SHOW NO WEAKNESS

The REAL DEAL

2010-03-16T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,This is David's wife, Aleeza. I have only ever posted David's health updates on here but I feel that I need to. So many of you read David's blogs and take them completely out of context! David is a man that hates to do these things, that is a fact. Another fact is that...yes...he does do them alone. Myself and many others support David in his races, however, he is always alone. He is talking about his mind, the thoughts, the miles he has to complete. He is not speaking of physically being alone, or spiritually for that matter. He is saying that when you are on mile 50 or you are at work and have a horrible day, no one can help you get past that in your mind. You can get encouragement and love and support all day, but the bottom line is...if you don't push through it mentally, you will never complete your mission.
And to those of you who post that David is selfish... David gives his life doing these things to help others and is the most grateful guy you will ever meet...but I'm sure you've never had a conversation with him have you? I have seen this man go through extreme pain and suffering because it may put just one more kid through college. I watched him break the bones in his feet during his first 100 mile race and I watched him piss blood on the kitchen floor after I drug him up the stairs and he passed out. Don't talk to me about him being selfish. I witnessed him run 24 hours, tear his quad and then keep going for another 24 because people had promised to donate money if he completed 200 miles in 48 hours. My husband is an old school man, many of which don't exist anymore.
Many of you that read this blog understand that David is not the average guy. Most people would not choose to put themselves through pain to raise money, but David knows that is what gains attention. He hates being on magazines, hates doing interviews, but he does it because he knows that it will help the foundation. Trust me, you won't see him much after the RAAM. This will be his last race. He has had a goal in mind of how much money he has wanted to raise for the foundation and that mission will be complete when he crosses that finish line.
Everyone seems to think that David is a paid athlete; I'm here to tell you he is not. He is a hard working military man that works well over full time hours and gets a paycheck every two weeks just like everyone else. We as a family have spent thousands of dollars in order to raise money for the foundation. I'm not writing this blog to give you our life story, I'm writing because I have seen several posts on the Internet and this blog lately that talks about David being selfish and that his wife mush hate him. The truth of the matter is... I couldn't be more proud of this man. He is a true warrior and takes that spirit into his life everyday.
David blogs to try and help people take on the challenges in their lives. Obviously some of you think that life should be fun and lived that way. David believes that if he isn't pushing himself to become a stronger human being, that he isn't living.
Those of you who take offense to what David says, shouldn't be on his blog. Maybe you will all understand when David finishes the RAAM and you don't see or hear about him again. And you sure as hell won't have to worry about him upsetting you by his blog posts. He has dedicated his life for the last several years to this foundation to raise a million dollars. Not for himself, but for the guys who died for this country that allow him the ability to do what he does in his everyday life.
Until you have witnessed David suffer through some of the pain that I have witnessed, you will never truly know what all he has done for others.
Instead of assuming how David's family life is...please feel free to ask questions. I'm more than happy to answer. And I don't mean what he eats for breakfast.
It's funny how people seem to think this is all a game. David has told you why he does it...to raise money, and test his limits. When you read his blog, a lot of you get what he has learned and are taking it on yourselves and becoming better people who have pushed to get outside of there comfort zone. Others just get upset.

