Race Report: Savage Race Ohio

To put this race into context, it's important to know where I came from. From 1997 to 2014, I accrued 61 finishes of a marathon or longer, 29 marathons and the rest ultra-marathons to include 3 x 100mi races. So running is in my DNA and more-so, trail running that I love and miss. From 2014 to present, my fitness life has been CrossFit with a hefty dose of rucking and in recent years, a few OCRs (obstacle course races). It's my opinion that my history in running paired with over a decade as a CrossFitter prepares me "fairly" well for any OCR with no extra preparation. I see it as a test and I'm all for it! I say "fairly" because my weaknesses will be highlighted quickly during an OCR. Undoubtedly, as a 52 year old, 6'3" 205lb guy, the grippy, jungle-gym-like obstacles are going to challenge me hard. Other things like scaling an 8 foot wall, carrying heavy sandbags through the hilly woods, low-crawling, hoisting a heavy chain/sandbag high into the sky...those things come pretty "easy" to me as does running fast on single track trails through the woods. So could I be competitive at these races if I did more OCR-specific training to get better on my weaknesses? Sure I could...but it really isn't important enough to me to carve out the time for that. I rather enjoy hitting a race like this and just giving it my very best with the strength, skill and experience I bring to the starting line.

In August 2021, I did my first OCR, a Spartan Trifecta in West Virginia. The Beast, Super and Sprint all on the same weekend. That wet my appetite enough to head to a ski resort in NJ the following April for the Spartan Ultra. It's basically 2 Beasts plus another 5-6 miles. About 31 miles and 60 obstacles. That was an ALL DAY race. Then in September of 2023, I did a Tough Mudder in Pennsylvania. In short, Spartan offers both a competitive category and another where everyone is encouraged to work together to get through the obstacles. There are also penalties when you don't complete obstacles in the form of burpees or "penalty loops." Tough Mudder is on the other end of the spectrum. It isn't timed so it's really not competitive at all and it is insanely muddy as the name implies. Less upper body jungle-gym kind of obstacles and more challenges that get you on the ground in the mud. Tough Mudder is definitely big on FUN. Enter Savage Race. In my opinion, Savage is a little of both of Spartan and Tough Mudder. Savage is timed yet there is far less concentration on the competitive side of things. In fact, the field at Savage Ohio for the "Pro" division was very very small in comparison to the overall number of racers at the event. There also aren't penalties at Savage. If you attempt an obstacle and simply can't do it, you move on. It's that simple...but you are heavily encouraged to at least TRY. You might just surprise yourself! Savage also doesn't have any race distance as long as the Beast. The main Savage event, called Savage Race, is 5+ miles and 25 obstacles which most closely related to Spartan's Super option. Savage also has the Savage Blitz which is 3+ miles and a handful less obstacles. This most resembles the Spartan Sprint.

My alarm sounded at 2:50am on Saturday morning for a 4am departure for Zanesfield, OH. If you know where Columbus is, Zanesfield is northwest of the city out in the country. The event is a one-day event that kicks off at 8am with the National Anthem and the Pro racers. I arrived just past 7am and got checked in with no problem. Savage keeps their pricing simple. Compared to Spartan that stacks a bunch of fees on top of registration fees, Savage doesn't but they do charge for parking and bag drop. I highly recommend. you purchase those in advance. It made for very easy check-in and parking at the ski resort.This particular Savage Race has a reputation for having a lot of climbing and it did not disappoint!

So as I walked around the starting/finishing area or as some call, the "festival area," I noticed this. Truly, a baptism of ice water simply to get IN the starting corral to begin the race. That's SAVAGE! After I finished the first race and lined up for the Blitz, I was really looking forward to this as the refreshing rapid cool-down would be appreciated.

So after the 8am PRO division took off, I took my dip in the ice bath and gathered around the other early-starters. If you register for both races that earns you the Syndicate, you'll get preference to start early which I highly recommend. After a really great speech from the "hype guy," an ex-Marine that first did this very race in 2013, we were off. It wasn't even a few minutes into our run that we were climbing the first ski slope before we encountered our first few obstacles... 3 four foot walls and 2 sets of barbed wire to low crawl under. After a few more obstacles, the course split. For Blitz runners, they hung a right and the full length Savage Racers, they went left. I really liked a few of the obstacles in this section that I got on the longer race. One was a 45lb GORUCK sandbag carry up and down through the woods and an 8 foot wall. A lot of folks were struggling with this one but in my first attempt, I jumped up and had no issue pulling myself up and over. I was really proud of that! We also got a healthy dose of trail running in this section which I enjoyed. Then, we re-joined the main course that had both Blitz and regular racers in it. Here are a few of the photos that organizers posted the night before the event.

