“CSAUP”: Completely Stupid and Utterly Pointless. 

In F3 parlance, this is an event which involves great misery just for the sake of stupidity.

On a Sunday morning in October, beneath a beautiful blue sky, several men huddled around a miracle and listened to our beloved brother Hayseed speak words of inspiration. Tim spoke of his battle with cancer. He spoke not of the misery, nor of the pain, nor of the fear. Tim spoke of finding a sense of peace in his life which he wished that all men would find. It is the sense of peace that a man finds when he is resolved to accept his fate and appreciate the blessings which have been bestowed upon him.

In some ways, this story began almost exactly a year before. Last year a group of men joined together to run a Spartan Beast. Hayseed was one of those men. I was honored to be there with him.

I remember that day a year ago as we struggled through the obstacles on the course. Hayseed, a natural athlete, ran the course with confidence and grace. But the thing that I love about him, the thing that we all love about him, is his caring and easygoing nature. Even on that day, as we all baked in the heat and suffered the tests of that course, he always had that easy smile on his face. It is the kind of smile that lights up the eyes and touches the soul. It wasn’t long after that he was diagnosed with cancer.

On this Spartan weekend we witnessed a miracle. We watched our brother Hayseed run that race not even a year since his battle with cancer began. He ran that race with the love and support of his brothers, not just the ones who were there, but all of his brothers. The ones who prayed with him, the ones who sent food, the ones who sent love, and the ones that rejoiced with the news that his cancer would not diminish the light of his soul.

But as much as this weekend was about the miracle of Hayseed, there were many tales of suffering and redemption..

I was moved to tears, and my heart was bursting with joy, as I watched some of the best men I know push themselves beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. I watched as these men struggled together against great adversity. I watched these men care for each other and celebrate each other’s victories. In spite of my own struggles, I found that sense of peace that Hayseed spoke about as I watched these men, my brothers, ‘live third’ … live for each other.

The joy that I feel for these men is beyond my capacity to express in words. But even if just for a moment, I have that sense of peace in my heart. This is the mission, to share this gift of F3 with every man so that they can stand beneath a beautiful blue sky on a Sunday morning and witness a miracle.

Completely Stupid and Utterly Pointless? I humbly disagree!

– Fear Factor