Tough Mudder: The Best Weekend of My Life

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 :).

Seeing is Deceiving, Dreaming is Believing…

Pretty emotionally charged night, I must say

Sometimes I like to make fun of Chanra...

So… my legs hurt. Just wanted to put that out there. Also, Tough Mudder is in 4 days. Wanted to toss that out as well. Moving on!

So last night was a pretty emotionally charged night. I had posted in Hulk – Team Black’s Facebook group that last night was going to be the toughest workout yet for any Hulkster (don’t worry Team Green, it applies to you too!). This opened up the flood gates of people on Team Black sending me messages of self doubt and fear. Going into halfway done with the challenge, I was hoping that everyone had overcome their biggest obstacle (themselves) and we could start tackling the work that most people never get the chance to tackle! This didn’t incite anything negative in me though. Quite the contrary, it showed me there was still work to be done! A twist needed to be implemented greater than just a “take-no-prisoners-good-to-the-last-sweat-drop” workout can offer. So, a couple hours beforehand, the curriculum changed…

Something Team Black doesn’t know is pretty much the EXACT same thing happened to Team Green a couple weeks prior. They got the same treatment… The song I chose for them was “Fix You” by Javier Colon. It had worked. For those that needed to receive the message, it was received. I watched it happen…

Last night was no different.

The song I chose for this spur of the moment occasion was “Who You Are” by Jessie J. Only, I had it done a little differently… With Team Green I had everyone circled as I explained what the true meaning of “Hulk” was after the lyrics to “Fix You” were soaked in. With Team Black however, you guys were in need of a little bit more personal flavor… So, personal flavor is what you got! I had Team black face the mirror and stare themselves in the eyes. “The windows of the soul” a great man told me today… Not everybody did it however, and I know why… Because it is HARD. When that self assurance is cracked and confidence is running on empty, it’s hard to be good and honest with yourself… I say dig. I say get the results people don’t get by doing the things people don’t do. Not physically… Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. Most people never have the chance to face their demons because the fear of failure has them tied down to the point where self deprecation and “I’ll just try to stay out of everybody’s way…” is the best option. Well guess what? The Achilles heal of these said demons just so happens to be effort. As long as you try, you are NEVER a failure. You may not succeed right away all the time… but you WILL. As long as you hold that head up high then there isn’t a force, tangible or not, that can knock down your castle.

You are as beautiful on the outside as you feel on the inside. Until you learn to love yourself, you will always see “ugly” in the mirror.

SoI played the song “Who You Are” by Jessie J. With Team Green the lyrics to the Javier Colon song (originally Coldplay, in case Chris Martin is reading this. Love your new song! “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” is my jam!) took a moment to set in. With the Jessie J song however, the lyrics were felt immediately.

The rest of the moment of listening to the song will be for Team Black’s memory blanks in case they’d like to share :). I encourage everybody to watch the “Boombox Series” version of “Who You Are” I have posted below. I dare you not to feel SOMETHING.

 

Jessie J – Who You Are

“Who You Are”

I stare at my reflection in the mirror:
“Why am I doing this to myself?”
Losing my mind on a tiny error,
I nearly left the real me on the shelf.
No, no, no, no, no…

Don’t lose who you are in the blur of the stars!
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,
It’s okay not to be okay.
Sometimes it’s hard to follow your heart.
Tears don’t mean you’re losing, everybody’s bruising,
There’s nothing wrong with who you are!
(who you are [x11])

Brushing my hair, do I look perfect?
I forgot what to do to fit the mold, yeah!
The more I try the less it’s working, yeah
‘Cause everything inside me screams
No, no, no, no, no…

Don’t lose who you are in the blur of the stars!
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,
It’s okay not to be okay.
Sometimes it’s hard to follow your heart.
But tears don’t mean you’re losing, everybody’s bruising,
There’s nothing wrong with who you are!

Yes, no’s, egos, fake shows, like WHOA!
Just go, and leave me alone!
Real talk, real life, good love, goodnight,
With a smile, that’s my home!
That’s my home, no…

No, no, no, no, no…
Don’t lose who you are in the blur of the stars!
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,
It’s okay not to be okay…
Sometimes it’s hard to follow your heart.
Tears don’t mean you’re losing, everybody’s bruising,
Just be true to who you are!
Yeah yeah yeah

Coldplay – Fix You

“Fix You”

When you try your best, but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you’re too in love to let it go
But if you never try you’ll never know
Just what you’re worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I…

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down on your face
And I…

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

– Hulk

ps I started work on the slideshow today… 😉

Red White, and Bruised!

Red, White, and Bruised!

Well, I’ve gotta say, today’s “Red, White, and Bruised” workout… we weren’t s******’ around (love you to death Cara)! I wanted to honor the lives lost and the 10 year anniversary of an event none of us will ever forget, and boy howdy did we do that! You core is gonna be SCREAMIN’ tomorrow in honor of the fallen!

I also wanted to take this time to let everybody know… Good AMAZING job. Today marks the official “4 weeks down, 6 to go” period and let me tell you from MUCH experience… it’s going to go by SO FAST. It’s like high school… feels like you have a long time to go and before you know it, BOOM, you’re done and have made friends for life ;). This last 4 weeks though, holy geez-us… I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people bond together so fast in my life! In my years of doing this, THIS challenge has the greatest impact I have ever seen. Tean Green, Team Black… You, WE, are all in this together and I could not be more proud of each and every one of you. More importantly though (and I’ gonna sound like a broken record here) YOU should be proud of YOU. You get the results that people don’t get by doing the work that people don’t do? You all are doing that work and then some…

Next Saturday, we have measurements, so be ready. Inch day is a GREAT day. It takes the frustration of the scale and throws it right out the window because it puts in your face a living, breathing, tangible example of the fact that you all are accomplishing SO MUCH whether that scale says so immediately or not. For all of you frustrated by that god forsaken scale, remember that it has only been 28 days. Again, 28 days. Wrap your mind around that and realize that you’ve done more in 1 month that some people do in YEARS. I’m not exaggerating… I’ll be reminding everyone as we get nearer the time schedule in which I will be running the measurements. If you cannot make it, please e-mail me at AllLevelsTraining@gmail.com. I will most likely be doing a universal make up day so be ready to get a little flexible for me (TWSS). There is one of me and more than 50 of you… Thanks for the understanding :).

“Do this like Chris”

I just wanted to point out that Chris Keys, member of Team Black, lost 9 lbs this week. For those of you on Team Black, his work ethic is legendary after only 28 days. For those on Team Green, you’ll hear about him… I wanted to take this time to congratulate Chris. When someone fights as hard as he does (as you all do), it’s only right to broadcast the accomplishment! Speaking of accomplishments, the new board results will be up Monday ;).

Click HERE for 83 new pictures chronicling some of my favorites out of Team Green’s “Back Alley Beatdown”, Team Black’s Saturday “Upperbody massacre”, and our “Red, White, and Bruised” September 11th honor workout (Complete core destruction baby!). You know you want to!

– Hulk

PS special thanks to Tyrone Rivera and my beautifully gorgeous girlfriend Taryn Casalino! They ROCKED the decor while I weighed in and measured y’all. They truly are rockstars and I truly love them both. Over and out. 10-4. Roger that (no Jersey Shore)