Bryan’s Training Journal
Follow along as Bryan shares his personal journey — from training strategies and mindset tips to behind-the-scenes looks at events like Tough Viking.
Real stories, real challenges, and real growth, straight from the field.
READ NOW: BRYAN’S EXPERIENCE AT TOUGH VIKING 2025 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
“That’s insane.”
“You’re hardcore, man.”
“Wow.”
These were some of the responses people gave me when I was asked what brought me to Sweden. The answer that prompted these responses: “I’m just here to run a race!”
I have been a fan of obstacle course races – OCRs – since I was a kid. I remember watching the TV show Double Dare (yeah, I’m that old) and being really excited for the physical challenges and the obstacle course at the end of the show. I’d sit there glued to the screen, imagining how I would do the challenges. At school, I was the kid who would climb over (or crawl under) anything in my path. Monkey bars, jungle gyms, swing sets, slides, bleachers: if it wasn’t going to fall over, I’d find a way to be on top of it.
Back then, climbing and racing was just something I would do for fun. As I’ve gotten older, I still enjoy a good obstacle course, but I also feel they’re a great way to test our physical and mental abilities. Think about it: people are designed to move and be mobile. We need to be functional in multiple aspects; we need to run, jump, climb, crawl, squat, lift, push, pull, carry, dodge, duck, dip, dive and more.
My experience in OCRs is limited. I participated in a few small-scale races when I lived in Florida. I also participated in the Boot Camp Challenge, held in Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (aka Marine Corps Boot Camp). Fun Fact #1: I served 5 years in the United States Marine Corps. Fun Fact #2: I went to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. I had a great time at all these events, and going to MCRD feels like going home. But as I said earlier, they were small-scale; mostly just climbing over a wall or log, a small amount of mud, and usually about 5 km. I needed something more.
That’s when I saw a video of Tough Viking on Instagram.
I know what you’re saying: there are plenty of Spartan Races and Tough Mudders in the U.S.A. – why go all the way to Sweden? One reason is that I love to travel, and I’ll take any excuse to visit somewhere new. But I also felt there was something different about Tough Viking. I did some research and looked up the toughest OCRs, and Tough Viking showed up at the top of the list. With an opportunity to participate in one of the best races in the world, I had to jump on it.
I’m so glad I did. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I participated in the Stockholm Stadion race: it was a little over 8 km, with about 29 obstacles. It started and ended in the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. I was in awe from the very beginning. The stadium wasn’t anything massive like the Rose Bowl, and I’m sure there are some Division 2 colleges with a bigger stadium, but the fact that I was on the same track where Olympic athletes had competed was an amazing feeling.
Running through the forest and diving into the frigid Baltic Sea made this the best race I have run by far. My real motivation for participating was that I wanted to test myself; not just physically, but mentally as well. For example, one of the obstacles was to get on a small surfboard and paddle out into the Baltic. It wasn’t like we were going out for miles, probably 20 yards out and back. But – Fun Fact #3 – I am not a great swimmer. I can move around okay, but not for long, and as far as floating and staying above water, I sink like a 180 dumbbell. There were lifeguards and safety officials there, so I knew I’d be fine. But once I got to where I couldn’t feel the ground beneath me and I was on the board, I had to mentally calm myself so I wouldn’t worry about how deep it was. I didn’t want to be that guy who freaked out, flipped over, and sank to the bottom. Needless to say, I made it without a hitch.
I was able to test my limits through the entire course. There were a few obstacles that I failed at and had to run penalty laps, but failure is part of the process. I didn’t want to back down or quit, and that’s what it comes down to: Not giving up and always pushing our limits.
I’m looking forward to my next test, whatever and wherever it may be.
To see my POV video of running Tough Viking 2025, see the YouTube link below!
