Why did I read this book?
This is not the type of book I would read on my own. I keep recommending books to other people so my buddy Jones told me I had to read this one. How can I ask others to read things If I don’t pay attention to others recommendations. So reluctantly I read this book. I was pleasantly surprised. David Goggin’s is a remarkable person. I have never read a self-help book about someone who runs (most of the stories in the book revolve around these insane runs – 100 miles, 250 miles). This book actually started as a gift from a niece…. but has made its rounds. I think people like this book because they don’t have better books to compare it with. But maybe that is just my opinion.
What is the book about?
David Goggin’s is about as tough as a human being can get. He is a Retired Navy Seal and the only member of the US Armed Forces to complete SEAL training, Army Ranger School, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. This book does not follow a chronologic time line…It moves all over the place. Discussing his childhood at different points in the book he grew up in Buffalo, New York raised by his mother. His father was abusive emotionally and physically (more to his mother). By the age of 24 he was working odd jobs when he had an epiphany. It was time to hold himself to a higher standard. He began to train with the goal of becoming a navy seal. He was well over 300LBS when he made this decision. He was tall and very athletic and he wanted to train full time and find out his capabilities. The problem is he never quite satisfied with himself. He lives for finding that next level. I will definitely give him credit for being clever. He makes what are called personal “mixtapes,” where he talks to himself anytime, he is struggling. This motivates him as he almost always thinks he sounds “soft.”
He also preaches success grounded in humility. He tells this great story about a Master Sergeant in the army named William Crawford. “Crawford retired in 1967 and took a job as janitor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The cadets he cleaned up after paid him little mind, in part because he was reportedly painfully shy but also because these cadets were elite students on an officer track, and master sergeant Crawford was just a janitor. In September 1943, the 36th Infantry division was getting blitzed by German machine gun fire and mortars during a pivotal WWII battle. The Americans were pinned down with no escape route until Crawford spotted 3 machine gun nests…he crawled beneath the river beds to put grenades in all three nests. He bravery saved countless lives. Everyone thought he perished in the battle. In reality he was taken prisoner. Presumed to be a KIA, tales of his heroism spread. His father was awarded the MEDAL OF HONOR on his behalf. Later that year he was found at a prison camp. In 1976 one of the cadets was doing research and connected the dots…CAN YOU imagine finding out the janitor who cleans up for you received the militaries highest honor? Crawford never cared about the adulation. He just kept his head down.”
The last point he made to which I could personally relate was his insight that his close friends were his personal fox hole. The people that you surround yourself are your greatest strength (your foxhole).
When you evolve, your inner circle must evolve with you. Otherwise, you may subconsciously halt your growth to avoid outpacing and losing contact with people who mean a lot to you but may not be able to hang with you.
How will I apply what I learned from this book?
Although this book is not really the type of book, I usually like…it definitely had its moments. While reading it on the bike I had some fantastic conversations about taking my fitness to another level. The hard part about prison is there is nothing to do (so you eat out of boredom). I am probably in the best shape i have been in years…However I am still heavy. That is because eating is such a challenge here. After reading this book…I definitely was fired up and discussed what it would take to push myself further on my diet. Other people do it here…so I just need to dig deep and find another gear. I spoke with an inmate (who is someone I hang with in here) …. Mike Henton. This guy is a beacon of fitness. He tore apart my eating habits and gave me a schedule for the month. I removed all temptation from my locker. I will report back after a month. So, from this book came some potentially exciting developments.
