With this episode coming out on the the eve of the 4th of July, it makes sense that the guest is all about the American flag, In fact, this military veteran has carried it on nearly 750 races across almost 12,000 miles. Incredible! Why and how does he do it? Give this a listen and subscribe to the podcast, tell others about #RunTheRace. (3:54) I met Billy Richards (from NY) at "mainly marathon" races last year and again last month during my 3 races of 26.2 miles in 3 days. He did 11 straight 50Ks. He talks about carrying the USA flag and/or a ruck sac to symbolize carrying the burden of veterans. Your body can do more than you think. He slows the intensity and can run a lot more, and more days. His experience (10:26) as a former Marine and Army paratrooper made for a tough transition to civilian life, like many vets. Working out compulsively helped, but there was no purpose behind it. It became a "mission" when he carried those items like the American flag at all these fitness challenges. Billy also describes some of the crazy parts of the "Death Race" team event. (23:54) This personal trainer also describes pushing your body, getting lost and in the zone with a task like running 100 miles. You'll want to hear his story about his legs not working and him ending up in the hospital after his first race that distance. Then, he almost broke the world record for most 100 milers completed in 1 year - which led to hop surgery. (36:50) Running for a cause can be an extra motivator for all of us. For Billy now, it's Operation Vest, who helps provide counseling services for veterans to prevent suicides. Donate here: https://www.operationvest.org/campaign/billyrichards/. After we talk about the true meaning of freedom, with this holiday here...and also his current/future goals...i close out the pod in prayer. Thanks for listening to the #RunTheRace podcast! Also, write a quick review about it, on Apple podcasts. For more info and all past episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.