^^^ These things spin freely BUT I did it both times. Lots of grip and maneuvering to keep the momentum going in the right direction.

^^^ This obstacle was quite hard, too, because you had nothing to climb up to get yourself over the top. I ended up holding on to the top while standing on the thin 2x4 at the bottom then swinging one leg up and over the top then pulling myself up from there. The first time was almost a fail. The 2nd time went much better.

^^^ The hardest obstacle, in my opinion. I tried it 5 times each loop and couldn't do it and I didn't see anyone around me accomplish it, either.

^^^ Ah, yes... probably my proudest accomplishment. I made it up and over both times without failing. Some of the best professional photos that Savage got of me are on this. They're at the bottom of this race report.

^^^ The similar obstacle with Spartan is always a fail for me. I was really proud to accomplish this one on my first loop. Not so much the 2nd time around!

^^^ This doesn't look so bad at first glance. The tough part is where the upper-most knot is on the rope. You've got to get your feet on it and pull yourself up and over the top. That is made even harder by next to nothing to grab onto at the top. It was a serious upper body pull to get up with no help. I did...but it wasn't easy!

Overall, the vibe was great out on the course. There were a lot of teams out there helping each other out. For me, I didn't know a soul and that was ok. I saw people of all ages, colors, sizes and abilities. It was a true melting pot of people all doing something potentially very uncomfortable for them to doing it, nonetheless. I didn't hear complaining or any bad karma being spread around. Without a doubt, my second loop around while doing the Blitz, there were many more people on the course as there are rolling starts all morning long. That really made the FUN factor MORE fun.

As I neared the festival area and the last few obstacles, lots of spectators lined the course trying to get a glimpse of their racers approaching the finish line fire jump. After making the jump myself, volunteers were waiting with medals and t-shirts. Here are a few of the "action shots" that the Savage photographers grabbed on the few obstacles they were positioned at.

Speaking of photos: with thousands of photos taken, Savage Race had these up on their website Sunday afternoon... 24hrs post-race...and didn't charge for them! That is a big difference from Spartan and Tough Mudder. THANK YOU!!!

After my 2nd finish, I got in line to claim my Syndicate Medal, a MASSIVE medal you get for completing two Savage events in one season. Some claim it over a few weekends... I got mine on the same day. My philosophy is this: if I'm going to take the time to drive there and I have the time, why wouldn't I do both?! Really glad I did. After claiming my medal, I headed over to the "shower area" to hose down with ice cold water. I brought a bar of soap with me so I wouldn't stink to high heavens all the way home. Adjacent to this area, they had male/female tents so you could strip down and put on some dry clothes... much appreciated!

"Shower Area"

Before leaving, I also grabbed a few photos, my free beer and headed on out for the drive home. Later that day, an email showed up with final results. I gotta say... I'm very pleased!

Savage Race: 
Finish Time: 1:24:35
Overall Placement: 110 of 1482 finishers
Age Group 50-54: 5th of 44

Savage Blitz:
Finish Time: 59:59
Overall Placement: 35 of 516 finishers
Age Group 50-54: 4th of 16

Overall, I had a GREAT time at Savage. I think it would be great for both a first-timer and experienced OCR racer alike. If you uber-competitive and tend to have a chip on your shoulder, this probably isn't your vibe and Spartan is probably your jam. If you want to literally be caked in mud top to bottom, head over to Tough Mudder. :) Will I do it again? Not sure. No real reason not to, honestly. For now, it's 10 days to WAR-X... a once-a-year event south of Columbus that has cleaned up in awards in the OCR world. I've never done it but I'm really looking forward to it. Unlike going down-n-back to Savage this past weekend on one day, WAR-X will be a weekend affair. Stay tuned for a report shortly thereafter!

