“The reason it’s important to push hardest when you want to quit the most is because it helps you callous your mind. It’s the same reason why you have to do your best work when you are the least motivated…Physical challenges strengthen my mind so I’m ready for whatever life throws at me, and it will do the same for you.”

— David Goggins

4 am hit and the song Pepas began to play. I recently swapped my alarm; it used to be Young Thug – Check. I lay there for about 15 more minutes and my Iphone 12 fades “No me importa lo que de mí se diga” into my ears again. I prop up in bed and immediately lay back and try to do some meditation in a deep relaxation pose, honestly; it’s just another reason to rest my eyes a little more. Finally around 4:25, I get out of bed, shower, put on my race getup layed out on my bed, scarf down a peanut butter banana Clif Bar and head out.

Tejon Ranch is an hour and a half drive and I wanted to make sure get there early to get in the right mindset in order to crush the race. This was my first Spartan Age group after all and I was hoping to give it my best. About an hour into the drive, my car’s check engine light flashes on and off and doesn’t accelerate any further; I’m hitting 4000 rpm and going only 45 mi per hour. I press down on the gas harder to no avail; I put on my emergency lights and pull over on the nearest dugout on the highway. My check engine light cuts back off and I’m determined to make it to the race. After several 18 wheelers past by I merge back on the highway and the same problem springs up. Luckily the car can still move and I go about 2 miles down the highway to the nearest exit. Being in rancher territory, there is no gas station or autoshop within about 10 miles and the only way to get there is merging back onto the highway. I pull over to a remote road with one abandoned car also parked nearby. I slowly stroll back and forth down a local road trying to get signal in attempt to get in touch with my friend Caleb who was already at the race volunteering. After like five dropped calls due to the signal and 45 minutes later I’m on the way to the race site, only brining belongings I need for the race and leaving my car on the side street.

We arrive at the Tejon Ranch at 8:12 and the Age Group wave started at 8:15, needless to say I missed my initial wave due. Though the registration booth still gave me a red head band signifying I was an Age Group participant. I started with the 8:45am open group, clearing the initial wall not as smoothly as I usually do before a Spartan. I’m standing in the front line right under the start barrier with about 75 other individuals adjacent or behind me, stretching and trying to pump my self up, but for some reason the normal stoked energy I have wasn’t there. I also realized that I left my Honey Stinger energy chews and reserve Clif Bars in my backpack and would have to rely on the water stations and whatever glycogen I had stored from the previous day. After a final “Aroo” our wave gets started and I start to dash with only two others competitors within arms length of me, about half a mile in I slow down considerably watching more competitors zoom by and at this point I just shrug off shooting for time. By the time I hit the Atlas Carry, I hesitate for about 2 minutes before actually completing the obstacle. The rest of the race was me shifting between jogging, and walking, completing 24 out of 27 obstacles —Olympus, Twister, Spear Throw are the ones I did not succeed on. I was mostly disappointed on my technique on how I attempted the Olympus and how as I was only one hole away from ringing the bell that signifies the completion of an obstacle.

Initially I was bummed that I failed more than just the Spear Throw and I knew I wouldn’t be remotely satisfied with my time, but soon after my finish I started to celebrate the small victories. This was my first Trifecta after all; despite being cold and muddy I still had plenty to celebrate. I made a conscious decision to finish the rest instead of immediately getting my car towed back home after the incident.

I link back up with Caleb not to long after reaching the finish line, change into warmer clothes, get a massage from the Spartan staff and we drive back to where I left my car make arrangements for the towing company to tow my car about 24 miles out to a near by Jiffy Lube. The problem, which I’ve already been aware of is that my car has been burning oil considerably fast — I usually add a few quarts ever two weeks to the engine— being over 200000 mi, this time my reservoir was virtually empty. I get a few quarts added to my engine put on Can’t Hurt Me on Audible and take an hour and 45 minute trip using the local roads back home; just in case.

The next day I drive to work, I run into the same issue; I stop accelerating going up a hill about 3 miles from my normal commute, my check engine light comes on again; I add another quart, drive to work and have it towed back home when I get off. Now I have to buy a new vehicle…

2022 Trifecta Completion: 100%

• Beast(21k) – Kualoa Ranch, HI – August 2022
• Super(10k) – Lebec, CA – Oct 2022
• Sprint(5k) – Big Bear, CA – May 2022

As mentioned earlier I was listening to Can’t Hurt Me on Audible and completed chapter 5 during the long drive back home. The author, former Navy Seal and ultramarathon runner David Goggins, presents the reader/listener with a challenge at the end of every chapter. For challenge #5, Goggins challenges the reader to use visualization as a tool of success. He emphasizes not to only focus on future successes, but also to include hurdles along the way to “be as prepared as you possibly can be”. I’d like to challenge my readers to use visualization for the immediate future— lets say about six months— and post what you come up with in the comments.

For that day: I visualized me completing the Super, gaining my Trifecta and honestly on expected the 41°F and braced my self for a cold dunk wall. I actually did consider the fact my car wouldn’t make it, but didn’t exactly expect it to happen or for me to miss the age group wave.

For the next six months: I’ll have a new car, will be receiving an offer letter from graduate school for a MSW program in California, posting weekly/gaining a consistent followers of this blog, completing the Six-Pack of Peaks for 2022, compete with the age group wave and get top 10 in the standings, get sub 1:45 in the Surfcity Half Marathon, read 15 books, and submit an offer for a condo.

Too be brief a few of the hurdles I’ll be facing is; to be fiscally responsible, set an allotted amount of time per day to read and work on my personal statement, continue to train consistently.

I’ll go more into depth about the progress of my visualization for the next post.

Till next week,

— MKH

Six-Pack of Peaks Completion: 33%

SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks (Original Six)

• Mt. Wilson: Difficulty: 3.5/5
• Cucamonga Peak: Difficulty: 3.5/5
• Mt. Baldy (San Antonio): Difficulty: 4/5 –
• San Bernardino Peak
• Mt. San Jacinto
• San Gorgonio

Alternative SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks

• Sitton Peak: Difficulty: 2.5/5
• Sawmill Mountain
• Strawberry Peak
• Mount Baden-Powell
• Ontario Peak
• Santiago Peak