Pittsfield, Vermont
My Death Race has come to an unfortunate finish. After 31 consecutive hours I was in fifth place with a huge lead over those behind me. My legs were fatigued, I was now awake for 68 straight hours and a head cold that I had done so well to suppress was now taking charge.
At the time I quit I was satisfied with my effort and knew that I had given it everything I had despite not being able to sleep the night before the race and coming down with a head cold.
I have now had a day or so to deal with my failure and have decided that I will finish what I started in 2012. I am convinced that I was mentally and physically tough enough - I simply got off to a bad start before the race even started.
For 9 months prior to the race I worked hard to build my endurance and fitness and concentrated little on building muscle mass. My training included: carrying heavy logs, splitting wood, digging, moving gravel uphill with a wheel barrow, biking, running, swimming, hiking with up to 70 lbs on my back and in my arms, basic weight lifting and a really intense 10 weeks of Boot Camp for 1 hour a day, four days a week at 6 am.
Boot Camp was amazing, as we routinely worked on only a handful of exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, lunges, sprinting, etc.) but it was the variety and quantity of each that kept these exercises challenging and exceptionally difficult.
For those of us that have children, a marriage we value and a busy work schedule finding time to fit in exercise takes a lot of discipline. Aware that my kids will be young only one time I never took time away from them to squeeze in a workout. Every workout was either while they were in bed, on my lunch break or if there was a creative way I could include them then perhaps we could make a game out of chopping and stacking wood. Needless to say, 4 am to 7 am workouts are difficult for several reasons and the late night runs in the winter with snow and ice make you think twice about why I want to push myself.
It's incredible how good the body feels after you get moving. You quickly adapt to the time of day or the temperature and even the difficulty of the workout. It's never easy, but you learn to work through the pain and come to appreciate the feeling of exhaustion. It truly is a reward and your mind and body continually thank you.
Race participants were not told how to train, not told what to bring, not told what challenges to expect or even how long the race will last. I did come to learn that Andy and Joe do everything they can to discourage you, mess with your head and provide confusing information. If you are looking for a race that follows a formula, has water and snack stations, and people encouraging you to keep going then you need to look elsewhere.
In the weeks leading up to the race a gear list was communicated to us, via Facebook, an item or two at a time. Our list included a number 2 Dixon Ticonderoga pencil, goggles, hand drill with a 1/2" bit, handsaw, axe, 10' section of climbing rope, tape measure, carabineer and a live fish. The live fish was replaced with a $20 bill and two $1 bills. In addition to the gear list we were told that the theme for the 2011 Death Race would be World Religions. The race later would include a baptismal hike in fast-moving river current, ceremonial fish-catching, competitive rituals designed to evoke Shinto and Taoist traditions and a test requiring participants to memorize and later recite a Bible passage or repeat an arduous task.
Many studied and had a basic understanding of the world's major religions before the start of the race. With all of my mandatory gear and a few essentials, my pack weighed in at approximately 25 lbs. Your pack is with you the entire race. If 25 lbs sounds light - it is. Just wait until you get to add the burden of a 36" log.
The day of the race was a beautiful 50+ degrees with steady light rain. I think Andy and Joe may have delayed the start of the race for as long as it took to wait for these ideal conditions. I know they were thrilled with the weather.
Just a few days before the race we received a special pre-race notice recommending that we attend a parachute packing class at noon the day of the race and a closed door meeting with the Free Masons at 2 pm. Just in case Andy and Joe were serious we adjusted our schedule and hustled to the Amee Farm and arrived at 11:58 am. Nothing! This was another attempt to mess with my sleep schedule. I had crawled into the back of my vehicle to try to catch an hour or two of sleep and April texted me informing me that registration was starting ahead of schedule. I hurried down to The General Store and was registered as participant number 40. With the next required meeting not until 5:30 I could now certainly get in two hours of sleep. Nope. Just after I laid down I discovered a huge line forming to obtain a fishing license. At this point I geared up and faced the fact that I am not sleeping until I'm done with the race. After everyone paid $20 for a one day fishing license we headed to church for the official meeting. I'm so glad we supported Vermont's wildlife department as we never fished.
In church we were given an inspirational sermon from Rev. Dr. Howard Gunter. He was asked to talk about numerous world religions and everyone furiously took notes. Joe also laid out the race for us and told us that 30 tasks must be completed to finish the race. At 3 pm on Sunday you were required to be clean and in church. After church if you still had tasks remaining you could go back on the course to finish the race if you wish. After church we walked back up to the Amee Farm and the clock started. The Death Race had finally begun.
