My mother found this letter I wrote to Gloria, the oldest Mahoney daughter, last year for her graduation. And by the way, there are 8 Mahoney children so if you’re a little confused, that’s normal!

As a quick background, my sister is named after my grandmother (father’s mother). Her name was Gloria Jone Lewis Mahoney. Born in Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania to a Welsh father and “puritanish” mother, she was an amazing woman. Although she passed when I was 12, she left a lasting mark on my life. Much of what I learned from her I continue to carry with me today.

Below is my letter to my sister, passing on the wisdom that I learned from my grandmother, affectionately known as Nanny to my brother and I. I share this because the lessons she passed on to me are a huge sense of pride and something I believe we all could benefit from.

Hi Gloria!

Twitter @BrendonMahoney

Any good nuggets you can use in here? I’d love to hear in the comments section.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

Recently, I’ve been reunited with this saying. The older we get, the more decisions we are faced with. Along the way of making ourselves better there is a natural tendency to overcomplicate our lives. Our culture and society in general follows this unspoken rule.

Take our automobiles for instance. They used to be easy to work on. Being able to change your oil and a tire was the minimal task that every individual should be able to perform. It taught us responsibility and self reliance. Nowadays, cars are so complicated that dealers or independent shops have to perform these tasks.

In the spirit of K.I.S.S, I’ve decided to sell my Land Rover LR3. Those closest to me know how much I love cars and this one in particular. It was a gift to myself for meeting a big personal goal. The men in the Mahoney family love talking horsepower, refinement and performance in our automobiles and I’m no different.

This is a big decision that wasn’t found easily! Currently I have two Land Rovers. My trusty old Discovery with 185K, a tear in the seat and some oil leaks here and there. It runs like a top and is an all wheel drive tank, literally. Top speed is about 70mph…downhill and wind at my back! It’s as simple as a car can be. Oil changes are fast. No crazy computers. It’ll go forever with minimal maintenance. It’s kind of like the Millenium Falcon. Stuff may go wrong here or there but in the end it’ll get you there. And yes, it’s impossible to go Light Speed.

Then there is my shiny 2006 LR3 with 300bhp, 2″ lift and 33″ tires. It’s a mountain lion on wheels. It’s big, comfortable and bad ass. The cockpit looks like an airplane with buttons for the air suspension, dual climate control, heated seats and off-road terrain settings. It’s like a friggin Imperial Star Destroyer. It’ll take me anywhere I point it (yes, I’ve tested it…and I didn’t feel badly for the Prius. Just kidding but I wish I wasn’t..ha!) It’s by far my favorite car I’ve ever owned. However, when things go wrong with it, it’s a pretty penny to fix, not only because parts are more expensive but because it’s so damn complicated that you need a rocket scientist to work on it!

Upon reflecting, I realized that both cars give me strong pyschological benefits…

My old Disco gives me a nostaligic feeling of simplicity. It makes me slow down and enjoy the moment, whether I’m driving my daughter or headed for a workout. It gives me a confidence in myself that if something goes wrong, I won’t have to break the bank to fix it. In a way, it puts power back in my court because I’m NOT helpless if something were to go wrong with it. All of the above results in a calming and relaxing feeling when driving or thinking about it. All of that equals less stress!

My newer LR3 gives me the feeling of power, dominance and strength. It’s fast. Sexy. Comfortable. While it does feel like a getaway machine that can get me somewhere fast, it is mostly ego driven. Who doesn’t like feeling strong and in control?? Don’t answer that, just humor me for a second. Upon further reflection, I realized these characteristics are completely false. My car only gives me the feeling of strength, power, dominance etc. In the end, it actually takes them away! I’m a slave to it’s complicated computers, gadgets and the millions of shit things that could go wrong at any minute that I don’t know about. Well….shit!

While they may represent differing values, there are truths to both of these vehicles that speak to me.

The Disco provides a feeling of simplicity. Slowing life down and not stressing. The LR3 gives me the feeling of excitement, going fast and providing a comfortable/providing experience for my family/passengers. Both of them are right.

What does give me a true sense of strength, confidence and power in myself then? Making myself better. Putting my energy into being a better father, coach, business owner, athlete, boxer, lifter and runner.

So what are my personal values that helped make this decision while staying true to myself?
My personal values are: Family, Freedom and Adventure. So, when it came time to make a decision, I had to ask myself which vehicle spoke to each of these qualities about me.

Family: The Disco is simple, easier to fix and can accommodate my family. The LR3 is newer and may be more reliable. However, financially, the Disco is a safer bet. More capital gives me the opportunity to buy a house or invest in my future.

Freedom: Both are wheels and provide readily available freedom.