Thanks, SAVAGE RACE!

Review: Union City CrossFit and Murph 2025

Months ago, my wife and I planned another one of our 2-day mini-vacations to the Big Apple. We drive about 6 hours from NE Ohio and spend two complete days on foot in the concrete jungle seeing all of our favorite sites and trickling in some new places each time. This year, One World Trade Center was one of the few new places we visited on our Saturday/Sunday over Memorial Day weekend. We both logged 22,000-23,000 steps both days and over 22 miles on foot. In our opinion, 1 day isn't enough and 3 days is too much. This year was perfect. The logistics of where to stay and how to commute into the city is key and this year, we landed in an Airbnb across the Hudson in New Jersey and only a 5min walk to the NJ Transit bus stop that would take us in to Manhattan. Perfect. I also pulled up the CrossFit Affiliate Map as Memorial Day was our day to drive home and "Murph" has been a staple in my life since beginning CrossFit in 2014 and I had never missed one. This would be my 15th Murph. I found one gym but no plans to do Murph on Memorial Day and the second was Union City CrossFit. I sent a blind email to them inquiring one evening and by 7am the next morning, Nadine responded: "Thank you for reaching out, yes absolutely..we would love for you to join us. We will run two heats, heat one is usually for those unpartitioned and heat two is partitioned. We have not confirmed the exact times but usually 9-9:30am followed by a barbecue and everyone hanging out." On top of that, they don't charge for drop-ins for special events but I asked Nadine to hold me a Murph shirt so I could at least support them in that way. Over the next few weeks, we conversed and the plan was set for Murph.

We arrived plenty early just in case parking was an issue (which it was until we made a few laps around the neighborhood). We were definitely early but one of the three owners greeted us immediately and stopped what he was doing and gave us the tour of the gym. Everything is black and CLEAN. A full kitchen, very nice showers and top quality equipment around every corner. They are also a HYROX Affiliate so there is a space more dedicated to those training for HYROX which was coming to NYC a week after Murph. An all-black CrossFit gym is risky with how much chalk is flying around on many days but Union City CrossFit (UCC) was immaculate. Every first impression was top notch and I was really looking forward to being a part of their community, even if just for one day.

Outside the front of the gym, the grill was already fired up and the barbecue was queued up. Inside, members were trickling in for the first start at 8am. Times had been shifted forward but Nadine had let me know and that I could start at 8am even if partitioning the workout which I always do. I have never done Murph straight through non-partitioned. As 8am rolled by, Nadine gathered everyone up, briefed the course and what Murph was all about, then played the National Anthem. We all headed outside onto the sidewalk and we had two run options. One was best suited for the hometown athletes as it had a lot of turns on city streets but for me, I took the "one lap around the block is exactly 1/4 mile." So I did my 4 laps around the block and headed in and got to work. Murph is never easy. It is humbling every time. I brought my own weight vest and partitioned the workout 5/5/15/5. I find that my push-ups go away first so I break those up on opposite sides of the squats from the beginning just to keep myself moving vs. wasting time on my knees shaking out my arms. As I did the workout, I looked around as the 8:30am heat returned from their 1mi run and thought "Now THIS is the CrossFit community that I love. This is what it's all about." Here are a few of the photos Marjie captured. There is also a Murph album that UCC just released here.

Photo Credit: UCC Photographer

Photo Credit: UCC Photographer

Thanks to the photographer for snatching this photo below.

After the event and enjoying the awesome barbecue, I took a shower and donned my new UCC/Murph 2025 BLACK shirt for the ride home to Ohio. I paid probably an annoying amount of compliments to the owners because of how perfect the morning was. The hospitality, community, facility and people were just awesome. As a garage CrossFitter and someone who likes to drop in to affiliates when traveling, I nearly always can't wait to get back to my garage. I often leave affiliates with a "meh" feeling but that wasn't the case at UCC. They are crushing it after only 3 years as a CrossFit Affiliate. Without a doubt, I'll go back when we are back in town for our next trip to the Big Apple. Our stay in Weehawken provided the perfect logistics for seeing the city but also introduced me to Union City CrossFit. BIG THANKS again to Nadine and her fellow owners for having me. You're great people doing great things! Don't change and I'll see you next time.