Our first task was to get into groups of 13. Groups were determined by bibb numbers. Every group formed a circle. The circle was approximately a 12' diameter. A single stone weighing anywhere from 15 to 60 lbs lay at the foot of each person. In the middle of the circle was a hay bale, another large stone and a 6' pipe filled with 200 lbs of water. We were instructed to clean press each rock in the circle 150 times (150x13). In other words, we moved clockwise around the rocks. An average rotation took 3 minutes. At the end of each rotation the entire group simultaneously lifted the three items in the middle of the circle. Our group was awesome. We had the fastest pace and were the first to reach 100 rotations before we were penalized 10 rotations just for the hell of it. Immediately, I felt light headed. So light headed that I thought I was going to faint and fall to certain death just 30 minutes after the start of the race. I controlled my breathing and kept my eyes focused up so I avoided that dizzy feeling that was overwhelming me. Fortunately I was able to overcome this brief discomfort and now just needed to deal with the lower back pain. Feeling that 150 was in our grasp we realized that after 6 hours and 30 minutes of lifting the number of times we rotated was irrelevant. They just made us think we had to complete 150 rotations before moving on. Did I mention that our packs were required to be strapped on? Most everyone was able to gut out this first task, but I know we lost one to a broken foot and another to vomiting.
I was feeling exceptionally strong and was ready for anything. At this point I think it was around midnight. We were lead single file down to the river. With our head lamps blazing we all filed into the river. The sight of 160 headlamps was really cool. I think the rain just stopped. Getting into 45 degree water and walking upstream was a nice break from the rain. We walked upstream for what seemed like two hours. The cold water was nice for the sore knees, but we beat the hell out of our feet and ankles. We finally made it to dry land. After a 30 second break from the river we were lead into a pond where we had to stand for 5 minutes in water up to our waist. We were then quickly placed in two lines. The next task was to jump into the pond and use a rope to pull yourself about 50 yards to the other side. Once the other side was reached we were required to climb up a muddy 70 degree incline. This did not take long but your footing was so poor that it took careful maneuvers to get up. When we reached the top of the hill we were handed a candle and told to walk around a course without losing the flame. If the flame was lost you would have to start over. The round trip with the candle was about 200-300 yards. After returning the candle it was down the hill and back into the water. If you weren't cold yet - no problem. We were instructed to complete this loop 7 times. This was the test that sent several packing with hypothermia. I finished my seven loops and my shaking was so intense that my jaw cramped so badly I was unable to open my mouth. Try holding a candle in one hand and using the other to cup the flame while shaking. Again, our packs are strapped to our backs the entire time but this time we got the added benefit of the water weight.
Daylight started to appear. Still shaking and unable to generate any body heat, they sat us down facing the pond we had just swam in for an hour. Convinced we were going back in the lake we were relieved to learn we would not be going into the pond. Instead, it was back in the river. This time we were walking with the current.
We were told to grab three logs from a pile of wood, split each into 7 pieces and then stack them. That was easy! We were then instructed to select a log with an "x" on it and carry it for 1 mile up and down the mountain. I would be surprised if any of the logs weighed less than 60 lbs. Mid way up the mountain we were required to memorize a poem. When we completed the loop we had to recite the poem exactly as it was written or we would have to start over. Corinthians 16:13 “Be watchful, Stand firm in the faith, Act like a man, Be strong.” Fortunately I had no problems with the poem and I was instructed to split my log into 8 pieces and stack them. I was amazed at how many people struggled to swing an axe. It looked to me that many would be unable to get past splitting their logs. April was here to cheer me on and temporarily saved my life with a hot tea and egg sandwich. As I was taking a quick break I realized that I was in the top ten at that time. I could have run with the first group back up the river to the Amee Farm but elected to relax for 15 minutes and work my way up the river with the second group.
When we reached Amee Farm our next task was awaiting us. We traveled a short distance to find our log. From an 8' timber we were required to cut a 36" piece that we would carry for the duration of the race. (For me it was about 15 hours) Because I was near the front of the pack I was able to sort through the pile and find the lightest log possible. I moved about 15 timbers to uncover the lightest log remaining. I'm guessing that my log weighed 35-40 lbs. I was lucky as most looked like they would easily weigh 50 lbs. I walked back to Amee Farm and carved my number 40 into the log with my hand drill. After an inspection of my number it was off to Colton’s Camp. My log was securely fastened to my pack and sat just above my shoulders. I was comfortable, but I was now carrying 60-65 lbs. April walked with me for an hour up the trail and through the rain and mud to the checkpoint and then I was on my own to Roger's house.
The hike to Roger's house proved to be very easy for me. The terrain was rough and very steep, but I had a ton of energy and was enjoying the hike by myself. All along the route I studied religious symbols that were posted to trees. This actually helped to take my mind off the weight I was carrying. The route was marked with orange ribbons that were tough to find at times. On the way I actually took a wrong turn that cost me 20 minutes.