Adventure: If you have ever driven in my Disco, you would know the answer to this one. Everytime you get in you feel like going on a safari!

In the end, the Disco wins out. This whole experience taught me a valuable lesson. That “Keeping It Simple” is actually a way to de-stress and bring more “value” in our lives. Decluttering and focusing on the things that matter and truly bring results allows us to achieve higher performance in life.

How can you simplify your life? Take some time to reflect on your values and goals. Would simplifying things get you back on track or accelerate your results?

I’d love to hear your comments or thoughts below!

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

I’ve been inspired lately by two of our coaches at CFSM. Manny had a great post about COMMITMENT that really spoke to me. Commitment is such a DEEP topic and it’s brought from the ethereal to the physical in our training inside the gym and out. Marc had an awesome post about CHANGE, COMMITMENT and accomplishing goals with OTHERS.

We come up against challenges every day. Some are physical, some are emotional, some are spiritual and sometimes they are all three combined. Mine came in the form of a workout with 64 reps of shoulders to overhead at 185lbs. 8 rounds of 100m shuttle run, 8 push jerks at 185.

I was tired. My shoulder was hurting. The little voice in my head said, “Put 155 on. You deserve it. You don’t have to prove anything.” What’s funny about those little voices is that they always seem so rational. They seem so friendly. “Yeah!” I thought, “My shoulder IS still hurting. At least I’m still doing the workout…” And then my training partner and programmer Josh Courage said, “Mahoney, just use my bar. It’s already set up for you.” What he didn’t realize was that there was no way in my head I was planning on doing 185 during the workout. He was just trying to be a nice guy!

And then something switched in my head. I looked at the bar. It felt kind of like a scene from The Labyrinth. Could I physically perform the task? I checked my Terminator-read-out-screen. Answer = Yes. I thought about the voices again. I DID have something to prove. I had to prove to myself that no matter how long it took, or how long I had to struggle that I was going to COMMIT from the beginning and get it done.

So I did.

Sometimes it was 4 reps at a time. Sometimes it was 3. Sometimes it was 2. At the end, it was 1 rep at a time. Nothing but me and the bar. During the twenty minutes it took to complete it, I got angry. I got frustrated. I threw my glasses. I kicked the mats. I yelled four letter words that the whole town of San Mateo probably heard.

But I did it.

When I got finished, I had the slowest time of the day for all the athletes that used the same weight. Usually a situation that would leave me feeling inadequate, frustrated and pissed instead left me feeling alive, fulfilled and full of PRIDE. I was proud of myself for making a commitment and then sticking with it. For beating my demons and accepting the bar, the workout and myself for everything it was and wasn’t.

I was especially proud of myself for holding my MENTAL EDGE through out the whole workout. Never once did I think of skinning weight or about the clock or if I ate enough for lunch or if I could finish it or…the list goes on and on. NEVER ONCE DID I WISH I WAS SOMEWHERE ELSE. I was so committed to my position that nothing else existed. I had complete tunnel vision towards my task.

As in any situation or challenge that presents itself, there are obvious parallels to life. When you’re truly committed to a task, relationship, workout, etc., nothing can sway you from seeing it through to the end. Sure, there will be challenges. You’ll get frustrated. You’ll get emotional. You’ll have fights. But in the end, your commitment to your task is like a train riding on rails. Patrons may laugh, cry and dance in the passenger cars but the train keeps moving on to its intended destination.

How can you RE-COMMIT to different areas in your life? How are seemingly small tasks windows to bigger picture items in our lives? Workouts may SEEM trivial but when the going gets tough, we react similarly to all things big and small. We run the same rackets in our heads for everything.

Please reflect on some of the above questions and feel free to leave a comment.

Never Let It Rest,

Brendon

This is me and Schaun. We had just spent the entire day snowboarding at Heavenly. Schaun is a member of CFSM and jumped at the idea of a coordinated gym ski trip to Tahoe.

Schaun is a pretty awesome dude. He grew up as a competitive snowboarder and having him on the slopes with me was invaluable. Always patient, he shared techniques and gave me different pointers and feedback. The coach had become the student! During the day of snowboarding, we talked about cars. We talked family. We talked about our backgrounds. We even talked about religion. Did you know Schaun studied as a Taoist Buddist Monk?? Dude! Awesome! It was great to get know another member of the gym on a deeper level and this experience never would have happened if we didn’t coordinate this trip.

So why am I so stoked? Looking back at the experience, there was 100′s of excuses of why I shouldn’t go. The bus to take us left at 4am. I’ve got tons of works to do. I should be spending time with my daughter. I don’t have time…

In the end, it was a valuable lesson. I learned that you have to MAKE TIME and sometimes work hard to fight the excuses that hinder us from enjoying life.

