I actually wrote this in May of 2016. It was a good post so i thought i would share it again.
Long post, but hopefully worth the read – About three weeks ago, I was out on a run and I saw an old rusted link of chain laying on the ground. I stopped and picked it up. I have a picture of this link of chain below. For the remainder of my run I thought about the saying, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”
This past weekend I competed in a Tough Mudder Event. A Tough Mudder is where you and some team members run several miles through an obstacle course. I think this race is properly named because it was tough and it took a few showers get ALL of the mud off of me.
Usually when I am on a team, I like to think that I add to the team more than I take. However, last Saturday this was not the case. I was the weakest link.
We were a mile or so into the event and had went through about 3 obstacles when the first real challenge presented itself. It was The Warped Wall. The Warped Wall is a wall that is about 12 feet in height. What is a warped wall, you ask? Picture a slide that is about 30 feet wide. Instead of being gradually slopped, it goes straight up after about 4 feet into a vertical wall. The idea is you run really fast towards the wall and when you hit the sloped part of the wall you run up the wall while jumping so as to grab the top of the wall and pull yourself up and over. The second I saw that wall, my mind immediately said, “Chris, there ain’t no way your fat ass is making it up and over that wall.” There had been several groups already go over this obstacle so not only was it tall and steep, it was slick with mud. For every obstacle in a Tough Mudder there is a bypass line. The bypass line is for people who either can’t complete the obstacle or have concerns for their safety. As we trotted up to the staging area for the warped wall I told the team, “Hey guys, I better pass on this. There is no way can I make this.” I had quit before I started. Everyone on my team told me that I should at least give it a try and not to worry because the team would help me. It is intimidating enough for an old fat guy to lineup on the starting line for an event like this, but it is a whole other story for a guy of my age and size to even attempt an obstacle like this. I was on a team of seven, and four of my teammates had made it to the top of the wall where they were calling for me to come on and try it. I got up to the take-off line and I felt like everyone out there was watching me. I took off running like crazy, I hit the part of the wall that goes vertical and with all of my might I used my last solid footing to jump and reach for the top of the wall. I didn’t even come close to reaching the top and I slid back down the wall. What was I thinking? Let’s say I would have been able to grab the top with one hand, did I really think I was going to be able to pull myself up and over the wall?!?! I was about to go on to the obstacle bypass line when my team was calling for me to try it again. I wanted to pass on the obstacle, but I knew I would be disappointed if I did not try it again. I walked back over to the starting area and watched several people complete the obstacle. Most every other person was making it over not by grabbing the top of the wall, but rather by grabbing the outstretched hand of one of their teammates who was already on top of the wall. I then told myself, “Forget the top of the wall, just grab one of my teammates hands.” Again, I got set and took off running. My eyes were fixed on one of teammates hands. I ran up the wall and sure enough I connected. As quick as I had grabbed one out stretched hand I grabbed another hand. By then I had completely lost any footing I had, and basically all of guys on the top of the wall pulled me up. I made it! I could not believe it. I really made it.
Throughout the remainder of the day, the members of my team would help me over many other obstacles. When we crossed the finish line at the end of the race, we all lined up and walked across together; as a team. It was an amazing race. I was very thankful for my team.
At the beginning I told you about finding a broken chain link while out running. No doubt, I was the weakest link on my Tough Mudder team.
So if the old saying is true about only being as strong as the weakest link, how is it we all managed to complete the race? We made it because we worked as a team. The team’s strengths helped to compensate for my weaknesses. A chain works as independent pieces, where a team works as a collective in concert with each other. So if a team is truly working as a team, then the saying about only being as strong as it’s weakest link is not valid. Does that make sense?
So I guess you would say I learned the value of WE over ME. I learned that we should be as committed to helping other achieve their goals as we are to achieving our own. Lastly, I learned that no matter how tough something appears to be, at least try it. Never give up without a fight; especially if you have an awesome team.
Now then, our team did not come in 1st place, but we finished. In my book finishing, even if it is in last place, is better than not finishing, and not finishing is better than not starting.
Trust and have faith in your team. Help those who need help; especially those who are not able to help themselves. You never know when you might need a hand yourself.
Also thanks to my team; Jerri, Bayley, Tom, Stuart, Jordan and one more guy that works with Tom that I can’t remember his name. I could not have made it without you.
PS-I probably have 300 mosquito bites on me. I’m sure I’ve got the Zika!
