Local Racer Ryan Tworek Takes on The SISU Iron - 30 Hour Challenge

First off, you are probably wondering, what is SISU? SISU is a Finnish word that embodies determination, bravery, and resilience in the face of adversity. It is a concept rather than a single word that really has no English comparison. SISU is comprised of a group of individuals from around the world. You will not find a more diverse group.

SISU is made of up of people of all ages and they are all part of the group for different reasons. Ryan Tworek has been part of this group for several years now and it is hard to put into words how awesome the people are. They all take on challenges and the journey is more than the destination. When you spend 30 straight hours with a group of people, you get to know them in different ways. You also know that they will not quit and they will do everything in their power to support you in any way necessary. They have a passion for community, building people up and pushing them beyond their limits.

Now that you start to get an idea of what SISU is, what is the IRON? The IRON is a challenge that starts at 7:00 PM on Friday April 29th and will end somewhere around Sunday morning at 3:00 AM. It is up to the race directors as to when it will end. The Iron is taking place in the mountains of Monrovia, California. A local Mission Viejo resident, Ryan Tworek, will be in the field of approximately 100 participants of the SISU Iron this year, with a goal of finishing and earning the coveted spike. Ryan has finished the SISU Iron two times and completed the Death Race, The World’s Toughest Mudder 2X, ran 25+ Tough Mudders and 20+ Spartan Races. These races are not your typical 5K. Most are 6-15 miles with some covering more than 30 and have 20-25 obstacles.

What can you possibly do for 30 hours? Well, people are very creative. Most of the Race Directors have participated in races like the Death Race (60-hour event), World’s Toughest Mudder (24 hours to run as many laps as possible), GoRuck Challenges, as well as many other adventure and OCR’s (Obstacle Course Races). The entire event is self supported meaning participants carry whatever they need with them through the entire event without any outside help. They are given a 'gear list' of required and recommended items to bring to the event. This year the gear list includes, in addition to expected items like food and water, items like an axe, 2-inch screws, a toy doll and a sewing kit.

Why would you pay to do something for 30+ hours? Unless you experience an event like this, it is hard to understand. 99.99% of people will never challenge themselves in this way. Some people start by being support crew for other people or a volunteer. From there, they are so inspired by what they see, they choose to take on the challenge themselves. There are three reasons why Ryan does the races:

1. The people you meet are awesome!
2. You learn and grow through the process.
3. Taking on new challenges!

Everyone will get something different from participating in an event like the SISU Iron. This year's theme is Commitment and Burden. You are writing down the name of a person you would do anything for and carrying it with you throughout the challenge. There will be activities focused around the theme. There are about 100 people who will start, not all will finish. Some people will get to cold, some people will miss time cutoffs, some will be injured and some just won't be able to finish. The great thing with the Iron is that you are not alone! Unlike other races where there is only 1st place, everyone at the Iron wants everyone else to finish. It is an environment that you wish you saw more in everyday life. It is where is someone sees someone struggling, they offer a hand. You have to experience it!

Some tasks in the past have included chopping wood into small pieces and then having to stack it 6 feet high, rolling a tire up and down a mountain as a team, starting a primitive fire, shooting bow and arrows, running 7 miles to Dave and Busters, winning 3,000 tickets and running back within a 4 hour time cut-off, memorizing poetry, hiking 3 miles to a waterfall, filling up a 5 gallon bucket up, adding food coloring to it and bringing it back without letting the water go below 3 inches from the top, 2 hours of physical training and much, much more. Do you get any sleep during the event? Oh yeah, there might be 5-15 minutes, but that is if you are lucky or finish a task early. Some of the tasks have cutoffs of time, or a cutoff that the last 5 to finish are out of the race. It makes you push in ways you have never pushed before.

How do you prepare for a 30 hour challenge? To prepare for the race, Ryan does CrossFit at CrossFit Anaerobic 4-5 times per week, competes in Obstacle Course Races and plays with his son! Most of the race is mental and your body can do it. There is not a crazy fitness regimen that Ryan does to prepare for these types of races. Yes, you need to be in shape, but you don’t need to workout like a maniac to be ready.

As the event gets bigger, it attracts more athletes. These aren’t your normal athletes and their pain thresholds are much different than a normal person. As the athletes get better, the race directors make the race tougher. It should be noted, not all of it is physical toughness. There are mental challenges that have knocked out just as many competitors as the physical challenges. Wishing all the participants in the 2016 SISU Iron Good Luck and get that spike!

Below is a link to a video of Ryan participating in the Iron a couple of years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pevl9M6IxHs