I remember listening on one of my first Coach Team Calls, which if I can recall was about 10 months ago, we were talking about goals and dreams. Some people call this their “bucket list”, and I actually use this term every now and again. But not to get too far off the beaten path lol, one of the first things that were on my top 10 was being able to be an active participant in endurance races around the world. So not knowing too much about this, the first thing that came to mind was Triathlons. I did much research and even began incorporating my P90X and Insanity workouts with things like trail running and mountain biking. But as I dug a little deeper, I came to the conclusion that I was not a very good swimmer, even with my brief surf history, and not only that, I had runner’s knee. I began to look at other options when it came to endurance type races such as Duathlons, Mountain Bike Races, etc. and then someone told me about this thing called Tough Mudder, a 10+ mile endurance race with obstacle courses similar to the types used by the British Special Forces. I got excited =). Coming from a background of extreme sports, I began to think that this is something that I can possibly get into. The trail running aspect of the races were more appealing to me because of the softer impact, as well as the change of elevation and terrain. I finally found the type of endurance race that would best suit me!

I recently came back from a trip to Pensacola to visit my family. I had a blast, and was even able to help my brother Fermin with his Fit Club. His P90X Coaching Team is amazing! It happened to also be the weekend of my mother’s birthday. My brother Fermin and I along with one of his fellow coaches took one day away from Pensacola and drove up to Huntersville, NC for the Warrior Dash. The Warrior Dash is similar to the Tough Mudder, but more like a mini version of the king of endurance mud races. It was like doing a 5K in the forest with towering wall obstacles and extra mud to make things more exciting. In all honesty though, it was pretty easy =). It probably helps that I have been doing P90X and Insanity workouts since September of 2010, so some people may consider my fitness level to be elite, but for me, I have a long way to go, and I still consider myself a virgin when it comes to trail running. So my week long trip to Pensacola was filled with team bonding, fit club expansion, family time, and even a Warrior Dash! I really owe it all to my Team Beachbody gig. If I did not have the opportunity to share with people the benefits of living a fit lifestyle, which I am truly passionate about, I would not have the freedom to begin taking things off of my “bucket list”. What started as a journey to get in the best shape of my life, is now turning into a journey to help others. This was truly an awesome trip, and I look forward to many more to come!

Enjoy the photos below:

Presenting my brother Fermin with his Diamond Coach Award

Fermin and I – Warrior Dash Carolinas – August 2011, Hunterville, NC.

The mud pit before the finish line – Warrior Dash Carolinas 2011

Flexing by the stinky pile of shoes – These shoes will be ultimately cleaned and donated to third world countries.

It was a muddy finish =)

NO, I’m not naked, it’s MUD!

Coach Mark, Coach Fermin, and Me – Our first Warrior Dash!

My Mom and I on her birthday – Instagram Shot =) Do you Instagram?

*I currently train with P90X, P90X One on Ones, Insanity, and Asylum to prepare for Endurance Races. I am also active in trail running and mountain biking, it’s all about variety, so get out there and see the outdoors!