Marblehead Firefighter Transcends Death Race

"This is about 8 hours in. Spirits for everyone are high.  The chore we're doing is tough but the smiles of all of us working together were a huge part of my over all success."

2. James looks like he is a zombie in the second photo. His socks are mud splattered and his eyes are closed. He looks like he is sleep walking.

"The whole race was an ordeal.  The first 24 hrs were simple manual labor.  Difficult but not particularly taxing. The next 24 really branched into taxing chores, splitting, stacking and re-stacking wood, gravel hauling and miles of hiking. Always on our feet with no rest. That second 24ish hours brought most of us to a three-mile swim.  Many had dropped overnight in the dark and rain, I had mentally quit at that point but was bolstered by Keith Glass and his encouraging words. Going into the last 24 hours was pure tenacity for all racers.  Nothing matters at that point.  Pain, injury, dehydration, hunger it's all in the way back seat to your very next step. Most racers drop at this point for immersion foot or blisters or any number of foot related issues.  I myself ended up with 27 individual blisters and for the final 18 hrs could only manage about a 6-inch stride/shuffle.
Maybe not the toughest part but below is a picture of me at one of my lowest points and the last time out of three that I wanted to quit.  A 10-hour hike of approximately 12 to 17 miles.  Apparently I had taken the long route.  I didn't know it at the time but I was only 5 hours from finishing. The other person in the picture is the race director and owner Joe Dessena. I'm quite sure he's attempting to come up with an obnoxious task for me."

3. James is all embraces in the triumph of completion.

"I think the photo below captures all the questions you asked: What was the hardest part.  Wanting to quit.  It happened 3 times.  3 times I was told to pull myself together, that I just needed to do the next thing and my mood would change. (That's the pleasant version, my friends used other words.) What sustained me was the comradarie of the other racers, the Death Race Angels that seem to pop up out of no where with a sandwich, water, gatorade, M&M's or encouraging words.  I had the support of my team who gave me small updates and tons of love. The emotion I felt after accomplishing was overwhelming.  Below you see the picture of me receiving my "skull" our trophy for finishing.  Less then 30 out of nearly 200 that started.  Im hugging my "crew chief" Sandy Rhee.  At every important turn she was there with flat realistic encouragement.  She was, as I have said, an Angel.  Death Racers simply forget to think.  We forget to drink, eat, take off shoes to swim.  At every key transition Sandy and her husband Vince were there.  Telling me my wife Kristin was in the loop, that home was ok, that everyone was pulling for me.  That all I had to do was finish.  So that's all I thought about, a plastic skull, the road 3 feet in front of me and all the people I would let down if I stopped.  I don't do a lot of the silly things I do for me but to show other people that if you want something, if you really truly want something.  If you focus all that energy on that point.  You can really achieve anything."