Get back up

2010-03-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

I know that some of you would like me to post more often, but the truth is...I can't. Nor do I want to when I have nothing to say that won't get you out of your everyday mentality. I am writing today because my life again has given me some things to overcome. As you all know I was going back in for another check up on my heart in December. Well, unfortunately the surgery didn't do what we had hoped that it would do. I still have a hole in my heart and will eventually be going back in for another surgery. But... Not until I complete my mission. I am still in pursuit of the 2010 Race Across America starting June 9th. It will only be God or death that keeps me from it.
All that being said, I am not referring to my heart when I talk about the things I must overcome. All my life I have been tested. Mentally, and physically. I can't say emotionally because I honestly don't think I have many emotions left. Most of you can relate to what I am about to talk about. It seems sometimes that no matter how hard you work things or people continuously get in your way. I want to answer some questions that I have gotten over the last several months. People seem to assume that my job in the SEALs is to be an athlete. That is not the case at all. While I have a few, or should I say, very few, people that support my personal goals such as RAAM, the truth is that I work a full time job. In order to train for these events I do it on my own time. I generally wake up around 3 am to get a ride in before work, and then will ride to and from work during the week, followed by extra miles on my way home. Without giving away my full training schedule, let's just say, I don't sleep much, definitely don't eat enough, and any free time I may think I'm going to have is spent on the bike. I'm telling you this because it is not easy to achieve anything personally or professionally by depending on other people. Nine times out of ten, you are alone. Alone in your mind, alone at your desk, alone in your wants and needs. People are not going to understand your goals because they have separate goals. It's not easy to do things alone. You must deviate from the crowd. This is why it is easier to go for a run with people. It's much easier when you know that someone is out there suffering with you. You can't look over and see that when you are suffering alone. But let me tell you... you are alone. You are alone when you cross the finish line, you are alone when you do extra miles, you are alone when you don't get the promotion at work. You are alone. When you can learn to deal with being alone and not depend on the support of others, you become a stronger human being. I have always been alone in the things I've done. You have to expect failure, if you don't when I comes your way, you will not be able to get back up.
I have read countless blogs, articles, and talked to several people who don't think I really hate doing the things I do. And to be blunt about it... It pisses me off. I have never taken the easy way. I have had to fail several times before I succeed at something, and sometimes it was at no fault of my own. But I run, bike, all of the above because I hate it. By hating it and doing it I grow. I know that people will never understand that, but that is the way I live my life. Why choose something you like to do? Because it's fun? How do you grow as a person by doing fun things? You grow by testing yourself, by testing your mind to go where it doesn't want to go. If you take the easy road, you get easy results. You don't expect anything out of yourself. If you take the hard road,and you make yourself get through it, you will expect more out of your everyday life. If you don't achieve and let people keep you down, you will stay down. Not me... I choose to get back up. I choose to look the unwanted in the face. I choose to go after the unwanted with a smile. I choose to suffer. And from suffering I grow.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying don't have any fun. But this blog and what I say has nothing to do with fitness, has nothing to do with obesity, has nothing to do with winning, has nothing to do with running or biking. It's about life. The bottom line is this, when you get knocked down and when life comes at you from all different angles, take time to reset get back up and smile. Life doesn't like when it can't keep you down, especially when you smile back at it.

Response

2010-01-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

I recently read this letter addressed to me on line. I feel that it warrants a response... Please read the letter and I will post my response below.

January 14, 2010
The dregs of 2009, part 1: An open letter to David Goggins
I'm currently mired in grant-writing. To keep a bit of blog momentum going, I'm going to post a couple of entries that I never got around to finishing last year. Here's the first one....

* * * * * *

Dear David,

You say the following on your website:

I’m nobody special. Let’s be perfectly clear… I don’t like to run. I don’t like to swim. I don’t like to bike. I do this to raise money for the children of soldiers killed in combat.... Like I said, I don't like running. I don't like biking. I don’t like swimming. I do it to raise money. But, now that I'm in this sport I want to see how far I can push myself. What makes me tick is that pain you feel when you do these ultramarathons. I can take a lot of pain.
I'll try to be perfectly clear too. You're a really tough guy, and you're raising money for an unimpeachable cause. Good for you. As far as I know, you're telling the truth when you say that you don't like to run but are doing it for the cause. Again, good for you. I just want to point out that you're a hero not only to the families of these fallen soldiers but also to the many millions of people who are battling obesity. You used to carry 290 pounds on your 6'2" body; now you're a muscular 190.

So where am I going with this? Well, you know as well as I that regular exercise is an important part of conquering obesity. Since we want people to exercise more, is there some way you can continue the fundraising without making physical activity sound so miserable?

People occasionally tell me that they "know" they should run more but just don't enjoy it. I always reply that they should find a sport that they like -- something that doesn't feel like a chore -- and do that instead. Perhaps you could offer a similar message -- one noting that healthy activities can also be fun?

I know, I know: you've got your script and I've got mine, and the fact that I like mine better doesn't mean that it's right for you. It was just an idea. I hope you're not upset, because you look like you could kill me with your bare hands without even breaking a sweat. Hey, no hard feelings, right?

Sincerely,
Greg Crowther

Greg,
First off I would like to say thank you for the kind words you said about me. I understand your questions and I hope that I am able to clear them up.
I do hate, running, biking, swimming, ect. I was 290lbs twice for a reason. I enjoy lifting weights. I can't tell people that all types of physical fitness is fun, because I truly don't believe that it is. I think that people in general enjoy what they are good at. For instance, I enjoy lifting weights. I am also good a lifting weights. I can't tell people that running, biking ect is going to be enjoyable for them because chances are, it's not. If you tell a 250 pound man to go out and run or anything of that nature. He is not going to enjoy it. It is going to be very painful and exhausting.
I believe with all of my soul that I have become a better person because I make myself do the things I don't enjoy. I believe to help obesity in America that it is important to spread the message that it is going to suck to loose weight. But, you also don't have a choice. You have to do it. If you con people who are overweight and out of shape into believing that working out is fun. They will stop after they realize that it isn't fun.
However, if you tell them that it is going to hurt and it is going to be painful, but you have to do it for your health....they won't quit when they experience those things.
You have to get out of your comfort zone to become a healthier, better person. You have to go outside your box. You have to go outside the normal and do the things that you may not want to do.
I believe that fighting obesity in America has to start with getting people in the right mindset that it has to be done regardless of their own personal feelings to it. I was raised by a mother that worked 3 jobs to go through college and a World War II vet that believed in being raised with discipline and a firm hand when needed. Maybe that is why I am how I am. Maybe you like to run because you are good at it. I don't no. But I can't tell people that physical fitness is fun, because for 90% of the population, it won't be.
There are a lot of exercises in the world that people can find enjoyable, like I said I find lifting weights very enjoyable. But like I was saying sometimes you much leave normal behind to grow as a person. What has helped me grow as a person is putting myself at the starting line of some of these horrible races knowing that I don't like to run or to bike. However, when I get through with the race the person that comes out the other side is a person that has grown. The things I say may not be for everyone, nor are they intended to be. I was raised old school and this is just how I live my life.

