Death Notes

Lessons written in scar tissue. Truths forged in failure.
This is where the hard-earned wisdom lives.

This is where I keep the pages from a life shaped by suffering—some chosen, some not.

What started as a goal to finish a race became something else. A practice. A way to sharpen the mind through pain, to test ideas in real-time. The posts here aren’t written from the safety of hindsight, they’re forged in the middle of it all: broken gear, broken plans, and moments that broke me open.

You’ll find reflections grounded in Stoicism, endurance, failure, and whatever clarity I could scrape together along the way. It’s not about heroics. It’s about showing up, again and again, until the lessons stick.

If you’re looking for inspiration, you might find some. But mostly, you’ll find truth.

The human who races with this blog shall neither be the same… nor sane.

Tony Matesi at the Death Race – a lesson in chosen suffering and resilience Photo Credit: Marion Abrams - Madmotion

You've endured all I've wrote

🎮 DEATH NOTES BONUS ROUND

Full Name

Email

Subscribe and you might get a collectible. Or a curse. Either way, it’ll be worth it.

Facebook-f

The Privilege of Chosen Suffering: Lessons from the Death Race and Beyond

No Finish Line: How Building a Startup Feels a Hell of a Lot Like the Death Race

The Soulsborne of Suffering: How the Death Race and Soulslike Games Test the Same Spirit

Beyond the Battle: Why Therapy is the Ultimate Finish Line

The Triforce of Life: How Courage, Power, and Wisdom Help You Conquer Any Challenge

Which Watch Would a Wayfaring Death Race Wanderer Want?

Picking an Axe to Wield at the Death Race

Should I Wear Boots or Trail Shoes for the Death Race?

Which Ruck Should I Choose for the Peak Death Race?

The Most Important Gear You Didn’t Know You Needed to Conquer the Spartan Death Race