 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - Why Death Race Works
- How to Stay Fit This Summer
- When to Rest
| | | | Spartans!
This weekend concluded my favorite two weeks in Vermont each year. I call them the Festival of Death.
Imagine an ancient expedition gone wrong, or climbing Everest, or going to the front lines, or building a business and running out of money.
That's what I wanted to recreate with the Death Race. An event where people experience life's most challenging moments.
Death Race is a no-holds-barred, 48-72-hour (and beyond) battle against everything me and the team's twisted minds can throw at you.
Unlike most traditional races and Spartan's other events, you can't train for this. It will piss you off, and you most likely will not finish.
It is so hard we essentially force participants to quit.
At the first Death Race nearly 20 years ago, only eight people signed up.
This year, 300 people were running around the farm.
51 got cold feet and bailed before the event even began. Each year around this time, a lot of grandmothers die.
The remaining brave souls made the voyage to the farm in Pittsfield, Vermont.
4 finishers earned the coveted Death Race Finisher skull making our total earned skulls just under 5% of all participants since inception. YIKES!
Surrounded by 250,000 acres of nothing, victims endured hell for 70 hours straight, with a line-up of challenges you've never seen before. They were tasked to complete miles of fireman's carries, wheelbarrow crawls, overhead carries, bear crawls, a blindfolded 2500-rep workout, aqua burpees, yoke carries, riddles, a scavenger hunt through miles of mountain trails with no map or markings, and knot-tying challenges. Oh — and of course, solving a Rubik's Cube in icy-cold water.
Death Race is complete unorganized yet purposeful chaos. It's swimming in freezing lakes, carrying heavy logs and stones up mountains, memorizing passages, and completing impossible tasks on little-to-no sleep or food. There are no rules, participants are lied to, and there is no start or finish…until there is.
It is physical and mental torture designed to break you, to make you want to quit.
However…for the 4% that have finished (and even the 96% who don't) deep and meaningful change happens. They emerge tougher, stronger, and unbreakable.
I get asked every year: Why do you do this?
To remind people what they're capable of.
When you're stripped down to nothing, facing insurmountable odds, and you are cold, tired, and hungry, you find out what you're truly made of.
Over the years, the event has evolved. It's not just a race anymore; it's a rite of passage. We've added a two-week camp leading up to the event for kids, a 24-hour Hurricane Heat, and the Stairway to Sparta, where participants trek up and down the mountain for 24 hours. The current record for the Stairway to Sparta is over 30 laps or 60 miles, which is like climbing Everest six times in just 24 hours.
We also offer a full farm experience for those wanting an appetizer of the insanity from the sidelines, because not everyone is ready for the risks of the full experience.
On June 23, we kicked things off with Death Camp. We partnered with Norwich University (the oldest private military school in the U.S.) and invited young kids come in and learn tough.
From 5:15 AM until 9:00 PM, kids are challenged without the distractions of phones and junk food. They learn to communicate, work hard, and cultivate gratitude ultimately graduating camp with a ceremony on the Norwich campus. As camp wrapped up, the adults entered.
I lied — Death Race isn't all chaos. There is some method to the madness. This year, here's how I planned it for the adults:
Stage 1: Confusion
Upon arrival, participants are tested much like ancient warriors preparing for battle. They undertake farm chores and run around town looking for checkpoints, not fully understanding what is happening during what should be the event registration. About 10% of participants drop out at this stage.
Stage 2: Fitness Test
Participants' basic fitness is tested, similar to ancient Spartans marching hundreds of miles to war.
Stage 3: Mindset Refram
The lesser known feature of Death Race is the mental challenges like solving puzzles, starting fires, or deciphering an ancient language. Because our minds are our weakest links, this stage is crucial for developing mental resilience, which is key to overcoming physical stress. These mind-testing challenges may seem silly, but ask anyone: they make you want to quit.
Stage 4: Limited Rations
Participants must eat whatever is available, from onions to raw eggs, simulating the harsh realities of survival. Nearly everyone considers dropping out at this point, as inadequate nutrition can break one's resolve. It's not hazing, but meant to develop extreme mental toughness.
Stage 5: The Battle
The actual race begins now, with all the physical challenges you could imagine. This stage is about pure will, and only the toughest earn the skull at the end.
Everyone tells me Death Race is nuts. But it works.
Research shows that enduring extreme stress and overcoming adversity leads to neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to form new neural connections. This enhances cognitive flexibility, resilience, and problem-solving skills. Neurosurgeons actually "see" the brain change from overcoming and finishing hard shit.
Living outside your comfort zone forces your brain to adapt to new and unpredictable situations, strengthening mental toughness and emotional regulation. Studies have shown that individuals who regularly challenge themselves have higher levels of mental resilience and are better equipped to handle stress in their daily lives.
The event never fails at pissing off the outside observers year after year.
Those watching just don't get it.
Death Race is about stepping into the arena, facing your fears, and proving that you can survive and thrive against all odds. It's about shaking up your life, forging new friendships, and rediscovering what it means to be human.
Come visit the farm next year. If it doesn't change you…well…you'd be the only one to say that after visiting.
Here's to The Hard Way!
Joe | | | NO-SLACK SUMMER | Vacations, kids, BBQs — all the joys of summer are here. But they are also distractions and common excuses people use to slack on their fitness. Staying in shape is non-negotiable, especially as we head into championship season. Here are five simple tips to keep you on track.
1. Set Your Alarm
Get your workout done in the early morning before the day gets away from you. I always say, "Earn your breakfast."
2. Do Bodyweight Exercises
No gym? No excuses. You can do highly-effective moves like push-ups, burpees, pull-ups, and squats in a hotel room. Try this quick workout: 30 burpees, 30 pushups, 30 pull-ups, and 30 squats. Need more? End it with a run.
3. Stay Hydrated
Want to feel great? Drink a gallon of water a day for a week without any other type of drink and watch what happens.
4. Make Active Family Time
Turn beach days or park visits into workout opportunities. Run, swim, and play hard. Dig a hole in the sand...a massive one.
5. Eat Well
BBQ's can support your fitness goals easily. Load up on meats and veggies. Skip the bread and chips. | | | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: Hey Joe, do you ever rest? If so, how do you know when it's time to rest and what does your rest/rest day look like? Thanks for keeping us inspired!
- Kristina V.
A: Hey Kristina, It's rare, but yeah, even I rest. My body forces me to. You'll know it's time to rest when you're not performing at your peak, feeling sluggish (mentally and physically), or you're constantly sore. My rest days are active recovery – light runs, yoga, and spending time with the family. Active rest, but rest nonetheless. Be careful, though: throughout history our lives were a lot harder. Don't confuse the average tiredness with needing more recovery. You most likely need more sweat, less coffee and alcohol, and an early bedtime.
Aroo!
Question for Joe? Want to tell him what you think of The Hard Way? Email him at thehardway@spartan.com. | | | | They Said It | | "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today." | | – Franklin D. Roosevelt | | | BREAK THE WORLD JUMPING JACKS RECORD |  | Ready to make history, Spartans? It's time to gear up and break the World Jumping Jacks Record on July 12.
In honor of "The Godfather of Fitness" Jack LaLanne and to celebrate fitness icon Elaine LaLanne's 98th birthday, thousands of Spartans worldwide will unite to smash the record for "Most People Performing Jumping Jacks Simultaneously".
Join the "Jack LaLanne Jumping Jacks Challenge" on July 12 at 1 pm PST. Over 5,000 fitness enthusiasts will crush 98 Jumping Jacks together to raise funds for the National Fitness Foundation.
This is a free virtual event and for those in LA, you can participate in person at the LA Convention Center. Reserve your spot and find more details here. | | | The Hard Way Podcast | | | "The real win is if you can play it out in your mind and see the dots connect. That's something I've always been good at" | | | | | | Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
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