CAN'T SLEEP

2009-12-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can not do something. All my life I heard that I couldn't do something. My mom was working 2 jobs and going to college. I was an African American kid in an all white school. They tried to say that I couldn't....but I did. I wanted to be a Navy SEAL. They said I couldn't because I was too big and couldn't hardly swim....but I did. They said I couldn't go to Ranger School because my schedule as a SEAL wouldn't allow it....but I did. They said that I couldn't run 100 miles because I had never ran a marathon...but I did. They said I could never complete the Ultraman because I had never done a triathlon...but I did. Now they say I can't do RAAM because it's too soon. It's not safe....but....
Life is not always going to be this care free happy place that we would like it to be. What life throws at you is a lot of negativity. It's what you do with that negativity that makes you a stronger human being. When you hear the words, no, you can't, impossible, never...what do you think to yourself? Do you cower inside and run from the challenge. Or do you face it...head on...asking for more?
Failure is an option. It's what you do with the failure that makes you who you are. Our failures mold us. I have failed at several things in my life. What sets some of us apart, is that when we fail, we can't sleep at night. It haunts us until we have our time at redemption.

My Visit at the Naval Academy

2009-11-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you for all the students at the Naval Academy. I enjoyed visiting with you. Everyone made me feel very welcome. Not to mention you were not afraid to make sure that I got my workouts in! I would like to give a special thank you to the Triathlon Team for making me an honorary member and recognizing me at the football game. I look forward to getting any feedback that all of you have and I look forward to visiting again next year.

"Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth.” Jean Paul Satra

All of you guys going to BUD/s continue to work hard!

Where Has David Been?

2009-10-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give everyone an update on what David has been doing since his heart surgery....
The doctor told David that he would have to experiment a little when getting back into things. There is no text book answer for what he should and shouldn't do when it comes to this type of exercise. He still has to wait a couple months before he can really go crazy lifting wieghts in the gym like he wants to and he has to be careful when dealing with the elevation. As far as what he has been up to...
Starting at the beginning of August he ventured out on an 1800 mile PAC Tour. They road anywhere from 80-126 miles per day. The elevation gain was around 8,000 to 12,000ft per day that he road. The tour went really well for him he road strong and his heart felt stronger than ever. 1800 miles with no issues other than his bike taking a true beating.
In September he went out to the Hoodoo 500 but unfortunately the elevation there was too much for his heart. He went into atrial fibrilation and was unable to get it back into rythm during the race so he had to pull out. Needless to say he was very frustrated about that.
Following the Hoodoo he decided he needed to find another 500 mile race because he couldn't have that hanging over his head. He looked on line and was granted a late entry into the Furnace Creek 508. The race was going really well until mile 200. As he climbed up towns pass (elevation 5,000ft at the top) he started having some issues with the elevation. Along with that his legs were experiencing severe cramping. He couldn't pedal more than 10 times without his legs locking up on him. So, given the race had a 48 hour cut off we got a hotel at the halfway point in Furnace Creek. He had covered 252 miles in 14 hours and 44 minutes. We checked in and spent 7hours and 30 minutes in the hotel. After eating, and getting rehydrated David was set out to tackle the rest of the course. When he turned right out of the hotel room he turned directly into the same 30+ mph headwind that he had left when he checked into the room. The wind was relentless! He rode stong and hard. From the time we left Furnace Creek until the next checkpoint (around 70 miles) he managed to ride past 28 riders. The wind stayed with him all the way to the last checkpoint. There were reported gusts of up to 45mph. David road his bike amazingly well and was able to overcome all his complications to finish in 41hrs 44minutes. He is feeling great and is looking for his next event. He still has to watch the elevation, but other than that his heart is responding great. He wants to thank all of you for your tremendous support.

The Man in the Mirror

2009-07-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

What do your really want?

