Spartan Race 2013

The Day That Changed My Life Forever

Yeah, that's me in the mud under some barbed wire. I don't even know where to start. By the way that is Chris Davis in the picture behind me. He started his weight loss journey at 696 pounds; I know the camera adds 10 pounds but I am sure that he is not even remotely close to what he used to weigh. I think he is close to 260 lbs now. Inspired? You should be.

Friday March 8th @8:00 pm

Hobie Call is in town! What a great day it is! Perhaps the greatest obstacle racer this generation has ever seen is in my little ol' town of Winder, GA. I go over and get to talk to not only a hero of mine but a great friend. I told him that I was volunteering for the Spartan race again and he had this "weird" look on his face. You see, Hobie knows my situation, some of you may not. In May of 2009 I had one of the most excruciating back injuries happen to me out of NOWHERE. I have a cyst in my spinal column between T-12 and L-3. Well, no big deal right? Except sometimes it decides to move. When it does, I will be frank with you things HAPPEN. My legs have gone numb, shooting pains down my leg, my whole leg has felt like it disappeared and I have fallen. All at 33 years old. So you could say since 2009 I had a "little" bit of depression going on. Being out of work since then has made me LAZY and DEPENDENT on my wife which isn't fair to her. Back to Hobie: Hobie looks at me and says " you need to do the race". Mind you, I had not done ANY kind of exercise in 6 to 8 months and I weighed 428 lbs that Friday night. I told him that I would love to do the race but I am JUST NOT IN SHAPE. What an excuse right?

Now Hobie being Hobie was not going to take NO for an answer. As Hobie laid it out there about how I would finish the race I kept looking over at Steve Power hoping he would bale me out of this predicament to no avail. Then Hobie says a phrase that changes my life. he said Matt " You can DIE on this couch, OR You can DIE ON THIS COURSE". Right then I knew a moment of destiny happened because it SPARKED that athlete that played football and baseball when I was younger. It resonated with The FAT GUY MENTALITY that I could be more than what I WAS, I COULD HELP PEOPLE. But first, not to be called out and not accept the challenge, I told him i would see him at 9:30am Saturday morning.

Haha. Why am I laughing? You don't know the ruckus this caused at my house when I informed my wife when I woke up early on a Saturday morning I was going to race. "You're gonna hurt yourself", You could paralyze yourself, Don't you end up in the hospital", You know the caring and loving part of our wives that don't want us to hurt. But I NEEDED THIS. I NEEDED MY PURPOSE BACK. I NEEDED TO HELP OTHERS, That is just what I am hardwired to do.

So I get to the Conyers International Horse Park, home to Georgia Spartan Sprint. I almost threw up. My nerves were going so bad when I got there. Got to registration, got marked up, pinned up. Got to see Chris Davis, Matt Davis, Steve Power, Stacy Shuler, Chris Freeman, Ronnie Roberts. Major part of my support team. Finally got to see Hobie right before he ran and WON the Elite Heat. He told me to go see Chris Davis. So I went up and met Chris, we had a great talk. He asked me if I wanted to do The Biggest Loser Heat, which at the time I didn't know anything about. But if he was doing it, I was doing it.(Why wouldn't I? He has already lost as much as I weigh???) So at about 9:45 we are off. I stay in the back out of everybody's way because I KNOW I am the slowest walker. First couple of obstacles are pretty easy. Into the 2nd mile these hills come out of nowhere. (SIDE NOTE: I now know is in hell for fat people: HILLS). I had to really slow my pace. People were passing me left and right but I didn't care I was still moving.At about this time one of my greatest childhood friends found me on the course. I had no idea he was there and he didn't know I was there. He stopped right when he found me and just forgot all about his time to help me. I will be forever grateful for that Chad Sauls. I think it was about this time also I met another great friend Delaine. We had great talks about being over comers. She really helped put things in perspective about the journey I am on to lose this weight and be healthier. Then there was this crazy guy with a red Mohawk  Justin Matson, my brother from another mother. Between that crew I had, there was no way I was failing. Mile 3 and 4 were terrible for me. I am diabetic, my sugar dropped. I thought the race was over. Chris pulled out some jelly beans and told me to eat them. I was like "The WHOLE BAG"? So I got them down and instantly felt better. That mile 3 hill and Sandbag carry beat me down. I would have to say the biggest accomplishment during this race was getting over the 8ft wall with the help of MUDRUNFUN!!!!!!!!! Those guys were the best. They really encouraged me to keep going. I love those guys. MUDRUNFUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The mud crawl was a beast for me because my belly is so big, my head is right at the dag gum barbed wire! I could SEE the finish line. NO WAY was I giving up now. Through cramps, exhaustion, dehydration, pain, diabetes, depression, and just being "OUT OF SHAPE", I CONQUERED THE SPARTAN RACE!!

It ended up being 4.2 or 4.4 miles, I can't remember right off. It has changed my life. Now my wife and I eat only organic or natural meats. Trying to incorporate more veggies in our diet. Walking EVERYDAY and drinking plenty of water. But most of all, TRYING TO INSPIRE OTHERS!!! 

IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN HAVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join me in a Mud Run or Obstacle Race Near You!