FUGAZI Friday: Moving Past Mental Obstacles

By Brandon Mills

Let me start with how amazing of an event FUGAZI II was. I want to give a big thank you to those that made this happen! We are all better versions of ourselves because of your dedication and hard work. HAWNNNKKK

As FUGAZI II was nearing closer, I was hesitant if I was going to sign up or not. It was not that I didn’t want to participate, but that I had my first half marathon just hours after FUGAZI II would end. I went back and forth for months because I was not sure if this was something I could do. Two events back to back, am I crazy? Finally, I decided that I could not miss out on the lessons and comradery that came along with FUGAZI II. The lessons that I was hoping to learn going into the event was teamwork (always need a refresher), the ability to adapt to uncomfortable situations and mental toughness. I wanted to leave stronger mentally and physically…spoiler alert, I got that and much more. Going into the event I was nervous and scared because I had no idea what Warrior State of Mind Leadership (WSOM) had in store for us. What the hell are we going to do with a bucket and zip ties? I kept tabs on the posts and beta testing’s they did on the Facebook page (Warrior State of Mind), just to try and get any sort of advantage I could. I always feel that I’m under prepared for every event I step into. I think this keeps me pushing to be better and also humble to start the event.

Arriving to the event was our first task, the address provided was not the exact address (park name was correct) we needed and that was the point. We had to be resourceful right from the get go and work together as a team. As soon as I parked I was greeted by friendly faces, some I knew and some I didn’t. The first surprise of the night was quick, the medic Ted was already going around talking to everyone to make sure they were properly hydrated (90 degrees plus) and if we had any medical conditions he needed to know about. WOW, so they are not here to kill us! Lining up and check-in I begin to question if I grabbed all my gear even though I unloaded and loaded my pack prior to leaving. Check-in is over and now it is time to warm up. I think we all can thank Mark for our “warm-up”, there was not a muscle in me that was not warm. Time for the tasks to begin, shit is getting real! And we are off into the trails Team 1 followed and Team 2 with Team 3 taking up the rear. It was amazing being in the back of the line and looking at the 50+ amazing people
marching ahead to tackle any task we are given without even flinching.

Through the next several hours we go through each evolution racing as teams for the opportunity to take an extra-long break. You would think that people from opposite teams would ignore those struggling on the other teams, but that is not what happens in these events. Yes, it could cost you extra time and potentially make your team lose the event; but the WSOM family is stronger than any physical punishment. So if you are reading this and worried about what happens if you fall behind, simple, you won’t. We are always one team no matter how we are split up. There was no better example of this than the logs, and when I say logs I mean we needed at least 3 people to carry the small one. During this log carry we were met by some steep hills and quickly realized that not one team could do this alone. It was amazing to see 50+ people come together, make a plan and attack these hills.

Once logs were dropped back off to their home and the snake of fortitude bags made it back to base, we were finished…not so fast. I think most of us forgot that we owed some burpees before the end of the event. We don’t do just regular burpees; we do them in unison. This part was amazing and telling of the mental strength we had developed over the course of the evening. We were told that we owed 600 burpees!!! Believe it or not, not one person whined or groaned. One amazing teammate jumped up to lead the group, he was not picked as a team leader or was never officially designated as a leader, but he is a true leader and showed it the entire event. Having made a great impression on leadership we were presented with opportunities to knock off those burpees with a double or nothing, and of course we took it because we had the utmost confidence in each other. NAILED IT! Time for shirts and coins!

This was an amazing event that served as a great reminder of what I can accomplish, but more importantly, what a group of people can accomplish! With each FUGAZI I participate in and complete I become a better version of the person that started the event. The way the event is put together it breaks you down, yet picks you up and leaves you in a better place. The biggest
change for me is the sense of I can do anything!! The confidence built in completing a FUGAZI is not matched by any other event. If you have not done one, you really need to. Dig deep into your tank and bust through all barriers that you put on yourself. HAWNNKKKK!!!

We are Utah’s largest Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) Team.

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