Every morning when you wake up what is the first thing you think about doing. I'm not talking about work, family ect. I'm talking about personal ambition. What is it that you desire to do?
Think about that. Then think about how long you have thought about doing it. Next, think about what you have done in the last year, 2, 3 or 4 years to get you closer to that goal. For some of you the answer may be simple. You may desire to do something and work toward that everyday. For others, it is harder. Some of you may desire to do something that seems impossible to do because of obligations. Work, family, and finances, can all play a role in what we desire. I will tell you this though. You will only truely want something when you work everyday at getting that something. What I am trying to say is that if you wake up in the morning and your true desire is to run a marathon, if you don't think about that everyday and work toward that everyday, you will never get there. I believe in life you have to be selfish sometimes. When we get older and can no longer do the things that we desire, what then? If you want to acheive something you have to be selfish. You have to put that goal in front of everything else. When you wake up in the morning it is the first thing you have to think about. You have to say to yourself, what is it that I am going to do today to bring me closer to my goal? For some, it may be waking up an hour earlier everyday to get to the gym. For some, it may be putting back $100 dollars a month toward that dream vacation. Whatever it is that you want to do, work for it. It has to become a part of your daily life. Until then, it will remain a desire, or a goal. You have to be upfront with those around you. Let them know what you are expecting to do, what you want to do. If they don't understand or support it, so what?!? It is your goal and your desire! Do what you have to do to get there. When you do. It will be the best moment in your life. Most likely you will find that those who truely care about you want you to succeed. They want to help you acheive. Your mind has to overtake you. You have to be in constant pursuit. When it is all said and done with you will see that you were truely not selfish. Through your hard work and dedication you probably inspired some of your friends and family to do better themselves. A lot of people say that I'm selfish. Is that the case? I have been able to raise a lot of money for a good cause. So you tell me. Is the time and energy worth it? Why don't you find out for yourself? A lot of people say that they are the ones that have to look at themselves in the mirror everyday. Everyday when I see my reflection. I see a man who is not yet satisfied. What does your reflection say to you?

Why the comparison?

2009-07-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

I want to start off by saying that I have a lot of respect for Dean Karnazes and what he has done for the sport of Ultra Running. He has helped open peoples eyes to the sport and I thank him for that. Lately I have found that when I give people interviews for magazine articles the same comparison always comes up. People always say that I am very similar to Dean. The truth is, Dean and I are two very different types of people. In life and in running. I want to list a few things below about our differences. I’m not doing this to put Dean down. As I said, Dean and I have talked several times and I respect him for what he has done. I just want people to understand that just because you show up in a magazine or TV interview doesn’t make you like everyone else.
1. I am a 6 ft 200lb man. Dean is a shorter smaller statured guy.
2. I have a full time job as a Navy SEAL and I participate in endurance sports as a “hobby”. From what I know of Dean, he has been able to make a career out of running. His job is to be out there making money for his family and his charity by doing interviews and attempting to break records.
3. We both started running for very different personal reasons. We also continue to run for very different reasons.
4. Dean follows a very strict diet everyday. Me, I try to eat healthy but will ultimately eat everything in front of me.
5. I absolutely with every bone in my body HATE to run, bike , ect. Dean has a passion for it. He loves it.
6. I only have a little longer in this sport before I move on to something else. Dean will probably be running for years to come. For example, my running is done. I am now working on riding my bike across America in June. Once that is accomplished, the bike will go in storage.
The thing that I am trying to point out here is that every person in endurance sports is different. So why compare people. There is nothing to compare. People all do things for there own reasons and one reason is not better than another. You have to find what personally drives you. What drives me is my cause. The Special Operations Warrrior Foundation. When I do an event, and interview, a training ride, I keep the foundation in the front of my mind. It’s not about how fast you are, how many races you have done. It is about why. What is the personal reason that puts you out there everyday. I can guarantee that every single person out there will have a different reason than the other. Every single person has a different build, and different diet, a different family. So don’t compare. There isn’t anything to compare.

