It is finished.
For the last 100 days, I've completed "Murph" (see above). Every. Fucking. Day. I didn't miss one, I didn't cut any corners. Granted, I didn't do it with a weighted vest (as itβs often prescribed), and I ended up walking many of the miles, but I did it. Let's talk about my experience completing 100 Days 100 Murphs - I think a series of questions will help this run smoothly.
1) Why?
The question I get most often is, "Why the hell did you do this?" Well, it started off innocuously. My brother and I wanted to challenge ourselves, push beyond our limits, see what we were made of. We both were in a time of serious transition, and we wanted to shake the foundation, if you will. After a car ride filled with deliberation, we decided on Murph - the workout you see above. We're both in great shape and we were confident we could do it. We came up with 100 days because that sounded crazy to us, and that's exactly what we were looking for.
Within no time at all, Murph became much more to me. I had left a relationship, started a new brand and was desperate for a new direction in my life. I had tried several different paths in the past, and many more lay stagnant in my mind. Murph became a vehicle in which to sort out my life, to find clarity, to pressure myself into the man I always wanted to be. In so many ways, it did exactly what I hoped it would.
2) The Result
During the 100 Days of Murph, the following things happened:
I decided to leave my corporate job and make my brand my life. This is the single biggest risk I've ever taken. In my opinion, it took me way too long for me to get here.
I gave up a 6 figure salary and a luxury apartment in Brooklyn for no (read: zero) guaranteed income and a bed in my family home.
I accepted that the dream of my twenties (becoming a musician) was in fact not what I wanted, and decided to give everything I had to this new path.
I wrote a Daily Reflection every day alongside Murph, without missing a day. I've expanded into multiple newsletters, with more ideas and iterations to come.
Many more smaller things that I'm probably forgetting.
I'm sure a lot of this sounds scary. It may sound stupid, wrong, childish - whatever you want to think about it, that's your opinion. I know in my soul that this experience with Murph changed me, and it has shown me my path ahead. At this point, it doesn't even matter what that becomes or what that looks like. I simply know that I'm doing exactly what I was meant to do - there's no better way to describe it.
3) The Damage
I wasn't expecting to make it out of this experience without any bumps or bruises, and I certainly didn't. It's worth it to note here that I continued my Old Time Strongman training throughout the duration of Murph, which significantly added to the load. Here's a list of the damage I've taken over the last 100 days:
Chronic elbow tendonitis (from 10,000 pull-ups in 100 days).
Problems with my right leg and walking.
Extreme dehydration, including intense muscle fasciculations and spasms.
Exponential increase in health anxiety.
Over-caffeination and associated symptoms.
Severely altered sleep cycle.
Overall soreness and fatigue.
This list isn't meant to scare you, either. Everything action that occurs has a reaction, every cause has an effect. I wasn't expecting extraordinary change to come without a price. My body and my mind were pushed well beyond their limits for the length of the last 100 days, and it's taken me to some of the darkest places I've ever been to. The thing is, now I know. I know what my body is capable of going through and surviving. I know how much darkness my mind is willing to overcome. Knowing me, I'll find ways to push myself further in my life (I know I could handle more, even now), but as of this moment, I can't imagine any experience that will come close to what I just went through. I'm ready for all of the challenges that life is sure to throw at me - I'd consider myself over-qualified at this point.
4) What's Next
Finishing my Murph experience with a fast was always the plan, pretty much from day 1. I knew I was going to need some serious healing after a period of extreme, high-intensity movement. I've committed to a full 7-day fast to recover in the most effective way I know how. Don't worry, I'm not going to starve. I've been periodically fasting for the last year - I started with 2 days, then increased my way up to my most recent fast, which was 5 days long (obviously before Murph). My conclusion from my fasting experiences is that fasting is no short of a miracle. I expect to come out of this fast healed in a variety of ways, and on top of that, I expect my strength to increase exponentially in the weeks to follow. I'll dive more into this in tomorrow's Reflection.
Once my fast is complete, I'll be starting my next round of what I'm calling "100 Day Modules". These are meant to spark change, strength, growth, healing - really any movement in body, mind and/or soul. Since the last module was so intense, this next one will be a complete shift in gears. I will be stretching for 20 minutes a day and meditating for 20 minutes a day - I'm calling it 100 Days of Mobility and Meditation. My goal is to be able to do a full split (I'm already closer than you'd think) and find some quiet after several months of chaos. I will also be doing this with anyone who wants to join me, so hit me up in the new chat feature here or on Instagram (@modern.bronze).
5) Conclusion
Overall, this experience was worth it 1000%, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I've learned more about myself than I ever thought I would, and it had a tremendous impact in reality, in my actual day-to-day life. It's now up to me to take it from here and use it all for good. If you're stuck, living in quiet desperation, depressed, anxious, anything - set an insane goal for yourself and do it for 100 days. It will change you, that I promise. It doesn't have to be as hardcore as doing a Murph every day, but it should be something that's a significant stretch for you. This is all part of what I am tentatively calling my Philosophy of Action, and I am starting to see this pop up in so many places in my life. You can't keep doing the same things over and over again and expect the same result, and the body is the perfect vehicle for movement. That's literally what it was made for.
I want to thank each and every one of you who have supported me on this journey. This is only the very tip of the iceberg. Daily Reflections will continue every day, and there is so much more to come. Until then, keep fighting, keep growing, keep pushing the boundaries of what you believe is possible. On the other side is everything you've ever wanted.
If you like Daily Reflections, here's more from Modern Bronze:
If youβre interested in health & fitness with a vintage twist, The Bronzeman is produced and released every Sunday. It covers weightlifting, different styles of training, nutrition and everything in between.
If youβre interested in poetry, Iβve started a newsletter dedicated entirely to poetry called Poetry in the Dark. Starting this week, it will be released on Wednesdays.
So very proud of you and what you have achieved!!!!