Ways David Goggins' Challenge May Actually Get You Crazy About Running
by Angie Friers
Ever hear of the Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge? Me either until one of my friends posted on social media that she would be running four miles, every four hours, for forty-eight hours. My friend has been known to do some crazy running challenges, but this one sounded insane. I learned that the Goggins Challenge was started by former Air Force and Navy Seal, David Goggins. David is an ultramarathon runner, distance cyclist and triathlete from New York. This challenge is probably more mentally challenging than physical and getting people into crazy runner mode!
I happened to see my friend right after she finished her fourth leg and she looked amazing. She had started out at 8pm the night before, ran again at midnight, four more miles at 4am and again at 8am. She was kind enough to spend the next few hours with us as we did a photo shoot for Scar and Co. and then took off again at noon to run her next leg of four miles.
As someone who pretends to be a runner, I go through bouts of getting up every morning at 5am to log some miles to hitting the snooze for a month and making excuses why I need the extra zzz’s. Running takes dedication. And being able to do the Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge takes not only dedication but true mental focus and preparation. From laying out your running gear for each leg and planning where you will be throughout the day and where you can put your 4 miles in are all part of the process it takes to conquer the Goggins Challenge.
My running friend completed her challenge Sunday night, along with five other crazies. They posted a picture on Facebook with beers in their hands and smiles on their faces. They looked happy. And proud of themselves. And I admire them immensely for what they achieved and I hope they know that us “sometimes” runners live through their feats of awesomeness. Maybe I’ll someday go crazy and run through the night…most likely not because my snooze button awaits me in the morning and I can’t let it down.