update

2009-07-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Following my surgery on May 14th I have been experiencing a few problems. On June 1st I had to go to the emergency room. My heart was in Atrial Fibrillation. Not knowing what was causing it they sent me home once I was stable and told me to consult with my cardiologist. After doing so I felt that I needed more answers. I flew out to see my mother in TN. Once I landed I was forced again to go back to the ER for A-fib. The next day I was seen at Vanderbilt with a doctor who specializes in persons with ASD (atrial septal defect). He was great. He put me through the works when it comes to tests. I received good and bad news following all of the test. After putting me under and going down my throat with a scope they were able to get a very good look at my heart. Overall they said that my heart itself looks very healhty(the good news!) However, the surgery that I had done May 14th was somewhat unsuccessful. The hole was not completely closed. I now have a small hole in my heart called a PFO. They are going to see how my heart reacts to the device that was implanted on May 14th. They think that if my heart will grow around the device like it is supposed to than it may continue to grow over the small hole. Only time will tell. I will keep you updated as I know more.
As you know, going from a person who worked out constantly to a person that just had heart surgery is a big change. This has given me a lot of time to think. One thing that always comes back to my mind that I am going to share with you is this..... What good does all of this actually do. What does running ultra's, biking, lifting, ect. What does it do for you? Where does it get you?
For me, the answer is this. It's not about what you do in life. It is about what you don't do. The truth is running has not got me anywhere in life. I don't enjoy it. I hate it really. It certainly hasn't made an income for my family. And it definitely takes up a lot of my spare time. So why do it then? Because I can. When I was running 100 mile races back to back weekends, people never understood. They thought I was crazy. They told me how injured I was going to get. But I didn't care. I still don't. Tomorrow is never promised to you. If I looked back on those times now and didn't do the Plain 100 because it was to soon after my other race, I would kick myself. Now I can look back and say. I'm glad that I did what I did when I could.
I am not saying that this is how everybody should be. What I am saying is that I believe everybody should push themselves to there limit. Whether it be in life or in sport. If not, you will wake up one day and your limits will have been determined by other factors. Health, family, work, ect. Why you have it in your power to do something, do it. Don't wait until that opportunity gets taken from you. I know I'm not. I hope to see you somewhere on the road in June 2010.

NEVER PUT IT OFF

2009-06-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

People have often told me that I'm crazy, or that I'm stupid for doing all the things I do. They say I'm over training or I'm going to injure myself if I'm not careful.
The bottom line is this. You never know what your life has in store for you. I believe we are all here to serve a purpose. I believe we all have our own missions.
As much as I hated running, biking, swimming and everything in between, something told me to drive on. Something was pushing me to push myself. I always new in the back of my mind that there was a reason for it. I often questioned myself on why I put myself through all the pain and the torture of these long events. I now have the answer. I only had a limited time. I can look back now though and be truely happy that I did things the way that I wanted to do them and when I wanted to do them.
It's not over for me though. I will be back. I will test my soul again. I will push my limits. I thank God everyday that I am still hear to do that. I can't tell people how to live, how to train, what to take for nutrition, or what they should and should not do. I can tell you this. Don't wait until tomorrow to make the decision to do that something you have always thought about doing. Don't put it off any longer. Tomorrow your life my change drastically. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be the one with a heart problem. But to be honest, I'm glad I do. Now I can really test myself and find out what I'm made of. What I am trying to tell you is this... If you are thinking about doing something tomorrow, do it today instead.

Thanks

2009-05-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a minute and thank all of you for your support. I am happy to report that I am on the long road to recovery. Everything is going according to schedule. I have been able to start doing some light workouts again. I will be back to it in no time. In the mean time I am really looking foward to following two races in June. The RAAM and Western States. Good luck to all the racers and thanks again for the continued support.

Update on Goggins

2009-05-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
This is David's family. We wanted to give you an update on David and what he has been up to. I believe we now know why David hates what he does so much.... He realy is suffering out there. About 10 days ago we recieved some bad news. David went in to the Doctor for a check up and they found a birth defect in his heart. It is known as ASD (atrial Septum Defect). To explain it breifly, this means he has a hole in his heart. He has had it since birth and no one was able to detect it on routine check ups. It is very dangerous in scuba diving, high altitude and extreme athletics. It can cause the heart to go into heart failure without warning. So, to make a long story short. For 34 years David has been working with about 3/4 of his heart. The right side of his heart was recieving too much oxygenated blood and it wasn't going to the rest of his body like it should.
On Thursay of last week David went in for surgery. They were able to repair the hole and he is now in the process of recovering. It will be a long 6 month road back to his normal self, but trust me when we say, he will be back to his normal self:)
Thank you all for your support of David. It means a lot to him and to us as well.

