Being a part of a team will definitely increase motivation and drive. The problem is that if you are no longer participating in team sports, it is not so easy to find others to join you in your fitness or competitive endeavors. It may give you a different perspective. Certain challenges may be easier or harder for you than your teammates. Maybe their input will be the difference in completing your challenge in a more effective manner. There are some things that take a team.
Today I just competed in The Green Beret Challenge, in Farmington, MO. I’ve done plenty of Obstacle Course Races and have done a number of them with friends. Than again, I have done most of them by myself. The Green Beret Challenge is a team event. In order to compete you need 4 people, including yourself. If you decide to do this challenge, take my word for it. You will need 3 other people who will NEVER GIVE UP. I picked my team several months prior to doing the event. I never had a question that any of them would bail on me. If one guy bailed that would have screwed all of us.
It’s not so easy to rely on others. How many times have you heard someone say that they stopped going to the gym because their training partner stopped going? I’ve had lots of training partners during my life and I’ve been motivated by all of them while we worked out. However, things change. You probably aren’t going to train with the same individual for your entire life. No matter what, I have no intention of putting an end to training. I do make changes to how I train and where I train, but I don’t rely on someone else to get me in the gym.
At the end of the day, what is more important to you? Not letting yourself down or not letting your teammates down. This is a true life lesson. I know 3 guys, (Paul Rozek, Joe Larsen and Nick Martin) who will not let me down. That’s the reason these guys are a part of my team. They all showed up and they did their part. The 4 of us maneuvered over 8 miles of rough terrain, dragging tires and sandbags. Carrying sandbags, ammo crates. Engineering an improvised device to carry a 55 gallon drum of water a mile. The 4 of us lifted each other through out the course. Times do get tough and having a team that works well together will get you through it.
When it comes to life think about the people that will do what they say. Think about the people that will be there for you if you need them. Think about the people that do what it takes to get the job done. I know who my guys are. I know who I can rely on. I have been disappointed before, because of people who don’t follow through. It’s one thing to try and fail and it’s another to not even try. The guys I picked for The Green Beret Challenge not only showed up but worked and finished as a team.
Mark Ballas the founder of The Green Beret Challenge (And a Green Beret) and all of the guys (also Special Forces) who work with him did an awesome job at putting together a challenging course. Everything that they do is based on some of the things that they went through during their military training. Obviously, the military is the ultimate example of teamwork. I’m just happy that they are putting these kinds of events together, in order to give others the opportunity to challenge themselves and be a part of a team, even if it is only for a day.
This honestly was the greatest and toughest event that I have participated in when it comes to challenges.
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