So there you have it: The story of my participation in the 2010 Everglades Challenge. The EC is not easy. In fact, it is difficult by design. Of the 42 boats that had paid the $350 entry fee, 40 left the beach at the start*.

Of that 40, 24 made it to the finish at Key Largo. That's a 40% failure rate.

Even Chief, the guy who sets this whole thing up, had to drop this year after his sailing kayak flipped in the middle of the night. Those guys in Brogan? They were on our heels or in front of us the whole way until Flamingo.

I can safely say I would have dropped out at each checkpoint if it hadn't been for Mike. I learned who I really am on this trip: A quitter. But, ya can't quit if ya don't start, so I got that going for me.

*the other boats at the start were in the Ultra marathon or Ultimate Florida Challenge