To Hard Men

2009-03-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Around this time 8 years ago I was in Hell Week with class 235. I was fortunate to witness men that wanted to be SEAL/s like there was no tomorrow. For those of you who don't know, Hell Week is about 125 hours of continuous training. It allow only 2 hours of sleep in the entire 125 hours. During this Hell Week it was between 45 and 55 degrees outside and the water temperature was about the same. For us Hell Week started on Sunday. One Monday it was cold and raining. This is when some of us in the class started to feel the stresses of what the week was going to bring. The thought of being cold for the next five days wasn't very comforting. Monday was a lot of in and out of the water. It was a lot of cold, wet and miserable. Around this time you started seeing a lot of guys quit. Monday to Wednesday there was a lot of carrying logs, carrying boats, running, swimming, sitting in cold water, anything they could do to simulate hard times they were doing. They did this to break you down, to see what decisions you would make when you were mentally and physically drained. By Wednesday we had slept about 15 minutes total. You started to see that most people make the decision to go away. On Friday we graduated Hell Week with 21. We started Hell Week with 92. I witnessed a group of hard men going deep within themselves to for a purpose greater than personal satisfaction. These men suffered some of the hardest training in the world to better this country. It was great to see people in pain and suffering to be able to defend this country at the highest level. Since this class I have lost several comrads who were fighting for this country. You will never hear about most of these men. Nor would they want you to hear about them. You may have seen a number scroll across the screen while watching CNN. The one thing people have to understand is that God made people to do different things. He made some people to sit back and have balance. He make some people to be doctors. He made some people to be athletes. He made some people to be warriors. These men I'm writing about are warriors. They need no recognition for what they do. Most people would question why they would put themselves through so much pain. These men don't have balance. Some have families that they care for. Some live alone. All their families understand their mission in life. They don't have balance because they can't survive on balance. They survive on their will and their drive for their mission. They survive knowing that for that moment while they are risking their lives their family is safe at home. I'm not talking about those guys who join the military just for college tuition or because they can't do anything else. I'm talking about the guys who join the military to make this world a better place.
People question me... Why do you do things you hate to raise money?... This is why. These guys died being Warriors. God made me a Warrior. Therefore my balance may be a little off. My family may have to sacrafise a little bit. Without warriors who would go out there and defend this country. It takes a much different mind set to get deployed to a different country to fight for your country. Your family suffers. Your friends... and most of the world doesn't even know you are gone. Most of the world is going about their daily lives of working, playing sports, watching movies, spending time with their families. I have seen a lot in my military career. I have seen the bravest of men when times are hard. I often ask myself how can men be so brave. You then start to realize that these men don't do it for themselves. They do it for a much bigger purpose. I think the best thing about it all, is that most people never know what these men go through everyday. I am very proud to work with these men everyday. Twenty years from now most people will sit back and reflect on what they didn't do with their life verses the things that they did do. These men won't have that problem. They did what they were made to do. They didn't think about it. They just did it. You don't have to be in the military to be a warrior. You have to be willing to work and push harder than most in what ever you do.

Do Something You Hate EVERYDAY

2009-03-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

I want to start this blog off by saying.... This website isn't for everyone.
I do and say a lot of things that a lot of people don't like or don't agree with. But, I have always remembered one thing my mom said to me when I turned 18 and left for the military.....
She said, "This is your life now. Do with it what you want."
So, that is what I am doing. That being said, here goes.
This title is more that a meaning. It's a lifestyle. Even though people don't believe me, I have always said that I hate all physical activity other than weight lifting. There is no better way to grow as a person than to do something that you hate everyday. For me the worst feeling in the world is waking up and knowing that I have to punish myself. I know every morning when I wake up that I'm going to be putting myself through worse pain than I did the day before. That is not a very comforting thought. The second I get through running, or biking, I'm already dreading the next day. It is a constant cycle of misery that I have been stuck in for the last 3 years. It was so much easier to get up in the morning and just hit the weights. As you endurance athletes already know, to do the kind of stuff that we do, a couple hours a day just doesn't cut it. I find that when I wake up in the morning and am so sore I think that I should take a day off. But that is when the voice comes and says..."What the hell are you thinking?!? Someone right now is out there suffering and you are thinking about sleeping in, going to the movies, resting, eating, watching the game, and taking a day off?!?
These are the days I usually have my hardest workouts. Like I said before, I know that a lot of the things I do and say are not what all the trainers, and coaches will tell you and for good reason. But there is no book on how I train. I'm training the mind. I don't train to win. I train to keep going when the body doesn't want to go anymore. By doing something that you hate everyday you start to realize that everything comes to an end. The feeling you have after is the feeling of victory. I think that is what we are all looking for in life. Then you realize you have to do it again the next day. That is why I tell everybody that my life has no finish line.
Life is just EVIL! There is no way around it. All we can do is just embrace the pain.

