Altitude doesn't lie, it exposes your bullshxx!
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 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - What elevation reveals that comfort hides
- Why movement must become YOUR identity
- How suffering can clear the mind
| | Spartans!
Joe De Sena here on my phone in Big Bear, California. I'm sitting at just under 8,200 feet elevation, and you feel it. If you haven't trained, or if you've been hiding behind excuses, this mountain pulls that out of you.
Big Bear is one of our toughest courses. The terrain is steep, the elevation unforgiving, and the descent feels just as brutal as the climb. I've seen it undo strong athletes who showed up thinking they were ready. You can't bluff your way through, because you either did the work or you didn't, and the mountain makes that clear.
Ryan Hall trained here when he was at his peak, using the altitude to strip everything back. We hosted Spartan Games 2 here (if you've never watched those episodes, take a look).
Big Bear is a true mental audit, which happens to take place during Mental Health Awareness Month. This reminds me of how movement is tied to the way we think and feel. The problem is, most people treat movement like an occasional fix or a once-a-year commitment. But the benefit only shows up when it becomes a non-negotiable part of who you are. That's not motivational crap, it's reality, and when life falls apart your habits are what carry you through. Movement builds clarity, puts structure into chaos, and reminds us that our body still works, even when our heads want to quit.
That's why movement needs to be part of your daily routine, not an afterthought but a foundation. Start simple. This week's full-body power session builds raw output and control, even with limited time or space. When you're ready to test it, the start lines are out there. Just show up. No perfect conditions, no perfect gear. Just you doing the work.
Get it done.
Joe | | | NO SHOES? NO EXCUSES! | At the Fiji Eco Challenge in 2005, I got lost. A group of Fijian boys guided me and a few other racers through thick jungle with no roads, just wild terrain. I had bike shoes because my runners got stolen. These kids ran through rivers, hopped over hills, and climbed up muddy, slippery trails without the proper shoes I thought I needed. In fact, they had no shoes.
Want shoes? Check out the RD PRO shoes. | | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: "Joe, how do you prepare for altitude?"
- Can'tBreathe88, TX
A: You don't train for air, you train for effort. If your legs and lungs are well conditioned, the altitude becomes another variable, not a wall. But if you've been coasting, it'll find you out fast.
Aroo!
Question for Joe? Want to tell him what you think of The Hard Way? Email him at thehardway@spartan.com. | | | | They Said It | | "It is your attitude, more than your aptitude, that will determine your altitude." | | – Zig Ziglar | | | ➝The Hard Way Podcast with Joe | | | 14 PEAKS STAR NIMS PURJA | | | | In this episode, Joe De Sena sits down with one of the most unstoppable mountaineers and high altitude experts on the planet - a former Gurkha and UK Special Forces operator, Nims Purja, who became globally known through Netflix's feature film "14 Peaks". | | | | | | ➝Watch The Latest Hard Way Video | | | Margin for error is gone. | | The pressure is real. Watch the intense final moments of the 2017 Spartan World Championship — where every step, every second, and every decision could make or break a champion. | | | | | | To keep receiving this newsletter, sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
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