DO HARD THINGS

The Reason For It

Thursday night rolled around and I went to pick up my longtime friend Dylan Spina at the Indianapolis International Airport. We embraced each other with one of those reach-over-the-middle-console hugs before hitting the road. We caught up quick… there's always something new to share but the reality of it is we have been doing life together virtually since seeing each other at the ultra marathon we ran and camped out at all weekend last September. Waking up Friday morning, Dylan joined Ambrose Ashley Homol and I on our morning family walks. We went just shy of 4 miles and talked and reminisced on the old days and how much good had been done since. Dylan and I got back to the house and started getting the garage and driveway set up. More guys from the DoHardThings Community are coming in that evening for a 13-mile trail run. The first of many training efforts we were to take down this past weekend.

Lesson 1:

Make efforts to stay linked up with old friends who breathe life into you.

Dylan looks over and laughs at me as we sit in the camp chairs outside the garage in the driveway. He says “this is the longest we’ve been together without doing something hard… in YEARS…” This was about 5 hours into Friday. I laugh knowing how true it is. In this season of life Dylan is a firefighter in Salt Lake City and I’m in Indy doing my thing and raising up a young family. I say the same thing to him as I say to all my friends in this season of life: “Ain’t it true! If I’m going to have adult friendships in this season of life it means we are getting together for an afternoon or day or 2 for a run, workout and competition!” You know… there’s a lesson in that.

Lesson 2:

Men need to be surrounded by men who are DOING THINGS. But it doesn’t need to look like your high school friendships hangs. Dylan and I (along with the rest of the community) are meeting up a couple times per year for a big training efforts, events or challenges. The date on the calendar keeps us honest in between. The group calls I lead and teach from hold us accountable… Don’t overthink this… or underestimate how beneficial the date on the calendar and group of dudes who DO HARD THINGS can be!

The evening finally rolls around! Another longtime friend, Charlie Garwood , shows up to shoot content for us all weekend. Charlie, Dylan and I have been best buds for a decade. Both of these guys helped me build my first business, Iron Valley Barbell, and still to this day are the 2 strongest influences in my life. We embrace with hugs and jokes. Lots of jokes… making digs at each other, the kind that only old friends would know how to make. Of course… there’s a lesson in this!

Lesson 3:

If your friends don’t make fun of you they are not really your friends.

Finally, 6:30 rolls around and we are at the local church right on the trail waiting for the rest of the community to roll up. Start time is 7 but the crew knows that “IF YOU’RE ON TIME… YOU ARE LATE.” We have standards around here… everyone respects each other’s time. The crew starts to sprinkle in… The vibes are HIGH guys recognizing each other from the group calls or from past retreats they have attended in Sedona. Others recognize each other from the last 50 mile ruck we did in December as a team!

The embrace was quick and off we went! On mission, we all know why we are here. This is a “dry trip” —no booze or weed. We are here to put in work, to put down miles, to grow together and to go home stronger than we came. There’s an intention behind everything we do in the community.

TEAM

Lesson 4:

You got to be around people who are DOING THINGS. Every one of these guys knows the mission. We are not here to twiddle thumbs… but to grow and go home as better versions of ourself. To instill the wisdom and mindset gained from physical challenge back into our families.

Hosting a quality experience like this is not easy and I won’t spend 10,000 words explaining how much goes into the backend of this experience… but it is ALL HANDS ON DECK. My wife baking 5 loaves of sourdough, slow cooking chicken, homemade cookies, grilling steaks and prepping snacks. The guys show up without having to lift a finger on the backend. They are here to learn, grow, connect, and take down a huge physical challenge. I’m here to do everything in my power to help them fulfill on this… As you can tell this is not a BBQ at your neighbor’s house talking sports ball. There’s intention to our gathering and attention to details. People ask me… “are these guys your friends?” Of course they are! Most the guys in the community and I have been doing life together for years. We met at “this” level. It’s the level of honesty and wanting to grow. To do hard things. I said to Ronald D. Potts a year ago at the ultra we was running together:

I am in the season of life with a family and career that if I’m going to have friends they are going to have to be doing the same things I’m doing for physical fitness. We got to meet up for runs, hikes or lifts. That’s all the time I have outside of my family and career.

Lesson 5:

Men say “I don’t have people like you and those guys in my area.” This is exactly why I host the Do Hard Things Community. It’s where likeminded dudes can get together. The guys are all in similar seasons as me. They don’t have time OR WANT to “bro out” at the bar or spend countless hours golfing and boozing on Sundays. So we meet a couple times a year (not everyone comes to every event) and we meet virtually 30+ times a year to hold accountability and to go in depth on leadership and personal growth. This is what I’ve learned that works best for the busy guy who isn’t finding likeminded people in his town. It’s not too much of a leg lift but it’s just enough to require prioritizing the meetings and events to stay on track!

👉 This right here is what the DHT Community is built for. If you’re the guy who can’t find his people… this is where you find them. Check it out → DO HARD THINGS

P.s… so much is included with the community from virtual resources I offer in the DHT community: app, countless training plans, 30+ group coaching calls per year. All on top of 3 live events!