Murph #15 in the books!

May 2015: 48:19 no vest and w/band (All Heart CrossFit)

Sept 2015: 49:06 no vest (CrossFit 881)

5/30/2016: 53:26 Rx (Molon Labe CrossFit)

July 2016: 56:36 Rx

4/6/2017: 48:54 Rx

5/29/2017: 50:11 Rx (Molon Labe CrossFit)

5/28/2018: 47:01 Rx

5/27/2019: 44:59 Rx

10/23/2019: 41:45 Rx (current PR)

5/24/2020: 59:13 Rx

5/31/2021: 55:24 Rx

5/30/2022: 49:47 Rx

5/29/2023: 59:52 Rx

5/27/2024: 58:36 Rx

5/26/2025: 58:46 Rx (Union City CrossFit)

CrossFit Linchpin: 7 Year Review

This day is easy to remember. It's my youngest daughter's birthday who turns 22 today and is a young, married, junior officer in the Air Force now. She is crushing life on her own and at the ripe 'ol age of 52, I'm doing my best to stay strong, mobile and banking enough fitness to ward off curveballs that life throws at me. There have been quite a few since I signed up for Pat Sherwood's CrossFit Linchpin 7 years ago today. Before I go there with the subject of today's post, some background on me as well what Linchpin is and is not.

I grew up as a very much NON-athlete. I don't recall any sort of fitness as a kid and joined the Navy 2 months out of high school. In high school, I ran a year of freshman track and that was it. I'd say I was a tall, geeky kid who was in the band, had some friends and got bullied a good deal. Entering the Navy, this didn't bring fitness into my life, really, as all they wanted was a twice-a-year PT test and nothing more. It wasn't until the mid-90s when I got sucked into the Virginia Beach running scene that led to my first marathon in 1997 in the notorious Scranton, PA. Dunder Mifflin was NOT a sponsor of the Steamtown Marathon! Many years later, I found trail running and thus, ultra-running in NE Ohio after my Navy years that eventually led to multiple 100-mile finishes. In November 2014, I accepted an invitation to a CrossFit class in Kent, Ohio and as they say, "the rest is history." After trying out two affiliates, my wife and I found we enjoyed fitness at home best and began that journey in 2016, eventually adding on a 3rd car garage that has never housed a car. Heck, even Rogue Fitness shared it where it got over 23K likes and over 2K shares. I shopped the internet and social media for daily workouts and created some on my own but eventually signed up for the bargain CrossFit Linchpin (CFLP). My due diligence on the official CrossFit affiliate confused me... where was their gym? Their members? Turns out, CFLP has never had a brick-n-mortar presence but rather online and if anything, was in owner and founder, Pat Sherwood's garage in Washington state. Pat used to work for CrossFit HQ, has been in the broadcast booth countless times and even shares a history with me in the Navy, that being a former officer and SEAL. No, I'm no SEAL but both of us wearing the cloth of our Navy is one thing we share in common. From here on out, Pat will be referred to as Coach as that is truly what he is, even though he doesn't care for that label much.

August 2020 at the CrossFit Games in Madison, WI
Coach is on left. I am 2nd from right and on far right is Dan Bailey.

CFLP is simple. It truly is. Coach lays out weeks of programming in advance and ensures it is well planned and hits key tenants of what CrossFit is. True CrossFit is not random, it is varied, and at CFLP, it is intelligently varied. From long to short, high intensity to low, going overhead and below parallel, and countless other modalities, Coach keeps us super well diversified and as he says, "ferociously fit" if we follow the path laid out ahead. Take a look here for what exactly CFLP is and is not from Coach's own words.

Another big characteristic of CFLP is COMMUNITY. I have heard plenty of talking heads in the space say that you can't achieve the awesome community that brick-n-mortar affiliates achieve via an online community. While you can't literally high five someone, CFLP has PROVEN that a true, genuine, safe community is possible and a REALITY here. Many years ago, I went to Coach and asked him if he'd consider a closed Facebook group. He wasn't a fan of the idea, not being keen on social media. He reluctantly agreed, allowing me to admin the group, and with the understanding that if it goes south, we'd kill it. Years later, about 50% of CFLP's membership calls that group home and many testify that it is the ONLY thing they use Facebook for. It's free of vulgarities and full of people sharing real life, both in the struggles and in the victories. We celebrate babies being born into member families and surround each other when tragedy strikes. We never talk politics and respect each and every member in there no matter where on the planet they are, their age, their color or their belief structure. Truly, it is a safe space to "live" in and BE the community of CFLP.