But what came out of it was something more…

In it the VISION and why our gym is unique. Our gym was created for something more. It’s more than just a place to train. It’s a living breathing community of people from all walks of life that believe in their best selves. Our coaches aren’t just there to facilitate great fitness, they are there to connect and lead the community.

So what does all of this have to do with a day snowboarding with Schaun?? Well, a day of play, getting out of the gym, in this case snowboarding, is the whole reason WHY WE TRAIN. Yes, we train for better health, to make ourselves feel better, confidence, strength, endurance, power, etc, etc. But what validates all of this is actually getting out and doing something with it. While we’re USING OUR FITNESS, we actually find that we share similarities with the people we train with. We learn something new about ourselves, each other and in the process make life worth living by creating and establishing new friendships.

We ended up having an awesome time. Schaun is an awesome snowboarder. However, I am not an awesome snowboarder. I must have eaten snow at least 50 dozen times. As the day went on, instead of getting frustrated, I shook it off. The weather was beautiful and we were having a good time. For lunch we had prime rib and beers with more talk about cars, working out and shooting guns. Towards the end of the day, I finally felt like I got my groove. By the end, I was starting to carve nicely down the mountain. All along, Schaun was super patient and offered great advice. The signs of a great coach!

So, what events inspire you to be better? What do you want to accomplish and in the process ENROLL the rest of your peers to do with you? As many of you already know, a shared experience with good friends is priceless. In the next coming weeks, your coaches will be asking you what events your class can participate together as A TEAM. They’ll then hold the team accountable to each other to follow through and then lead each individual to accomplish the task. Because as individuals we are strong, but together we are UNSTOPPABLE.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

My favorite Christmas song as a kid was the Beach Boys, “Little St. Nick.” With their unique melody and swing, they sang about Santa’s sleigh with a four on the floor, an American V8 and “the Rudi to lead.” I still love this song today and share it with my daughter every Christmas season.

As I grew older and came to understand the “meaning of Christmas”, I valued my family and the quality time we spent at the dinner table or around the Christmas tree. Giving gifts became more important than getting.

I remember hearing the song of the “Little Drummer Boy” one season and being very moved. It was the story of a humble sheperd boy, who lead by faith, came to visit the baby Jesus in a manger. He was so poor that he had nothing give. His only gift was a song he could play on his drums. And the only way he could play was to give his BEST.

Come, they told me
Pa, rum, pa, pum, pum
Our newborn King to see
Pa, rum, pa, pum, pum

When we come
Me and my drum

It’s a moving story about no matter where you are in life, you always have something to give. But there’s more. The best gifts aren’t the one’s with the highest monetary value. The BEST gifts come from the authentic heart.

Giving, wholeheartedly, with the innocence of a child, is what makes life worth living.

May you have a blessed and Merry Christmas with your loved ones this evening.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

BE. DO. WIN.

While many people may see it, only a few know its origins and significance. It actually originated from a Landmark Forum speaker who wrote this on the board:

Be. Do. Have…

He then proceeded to explain: “Be your future. Actively do. Then having is your past.”

It’s a powerful way to create the life you want in the most simplest terms. Unfortunately, many of us, myself included, get stuck on the past. We let the past dictate our lives. It holds sway over our thoughts and actions so that in the end, all we ever do is think about the past and in turn are forced to repeat it. While some may argue this is an oversimplification of complex problems, it actually doesn’t have to be. You could start thinking differently tonight, right now, if you wanted to.

What Wolf Are You Feeding?

Identify you’re limiting thoughts. What are you holding on to that is self destructive, limiting or self-serving? They usually come out in my mind as, “I can’t do this/that because ______ .” Or, “I really want to do this, but _______ .” If I sit and reflect on them, they are like comfort blankets. They keep me in my realm of comfort and I never have to step out of them. They are self-serving in this way. However, they are also self-destructive. They limit my potential and ultimately limit my happiness in life. I’ll never accomplish or experience some of my deepest desires from this state.

This leads to the ancient Cherokee Native American parable of the two wolves. A chieftain once told his grandson that deep inside his soul live two wolves. One is fear, hate, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego. The other is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This fight goes on within every man, “including yourself,” said the chief, as he pointed to his grandson. The young man thought for a long moment and then asked, “Which one will win?” The Chieftain answered, “The one you feed.”

Every decision you make is based upon some predication of either wolf. Sometimes it takes deep introspection to truly understand why we make the decisions or choices we do. Make sure the choices you make in life are made for the right reason. Sooner or later, hopefully, you may discover that the wolf you have been feeding was the wrong one and un- noticeably has become the default driving force in your life. If this is the case, that would be a break-through!

