SEALS

Run: 14 miles (1:47)
Week 2 Total Miles: 65

This morning capped off Week 2 of summer training, with a total of 65 miles for the week. I ran my long run with Kyle on W&OD, meeting him at 7:30 AM. The run was tough. My legs are feeling pretty thrashed from the last couple of weeks, and a total of 18 days of running with no days off. It's really starting to catch up with me.

As we ran, I told Kyle about a guy who had come over for dinner last night. He is in the Navy and graduated from the Navel Academy. I'm pretty infatuated with military physical fitness training, and Navy SEALs in particular, so I asked him if he'd ever considered going into the SEALs. He thought about it for about .4 seconds and quickly responded with a 'No.' Of course I had to ask him why.

"It takes a really... different... person to go into the SEALs. I have a few good friends who are SEALs now and they are definitely different. You have to be a little off to be one of those guys."

Makes sense. Next I asked him what the hardest part of training is, why do so many people quit (there is a 70% attrition rate)? The answer: the cold water. That is something that I never even thought about (that, and the diving component of being a SEAL). Not the running, the push-ups, or carrying boats and logs when they are dead tired. It's the cold water that really makes them quit. I didn't really understand it until just now when I watched a video on Youtube about Hellweek during SEAL training.

During Hellweek, SEAL hopefuls are subjected to 5 days worth of physical activity, or torture if you really want to get down to it. The cold water component comes sporadically through out the 5 days, as they are frequently told to "get wet," meaning go emerse themselves in the freezing ocean water (57 degrees). Then they are instructed to do any number of taxing physical activities ranging from carrying boats on their heads to digging random holes in the sand with paddles. All of this for 5 days on no sleep (approximately 4 hours of sleep total over the course of the 5 days). If they mess up, they are punished. If they do well, they are rewarded (one group was rewarded with a 20 minute standing nap... some reward). Obviously I cannot even begin to describe the amount of pain these guys are put through over the course of the 5 days. Watching the video makes it a little bit easier to understand, but it is still completely unfathomable.

As I talked to this guy, he said something that was very interesting and a little bit humbling: "You can take anyone and make them into an endurance athlete. You can take anyone and make them stronger. You can't take anyone and train them to do this type of training."

I always thought that as a marathon runner I was pretty bad ass. Not even close. These guys have got something that I don't have. Mental toughness to a big degree is inate, you are born with it. To another degree though, it can be developed, which I believe I have over the past couple of years. Still, there will still be some things that you will not be able to do if you are not born with that special mindset. Its a little depressing.

At the end of the video, as the group (which had dwindled to 21 from about 80 at the start of training 3 weeks prior) was reaching the end of hell week, a group of SEAL hopefuls who had already completed training ran by the Hellweek victims on the beach. Their instructor told them that they were finishing a 14 mile run. I ran 14 miles this morning and pretty much felt like shit by the end. These guys were running in combat boots and fatigues, and were hooting and hollering like they were fresh as daisys. It kind of puts things in perspective about how hard you think you work or how tough you think you are. It seems that compared to these guys, I am not very tough and don't work very hard. I've gotta work on that.

Next week I go up to 70 miles for the week. I won't take a day off until next Monday, even though I need one now. Dumb decision to keep pressing on? Maybe, but hopefully not. If I make it through next week alright then I will feel really good about what I've done this far into the summer, and will be able to continue on with a really positive mindset from that point on. Time to get tough.