I've been thinking a lot lately about what moves people...what motivates us to get out there and GET IT on a daily basis? What moves us to make the lazy choices, the crazy choices...the choices PERIOD? On that note...I've been moved to do something that I've been kind of quiet about -<br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QC8YTfri-lI/UnekPXeyxqI/AAAAAAAAE1k/cCU1X4znnT4/s1600/Spartan-Race-Spartan-Logo2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QC8YTfri-lI/UnekPXeyxqI/AAAAAAAAE1k/cCU1X4znnT4/s400/Spartan-Race-Spartan-Logo2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Yup - I'm doing an obstacle race now! On November 16th, right about noon, I'll be doing the<a href="http://www.spartanrace.com/" target="_blank"> Spartan Sprint Time Trial</a> at <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/index.jsp" target="_blank">Fenway Park</a>. Because a regular 5K wasn't enough...let's throw in some obstacles. So what gives? Why would I do something like that? Why would someone else? Why would someone even get up off the couch to run a REGULAR 5K? On this chilly Motivational Monday morning...I'd like to answer that question to the best of my ability.<br /><a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, </span></b><span style="font-size: small;">November 16th at 12:15 pm I will be running the Spartan Sprint TT at Fenway Park as a part of the Masonic Medical Research Lab's team - The Ruffians (that was the most badass name the Masons could come up with I guess. haha). I was pretty quiet about this because I wanted the attention to be on my big half-marathon and the fundraising campaign that went along with it (thanks again to those who donated!).&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><b>BUT! </b>Now that it's done, I've completed the half-marathon, and the fundraising is complete...it's time to focus on the newest challenge. But what exactly is a Spartan Race? <b>It's an Obstacle Course Race (OCR). </b>Ok...what is THAT?<br /><br /><b>It's exactly what it sounds like.</b><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYdFaqmyu6c/Uneor1ZCHxI/AAAAAAAAE14/jO7xPRu1V90/s1600/tough-mudder-numbers_fe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYdFaqmyu6c/Uneor1ZCHxI/AAAAAAAAE14/jO7xPRu1V90/s400/tough-mudder-numbers_fe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7CPbinDGRwc/UnepL7TiIQI/AAAAAAAAE2I/Kh-zyE_RKFc/s1600/Tough-Mudder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7CPbinDGRwc/UnepL7TiIQI/AAAAAAAAE2I/Kh-zyE_RKFc/s320/Tough-Mudder.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-glP-ZweDUyM/Uneo5zEc2MI/AAAAAAAAE2E/xSeHLhzF-Zk/s1600/tough-mudder.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-glP-ZweDUyM/Uneo5zEc2MI/AAAAAAAAE2E/xSeHLhzF-Zk/s320/tough-mudder.png" width="320" /></a></div>An Obstacle Course Race, such as a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race, is just that...an race on an obstacle course! There are many different ones, and many different lengths. There's the Tough Mudder, which is roughly a half-marathon with about 20-something obstacles, there's the Spartan Race, which has a few different varieties within itself, and there's MANY others, all sprouting up from the original popularity of Tough Mudder and Spartan. Remember in <a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/10/achievement-unlocked-131.html" target="_blank">"Achievement Unlocked - 13.1</a>" I mentioned every race half-marathon and up tends to give you a finisher's medal? <b>So do all these obstacle races. </b>Why? Because they're just as much of an accomplishment to finish as a half-marathon. Hell...some of them ARE a half-marathon!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So Let's Talk about the Spartan Race</b></span><br /><br /><b>Spartan Races come in a number of flavors: </b>The Spartan Sprint (about 3+miles), Spartan Super (8+ miles), Spartan Beast (12+ miles), Spartan Ultra Beast (26+ miles), and Spartan Death Race (48 hours of ridiculous). There are also Time Trials (what I'm doing) that seem to range in length from 1 mile to 3 miles, and other military-style races (as if a regular Spartan wasn't military enough). <br /><br /><b>How about the one I'm doing? </b>Spartan Sprint Time Trial at Fenway Park. Let me tell you how FUN this looks! Many of you probably wouldn't consider carrying a 60 lb sandbag up, down and across the bleachers at a ballpark "fun"... I wouldn't have either a year ago.<br /><b> </b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Which Brings Me To My Topic For Today: What Moves You?</span></b> <br /><br />What is it that makes you do what you do? What makes you run? What makes you bike? What makes you do P90X, INSANITY, COMBAT, etc? Why on EARTH would you run a freaking obstacle race? <b>What Moves You?</b><br /><br /><b>Everyone has something different</b> that moves them - that makes them do what they do. Some people want to make a change. Some people want to take on a challenge. Do you move in memory of someone? Because your friend is doing it? Because you're bored?<br /><b> </b><br /><b>I want to challenge you. </b>I want you to get out of your comfort zone. Do something <b>different</b>. Do something <b>challenging</b>. Get up off the couch and <b>start something</b>. If you're already off the couch and moving...take on a <b>bigger challenge. </b>Work <b>harder. </b>Go <b>farther.</b> <b>Push yourself</b>. Every day is valuable - it's up to us to take life by the horns and ride! If you get thrown off the bull, catch up, get back on, and <b>show it who's the boss!</b> I learned a valuable lesson throughout <a href="http://sothisisfitness.com/meet-darrell/my-journey" target="_blank">my journey</a> - every day counts - LIVE LIFE! So, <b>MY next challenge?</b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">THIS sure looks like fun:</span></b><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-My_WV7HXhHk/UnekxWHIqFI/AAAAAAAAE1w/A_k-VvQ1MEE/s1600/spartan+spartans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-My_WV7HXhHk/UnekxWHIqFI/AAAAAAAAE1w/A_k-VvQ1MEE/s400/spartan+spartans.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>So WHY exactly </b>would I want to get the stuffing beat out of me by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gladiators" target="_blank">Nitro and Gold from American Gladiators</a>? <b>Because I can. </b>Because <b>it's there</b>. Because I want to <b>challenge myself </b>and <b>push my limits. </b>I want to see <b>just how far I can go</b> and prove that with time and training, <b>anything is possible.</b>. Don't listen to those clowns that tell you something is impossible. <b>Nothing is impossible.</b> Get out there and <b>GET IT!</b>