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So this past weekend, I journeyed North again to take part in the Pittsfield Death Race. Not your typical race, this involved little to no running while pushing you to your physical and mental limits as you struggle to complete the various physical challenges. The race directors, Joe and Andy, spend the entire year devising the hellish tasks and delight in the pain and anguish emanating from the racers. To give you a taste of how hard Joe and Andy push themselves, Andy recently completed a TRIPLE Ironman (7.2mi swim, 336mi bike, 78.6mi run) and Joe once ran the Vermont 100 on a Sunday, the Badwater 135 3 days later on the Wednesday, then the Lake Placid Ironman 3 days later on the Saturday. To say that these guys are hard is to say it gets a bit chilly in the Arctic during the winter. So when these two put their heads together to devise a race in which they are hoping you drop out, you know “difficult” is just a jumping off point. However, in order to compete, you must bring with you objects listed as mandatory gear. This year, there was: a bicycle, axe, string, chain break tool (bicycle tool), and a compass. The optional gear included: a bucket, saw, a shovel, a multi use tool, and your sense of self preservation (technically that last one wasn’t on the list, but I feel the RD’s were thinking it). I’ve included a link where you’ll find a photographic overview of the race with captions to explain each task. I could write it all here, but to be honest, you really have to see it to believe it, so click here.
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Needless to say, I’m a bit tired, bruised and battered after all that (the knees took a particularly hard beating as I fell several times in the river section and had nothing to break my fall) so I will slowly return to the life of the runner and see everyone soon.
-One quick note: I have to give a BIG thank you to Forrest for (naively) lending me his mountain bike for the race. I registered a bit late for the race and was scrambling to get all the required gear together and if it wasn’t for Forrest, I would have been stuck. (yes, I am trying to kiss a little ass here, because I put that bike through hell in ways a bike was never intended to be used. Sorry Forrest. You’re the best)
Makes the WSER sound positively tame! So glad I didn’t lend you my bike 🙂
Looks like SOOOOO much fun. I understand that Bounce has already sent in his registration for next year… Why am I not surprised that you are the only person, on the ENTIRE PLANET, to do this race more than once? Oh, and about the bike, it is all in how you look at it. I have done 2 adventure races with it, and while it does appear it may have found your race a little(?) more challenging, at least you carried it the whole way. I rarely pamper it like that. I hope it doesn’t get “spoiled” and expect to be carried everywhere it goes in the future 🙂
Congratulations on your excellent finish time.
Speechless… YOU SCARE ME EL TORO… but you already know this!
Congratulations – love the lego and presidents challenge… I can hardly imagine how tough this was…
I have some yard work, I could time you and make you throw down some one handed push ups, or jump up and down on your back while you do them…. I won’t charge any money, you could bind your feet and hands together for added challenge while pulling the weeds with your teeth…. I could go on & on….
Seriously congrats… I think…. the insanity…!!
Holy Crap… my brother was up there watching you guys, of course he was on the Yoga retreat 🙂
I totally love the picture sequence with comments, AWESOME!
I think you might be a bit crazy El T but quite the record to hold!!
El Toro – definitely an amazing accomplishment! Did you ride that bike at all???? I can say with 100% assurance, that I will NEVER do this race, so I enjoy living vicariously through you! ………. QUICK! name all the presidents!!!!!!!!!!!
Lefty here,
Not sure which is more difficult Western States, the death race or making sure I have logged in and registered enough times to be able to respond to bimler postings (just a joke Bimble, we all appreciate the site immensely). Anyway, I digress. Kudos El Toro you are and always will be the man. Great report and great job. Also, really really glad that you seem to be over the injury bug. That is the best news yet! We really need to find time to do the Traverse this summer.
El Toro,
OK, so you were the entertainment for my family last night after dinner as we waded through the pictures and read all the captions, laughed hysterically, and the comments flew….”he’s crazy”…”they made them to what???!”…”he’s crazy”…”I would have quit”….”he’s crazy”…”Dad, you know this guy? He’s crazy! But man, he’s in shape!!”
Congrats!!
Crazy ****er!!! Car pool next year????
I gotta keep my streak going. I’m in!!
The NY Times had an article yesterday about the Death Race (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/sports/07deathrace.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1). Great job, I can’t even imagine what it was like.
AND, that is our very own El Toro in the picture on page 2, behind the guy in the foreground. Or is he actually ahead, I am not sure which way they are moving.
NYG – Thanks for finding this article. I had heard about the article but wasn’t sure when it would appear so thank you. And for the record, I was AHEAD of the guy in the picture, yet I get no credit for the technique of getting the bike under the barbed wire by laying it on your legs. Unfortunate. You can also catch me reciting the last two presidents in the video 🙂
That picture of ET makes him look as if he’s been caught taking a nap! 😉