GORUCK Take 2: Never Quit and Have No Regrets

My second GORUCK Challenge is now in the books.  St. Patrick's Day Custom Challenge Class 936 to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I have so many thoughts I'm not sure where to start. Each GRC is different and each class is special.  For me, each experience teaches different lessons, or to be more specific takes lessons I've learned before in life and drives them home.  For my first challenge, GRC 792 those lessons were "Winning hearts and minds" and "It can always be worse". You can read about that here...  For this class, GRC 936 the lessons were "Never Quit" and "Live life with no regrets".  More on those later.

If you're a regular reader, you'll remember that two of my kids, Logan and Julianne were coming to shadow this.  I agreed to get them to Chicago if they raised at least $150 each for LLS.  If you're a new reader feel free to get caught up about that here...  Between the three of us, we managed to raise over $500 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society above and beyond the registration fee.  It was a great experience to have them there shadowing, and they were both rock stars!  They pushed through the cold, the sleepless night, all the miles, always willing to do anything they were asked, and all the while watching the challenge class and learning that they are stronger than they ever thought they were.  I was incredibly proud of them both,  especially when Cadre John aka "Big Daddy" presented them with GORUCK Shadow Company patches I had bought them.

Logan and Julianne after the Challenge

GRC 936 started at the Chicago Fire Academy at 1:00 am with a start temperature of about 33 degrees, and it only got colder from there dropping down to about 26 just before dawn.  As is custom, I won't talk a lot about what this Challenge entailed, except to say Big Daddy brought the pain.  I have a new respect for four count flutter kicks, concrete parking stops are HEAVY, goose poop and freezing mud is not fun to play in, and I've never before had the chance to low crawl and roll around in snow and sand back to back.  Good Livin'!

This class as a whole inspired me, but there are a few people who stand out.  I won't mention any names, but if you read this, and you'd like to take credit for your inspiration, please comment down below.

To the woman who almost quit early on and didn't: We've all been there and felt what you felt.  That you dug deep and gutted it out and ended up suffering the pain of Big Daddy instead the pain of regret was amazing.  You reminded me that we have to get outside of our comfort zone to make the magic happen.  You did it.  You never quit, and you're GRT.

To my fellow over 40 GORUCK "master":  Thanks for being there.  I often feel old in situations like this, and wonder why I push my 44 year old body to the limit.  You reminded me it's because I can.  "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Let's keep leading the way for the younger generation.

To the woman in her 20's that carried me in the parade (literally carried me):  You give me hope for the future,  we often hear discouraging things about the "millenials", but if you are any indication there's nothing to worry about.  Strong in body and mind, you make others want to be like you. And I agree with someone else who said after watching you, I did my 20's all wrong!

To my singing partner who didn't even know if she should start the challenge because of injury, but did it anyway: Just like in St. Louis, you remind me to never judge anyone by their size.  How you carry the heavy shit you do is beyond me, but when I grow up, I wanna be like you!

Finally, even though I said I wasn't going to mention any names, Patrick Jessee:  You kicked cancer's ass and came back stronger.  You protect the public as a firefighter and paramedic and have never backed away from a challenge.  You are a true hero, and I'm proud to call you a friend and humbled that you consider me one.

Now for the lessons...

Never Quit.  This class finished with a 100% pass rate.  We started together and we finished together.  Even when things were cold, dark, and hard.  Even when those demons got into our heads and made us question it, we beat them back.  We met, marched with and had our class picture taken with at least three cancer survivors.  Patrick, who I've already mentioned, and the boy and girl of the year for LLS.  Frankie, who lost his sight as a result of this disease, and Piper, who suffered and endured over 700 chemo treatments.  They never quit.  There is always good on the other side of bad.  Sometimes we just have to "embrace the suck".

GRC 936 with Piper and Frankie

Live life with no regrets.  We are owed nothing.  We have no idea how much time we are given on this earth.  Make the most of every day.  I saw it lived in the cancer survivors, and with every member of class 936.  If we wait for the perfect time to do what we dream of, we may never get the chance.  Lorrin L. Lee said it this way. " Your life is your message to the world. Make it inspiring."

A last thank you to Cadre "Big Daddy" John.  Excellent job and incredible challenge.  Much respect for you and what you do.  The story you shared in the frozen mud made us all want to be better Americans.  In one emotional story, you drove home both lessons.  The Marine you lost never quit, and I'm sure had no regrets.  His message, and yours are inspiring.

And to the entire GORUCK Community, until next time...

Sometimes you need a reminder

Let me start by saying this blog post has a prerequisite.  If you didn't read my report from the GORUCK Challenge, please do so now. Here's the link: GORUCK Challenge - Wining Hearts and Minds

Really, go read it... I'll wait.

OK, done?  Good. That experience was one of the most incredible experiences I've had, so I wanted to share it. I wanted to share it with people I think can use it, and will understand it.  My children.  So when I decided to do the custom GORUCK Challenge in Chicago on St. Patrick's Day Weekend, I decided to see if it would be possible to get any of my kids there to shadow.  More on that in a minute.

