almost there.....

Wow!  So I just went through an old email account which is linked to this blog.  In it I found a ton of messages from my blogs that i have never seen!  How motivating to go back, realize people were responding and encouraging, and relive this journey..... I feel God had it planned....I randomly looked and its 2 weeks before the race....couldn't have come at a better time!  So sorry Andy, Amy, Al, Craig, Mom, Spencer, and others who writing back responses and encouragement and I never received it!

It was amazing to go back and read from the beginning...my reasons for doing this, where I was when the training started, remindimg myself I am doing this to show Madison the importance of living life to its fullest, the people that inspired me....the complete journey...that was AWESOME!!!

This past weekend we did a crazy workout!  Tom's second death race workout.  Andy and Joe really should hire him.  I'm at the end of this journey now.... and the one thing I take away more than anything is the friendships, and something like this race to give this time in my life a little more meaning or purpose or reason to remember everything in my life.  I wont ever forget the past 10 months....EVER!  So much has happened...I am a completely different person.  Who I am, what I believe, spiritually, emotionally, my priorities...all of it.  Most of all I am much more appreciative of what I have rather than worrying about what I don't have.  I feel more patient, more grateful, and hopefully I can be a better father, friend, lover, son, business owner, athlete, human being...this life is sooo short.  Find your purpose and live it.  Whatever it is.  Be the best dad, friend, athlete, artist, gear head, whatever it is you can do to leave your mark on this world, make sure you leave it.  You wont have a second chance to ever do it again.  Do it all now.  LIVE.........

I will write again before I leave.....but i truly want to thank everyone for all of it.  My life is half full without each of you and the memories we share.  Spencer and I had it right when we were kids and we used to say.... "its all about the story"

Below is our death race training #2.  I cant thank Tom enough for all his efforts and all he does.  But the thing I took away the most was the water challenge.  One death racer went out in waist high water in the ocean while another was blindfolded and put a pillow case over their head.  The other death racer had to verbally lead that person to the death racer in the water who was holding all their gear over there head....when you put on a blindfold that is one thing..but put on  a pillow case and the lights really go off.  You are so vulnerable, and humbled.  It is the oddest and most alone feeling...but what i learned is if you just relax and trust the person you are supposed to trust...your friend and yourself you will find where you are supposed to go.  I learned so much about letting go, trusting, the journey, and overcoming adversity.  Its the spirit of the death race and I am forever grateful to this race...the journey....

Final Death Race Workout

Designed by Tom McFadden

Laura, Yesel, Daren and Tom…

Mandatory Gear – Mountain bike, jean shorts, goggles, 6 rocks, rosary, pillow case, gloves, sledge hammer, duct tape, 2 – 5 gallon buckets, 1 pair of jean shorts…

Arrive at Seal Beach AM there were flags roped off to make a 200yard  route also Tom had made wooden crosses out of 8 foot pine studs customized for size of the death racer

1. 400 walking lunges from crosses.
2. 50 warrior lunges – with pockets full of rocks
3. 100 bucket squats (filled with sand)
4. Backward low crawl on our back in jean shorts: on our backs with the buckets full of our equipment and mauls 400 yards
5. Mental challenge – religious question I got mine wrong so 25 bucket pushups
6. Blind Equipment retrieval – each death racer took turns leading the other racer into the ocean, one blindfolded with pillow case and the other acts as the leader guiding them verbally only to the 3^rd racer who was in waist deep water
7. Cross carry 1 mile in sand – each quarter lap place cross in sand and do 25 lateral burpees
8. Mental Challenge
9. Bucket Carry ½ mile full of sand
10. Sand sprint ½ mile
11. Got on Bikes were supposed to ride to Rio Hondo JC.  We got very lost and about 8-10 cities away from Seal Beach.  Ended up in the hood (this was the hood version of death race).  Great to deal with the adversity!  Somehow found Tom in “the hood”
12. Rode to Rio Hondo Community College where we snuck into the police cadet training center

Did there obstacle course a couple times

Everyone was pretty done after the crazy bike ride!  Ready as ever….Death Race!