SUMMARY
- David Goggins is a former Navy SEAL who is now an ultramarathon runner.
- After mastering the 100-mile race, Goggins ventured into the Moab 240 race and faced extraordinary difficulties.
Retired United States Navy SEAL David Goggins is an ultramarathon runner known for his achievements across his career. He is a public speaker, an ultra-distance cyclist, a triathlete, and even an author. Goggins is the epitome of unyielding determination and resilience.
Goggins was born on February 17, 1975, in Buffalo, New York, U.S. He faced a difficult childhood as his mother left his father because of abuse. His mother moved with her children to Brazil, Indiana. He developed a stutter, suffered from social anxiety, and was even subjected to racism early in his life.
However, Goggins decided to join the army. His military career spanned over 20 years. The former Navy SEAL served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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In 2005, Goggins took to ultramarathon running and began another journey in his life. In the next few years, he participated in several events including HURT 100 in Hawaii, Ultraman World Championships Triathlon in Hawaii, Badwater-135, and Infinitus 88k. Goggins’ stamina and will was unmatched.
By 2019, he believed he had mastered the 100-mile runs. Then came the big jump. The Moab 240 ultramarathon in Utah. Goggins faced two difficult years with this competition.
David Goggins lost his way running the Moab 240 in 2019 and ended up in the hospital
During an episode of the Modern Wisdom Podcast, Goggins explained his Moab 240 experience. In 2019, he claimed he had lost his way due to a damaged trail marker. Reports suggest he had run extra double-digit miles before coming back on track. Not to forget, before 2019, Goggins had already had heart surgeries.
“I got lost the first time, I got seriously sick,” he recalled. “I was off course. Basically, I bed down about 12 hours, then I got back in the race. I was still part of the official race.
“So now, I get to about 207 miles and I’m sick as hell, can’t breathe, pulmonary edema, totally jacked up… The doctor tells me if you go off course now, you won’t be able to come back and finish the race… So I had to make a call. You know what, I’m pretty messed up and [pulled out].”
He was then ultimately hospitalized with a pulmonary edema. After losing his way, he returned to the course and battled back from 76th to 10th. The former Navy SEAL had to accept defeat as he was having trouble breathing in the LaSal Mountains, where altitudes surpass 10,000ft.
Goggins still completed his race with the help of hallucinations and determination
However, Goggins’ determination would not let him be beaten. He was advised to return to a normal altitude but instead, he wanted to finish the race. Moreover, to his aid came his fiancee Jennifer Kish, at least in an imaginary way.
“I’m literally laying in bed and I’m feeling better, and I thought, honestly, that someone was speaking to me,” he added. “I thought it was Jennifer. It was probably my subconscious saying get your ass back out there… So I wake Jennifer up and I’m like ‘Hey, how much time do we have until the cut-off?’ I know that I’d already a DNF and I’m not going to be an official finisher of this race.”
He could not cross the finish line because he was not an official finisher. So, he completed his race near a telephone pole. Goggins claimed this was one of the best races of his life.
David Goggins dug deep to achieve a second-place finish at Moab 240 2020 behind Michele Graglia
Goggins’ is a mentality monster. Well, everyone who can run 240 miles are mentality monsters. However, with all that he went through in 2019, Goggins returned in 2020 to run the Moab 240.
However, with 40 miles left in the race, Goggins had a different battle with himself. “I have 40 miles to go, I’m having this war with myself about why the f*** am I out here. I’m at high elevation, I can’t breathe very well. Everything is wrong,” he said during The Game Changing Attorney Podcast.
He went to the bathroom and started thinking “‘I wish I could just fall into this toilet’. Maybe I would break my leg or maybe something would happen where I can’t finish the race.”
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However, Goggins claims he appeared in his own mind and told himself, “‘Man, are you really f****** talking like this bro? Imagine if people could hear your dialogue right now. You came out here in 2019 and this course kicked your a*s.”
He fought with himself and convinced himself that he could finish the race. Eventually, he did. He finished the race in 62:21:29 behind the winner Michele Graglia with a time of 61:43:15. However, Goggins was nearly nine hours ahead of third-place Isaac Wilson.
Michele Graglia, the man who defeated David Goggins at Moab 240 in 2020
Michele Graglia wears many hats – he’s a model, fitness coach, author, and ultramarathon runner. Originally hailing from Taggia, Italy, he now resides in Los Angeles, California, where he pursues his passions. He used to work in his family flower export company before he was spotted by a woman from the fashion industry in the USA in 2007 who took him into a different line.
However, he did not find modeling fulfilling. In 2010, he discovered a book with an ultramarathon runner on the cover. That was the start of his running career. In July 2018, Graglia emerged victorious in the grueling Badwater 135 race, crossing the finish line in an impressive time of 24 hours and 51 minutes.
His feats did not stop there. In September of the same year, he embarked on an ultramarathon through Chile’s scorching Atacama Desert. His remarkable speed earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as well. He completed the journey in just 8 days, 12 hours, and 49 minutes – an equivalent of running 2 to 3 marathons each day.
Continuing his streak, in October 2020, Graglia claimed victory in the Moab 240 race, dominating the competition and leaving Goggins trailing behind by nearly an hour and a half.