A recent collection of CrossFit Linchpin gym buddies! I posted a request in the private FB group and members from across the globe shared their furry friends!

My Journey: So I'm 52 now. While I racked up 61 finishes of a marathon or longer (29 marathons and 32 ultras), I have been doing nothing but CrossFit since 2014. I did pick up rucking during this time and have dabbled in Obstacle Course Racing a bit. Actually, two events are in June 2025 here in Ohio. I don't train for them, specifically, I just do what Coach programs. Life has dealt me some blows here and there over the years but thanks to Coach and his education, my "Fitness IQ" is sky-high so that I am able to make smart decisions when life strikes. About this Fitness IQ: In every single daily workout, Coach creates a video that is posted along with it inside the included BTWB (Beyond the Whiteboard) platform. He explains the goals and rationale behind the day's work and how to choose the weights, if appropriate, and scaling options. Truly understanding the "why" behind a day's work helps me make smart decisions on scaling. I don't do ring muscle-ups and I don't back squat. So when that comes up, Coach has taught me over the years how to best scale and maintain the intended stimulus of the workout. That doesn't happen overnight but in time, it does. On top of these daily videos, he hosts a weekly "Ask Me Anything" that is truly that...anything goes. Every Thursday, Coach's AMA takes place on the CFLP YouTube channel.

In 2020, I was deployed to the Horn of Africa in support of Special Operations in Somalia. I deployed right at the beginning of the pandemic and got infected on the flight over there, crammed into a sardine can of an aircraft with lots of others. That led me being "contained" for 19.5 days in something the size (or smaller) of a jail cell. I couldn't even take a walk outside. I had my ruck, the internet and a small open floor. That was some of the hardest mental days of my life. No one checked on me. I wasn't part of a larger unit, rather I was an "individual augmentee" meaning I was 1 of 1. I hadn't even checked into my gaining command so no one really cared. If you look back on those days in my btwb log, the whole 2nd half of June is solid... I didn't miss a day. I did 100s of squats, hit a goal of 1000 burpees, handstand pushups, loaded up my ruck with anything I could find for weighted movements...in short, I made SOMETHING happen. It wasn't just for fitness, but for mental SURVIVAL. Without the education and leadership by Coach, this would not have been possible.

In April 2023, the years of running and thousands of miles finally caught up with me. I had to have a tear repaired in my right knee which meant going under the knife for the first time ever. Remember...a goal of mine is to being in the best shape I can so when life comes knocking, I have a fighting chance. So as I had the surgery and began the recovery, my Fitness IQ being what it is, I was able to keep doing things, staying active and being smart in what I elected to do daily but not derail recovery, yet foster it to come back stronger than before. In fact, that is exactly what happened. I was a model patient, icing and elevating daily and moving a lot to foster blood flow in the healing area. Photo here is me waking up from anesthesia as a total goofball. Guess what... I never took a single narcotic pain reliever in my recovery. Not one. Very thankful for that!

