We came, we saw... We SMASHED
I’ve been sitting here for some time now trying to muster up a way to start the most emotionally charged post I have ever sat down to write. I guess I should just come out with it… Sunday was the greatest day of my life. Point, blank, period. For SO MANY reasons.
Tyrone Rivera. Bobbi Rivera. Cara Jones Tocchini. Tammey L. Clark. Carlo Piscitello. Maggie Schuck. Whitney Lindsay. Chad Eickel. Shaleena Gibson. Cory Lacey. John Stave. Denise Stave. Brandon Rooney. Tara Rooney. Tami Larsen. Randy Paul Larsen. Tanisha Larsen. Kathi Tyler. Pete Macias. Steven Kelling. Michael Kelling. Ian Effin’ Nickles. Amanda Vallee. Kim Yoxall. Diane Levine. Jamie Flynn. Kim Marincik. Chris Marincik. Teygan Mason. Jessica LaVenter.
Those are just a few of the BEST reasons…
There are about 10-12 people not pictured here that were BEHIND the camera. Big family style feast to load up that energy for the insanity ahead!
So we get to Truckee, which is about 15-20 minutes away from Squaw Valley, and immediately you can feel the energy as tangible as if you were standing in the middle of a rainstorm of anticipation. I have to let it be known that Bobbi Rivera is a SAINT. Everyone, thank that woman for such a glorious team dinner that we got the pleasure to embark upon, because if it wasn’t for her we would have been at a restaurant getting a sub par meal in… Bobbi, from the bottom of my Hulk heart, I love you.
So, we start to figure out where we are going to TRY to get some sleep… and we have bunk beds! So much room for activities! So, I’m rockin’ my Hulk shirt and overseeing the awesome taking place in front of my very eyes. People start to show up with bags in their hands and smiles on their faces, ready to rock this SOB like it stole from our family. Our HULK family. Not gonna happen…
On the menu is rice pasta, turkey meatballs, a HUGE green salad, gluten-free muffins, and bread rolls. Dinner of Hulksters. Fuel for champions. The two are synonymous. Hulkster = Champion.
With a 5am wake up call and alarms set, we were ready…
I think I'm not the only who agrees that an ICE JACUZZI in the middle of Squaw was probably one of the toughest obstacles all day...
So let’s just get down to it… Tough Mudder was everything we thought it was going to be. I know that not one person got a “good night’s sleep.” More like everyone got to stare wide-eyed at the ceiling as their blood pumped gallons of adrenaline through all of our veins. Better than that ICE pictured above!!!
When we arrived, there was a chill in the air that had nothing to do with temperature. The anticipation of what was about to go down was only superseded by the love you could feel everyone had for one another. Once registered, we headed for the start line…
About to stretch after Chernobyl.
If you watch the show “Criminal Minds” then I have the pleasure of telling you that Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan) rocked that business right there with us! I KNOW he heard us do our chant! We did the old school chant as the starting smoke got shot out. Let me tell you… It was the LOUDEST chant I have ever had the pleasure to lead. That was the start of our team dominance ;).
Most unifying challenge of the day, by far...
The Braveheart run was more of a walk really with everyone so packed together, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. With the smoke in the air, the elevation giving our lungs hell, it was a wake up call within the first 30 seconds. Totally fine though, we knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. It was gonna be a walk through Hulk infested mud baby!!!
I did what I said I was going to do... Murder that mountain and make sure no Hulk was left behind.
I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I saw DIGGING this weekend. I have NEVER seen a group of people push themselves as hard as I saw our Team push themselves. It was far beyond physical. It was far beyond even emotional. Words do NOT do justice the feelings I have for each and every one of you who I had the honor of running that mountain with. No Hulk left behind, and we accomplished that to the fullest… I saw fears conquered, dreams realized, lifetime bonds and friendships that will never be broken (including my own), blood, sweat, tears, and inspiration oozing out of every pore. I saw support from miles around us as the heart of Hulk “life marched” that mountain until it bowed its powerful head. I saw the most raw, absolute beauty and determination I have ever seen in my life. Pulled groins, strained tendons, tested will, achy joints, extreme fatigue, self-doubt, scraped forearms, bruised egos, harsh cold… NOTHING stopped this Hulk freight train… I will forever be indebted to the amount of never-ending inspiration pool I get to draw from for the rest of my life…
Tye and I carried the memory of Gregory, Gina, and Alan Sarpy's father, who died very recently, on our back. I'd like to think the watchful eye helped.
Along those same lines, I feel the need to express how important this was to ME. I have NEVER done anything like this. I was too fat… or “couldn’t do it…”, or barely conditioned to do the elliptical let alone a 13 mile hell ride through the unrelenting gorgeousness that is Tahoe… But I DID IT. I FUCKING DID IT. Not only did I do it, I did it the way a Hulk should… No Hulkster left behind. I told everyone I was going to bring up the rear because that’s what I feel a good leader SHOULD do. To finish last and see everyone pass the finish line with tears in their eyes, a smile on their face, and a thirst for the best beer they have ever tasted was better than if I were to finish with the best time out of every single competitor. I set out to make sure that no one felt left behind, and I did it. I FUCKING DID IT. I know what I’m capable of, but fireman carrying Kathi Tyler on my shoulder for the last downhill stretches when we’ve gone through 12 miles of insanity was something even I didn’t know existed in my physical being at that moment… but I did it. I FUCKING DID IT. But the fact that I did what I set out to do from day one isn’t what excited me…
Amanda Vallee wasn't s****ing aroung!
The fact that everyone responded. Rose to the challenge. Pushed themselves. Rallied. Grouped. Sounded off. Everyone did everything for the team, and I couldn’t be more humbled by everyone trusting me enough to follow me the way they did. Teygan, Cory, and Tye were integral in making sure we stuck, and they CANNOT go unnamed or unnoticed. Everyone else, thank you for rising to the occasion. You all, through sheer actions and determination, are the best leaders that I could possibly be led by.
One of the baddest, toughest, strongest, unstoppable chicks I know. She NEVER S***ts around! Cara, it is VERY important that you click on your picture when you have privacy to watch the lyrics and listen to the song that I URGE you to apply this to that voice that doubts yourself. This is your anthem to your self doubt. This is you.
Bobbi Rivera, Cara Tocchini, Tammey L. Clark, Shaleena Gibson, Taryn Casalino, Jamie Flynn, Kim Marincik… I cannot thank you enough. For the support, food, foil, hugs, cheers… Everything. In essence, I don’t know if a lot of us could have done it without you. I wish with everything I’ve got that we could get you all orange headbands, because you all are some TOUGH MUDDERS. You all are HULK. You all, are angels on Earth (cue Belinda Carlisle!).
The best beer I have EVER had. Only thing better are those sweet mugs right next to me. We came as a team, we conquered as a team, and thousands now know HULK
I love you all. That is an understatement. Thank you, everyone who was a part of this glorious experience, for making this the greatest weekend of my life.
– Hulk
PS We’re doing Tough Mudder in Socal February 26th (Sunday) in 2012. THIS COMING FEBRUARY. You want in on a the experience of a lifetime? E-mail AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com or comment on this post. There is ALWAYS room for a Hulkster! Hulk doesn’t die, we multiply :).
PPS each picture has a song that I associate emotionally with it. Click on and learn a little bit more about me :).
iamhulk 