Clean Out Your Closet

All those negative, self serving thoughts you’ve been feeding that wolf all those years need to be thrown in the trash. Take some time to write down some of your biggest “stories” you have made up about yourself. Put all your emotion on a piece of paper. Take however much time you need. When you’re done, rip it up and throw it away.

For me, one of my biggest limiting stories in life was “I have to run track. I have to make an Olympic team.” I put all my heart and soul into running. I felt like if I didn’t make an Olympic team in my sport, I would ultimately be a failure. I sacrificed everything else in my life because I was afraid. I had dreams, hopes and possibilities for the future (like starting an awesome gym!), however none of them were possible from my perspective. Upon further introspection, I realized my motivation was based upon fear of failing. I was feeding the wrong wolf and in turn, I got more fear, sorrow and anger. On top of that, I was injured and dead broke! Something had to change…

Act As If

From your cleared space, step into who you want to be. BE your future -> live into it and you will become it. One of my favorite lines EVER is from Boiler Room:

“There’s an important phrase that we use here, and think it’s time that you all learned it. Act as if. You understand what that means? Act as if you are the fucking President of this firm….Act as if.”

This is also known as owning your future. Own who you want to be, take baby steps. Hell, crawl if you need be. In the end, you’ll be running before you know it. You know how I know? Because I did it. I went from making literally $12K a year (yes, I said a year) to creating a business that employs four and changes peoples lives everyday for the better in less than three years. The process works. You just have to DO.

Actively Do

Is it coincidence that The Temper Trap, Sweet Disposition is playing as I write this post? No, I don’t believe in coincidence. Everything happens for a reason. Next question.

Do what you’re passionate about, just a little, everyday. If you’re really crazy (like me), then buck the rules and aim high. Seriously, most people sell themselves short. I hear it all the time, “I hate my job. I really want to do _____. I want to be totally out of my job in 5 years.” What good does that do? Put yourself to the flame and step outside your comfort zone a bit. Five years? How about 6 months. I bet if you cleared out those demons in your head first AND let yourself get creative enough, you would see how easy it was.

Remember in school when you had the big term paper due? How many of us actually wrote it throughout the semester like you were supposed to? No, most of you, in fact 99% of you, me included, waited until the last moment when the heat was on. It’s part of the human psyche. We’re not going to step out of our comfort zone unless someone or something really pushes us.

Have

Have the life you always wanted. Now, realistically, it’s not going to magically appear in front of you. It takes constant work. Remember how long you had been feeding that fear/anger/sorrow wolf? Well, now it’s time to feed the good wolf. He’s hungry but he’s also small and weak. Keep feeding him until he’s the dominant force in your mind. Protect your thoughts and focus your passion.

WIN

Act as if. Actively do. Be the person you want. WIN, in the end. That’s right, I just tied this whole thing back to Teen Wolf. Coincidence? I think not

I’d appreciate your thoughts, comments or questions below.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

Let’s be honest. This is fucking crazy (and not exactly legal). A civilian with no prior military experience jumping into SFRE (Special Forces Readiness Evaluation). SFRE (pronounced SAFARI) is a pre-selection phase for candidates to enter into Special Forces Selection. It’s the first step of many to becoming a Green Beret.

Being a member of a Special Operations team is a desire I’ve had since I was a kid. My opportunity to become a Navy SEAL came and went with my 28th birthday and my daughter born in the same year. Looking for alternatives led me to Special Forces aka Green Beret’s about 4 years ago. Albeit, it’s not something I share much with others. However, I do have a few crazy friends that I figured would be interested in joining me for a weekend at Camp SLO (San Luis Obispo). One of them was Andrew Elliott, a former member of my gym (CrossFit San Mateo) and a great athlete. He’s also a crazy bastard.

Although we knew the events called for the Army PT test, 50m swim with boots and ACU’s, obstacle course and a 12 mile ruck with 55+lbs, no amount of crazy could prepare us for our weekend. On the way down, we made fun of ourselves, joking about the military and how only an absolute asshole would walk completely blind into such an event. As you can see, we fit the bill perfectly.

I say completely blind from a non-military experience line of site. Overall, we were both physically well prepared. Having CrossFit at the core of our training, I was very confident in my abilities. Despite the lack of running and rucking in my program, I’m the strongest I’ve ever been with a back squat approaching 400 and a deadlift around 520. A healthy does of constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity has a done an excellent job of physical as well as mental preparation. As a CrossFit NorCal Regional Competitor, I walked into this event with a lot of confidence and rightly so. I walked away from it humbled and with a new found respect for our Special Forces soldiers.