I want to take a moment to explain why I decided on this GRC.  In my first GORUCK Challenge, (which you've all read about) I met an incredible person that I now call a friend, Patrick Jessee, a Chicago paramedic and firefighter.  During that challenge I learned that in 2011 he was diagnosed with non Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Blood cancer.  He underwent six months of chemotherapy, and is now in remission. As some of you know, I am a cycling coach for Team in Training (the endurance training part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and his story resonated with me.  Patrick is now a candidate for the 2014 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man of the Year.  He decided to organize a custom GORUCK Challenge as a fundraiser for LLS.  I knew immediately that I'd be in and recruited a few others to go too.

Patrick Jessee-Chicago Fire Department  and Lymphoma Survivor

Back to my kids... I want them to experience GORUCK and see what it's like to depend on others for success and have them depend on you.  I want them to witness a group of people that focus on the mission and getting the job done, and don't worry about themselves individually.  I want them not only to do things that make them better, but to become better people.  They live on the Alabama Gulf Coast.  Of my four children, I could make it work for two of them to do it.  Logan, 16 years old on Ruck Day, and Julianne who will be 18.  I told them both that registration was $150 and that if they really wanted to do it, that I would fly them up to shadow it IF they raised $150 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I wanted them to have some skin in the game.  To take some ownership, and be a part of something that was greater than themselves.  They agreed and I bought plane tickets.

So today, I'm talking to Logan about how he shouldn't worry, he'll pass out before he dies.  How I talked to the Cadre, Lou, and gave him permission to do whatever is necessary to keep him in line.  General motivation.  Then I asked him how his fundraising was coming.  He told me that he had already raised about half of it.  $70.  I was feeling pretty proud of him and told him that was a great job.  That's when he did it.  He called me out.  A very simple, sincere question.  "So, dad, how about you? How much have you raised?"

Yeah.  I had no answer.  What am I supposed to say?  I paid my registration fee? That wasn't part of the deal?

Right then it hit me.  I shouldn't ask him to do something I won't do.  Lead by example.  I felt ashamed that I hadn't considered it before, but he was right. And I told him so.  So, I'm fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Those of you that know me know that this is not the first time that I have raised money to fight blood cancers.  I've done it before as part of Team in Training.  This is different.  There is no minimum.  No incentives other than setting a good example, and doing the right thing.  So, I'm asking for your help.  Anything you can give.  $5 to $500. $1 to $1000.

You can write a check to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail it to me at this address: 

Bo Lackey
1331 South St. #11
Madison, WI 53715

You can send me money via paypal at sgtjhlackey@gmail.com. Retweet the link, post it on facebook, email it to anyone and everyone.   This isn't a competition between me and my kids.  The total raised will go in one envelope and given to Patrick Jessee at the GORUCK Challenge for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We do GORUCK as a team, we fundraise as a team.  No individual involved, only completing the mission. 

I will also challenge everyone doing the Custom GORUCK to do the same thing.  No set amount, no suggested minimum.  Just bring an additional donation to the Challenge start.  Whatever you're able to do.  If you can raise more, bring more.  Let's all punch cancer in the throat.  Who's in?

And Logan...thanks for the reminder. 

The Obligatory New Years Resolution Post

The title of this one should say it all.  I'll try not to take up too much time, but wanted to share a thought or two. 

2013 was pretty cool.  In addition to Escaping from Alcatraz, PR'ing a Half Ironman, and finishing the Chicago Marathon, I also got the opportunity with Team in Training to Coach for the first time (amazing experience), visit Europe for the first time (seriously broadened my horizons and made me realize the world is a really small place), and really test my limits with a team doing my first GORUCK Challenge and learned I'm stronger than I ever imagined and that things can always be worse. I also registered for Yoga Life and Teacher Training with Yoga Shelter to take place in Mexico this spring.  All in all one of the best years of my life at 43 years old.

So, I started thinking, what do I want to do in 2014? What should make my list of resolutions and things to accomplish this year?  I've been mulling this over for a while now, and today it finally hit me.  There is only one thing I want to accomplish.  Only one resolution, and it's really pretty simple.

I want to be kinder to myself.

This year I resolve to be my own best friend.  If other people talked to me the way I talk to myself, how long would I let them stay in my life?  Probably not very long.  I am my own worst critic.  This year I will talk to myself more positive and less negative.

I resolve to spend time with the right people.  People who lift me up, not tear me down.  Not only the people I want to be with, but the people that want to be with me. They are the ones that usually see my worth more than I do.

I resolve to stop feeling sorry for myself. Sometimes bad or sad things happen for a reason.  Sometimes there is no reason. Either way, feeling sorry for myself never solves the problem or helps the situation.

I resolve to encourage myself.  To do things I never thought I could, to try new things that will broaden my horizons.  To believe in myself.

Ahimsa.  It is a term that basically means "do not injure"  It is a philosophy of non violence in word, thought and deed.  That sounds like a very noble cause.  But it has to start from within. My resolution is to make sure that my words, thoughts and deeds are kind to me.

Simple, right?  Simple isn't always easy.  Happy 2014 everyone!  Make it great!