And finally, the most recent curveball was in early September 2024. The workout was a simple couplet of rowing and wall balls. Afterwards, Coach programmed some back squats as accessory work. He offers optional accessory work daily that compliments what we did for the main workout. In this case, lots of wall balls so our "squatter" was well warmed up. I hadn't even loaded the bar yet but when I put it on my back, a zing was felt that was NOT normal. I immediately racked the bar and called it a day, doing no squats. What would follow in the days after would be filled with a loss of pressing strength in my right arm, tingling fingers in my right hand, pain across my upper back and driving across Pennsylvania to military drill with my right arm stretched into the back seat because that was the only position that would relieve pain. That began weeks of discovery, MRIs, CAT scans and meeting with no less than 3 doctors. In the end, my chiropractor nailed it: C6/C7 Cervical Radiculopathy. From Google AI: "C6 and C7 cervical radiculopathy refers to nerve irritation or compression at the C6 and C7 levels of the cervical spine, often causing pain, numbness, or weakness in the arm, hand, and specific fingers. The C6 nerve root is typically responsible for the thumb side of the forearm and hand, while the C7 nerve root affects the back of the arm and middle finger." Nailed it. A double fusion was scheduled for Thanksgiving week and would change my mobility and what I was allowed to and not for the rest of my life. Meanwhile, I continued to see my chiropractor 3 times a week for cervical traction and an adjustment. At my last surgeon appointment prior to the surgery, I could do ONE push-up. The doc saw me do that and was convinced that the traction was working and he would not do surgery. I was healing! I continued the traction and still do today and have regained my strength, the pain is gone and I'm essentially "back to normal." However, the tingling does appear now and then which is a reminder to get on the floor and do the traction with my Saunders device. But what about back squats? Well, I have come to LOVE the back squat, almost more than the deadlift. However, my chiropractor have discussed this movement many times and we agree...it's not worth it. Clearly, I have degradation back there... MRI proved it. The heavy barbell in that very area would only aggravate it. So while I may never rack a bar again on my back, I will choose a better, healthier way for me and I can attribute the ability to do so from my Fitness IQ and my time at CFLP.

The nuts and bolts of Linchpin: Here's what you can expect from a membership and joining our community. 5 workouts a week that include the aforementioned video. In each workout, you'll have the prescribed workout, a "wildcard" option, a scaled option, a limited equipment option and a no equipment option. (I used that last one a lot in my "cell" in Africa in 2020.) He also programs the warmup and recovery as well as optional accessory work. All of that, every day. Further, videos are included to demonstrate each and every movement so you can learn how to properly move and to standards. Want more help? Simply post in our private Facebook group and you'll get plenty of guidance. We also use Beyond the Whiteboard so your subscription includes it. Here is the overview, a video from Coach and his wife, Emily, and a sample day of programming. $18 a month or a 6 month plan for $90 ($15/mo). Everyone is entitled to a free 30 day trial to give it a whirl.

CFLP is unique. We're online. We're a solid community. We exist within the global CrossFit community yet are insulated from all of the drama that surrounds that community in recent years. It's not even a topic within our "virtual walls." Instead, Coach programs what is EFFECTIVE and moves the needle forward. He leads by example, scaling his own workouts daily, and displays it transparently. He doesn't care what is "social media flashy" but rather focuses on quality programming that anyone can do, wherever they are, with whatever they have. CrossFit doesn't define us nor me, it is but one tool to lead a healthy, enjoyable life and be ready for when trouble comes knocking. For me? I am thankful for that November 4, 2014 invitation that introduced me to this methodology and for stumbling on Coach's Instagram feed when I began working out at home.

What's next? I turned 52 in April and will continue showing up at least 5 days a week in the garage or wherever life takes me. I will continue to seek out new challenges like the OCR races next month. Cervical traction has become a way of life for me. Occasionally, some tingling will be felt in my right fingers and it's a reminder to get on the floor and get it done. I haven't lost my pressing strength again so all is well. I also do a lot more dumbbell work vs. barbell, especially when going overhead. The movement of pushing my head forward when locking out aggravates my neck/spine. I also do a lot of work with my sandbags from 60 to 150lbs. I love good 'ol grunt work!  In the end, the goal is live a quality, mobile life with my wife of 32+ years. It's really that simple. CFLP is but one "tool" in my tool belt of life to help accomplish that.

Heading over to Medium

Hey friends. I am now writing over at https://garageboxnick.medium.com/ so please come on by and give a follow, clap or just stay in touch! Easy to subscribe, too. Exciting times ahead!

GO!

Dreaming Big

I’m nearly 48. Our girls are leaving home soon. The house will be paid for, in the big picture, quite soon and retirement from my government job is only a smidge over 2 years away. My Navy career that began in 1991 continues but will also sunset in the next 2-5 years (pending promotion results). Lots of change and a re-focusing on how I/we want to live and fill our days. 

So not too long ago, my bride started expressing some real interest in a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. For those unaware, that is a 2100+ mile hike from Georgia to Maine. It is done by many each year and spans 5-6 months ... non-stop. In fact, the early birds will hit the trail in Georgia as early as next week. We have a background in endurance sports such as distance running, ultra-running and rucking 50 miles at a time...but nothing like this. We have zero experience camping as well. So, our learning curve is steep as many of the mountains on the AT (Appalachian Trail), we have much to learn and experiment with as we continue to dabble with this new dream to “thru-hike the AT.” 