Our journey began at 1800hrs with 50 other candidates from every branch of the military. Upon walking into our initial briefing and scanning our surroundings, it was evident this event also brought the best of the military’s meatheads. Of the 50 were Marine Recon soldiers, Army Rangers and multiple other candidates that had previously gone through BUDs. It was humbling and exciting at the same time to be around these guys.

During our briefing we were told nothing specific (this would be a theme for the weekend), only that we would be assessed on a “total man” approach. We were always being watched and expected that we would give our best. Once dismissed to our barracks, the cadre set a laid back atmosphere, telling us to relax that night, chill out and constantly check the whiteboard in the hall for announcements, such as a formation time in the morning. Lights out at 2130 and our first set of orders was to keep “fire watch” that night where every man in a barack wakes the man next to him on 15min rotations. Not much sleep was had this night.

I remember being woken up twice by Andrew. The first time I was already pretty much awake. However, the second time, I was out cold, finally being able to fall asleep. Andrew was shaking me, “Dude, wake up.” I woke up at 0330, just early enough to not fall back asleep again for formation at 0400. Upon formation, all of the candidates were put into 5 lines (sticks) of 10 men or so. Each stick had a leader who was also a Green Beret solider.

The Green Beret’s are keen on keeping everything secretive and for keeping potential candidates in the dark. While your cadre at BUDs may get in your face and yell, these guys take the opposite approach. There’s no performance feedback given at all. Cheering or encouraging other candidates is forbidden. Directions (if any at all) on how to complete a task are only given once. The result on the outside is a calm atmosphere. However, what it creates is turmoil within the mind of every potential candidate. Humans crave feedback, whether it’s good or bad, especially under stressful conditions. When that feedback is withheld, what happens is a bit of a breakdown inside the brain. You’re constantly asking yourself, “How did I do? Was it good enough? What’s next? How far should I go?” When you’re dehydrated, sleep deprived and have only had one MRE, the little things start to wear you down.

In an attempt to keep this code of secrecy somewhat intact, I’m going to jump straight to the final and most important part of the evaluation: the ruck. The ruck is a military backpack with 55lbs of gear (not including water). Our team of 50 was cut to 15 and I was one of the them. Upon completing the obstacle course and getting fully dooshed with mud, sand and of course more sand our orders were to take 5 minutes to change into dry socks (I didn’t even bring a pair, total rookie move) and begin our ruck. When asked, how far should we go? The answer was as far as you can! We had 3 hours to complete the course which we figured was a 3 mile out and back. We also guessed it would be about a 12 mile ruck.

Within the first 3 miles, I could tell this was going to be a difficult experience. The one thing I had not prepared my body for was moving weight for long periods of time over long distances. Although I had gone on a 10 mile ruck the weekend before, I was fresh, hydrated and well rested. This is was a different scene. All of us entered the ruck a little fatigued and completely drenched. I also made the mistake of not stuffing my face with as many calories as possible during the day. Something else they don’t tell you. One thing was for sure: it was a road march, the hills were steep and it poured on us throughout.

At each end of the 3 mile out and back were check points where each candidate would state their name and MOS (designated job in the military). As I came up, the question was called, “Candidate, what’s your name?!” “Mahoney, sir!” I replied. There was some silence….”Mahoney?…what’s your MOS?” “None, sir!” More silence….”Awesome!” was their reply. As if I hadn’t stuck out like a sore thumb before, it was damn obvious now that I was a civilian with no prior military experience.

By mile 6, what we figured (and prayed) was the halfway mark, my feet were killing me. Not that they weren’t before but by this point I can say without risking my pride that they were barking pretty badly. By mile 9, my legs began cramping. In fact, my legs were in so much pain that all I could do was focus on one step at a time and the only reprieve I had for not stopping was that I was already at the farthest point away from home! No one was coming to get my ass and if they did there was no way I was going to be towed back home in a pickup in that group. During the ruck, I was able to make friends with another candidate. We kept each other company and pushed each other from point to point. We found taking small bites, focusing on an object only 50 yards away and then trying to jog to it helped our moral, sped up the ruck and kept us honest.

Up until this point, I had been battling some serious demons in my head. You know the one’s…what are you doing here?…why am I doing this?…what’s everybody doing at home?…does this even matter?….this sucks!! I was under so much pain and stress and they sounded so nice too. “You could be back home in bed, warm and cozy. You don’t need this..” They were becoming increasingly hard to fight back in my mind. I remember thinking, “Fuck this man. These guys don’t even talk to you the entire weekend, nobodies allowed to say shit to anybody…this sucks…why do I want to do this…I’m just going to punch my card and walk in….”

