Rule of Life Lesson #121: Accept no limitations.

It was Christmas 2019. We were exchanging presents at my in-laws when my brother-in-law Matt handed our family a gift.

He prefaced it with saying, “When you open it, just smile and be happy.”

Okay. Sean and I looked at him and said “thank you” in a curious voice and ripped off the wrapping paper.

Inside the box was a piece of paper for all four of us, Sean, me and the kids, with a certificate outlining the details to an upcoming Spartan Sprint on February 16, 2020.

Spartan. Never heard of it, but we were now, what’s the word? Ah, yes. Committed.

If you’re not familiar with a Spartan Sprint, it’s a 5K all outdoors with 20 obstacle courses sprinkled throughout. Everything from rope climbs and jumping in mud pits to adult monkey bars, carrying 50lb+ sand bags up and down mountains, spear throwing and scaling walls, just to name a few. If you couldn’t complete the obstacle, you were on the sidelines banging out 30 burpees. Ouch.

Once we started to research the event, I could tell Sean’s adrenaline rush was kicking in and he was hyped up. However, my mind veered off to the adult monkey bars freak out mode as I had a pretty horrific experience falling face flat in the mud when I was in elementary school.

Not at all the rugged, athletic type, this was going to test me on so many levels and kick my butt into gear. There wasn’t any more time for scared panic attacks. There was only one thing on my mind at this point – get through the course to the finish line come hell or high water. Or, in this case muddy water.

When you venture into unchartered territory with that type of mindset, nothing phases you anymore.

The day of the sprint, my mind and body were in total sync and I just went without giving it a second thought. There really isn’t any time to let fear take over. I dove into the mud. I scaled the walls having never done anything like that before. I climbed up cargo nets to the top and back down again which truth be told, was what freaked me out most. I tried my absolute best. And I broke through all the limitations I had ever placed on myself.

Did I complete all 20 obstacles? Well, not quite. I did a total of 150 burpees that day if it tells you anything, but Sean and I did cross the finish line an hour and half later, muddied, drenched and all in one piece with a medal to show for it.