ARLINGTON, Va. - You may die.
These three words give potential competitors a first impression of what they can expect from what many consider to be the toughest obstacle and endurance race on the planet - the Spartan Death Race.
According to the website, past races have included chopping wood for two hours, carrying a 20-pound tree stump around for hours, building a fire and lifting 10-30 pounds of rocks for five hours. And it doesn't stop there. After 20 hours of racing, past competitors have had to memorize the names of the first 10 U.S. presidents, hike to the top of a mountain and recite them back in order and crawl through mud under barbed wire.
The race boasts an 85 percent "did not finish" rate and two Soldiers from the National Guard Bureau Office of the Inspector General, Sgt. 1st Class Sterling Deck and Army Maj. Cary Gilman, are preparing to find out what they are made of during this year's race June 15 in Pittsfield, Vt.
"A lot of it has to do with my past," Deck said about why he signed up for the 48-hour Death Race. "I've always tried to do things, or to push myself to the limit and never settled for the status quo. Exceeding the standard is just the way that I have always lived."
Gilman agreed.
"My whole life has been go extreme or don't go at all," he said. "When I first met Deck, I found out that he liked this [extreme] stuff too, so we started challenging each other. It's become a lifestyle and it's not just about getting yourself in shape."
Deck and Gilman are familiar with events that test the boundaries of human ability. Both have done several marathons, ultra-marathons, extreme mountain biking and physically tough military schools. They also started the National Guard Xtreme Team, which motivates and enables other service members to participate in several endurance races a year.
"When we heard about the Death Race we knew that it was eventually going to be something that we were going to do," said Deck, "so we signed up for it and are going to represent the National Guard. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and we may never have the opportunity to do it again so we didn't want to pass it up."
Since 2005, the Death race - which is held once a year - has helped competitors learn what they are capable of achieving, and how much further they can go beyond their own comfort zones.
Neither Deck nor Gilman is worried that they may die though.
"The fact that this is possibly dangerous; hey, you can walk out onto the street and get hit by a bus, so it doesn't matter to us - it's just another day," Deck said. "We're going to go out, have fun, and do our best."
"'You may die' is something that really is meant to be attractive to someone who is an adrenaline junkie like myself or Sgt. [1st Class] Deck," Gilman said. "Really, you may die doing anything. [Soldiers] jump out of planes and go in to combat."
Gilman said he hopes to learn what his human potential is during the Death Race because in life, few people ever get that chance and that limit can be different for each individual.
"This race has to be tough for everyone," Gilman said. "If you're strong, then they're going to find other things for you to do in order to make this race a challenge so you hit that breaking point and find your potential."
Gilman said he feels well prepared for the race.
"I have a great foundation in some of the things they say we might have to do, such as carry logs or railroad ties" he said, recalling growing up on a farm "That's what I did as a child. I have memories of carrying wood and stuff simply because my dad told me too, so if the race directors tell me to do something then I'm going to do it."
Deck is confident that his military training will come in handy when faced with a tough situation.
"I did airborne and air assault," he said. "I did a lot of military obstacle courses and I was in the infantry for six years and a lot of that has prepared me for the race, but a lot of what I'll need will come from the discipline I have. I think I have a slight advantage mentally as well, because of my military training."
Deck said for him it's a "been there, done that" mentality.
"People who are [in the military] understand that there are times when you feel like you can't keep going, but you do," he said. "If you've been in situations when you've been cold and wet, or hungry and tired, your body adapts to it better the second time because it knows what that feels like, and it allows you to reach down even further to find that strength to push forward."
Part of their training for this year's race included circuit training with log carries, simulated chopping with a sledgehammer and tires and sprints up and down hillsides while carrying heavy packs. In May, Gilman and Deck also hiked approximately 50 miles through the Shenandoah Mountains, in the middle of the night with heavy backpacks, in order to prepare themselves for the fatigue and lack of sleep they will face during the Death Race.
But competitors won't know what they'll face until the day of the event.
"I think it's going to be a gamut of emotions because we don't know what to expect," Deck said. "I'm excited about it, but at the same time a little worried. I mean, if you're not scared then you're not human. It's going to be a painful experience, but an awakening experience."
Gilman seemed just as excited.
"I think this year is going to be one of the hardest Death Races that they've had," he said. "There are a lot of people out there training for it this year, but I feel like I've been training for this for over 20 years."
Gilman said he looks forward to how the race will change him for the better. "I'm going to learn something about myself, and if that's all I take away from this experience, then I've already won."