My teammate and I were both hurting pretty badly with just 2 miles to go. Dragging one of his legs because of cramps, I had to keep talking to him to keep pace together. Our ONLY form of performance feedback came with 1.5 miles to go when one of the cadre said as he passed us in his pickup truck, “You better hurry boys, you’re not going to make it!”….

And then something snapped in my head. I went from feeling sorry for myself to getting pissed off. Something came alive. A voice yelled out against the whispers in my head and said, “Fuck off! I didn’t come all the way out here to fail. Let’s fucking move!” It was like a switch went off and away I went. Every single step was pure fucking agony. I kept thinking to myself, “Brendon, only a complete moron would show up to an event like this without hardly ever putting on a ruck. You deserve what you get. Suck it up!” So I did. In the process I dragged my friend through as well.

I swear it was an emotional experience when I saw “the finish line”. It brought me back to those days in cross country when the end is in site but everything is shutting down on you, the tunnel vision sets in and your legs feel like lead. When I crossed the line I was drooling and I think I might have yelled, “Fuck yeah!” I waited at the end and cheered my teammate on who had fallen a few yards back. Of course, the cadre did not like that and immediately reprimanded me.

Upon finishing every candidate weights their pack. It has to be over 55lbs w/o water or it’s an immediate disqualification. Wouldn’t you know mine weighted in at 65lbs. Way to go rookie! What an idiot…

Once back to the barracks, each candidate laid in his bunk, awaiting orders from the cadre. They would call us out one by one. It almost felt like I was rushing a fraternity. However, there was a shift. Every Green Beret there all of sudden became the nicest guy in the world. Now that it was over, they were checking to see how we were, asking us how we felt and joking around. Finally a little personality! It was then that I realized their plan. To treat us like men, not like children and see where the chips fall.

Although in their own words “it was a tough decision,” they wanted someone with more military experience and of course, a faster ruck. Overall they were very impressed with my numbers (113 pushups in 2 min, 93 situps in 2 min, 11:18 road 2 mile and 25 dead hang pullups in gear). I finished the course in 2:55, cut off was 3:00 hrs. They invited me back in May and stated next time, “Do a lot more rucking.” Lol

Despite not making it, the experience was invaluable. Whether or not I choose to come back in May, it gave me an enormous sense of pride to compete and hold steady with some of the militaries best. The most important part was yet another opportunity for introspection. What kind of man am I? Do I quit when things get hard? What kind of athlete am I? I walked away with my head held high, knowing that I bested my demons, put myself way beyond my comfort zone and stood strong in the face of another challenge. To me, that is priceless.

What’s your next challenge? How can you put yourself out beyond your comfort zone? Until then…

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

I originally met Brian at a Level 1 CF Endurance seminar while a coach at CrossFit Atlanta in 2008. His coaching methodology on proper running mechanics was literally the first I had been exposed to, which is a ludicrious thought considering I’ve competed at the highest level of track and field. Because of this introduction, I quickly learned the “why’s” behind my innumerable running injuries, particularly with my feet (plantar fascitis). What became of it was a brief stint as a CrossFit Endurance coach and the opportunity to sharpen my ability on coaching the proper technique of running. Running was to be approached as a skill, much like any other complex movement (snatch, clean, muscle up, etc).

I hold Brian in the highest regard as a coach. The CrossFit Endurance program has challenged and rewrote the way we approach classic endurance training. More objectively, CFE has renewed my athletic potential as a runner while adding muscle, strength, power and speed. To say that I have benefited from his program would be an understatement. Not many Division I athletes can claim that they are faster and stronger now than when they competed in college. To put in perspective, collegiate racing weight was around 160. While competing in 2011 (while only running less than 30 miles per week), racing weight was 178. My personal best for the year with sub-par training regiment and a foot injury was 1:49.1. My SB (season best) while a senior at Georgia Tech was 1:50.59.

BMac’s book goes beyond just running, however. As a guru of skilled movement, he also breaks down proper swimming and cycling technique. The pictures and descriptions are done so well, it’s almost makes for a great a coffee table reader; numerous, detailed and dynamic. This book is a Bible for not just the endurance athlete but any individual that calls himself an athlete. Beginner or elite, every one has something to learn in here.

Because this is a book on POWER and SPEED in addition to skilled movement, Brian goes in detail the lifts that are important to all athletes ie. cleans, deadlifts, low-bar back squats, etc. He also dives into basic programming.

Building an athlete requires the foundation of skill and then the necessary application of force to make him or her stronger. However, injuries will always arise. Therefore, his section on mobility with the mobility guru himself, Kelly Starrett, is indispensible. He breaks down each common mobility trick and application as it would apply to the runner, swimmer and cyclist. Brilliant.

