Baltimore Qualifying!

So to start, Quinn is in Nashville for work, which means you get me this week!  Here I am in PJs, prepping to eat pizza and drink beer – an ANW Tradition in our house. 

This week the gang is in Baltimore for qualifying.  As with Venice the top 30 or anyone that completes the course gets a go at Finals.  They've mixed up the course and here are my initial thoughts:

1.       Quintuple Steps – Standard

2.       Downhill Jump – How is anyone going to complete this?

3.       Prism Tilt – I want one

4.       Swing Jump – Standard

5.       Circle Cross – Not happening!

6.       Warped Wall – All I see is me running smack into a wall. 

To kick it off dad of 2, Douglas Miller gives it a go.  I’m obvi rooting for him since we are in the same line of work – he’s an HR Director, I’m an HR Generalist.   But alas he falls at the quintuple steps.

The first go at the downhill jump is Elijah (maybe – yikes this is why Quinn does this) and my thoughts are EEK!  As expected it’s going to be a toughie!

A girl is up!  Jaime Vanacore gets ready to go.   She is 1 of 4 female rescue swimmers in the Coast Guard.  There have only been 6 total.  I’m already obsessed with her.  All beer drinking and pizza eating cease until her turn is over.  She kills obstacles 1-4 and I’m honestly getting ready to interrupt Quinn at his dinner, because this is the moment I've been waiting for.  She falls on the Circle Cross after losing momentum, BUT I so liked her and need her to come back next year. 

Garbageman, Michael Fedo, is first through the Circle Cross.  We will definitely be seeing this guy in the future.   He’s built an intense course at his house and the only thing missing is a Warped Wall, by no coincidence the obstacle he fell on. 

Finally, someone completes the course, gymnast Jeffrey Tan, is in!

Now Jenn gives us an update from last night on G4.  How did we miss this?  I blame the DVR, but anyways 12 athletes made it through, notably, Tim Shieff, who claimed the fastest time after shedding 15 pounds.  Veteran Chris Wilczewski slipped up at the Circle Cross, but his younger bro Brian made it through.  I definitely have my eye on Brian this season!

Luis Moco is up!  So happy to see this guy back.  Two weeks before Finals last year, he suffered 

a fall, but still showed at finals.  It broke my heart to watch him tear his ACL early in the course and continue to suffer all the way to the warped wall.  This past year has been surgery, rehab and training.  I’m crossing my fingers for this vet, but the tricky Circle Cross gets the best of him. Sad Face.

Elet Hall is back for redemption with a round that I seriously blinked and missed; it’s way faster than the pack at 53.79 seconds.   He has not forgotten his fall on the unstable bridge in stage 2 of finals last year.   I will say on a personal note I have a hard time rooting for someone that seems confused as to why someone would have a job.  Where do I begin?

Now back to a guy I do LIKE, Michael Fedo!  I do not have to wait to see this guy next year, because he’s in the top 30!

Q will be back with the next qualifying round!  BUT I will still be around blogging about The Challenge, beginning this Wednesday.

<3 Court