Enjoy Pain

2009-02-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

A lot of people think that I have been running my whole life. The fact is that I hadn't even ran a marathon until November 2005. I came off of a deployment from Iraq and I heard that several SEAL/s had been killed in a combat situation. I wanted to do something to raise money for their families. Being a SEAL, I knew that selling hot dogs and having a bake sale wouldn't do it. So, I googled the 10 hardest events in the world and the Badwater 135 came up. I called the race director and explained the situation. He was somewhat amused that I had never even ran a marathon and wanted to attempt one of the hardest foot races in the world. After talking with him he made it very clear that this race wasn't to be taken lightly and that I would have to qualify in order to participate in the race. I had to qualify by running 100 miles in 24 hours. It just so happened that there was a race in San Diego the following weekend. It was a 24 hour race where your run straight for 24 hours around a 1 mile track. So, six days later my wife and I grabed a lawn chair, lunch box cooler, myoplex, and ritz crackers to take to the race. That's right... only those items. Also keep in mind that I weighed a lot at the time.
I took off running and felt good for about 70 miles. Then I stopped to take a break. That was the first problem.....I sat down in the lawn chair and my blood pressure went crazy due to poor nutrition. I sat there for about 10 minutes and I had to go to the bathroom really bad. When I attempted to stand, I quickly realized how bad of shape I was really in. I was so dizzy that I couldn't stand for a second. So, after retaking my seat in the chair I looked at my wife and told her that I had to go to the bathroom. She looked at me confused. So, I told her more clearly... "I'm going to take a s*** on myself in this chair."
And so I did...
I then saw the blood running down my leg when I urinated.
My wife being a nurse informed me that my kidney's were shutting down and that I needed to go to the hospital. I told her that I had 30 miles left.
She helped me up and we started walking around the track at a 35 minute mile pace. I asked her If I would complete the 100 miles in 24 hours at this pace and she said no. So, I did what I had to do and some how by the grace of God started running again. I completed 101 miles in just under 19 hours. I had broken all the small bones in my feet and my kidneys were failing. My wife drove the car onto the race course and put me into the back of the car. We live on the second floor of an apartment complex and we had to somehow get up the stairs. So, I draped my arms around her neck from behind and she had to practically drag me up the stairs. After she me in the shower and she saw that I was urinating dark dirt brown, she begged me once again to go to the hospital. I looked her in the eye and said....
Just let me enjoy this pain I'm in.
And I did. I enjoyed how hard I had just pushed myself and I wanted to feel every bit of that.

Have you seen the LOOK?

2009-02-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

I have been getting some questions about my military stories. A lot of people have been asking me to tell some stories. So... Here goes.
This is a story from one of my BUD/s classes. BUD/s is Basic underwater demolitions SEAL training.
Have you ever seen the LOOK? The look is when someone's sole leaves them. The look is when someone has no more purpose. The look is when someone gives up on their mission. But, in this case, the look is about having too much confidence.
Most of you probably already know this, but I have been in Hell week of SEAL training 3 different times, so I know the look well. I have seen it a lot. I'll never forget one time when I was going into my third hell week. I knew the misery that was coming my way. There was a guy sitting at the table during chow before hell week started that asked me a question. "How bad is Hell week?" I responded by saying that I can't really describe it to you. It's something that you have to experience for yourself. He responded by saying " I can't imagine anything being so tough that would make me quit." I just stared at him with a smile. Inside my head I was thinking, soon myfriend you will understand what I am saying.
So after we ate Hell week started a few hours later. All night into the morning we were getting our butts kicked carrying boats, carrying logs, running up and down the beach, push ups, sit ups, ect... The worst part was sitting in the 48 degree water not knowing how long you would be sitting there.
Hell week is 125 hours. In that 125 hours you may get 2-4 hours of sleep. At this point it was only 6 hours in. At this time in Hell week people start to realize how much hell week really sucks. You start to question your abilities and why you are there. You start to think it's impossible for someone to complete this. You start thinking you are only 6 hours in and I have 119 hours left. This is the point in Hell week when you see the LOOK. When they asked us to get back into the water again I looked at the guy who asked me the question about hell week. And the look was already forming. Another 12 hours had past of the same butt kicking and the instructors never let up. It just got harder the more tired you became and they pushed harder when they realized you were getting tired. We were at our 2nd medical check and I looked at the guy again. We were standing there in our shorts shivering and freezing our butts off. He looked up and our eyes met. I smiled at him expecting to get the same response, but instead...I got the full blown LOOK. The look of I'm not doing another push up, sit up, flutter kick, run, and I'm sure as hell not getting in the cold water again look. After medical check they told us to go into the water. As the class started walking toward the water, the same guy walked to the truck to quit.
This is one of my favorite memories because everybody comes to a point in there life when they want to quit. But it's about what you do at that moment that determines who you are. I enter these events for this moment. It's not to win or anything else. It's to test myself when I feel like I have no more. It's to try and never have the look. It's to over come the look.