To say that I would recommend this book is an understatement. It is a completely thorough undertaking of movement, programming (endurance, strength, classic approaches, etc) and philosophy that is just not possible to find in one source anywhere else. Lots of time, blood, sweat and tears went into making this masterpiece. My only wish is that it had a section on rowing! But then again, you have to leave something for Volume II With the holidays just around the corner, “Power, Speed, Endurance” would make an awesome gift for the beginner or seasoned athlete. From workouts to form maintenance, there’s something inside for everyone.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

Lets start with the common characteristics of the male and female personalities. Well, I’m sure every girl and guy that’s ever been slighted could come up with lots of colorful answers for this one. Let’s start with females. What were common characteristics of your mum? Most people would say kind, sensitive, caring. She would bring my lunch to school for me when I forgot it or take care me of me when I was sick and worry about me when I was away. You could easily say this about your father as well however most people identify their moms as nurturing and caring. It’s thus safe to say that women in general can be classified as nurturers, caring and sensitive.

How about fathers? I can remember testing my strength while wrestling with my dad at an early age. I can remember the discipline he instilled in me while doing my pushups and situps with him every night before bed (I can also remember my father disciplining me differently than my mum). My father was a protector and someone I looked up to when I became a man. The provider, strong, not afraid of conflict and leader of the household. Most people when they think of their dads remember playing catch, wrestling, learning how to work on a car, etc. It’s thus safe to say that men in general can be classified as the protectors, strong and providing.

From a recent study in Scientific America:

When offered the choice of playing with either a doll or a toy truck, girls will typically pick the doll and boys will opt for the truck. This isn’t just because society encourages girls to be nurturing and boys to be active, as people once thought. In experiments, male adolescent monkeys also prefer to play with wheeled vehicles while the females prefer dolls — and their societies say nothing on the matter.

More or less, the roles of men and women can be defined through our natural tendencies. In our world, these two energies compliment each other. The yin and yang, masculine and feminine. Men and women are built differently and all for a good reason.

We each have our part. Whether you study eastern religions or Christianity, all understand the importance of this union. The creation story of Adam and Eve does the best job of identifying man’s need for woman and woman’s need for man. Adam needed a companion, a confidant, a friend and a lover. Woman needed a protector, a leader and a lover. If you have ever studied this story closely, you would realize that the fall of man was actually not caused by Eve, as the uneducated would lead you to believe. They were both to blame. Adam, the protector, failed to find his strength to protect Eve from the serpent and stand up for her in the face evil. Eve failed to find her own confidence in herself to trust and follow Adam (and God) to not eat the forbidden fruit. In the end, both were punished. Both because they were a union, one entity. And, if you think about it, these are still the deep seated issues that plague both MEN and WOMEN today. Men’s greatest evil in society is apathy (ie. lack of caring, strength, no balls, etc). Women’s great evil is her lack of confidence in herself and from it, the need to control (ie. physical, emotional, etc).

Men have a deep seated need to feel strong (physically, confidence or otherwise). To test themselves and their strength to see if they have what it takes to “be a man.” When I was growing up, I can remember wrestling with my dad and in doing so, seeking his approval. I dreamed of doing dangerous things. Anything really to test my strength and my will. Flexing my muscles in front of the mirror or jumping off the roof into a pool, the underlying drive was “Am I strong enough? Don’t I have big muscles too?” I can distinctly remember my father telling me when I was 12, as he traveled again for work, that I was responsible for the family while he was gone. It was one of the proudest moments of my childhood. It made me feel LIKE A MAN. However we may direct it, whether it be through business, sports, professional fighting, military or any other personal means, we as men are always wondering, “Am I strong enough? Do I have what it takes to win, lead, etc?” Eventually those thoughts become, “Can I be strong enough to provide for my family, protect them when they need arises?” We are constantly and actively seeking this recognition for ourselves. Thus, it can be said that men actively seek challenges (or should) to affirm in themselves that they are strong.

Women have a deep seated need to feel adored. To be the most fair (remember the evil witch in Snow White?), to be beautiful, lovely, desired and appreciated. My four year old daughter is in her princess stage. Everything from dresses, to pretend makeup, to her dancing and singing is done to win the affection and attention of her daddy. “Aren’t I beautiful daddy?!” Of course, the answer is always a resounding YES! And when it’s time to go to sleep, daddy is the one who clears out the monsters in the closet and slays the dragon. The quest for a woman’s heart begins with her father and she will constantly seek his affirmation; “Am I beautiful? Am I worth fighting for? Am I the apple of your eye?” As women grow older, all sorts of beauty tricks arise to capture the attention of the opposite sex and to be the apple of their lovers eye. It’s written in our fairy tales. Thus it can be said that woman actively seek to be adored by a man and remain the apple of his eye.

