 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - Reflections From 9/11
- A Top Mobility Exercise
- How to Overcome Injury
| | | | Spartans!
Every year on September 11th, I run 110 flights of stairs in remembrance of the 110 floors of the World Trade Center. You can join me from your office building, park bleachers, or at the Wave Hotel in Orlando, Florida at 8:00 am. Grab your friends and email me at thehardway@spartan.com when you're in, so we can start a movement of the Never Forget Climb together.
23 years ago, I was on a routine conference call in my New York City office at 40 Wall Street. Just an average start to another work day.
That morning, I had planned to meet my girlfriend of four weeks—now my wife— for breakfast at Windows on the World, the restaurant on the top two floors of the North Tower. We decided to back out, and instead, she caught a flight home to Boston.
At 8:46 am, while I watched from my window, American Airlines Flight 11, a massive Boeing 767 aircraft, slammed into the northern facade of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Seventeen minutes later, a second Boeing 767, United Flight 175, crashed into the southern facade of the South Tower.
Just a block away from my chair.
What many people don't know is that some of the photos they saw on magazine covers in the days that followed actually came from our office. We had hired a photographer that day to capture shots for a website project, and suddenly, he was capturing history—images that the world would never forget.
After the planes hit, my co-workers and I ran to street level to see if we could help.
Flames and smoke burst from the towers, the twin symbols of America's financial might. A plume of dust engulfed my building, and hundreds of sirens signaled the arrival of those who were trained to run to disaster, not from it.
New York's Finest: Firefighters, police, and EMTs.
The police and firemen wouldn't let us get close. Their training had prepared them for this moment, and their bravery has been well-documented.
So, in a state of deep confusion and concern, we all walked home through the chaos that was Manhattan, the sky darkened by smoke, and an eerie quiet settling around us as ash fell like snowflakes.
While that day was tragic, I'm filled with deep gratitude for the first responders and citizens who performed selfless acts of service to others. They put the lives of strangers before their own.
Now, every year at this time, I'm filled with sadness for so many of my fellow New Yorkers who lost their lives, lost loved ones, or who still suffer the physical and emotional effects of the attack on the World Trade Center.
I didn't know it then, but that experience would affect me, and thousands like me, deeply and forever. I asked myself: If it ended for me that day, would I be happy with how I lived my life?
I didn't have a clear answer.
The day before 9/11, I had just returned stateside after competing in a 400-mile race from St. Moritz, Switzerland, to the Matterhorn in the Pennine Alps on the border of Switzerland and Italy.
During the race, one of the competitors had died, and it brought home in a very personal way the importance of living the life you want.
After 9/11, I made up my mind to never complain about anything, ever again. And I committed to doing hard things, to pushing myself physically and mentally each day.
Within a few years, I left Wall Street, and Manhattan, for a new life with my new wife in Vermont. I dedicated myself to building things. First my family, then my career and local businesses where I could help people support their families. Eventually, Spartan.
I'm still not sure if I've done enough with my life. The verdict on Joe De Sena is not yet final. I know I'll spend the rest of my life trying to live up to the examples of selflessness and bravery I witnessed on 9/11.
I'm also committed to continuing to use Spartan's platform to help as many first responders and military personnel as I can participate in our races as a way to hone their fitness and skills, to stay ready.
The truth is, we never know when we'll need it.
Here's to The Hard Way!
Joe | | | MASTER YOUR MOBILITY | If you want to stay fit for life, look to exercises that improve your mobility. Good mobility helps your body move pain-free, prevent injuries, and build strength. Mobility also happens to be the key to flying through obstacles.
"Mobility allows us to quickly recover and react in the event that we get tripped up on a root, stuck in some mud, or slip off an obstacle," says Spartan instructor, Christian Bizzotto.
His favorite mobility exercise for Spartans is the hanging corner raise.
"This move allows us to create big swings, essentially making ourselves a pendulum to get us through overhead obstacles with momentum instead of strength," says Christian.
Want to try it for yourself? Watch Christian's tutorial here.
For more workouts, download the Spartan App, where you can get a Spartan+ 7-day free trial to training plans and obstacle tips. | | | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: Hey Joe,I'm recovering from surgery and can't push myself the Hard Way like I used to. What should I do?
- Kate L.
A: Hey Kate,Sh*t happens. Keep moving forward, even if it's at a different pace. Here's where I'd start: 1. Challenge yourself in a new way with mobility, flexibility, and light strength training. 2. Use the 90-day rule, where you build good habits by committing to recovery practices for 90 days. 3. Stay connected with your community for motivation.
Remember, the Hard Way isn't just about pushing through pain; it's about facing whatever challenge is in front of you with the right mindset.
Aroo!
Question for Joe? Want to tell him what you think of The Hard Way? Email him at thehardway@spartan.com. | | | | They Said It | | "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." | | – Henry David Thoreau | | | | | To keep receiving this newsletter, sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
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