also working on a number of projects outside the convention center, for communities."

They actually did something really neat! On the Tuesday before the convention began (bringing over 16,000 visitors into town), the American Diabetes Association hosted a "Diabetes Day," supported by Sanofi U.S., for hospitality workers across the city, complete with a free FIT Clinic at Thomas Jefferson University, cooking class, diabetes education, and CDEs on hand to answer questions. The major of Philadelphia even made a proclamation in thanks. After all, the conference relied on about 51,000 hotel rooms (nights) over the course of the 5-day ADA Conference, I am told. That's a lot of cleaning, washing towels, and room service! The ADA plans to create an annual tradition of Diabetes Day programs for hospitality workers in the cities hosting Scientific Sessions each year.

Sanofi also supports the related Cities for Life program launched April 24 in Birminham, AL, which is a grassroots, community-based diabetes management program led by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The program works with community groups to "create an environment that facilitates healthy lifestyles and diabetes management," and they'll be working with local "Patient Navigators" to help take it to other communities, Urbaniak says.

Sanofi is also a major supporter of the new Dribble to Stop Diabetes campaign — a very cool high-profile national multimedia campaign designed to encourage basketball fans to live an active, healthy lifestyle and raise D-awareness. The program was developed by The National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League, in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association.

"We want to be a total diabetes company and we need to show we're serious about it," Urbaniak says.

One more part of "embracing the whole patient experience" is Sanofi's new website called "The DX," which culls a variety of information and articles about living with diabetes — working closely with a number of our fellow diabetes bloggers in the patient community.

They're adamant that it's not a promotional channel for the company, but rather "a way to promote good content about life with diabetes."

What about FDA regulation on social media? Weell.... the FDA is ridiculously overdue on issuing firm guidelines for Pharma companies, which can and have sometimes nevertheless been penalized by the agency for inappropriate use of social media channels.

"They may never (issue clear guidelines). Our approach has been if we do the right things with our approach today, we're not going to get in trouble later," Urbaniak says. His colleagues cite how a number of Pharma companies were compelled to shut down their Facebook pages after a ruling that the pages had to be open for comments.

Right... that would be the S word in social media.

And that's all for this round of updates, Folks.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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