On this, my 39th birthday, you may be surprised to know what I am not thinking about. I’m not thinking about aging. I am not thinking about gray hair. I am not thinking about creaking bones, obesity, 401Ks, buying a home, debt, stress, or anything else that a typical 39-year-old is supposed to be thinking[…]
*Selection photos by GORUCK “This is how people die on Mt. Everest,” I thought. Gazing at the stars through the canopy of swamp vegetation, anchored to the ground by the 60+ pound ruck on my back, I was a turtle; there was no possibility of flipping myself over. My mind was giving my body instructions[…]
The sun is setting over the Pacific Ocean. I stare at the last sliver of light, hands on knees, slightly bent over so I can breathe more efficiently. Sweat drips off the tip of my nose and I watch it hit the dirt; it is one of the driest summers in the last decade in[…]
As Larry plunged backwards head first down a steep icy slope, I watched nervously hoping he could stop. Flipping over quickly and orienting himself properly uphill, he plunged his ice axe into the snow. He laughed and said, “I’ll try that again, cleaner this time.” I giggled nervously and said, “You want me to do[…]
Thinking about how I needed to be bigger, I stood in line at Trader Joe’s with a basket full of meat and vegetables that I had no appetite for; I looked at the row of chocolate bars and added a few to the basket. At the same time, a lady in line tapped me on[…]
It was 2003 and I had claimed my very own seat on a city bus in Chengdu, China. I had already won a small battle; this was the first time I wasn’t stuck under some sweaty shirtless man’s armpit standing pressed against another 100 people trying to see the street from the fogged up windows.[…]
It happened so quickly. One second I was face down in the sand, crawling back through the water towards the other candidates telling Cadre Bert “NO WAY, I WILL NOT QUIT!” The next second I was walking towards the dunes, tears mingled with salt water and hiccups of defeat. GoRuck Selection 015 came to an[…]
As some of you know, I am trying to qualify for the 2011 Crossfit Games from my tiny basement gym here in Afghanistan. Last year, I was in the best shape of my life. I competed in the 2010 Southwest Regionals and planned to compete in the Games season in California this year too…I planned to get[…]