Saturday morning rolls around and I am hosting coffee and hangs at my place in the driveway. I have a tailgate tent set up along with camp chairs and enough coffee to kill a horse. Eggs on the Blackstone, sourdough and fruit. The homies start rolling in and the conversations start happening. We are all talking about training from the day before and how we can integrate the lessons back into real life. I shared a talk with the team before we went out to hit the track workout. You can watch it here: The Reason We Do Hard Things!

Off to the track! A new training environment for us. The night before we were in the woods on a single track. Saturday we are at the track. The change of training environments embodies a principle that I anchor in when it comes to keeping up with my fitness the past 20+ years. It's "Keep it fresh and fun!" New things and variety really scratch the creative itch for me in my training. It's what keeps me coming back and brings deeper meaning into my efforts.

BOOM! We put down 8 miles after a great warm-up. We are all in great spirits knowing we have put down 20+ miles in the last 12 hours. This is already one of the biggest efforts for many of the guys on the team this year! Focus shifts… it's time to fuel up and relax before heading back out again for another 13+. We head back to the house for chicken and tortillas! Ash has been slow cooking for us all morning. We grubbed up, shared some stories and laughs then hit the road for 3 simulation loops. In the event we are doing in September it's 4.167 miles on the hour, every hour! This means you can complete a loop in 14+ min/mile. Then you go out again. The next loop starts ON THE HOUR for everyone, even if you come back with 10-20 mins to spare—you can use that time to rest. It's "not hard" till it is! (reminds me a lot of real life) So we go out at our projected (ish) race paces. We come back with anywhere from 5-9+ mins to spare. We use that time to hit the restroom, add water and electrolytes, and grab food. Off we go again! This time we are running through town and parks. A new change of environment is fresh for our minds and bodies! The vibes are high when we reach the town park—they are setting up for a cover band concert that evening.

We finish the loops strong and get back to the house just in time to fry up some steaks! We refuel the bodies and crack jokes like old friends. We tell "war stories" and lessons learned. The evening starts to roll around and we are 33 miles in and it's time for the guys to get back. Some guys are driving an hour+ away and other guys are flying out early. Others are ready for bed. Some of us are meeting at church for the 9:30 am service. Hugs and laughs are shared with "see ya laters!" Most all of us will be seeing each other in 12 weeks for the BIG EVENT! (Ultra we are doing together) Haha, oh yeah on that note. Most of the guys doing this are NOT ultra marathoners. Rather just dudes who are in for the CHALLENGE. Some guys lift, others run Ironmans, and others go to Orangetheory classes. This is NOT a running group—however, running far is HARD so we are all doing it! (You need homies who are "crazy" enough to say "YES" to a big challenge!) The training part of the weekend is over. We take a group picture to close out the day (minus Nate dog and Angel and Charlie).

Everyone rolls out then Angel rolls in later. He was at yoga training and was coming back later to vibe out. Then he starts lacing up, saying "I got to get the extra loops in I missed"— Charlie Garwood Dylan Spina and I look at each other…. knowing dang well we gotta go 1 more! So we lace back up, tired and DONE, to go another one! We finish up the first loop with Angel at 10 p.m.! Angel goes 3 more alone to get even on the loops. He's a competitor himself, running over 150 miles last year in the backyard ultra!

The night ends around 12 a.m. post shower. I wake up at 7 a.m. and quickly get ready to go park cars at church. The guys show up at 9 for the 9:30 service. A guest preacher comes in and talks about the importance of DOING HARD THINGS and how Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily. A fitting message for the weekend. The guys ask if I planned it that way… I laughed in my head knowing this is how the Lord works and what a blessing to see and feel it in real time. A few quick hugs and we are all on our separate ways. I head back home for an afternoon family walk and park hangs. I'm tired but the spirit is lifted. I thank my wife a thousand times over for her love and support throughout the weekend. She simply says "of course, you know I love doing it." I know well that without her love and participation I don't pull these events off the way that I do. This leads me to my last lesson.

Lesson 6:

My wife Ashley Homol supports and encourages every crazy idea, challenge or event I host. She trusts me, knowing that when I do these things I come back BETTER from them. I’ve worked with over 1,000 men in my coaching career. Many of whom have expressed their significant others did not support what they were doing. Rather than blame his wife, I would ask a simple question: “In the past… when you were apart from your wife doing things… did you come back better from the things you did and the men you were around?” Too often that answer is NO. Going to the bar or spending the day boozing at the golf course didn’t make him any better. There are no lessons or confidence gained to be injected back into the family. Why would anyone support the erosion of oneself?

The lesson here is simple—if you want your wife or anyone to respect and encourage what you do… be someone who’s worthy of respect and encouragement. DO THE THINGS… the HARD THINGS that are worthy of respect and honor!

👉 If you’re tired of doing it alone… come DO HARD THINGS with us. This is your invitation. Join the community here → DO HARD THINGS

With Love,

Zach!