As you probably know, I love to write. So today while we are away on a “just us” overnight, I wanted to write but also do it from my phone only. If and when we set out, I want to blog the journey daily and it’ll be via my phone only. Blogger doesn’t have an app for iPhone like Wordpress does. I do like Wordpress but this blog has been around for so many years and parting with it just doesn’t sit well with me. I may look at exporting this blog into Wordpress but that’s a huge undertaking as there is a LOT on here spanning YEARS! 

So when will this happen? This crazy idea of a thru-hike? Right now, we’re tentatively talking about the 2024-2025 timeframe. Kids out of college, zero debt of any kind, a small government pension to keep the lights on and maybe the uniform hung up with a sense of permanency. For now, we are reading, watching many VLOGs on YouTube, visiting the local REI and talking to friends about potential short hiking/camping trips in the near-term.

This was us yesterday on our way to Amish Country on a 6 mile ruck. We already love to carry weight on our backs over long distances and we love doing it together. Perhaps this AT “dream” isn’t so crazy after all.

2020 in Review

Where do I even start for 2020? I think we all can agree that 2020 will be very much a "verb" in the future or slang or simply...2020. That's all we'll have to say to someone when reflecting back. From the pandemic to the election to racial issues and rioting, our country and world went through a lot. For me, throw in my longest deployment in my 23+ years in the Navy but flexing constantly to the pandemic and yea....2020. But really... how I do sum it all up and how am I approaching 2021?

THANKFUL. One theme you'll get from me here and in person is the overarching presence of one thing: God's absolute supremacy over everything. Nothing is a surprise to Him and when the world totally goes to crap, He is constant. With that, I am thankful for how He has sustained me this past year. I am thankful for protection over my family while I was gone since April. I am thankful that no immediate family members were taken by the pandemic, even a family that has a lot of healthcare workers in it. I am thankful for a sustained income through it all when so many people and businesses have suffered. While wearing a mask, social distancing and businesses having restrictions is frustrating in our first-world USA, there is SO much to be thankful for.

PEACE. Havoc, fear and stress ripped across our world in 2020. I know some would call my bluff on this one but it's legit. I have had an incredible peace throughout. While many times have been hard (19.5 days in isolation in Africa after testing positive for COVID-19, the actual separation for 240 days from my family, and stress brought on by issues pertaining to my job while deployed), I have leaned very hard into my relationship with Christ. I pray...a lot. But I rarely literally get on my knees and beg Christ for Him to intervene. I did in 2020 more than once and it was always in my rectangular CLU (containerized living unit) in Africa. I felt alone on an island 8000+ miles away from home and when it seriously got bad, I begged for help and since no mortal could do so, I leaned heavily into the One I knew would. And He did. Every time. Back in 2011, I hit an all-time lifetime low. I was planning my suicide, my marriage hit rock bottom and I couldn't even return back to work after deployment. That is when my relationship with God went from an arms-length relationship where I called on Him a la carte to having a genuine relationship with him 24/7. That relationship that is constantly growing really made 2020 bearable and I never got to that dark place I was in back in 2011.

HEALTH. As many of you know, CrossFit is a serious passion of mine. Back on 11/4/2014, I started that journey and in doing so, got in the best shape of my life. I know that my condition at the age of 47 certainly played a part in my being totally asymptomatic when I got COVID-19. It was also a year when many months were without any equipment at all. I had to get very creative and certainly lost strength but overall, maintained my health. As I enter 2021, I do have a few pounds/inches to shed. The last 2-3 months hurt on the physical front. I was doing great all year physically but I didn't "land the plane" as well as I would've liked to. Getting back to my routine/diet as I enter 2021 will be huge in retuning to the normalcy I experienced prior to deployment. Overall, I am still very healthy but I have some work to do and I'm all about it!