Preparations

2009-01-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time....
Training, Pedaling, Training, Pedaling, Training, Pedaling,
Getting ready for one of the biggest challenges I could have given to myself.
3,015 miles.....On a bike.
If you wake up and think about David Goggins anytime in the next 5 months, just know that I'm sitting on the my bike and pedaling.
If you are eating and thing about David Goggins, just know that I'm sitting on my bike pedaling.
If you go to work and think about David Goggins, just know that I'm sitting on my bike pedaling.
If you are taking a sh** and thinking about David Goggins, that's right, Pedaling!
Some of you may not know me and some of you may. Those of you that do know me, know enough to know that I'm not exaggerating. Those of you who don't know me will probably see me riding my bike past your house sometime in the next 4 months.
I have taken on the most daunting task I could have chosen for myself. I can't stand riding a bike and I'm going to force myself to attempt the RAAM.
Wish me luck. I'll be in touch.....
I'm sorry for those who love the sport and get mad at me for not loving it. (running, riding, all of it)I just don't.
There are some amazing athletes that do this race. It is a very underground race and I have researched some of the athletes who do the race. The best thing about this race and the people who do it, is the fact that 99% of the world doesn't even know that it exists. The athletes do it for themselves and their charities. They do it for personal challenge. That is what makes this race so great.

HURT Report

2009-01-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

I would first like to thank everyone for the prayers and support. It was perfect race conditions. I started the race out very comfortable and running my own race. I saw about 5 people in front of me. I knew that the HURT course would probably slow the guys down, but they were all great runners, so most of them hung on. Once again, I was amazed by another performance on a very difficult course. Geoff Roes pulled off one of the best performances of all time. It was once said that no one could go under 24 hours on this course. To go under 21 is simply unreal. My crew did a great job of getting me in and out of the aid stations very quickly. Once again, my wife was a very important part of my race. The longest aid station I had, was 3 min and that was because I had to take my shoe off to get the rocks out. I had a good friend of mine come out for the last 2 loops to pace me. My pacer was Akos Konya. For those of you who don't know Akos, he is a great runner. But even a better person. I usually don't run with a pacer, but I found it funny to have Akos pace me out there. He hates running on rocks and roots, but he is such a good person, that he couldn't say no to me when I asked him. I stayed focused the whole race. I was amazed by all the people that were so up beat and possitive on one of the worst courses out there. I just want to say congradulations to Curtis on his 1st 100 mile finish, you know who you are. I don't have too much to say about the HURT 100 this year. As always the course is very hard to run. This year I was much more prepared having run so many 100 mile races since the last HURT. My body was able to with stand the beating I put it through. I know a lot of people are wondering if I was in a wheelchair after the race. The answer is no.
I would like to give special thanks to all the wonderful people who put on the HURT 100. As always, you put on a great event.
To everyone who donated to the foundation, it is greatly apprecitated. We are getting closer and closer to reaching our goals!
I want to end off with saying that I grew as a person once again. I grow mostly from watching the people who I see on the course that are struggling and in a lot of pain, but just won't quit. I love watching people that have that kind of resolve. In ultra sports I grown to find out it's not about what place you come in, it's about how hard you try.

ONE OF THE MOST EVIL RACES IN THE WORLD

2009-01-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

THE HURT 100

1. 25,000 ft of elevation gain
2. 25,000 ft of elevation loss
3. Only 2 people in the history of the race to go under 24 hours
4. Brings nothing but pain

Most of you who know me, know that I am a quite person. I keep to myself. I am not big on giving my training schedule, my daily life, or anything else out to people. However, I am about to participate in the HURT 100 again on January 17th. I'm sharing this with all of you because this course has a lot of meaning to me. This race was actually my second ultra and my first ever trail race. Let me just say..... That was not neccessarily the best decision I could have made. I have completed the HURT 100 twice in my running career. Once in 2006 and again in 2007. I want you all to know that it put me in a wheelchair both times I completed it.
This course holds very dear to me for a couple of reasons.
1. The HURT club and the race directors are amazing, and caring people. They gave me a shot at the hardest race in the world when they knew I didn't have a prayer all because they believed in my cause with the foundation. To them I owe the most gratitude. Because of them I was able to compete in the Badwater my first time.
2. This course holds two of the most amazing performances in Ultrarunninng history in my opinion. The first one being Karl Meltzer in 2006 break 24 hours on an impossible course. But, to me the Most Amazing thing I have ever witnessed was in 2007 when Matt Estes crushed this course with a 20:43! I remember watching him levetate past me when I was on mile 78 and he was on mile 98. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in running. He is an amazing athlete.
You can watch the race progress at the link above. I thank you all for your support.

Badwater - how and why I do it

2008-12-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

hello and thanks

2008-12-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

I appreciate the messages you've all been sending. I'll be checking in daily or as often as I can and do my best to respond and stay in contact. You all inspire me, too.

SHOW NO WEAKNESS

David Goggins

I started doing triathlons endurance sports and ultra runs just to test my soul...

2008-12-16T07:23:00.000-08:00