When I finally reached Roger's house a few very simple tasks including stacking wood and carving were accomplished in very little time and I was quickly back on the trail headed back the exact same way I got here. This is just about the time that I noticed I was starting to separate myself from everyone behind me. I knew there was a strong group in front of me but I was unsure of how many. The hike back was much more difficult as my legs were starting to fatigue. I spent the better part of an hour hiking up and passing people asking "how much longer". I reached the peak and was now headed down the trail to Colton’s Camp. This presented a new challenge as my legs would not allow me to walk. The incline was so steep at times that I literally ran down the trails. I was a runaway train just trying to stay on my feet. People looked at me like I was crazy but I simply was unable to walk. At the checkpoint I was pumped up to learn that I was in 18th place and my lead on those behind me was rather substantial. Before I could complete the hike back down to Amee Farm I had to do 100 burpee push ups in the gravel. It took me 30-40 minutes because I was only strong enough to crank them out in sets of ten. Having completed my burpees I headed down the trail feeling light as a feather. I was so pleased with how well I was doing and how great I felt.
I met up with April back at the farm around the 22 hour mark and she filled me in on my next challenge. I had to crawl through a 2' diameter culvert about 100 yards long with my pack. I was able to set my log down for this challenge. So I got real smart and placed my pack in a heavy duty garbage bag to keep it as dry as possible. Everything was working as planned until I reached the mid way point. The galvanized metal culvert was reduced to razor sharp jagged metal and it sliced into my bag and I constantly got hung up. My bag and pack were now filled with water. It was like trying to push 200 lbs of concrete up stream while lying down. I used every four letter word in the book to help me remove the trash bag and I struggled to do that for at least five minutes. It was nice to have the trash bag removed but now I had to slide my pack on rough gravel the final 20 yards. What should have taken 5 minutes took me 20 minutes. This wiped me out and I experienced a wicked cramp in my right leg. I retrieved my log and checked in. I was now in 14th place. 
I finally made it to the barbed wire after four hours and faced a grueling 200-300 yards of uphill barbed wire in the dark in torrential rain. At this point I removed my log from my pack and dragged it with a strap. Talk about painfully slow. It took me a little less than an hour to get through the barbed wire and now I was on to my final climb of about a half mile or so to reach Tweed cabin. Finally, we were there. We opened up into a field and mountain tops in all directions were visible. The sky was dark gray and all the plants and trees were a magnificent green. This was worth the hike.
I shared a peanut with Chris Mitchell and was told to protect the peanut shell. I headed back down the mountain the exact way I came up - through the barbed wire, up and down the trails and down the waterfalls. My adrenaline had worn off and every step was a struggle. At this point I had at least two hours to go. I continued to drag and throw my log. My log responded like a dog that did not want to walk on a leash. It pounded my ankles and constantly got hung up in the trees. This was the first time a seriously doubted my chances. If Mike was not with me to guide me down the mountain I still may be there. I was so wasted that I could not find my way in the dark. My LED light was playing tricks on me and I was convinced numerous times that we had reached the bottom of the mountain when in reality we had a long way to go. I'm not sure if I was hallucinating, but this was probably the closest I have ever come. At precisely 31 hours (1 am) we had returned to the Amee Farm. There were three people chopping wood and the leader had already advanced to the next climb. I was devastated to learn that the finish line was nowhere in sight. This was it. I could go no further. I checked in to discover I was in 5th place and that was not enough to change my mind. April’s job was not to let me quit but she knew I was done and agreed that I had made the right decision. At the time, I was pleased with my performance and accepted my failure. I was so tired and my head ached like never before. I swore at that point I will never do this again.
Now that I have had a few days to heal, ask questions and understand how the race finished I have become increasingly frustrated with my performance and I vow to return in 2012 to finish what I started. I passed people on the trails that were not nearly as strong as me, but they finished. They simply made it to church at 3pm on Sunday. Their pace was slower and they may not have completed as many tasks, but they stuck it out. Ultimately they made it and I failed to finish. I can't wait to start my training again.
This race was amazing in so many ways. I got myself in the best shape of my life, pushed myself harder than I ever have before, competed in a way that I never have before and discovered a new passion.
A special thanks to my wife April - Without her assistance there is no way I could have done what I did. She hiked up and down the mountains and did everything she could to prepare me for my next challenge. Her information was always spot on. Simple things like a hot cup of tea and an egg sandwich kept me going. She never complained once despite never sleeping and being soaking wet and muddy. What a great way to spend our 9 year anniversary.
I love you April.
To Mike Matrka: Mike drove 12 straight hours from Columbus, Ohio to meet just as I was leaving for an 8 hour hike. Little did he know, but the terrain and the weather was about to turn really bad and he was unprepared but never showed a bit of hesitation. Without his humor, good spirit and navigation skills I certainly would have died before reaching the Amee Farm.
To my Mom and Frank: Thanks so much for taking care of the kids and the dog. This was huge for April and me and it would have been miserable trying to entertain everyone at the farm in the weather conditions we experienced. Could not have done it without you.
To Paul and Sudipa Barr: Thanks for the hospitality to and from the race. Twelve hours straight would have been tough. Oh yeah, and the post race pain killers were awesome!
To PreFit Boot Camp: Thanks for the tough workouts and thank you to all of those inspirational individuals in my class.
That was FUN! Can’t wait to do it again.