KNOWLEDGE: I did something in 2020 that after being a Christian for 42 years, I had never done. I read the Bible cover-to-cover. Since I blogged daily while deployed, I used that as an accountability "partner" to read every single day via a Chronological Plan to read it in 365 days. Instead of reading it page after page, the readings are organized as they took place. I really, really enjoyed it! I certainly have my favorite parts (the Gospels and everything Paul wrote) and less-liked areas but in the end, I finished it just a few days ago, about 122 days early. I never missed a day and obviously, read extra many days. I learned so much. It also sparked a desire to dig in more to some areas and in 2021, I hope to do that. So much of it is historical fact that marries up with my faith that is a foundation in my life. That makes it important to me and very interesting! As a person who refuses to beat anyone over the head with my faith but rather someone who LIVES it, this can only help me be a better version of myself. 

2021. As we know, just turning the calendar to a new year doesn't make anything go away that plagued our nation and world in 2020. We still have an election that hasn't really ended, COVID-19, and another police shooting/death just happened again two days ago. In the Navy, we have a phrase that goes "Semper Gumby!" If you remember Gumby from decades ago, he was a stretchable toy. "Semper" is a play on the Semper Fi of the Marine Corps. So when we say "Semper Gumby!" we are saying "Always flexible!" So as I walk into 2021, I will keep that mindset, ready to flex, stretch, adjust, etc. as needed to press forward, LIVE fully, provide for my family and find joy. I will continue to steer away from negativity in people and social media and find the good in others and in life. Stress will still be a major factor that always manifests itself physically within me but pursuing joy and good will help mitigate that. As for resolutions, I don't do them. I make adjustments/changes but not the "fad" of resolutions. But what do I have on deck for 2021? Here is a brief summary:

• CrossFit: back to 5 days a week in the garage via CrossFit Linchpin
• Civilian Job: back on January 11th with the goal of retiring in mid-2023 after 25 years of service
• GORUCK Tribe: a monthly challenge that will have a workout, daily rucking requirement, and book to read. I'll be doing this with my bride.
• Church: continuing as an Elder, a possible new volunteer role in the social media realm, and an unknown future regarding the marriage ministry we led prior to deployment. 
• June and November: Eagle Up rucking event in June and the 26.2 mile Star Course in Nashville in November. 
• Monthly Ruck-n-Brews: we are starting back on our monthly ruck-n-brew tomorrow (1/2/2021) with our 15th ruck-n-brew! This has been such a great way to meet new people over the past two years! We are excited to return to it!
• CrossFit Games Volunteering: I would like to return in late July to Madison, WI to volunteer at the sport's pinnacle event.
• Future Career: really kicking the tires on a few career paths as I turn 50 years old and leave government work in 2023. Back in 2018, I interviewed with Amazon and that still really intrigues me but real estate also has my attention. I love to sell and the flexibility this career provides and the chance to serve others really is attractive to me on the surface. 

I'm sure there's more but that's a good round-up for now. I wish you and your family a healthy and happy 2021. Thanks for following along!

The Incline

Back when I lived in Colorado Springs from mid-2001 to mid-2002, the Incline was an illegal fitness endeavor. It was on private property yet folks still challenged it, even if trespassing and unsafe. Fast forward ahead to my first visit back in 18 years and the Incline was purchased by the city and renovated to be safe. So, I gathered a few willing souls (my wife, oldest daughter and nephew who lives in Colorado), we hit the road at 7:30am en route to the Incline via Chick-Fil-A for breakfast. We've had several days of 50F days over the past week but yesterday afternoon into the evening, we got dumped on in the form of snow. We woke up to lots of it but clear skies and sun. Perfect! Even better...no wind. We just needed to safely get there. So instead of dragging you through lots of words, here are some of my favorite photos from the day. In the end, it took us 1hr, 16min to cover all 2768 steps and climb 2000+ feet in elevation. It was awesome and beautiful! After we got to the top, we took the 3 mile hike down on the Barr Trail into Manitou Springs, walked around a bit and grabbed some hot java. Enjoy the photos! Descriptions under each and they are in sequential order as they were taken. (History of the Incline)

At the start!

Every 100 steps, these metal plates were screwed on the step.

Made it! PROOF! One foot per person! Ha!

Someone left this earlier today... Crazy Bob!

At the top!

Our Lady and the Tramp re-creation. This is what 240 days apart does to you. :)

On the hike back down.

Java in Manitou Springs.