Can you see the yin and yang in this equation? Men seek strength so that one day they may be worthy to provide, protect and lead. Women seek beauty so they may catch the attention of a man and in doing so win affection, affirmation and protection of their heart. Men need women to allow them to lead, provide and protect. Women need men to secure, protect and affirm. The breakdown occurs when these two energies (male and female) are not reciprocated.

The rise of feminism in the 60′s and 70′s did just that. Now, while many good things came out of this movement, such as challenging status quo’s, breaking barriers, opening opportunities etc. the big mistake it made was making us (men and women) feel badly about our traditional roles and about our deepest traditional feelings that make us man and woman (yin and yang). Feminism made it wrong to be a man in the traditional sense. It was wrong to be competitive. It was wrong to be aggressive. At the same time it made women wrong to be beautiful (or the need to feel beautiful), to be captivating for a man and seek attention from him. Thus, the yin and yang cycle was broken and in our society our roles were cast aside. We even labeled such roles as “sexist”, forever tabooing our deepest most desires! It’s no wonder why men, more than ever feel lost and women feel overwhelmed. Men fail to see what their roles are, where they fit in and women try to fullfill all the roles themselves (provider, protector, nurturer, companion, lover…) Overall, this movement has successfully “bleached” our society. No more kickball in school (make the losers feel bad), trophies aren’t given out to the winners (we are all winners, remember?) and stories about the Little Red Hen are turned into a tale that sharing is caring, even if you sat on your lazy ass and didn’t do shit (true story, happened at my daughters school. I almost when ape-shit during the play.)

In bleaching our society, it has bleached our men. Men have lost their roles in a society that won’t allow them to be a man. In the truest sense, to be a dangerous. To seek a challenge. Woman fail to see that by taking this away, they are forced with all the duties of yin and yang circle. In the end, woman get frustrated/overwhelmed trying to be everything and men become apathetic. In the end, you have a society with a nearly 70% divorce rate. In the end, you have a base of men and women who are more apt to stay single rather than face the inevitable current that will pull them under in what they believe is the “right thing” as society would have us believe.

Men, more than ever, need to be told it’s ok to be strong and to lead. Women, more than ever, need to be recognized and affirmed that they are beautiful and a worthy companion worth fighting and adored. If women only knew, they hold the keys to the castle in this regard! A man would fight and die for a woman who shows her support for him, who believes in his strength and trusts in his leadership. Women would die for the opportunity to know and hear that they are adored and worthy of affection. It’s written in the story books we read our children at night.

What we are currently left with is a society of young men who are completely lost in their identity. The common image of a man these days is something out of an episode of “Friends”. The jock whose kind of a retard, the sissy sensitive guy who you want to punch in the face and the aloof goofy guy who doesn’t know his head from his ass (could be the coke problem).

How does this spin into fitness and more specifically the CrossFit community? CrossFit in it’s own sense has redefined our cultural stereotypes. Men have the opportunity to challenge and test themselves in an arena where no blood is spilled yet boasts of masculinity. Women have the opportunity to become strong, independent yet still remain feminine, Athena’s of desire.

To sum it up, men in our culture are missing a RITE OF PASSAGE. Every culture throughout history has had some sort of rite of passage for boys to become men. A challenge that builds confidence, presents a challenge and allows the opportunity to grow. A defining moment. A TEST…

This TEST is of a man’s strength and a gateway into his confidence as a leader, warrior, protector and provider. He must be prove himself worthy in order to accept the responsibilities of manhood.

I once heard a great quote, “Boys cherish their freedoms, men cherish their responsibilities.”

So I ask my men, can you remember your defining moment into manhood? If not, what tasks do you think would constitute a proper rite of passage and would you be interested in doing it yourself?

For my fathers, what do you believe makes a man and what values would you like to bestow upon your sons?

I believe it is up to us (men, fathers, husbands, sons, etc) to reinstate this rite of passage.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

While pondering this, I’m driving into a storm, preparing for a 6 mile + ruck in the middle of the woods with 60lbs on my back. In this moment, I realize I feel alive. I feel strong. I feel up for the challenge that lays ahead of me and suddenly realize that this is what I’ve been missing.

Every man needs a cause to fight for. A passion that drives him to greater heights. The fire in the belly to test his strength, his fortitude. It’s in our genes. It’s written in our fairy tales. It could be business, it could be country, it could be for a woman, it could be your family, it could be a million things…

What do you fight for or against? Our greatest evil we all must fight is apathy. Fight for your passion. Fight for your life. Fight and stand up for yourself, your authentic self.

Fight to be you. That is something that takes a lifetime to master.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon