NASCAR drivers and CrossFit fans take on the David Goggins challenge
Image credit: Second 2 None Fitness (@s2nfitness)
Enjoying chalking up mornings? Access additional exclusive interviews, analysis, and stories with an Rx Membership.
On the week of January 2, several NASCAR drivers took part in a grueling challenge. They usually do CrossFit and CrossFit workouts, but they took the David Goggins 4x4x48 challenge. This tested their mental strength as they tried to weather the elements and balance running with their work and personal lives.
remind me: The David Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge is easy – participants have to run four miles every four hours for 48 hours. An alternative version for those who don’t run as often is to exercise for 45-60 minutes once every four hours.
- Many of the people participating use the 4x4x48 challenge to raise funds to a charity of their choice. This particular group didn’t get the chance due to how quickly everything came together, but their goal is to do future challenges with an eye toward fundraising.
the group: There were many people participating in this challenge. Two-time Xfinity Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — a CrossFit enthusiast and NOBULL — hosted the event at Slide Job Ranch in North Carolina. He was joined by his trainer, second 2-nil, physique owner, Ryan von Royden, for the entire 48 hours.
- Also included is the list of participants for the full challenge Craftsman truck driver Lawless Allan and Nate Brown, member of the Golf Guys tour that includes Stenhouse and other NASCAR drivers.
- So, at first, I was like, ‘Hey, we should do a four-on-four for 24 hours,'” von Royden said. And everyone was like, ‘Yeah, that’s kind of cool. And I knew Goggins was 48 hours but I thought it might be a hard sell for a lot of people, myself included.”
- A week before the event, Stenhouse had a discussion with Von Rueden about the resolution of doing 4x4x24. The NASCAR driver suggested they do the full Goggins Challenge.
There were many others who were unable to complete the full challenge due to time constraints or work commitments. Instead, they did what they could while adding extra miles when possible.
- This list included Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst, Cup Series driver Harrison Burton, Cup Series driver Todd Gilliland, Brawn’s father, and Truck Series driver Jack Wood. Von Royden’s wife also completed the 4x4x24 challenge, but she did it in their home. Cole Custer, another Xfinity Series driver, was unable to participate. He had a wedding and needed to be able to walk down the aisle.
- Burton’s schedule was full. He had a racing simulation session 7 a.m. on Wednesday. He couldn’t miss this one, so he started the challenge at 11 a.m. on Tuesday and added the extra miles to finish a full marathon with a 3 a.m. run. Then Burton went home, showered, ate, and headed to the race shop to prepare for his sophomore season at NASCAR’s highest level.
From Rodin: “Lawless Alan, so he’s the one who literally landed in Charlotte, and I got stuck in it—I don’t know if it was an accident or it was raining here in Charlotte. You know, 77 stops when it rains here. So he’s stuck in traffic, and he was trying Run at 8 p.m., and he couldn’t. So he went off and ran to his apartment complex and ran 5.2 miles on the treadmill there.”
“[He] Then he got back in his truck and drove the rest of the way to the gymThen join us for the rest. But because he missed the first two runs, he ran with us every once in a while after that and then came home and did his last two runs on his own in the apartment complex. So he still gets to run his two marathons in 48 hours, too.”
Training: There are people who put in great miles to prepare for this daunting challenge. Von Rueden and the group of drivers did not exactly follow this method. Although they frequently include running in their workouts, whether they’re adding extra miles to Murph or engaging in a 50-minute workout with five 800-meter runs in between several bodyweight moves.
- “I mean, we run a lot throughout the year,” von Royden said. “Just when it’s cold out, it’s hard to talk some of these boys into getting out there. Like a lot of them were born here [in North Carolina]. I’m from Wisconsin. So, I can run into anything. … I mean, they’re comfortable running, and they know how to run.”
- All of these drivers are comfortable to run in, but von Royden also put them on Great focus on safety. The NASCAR season starts in mid-February, so drivers can’t risk any injuries. Tell them to take their own steps or even walk in certain sectors if they need to.
Another big focus was on mental toughness, which Goggins stresses. In order to complete the challenge, they had to run outdoors in the rain in the middle of the night. They also had to follow the same path from Stenhouse’s bunkhouse to the gate and back over 70 times.
“I think that’s kind of what helped us get through all of that. Because I think in smaller amounts, every time we walk into the gym, at some point — I’d say four out of five times out of the week — I’ve reached a place in my workout where it just isn’t physical anymore. Like, it wouldn’t be any harder than it is. It’s just whether you’re willing to continue doing it or not.”
This mental toughness is also a constant focus of Von Rueden and the NASCAR drivers he trains with all year long. These athletes must be able to spend three to four hours in a stock car while driving nearly 200 miles per hour, and they must contend with many obstacles.
- These drivers have to put up with physical issues such as temperatures Range between 120-140 degrees and muscle spasms. They must also be able to mentally bounce back from mistakes on the track or on pit road, such as loose wheels or collisions.
- “Everyone has difficult things, and they have to deal with it And they have to go through it. And they have two options to choose – I can continue, or I can quit. I think this changes the course of everyone’s life on a daily basis.”
- “The little, small decisions we make every day drive us down The way where we end up is 10 years later, and you’re like, “Well, how did you get here?” And maybe you can look at all these little little things.”
While there were moments where the drivers and participants They had to step back and focus on pushing, and they also had to focus on two major physical factors – nutrition and sleep.
- Nutrition was characterized in two ways. There were oatmeal cream pancakes And Swiss Rolls for when they just needed to rebuild muscle glycogen stores. They also had access to bananas, clementines, yogurt, protein bars, and healthy options for later.
- Achieving sleep and recovery was much more difficult. There were times when they would struggle to get off that adrenaline rush. Challenge participants also had dinners with their significant other and other commitments. As a result, they were able to get only 1-2 hours of sleep.
- “On the first day, I still tried to run a normal gym schedule,” he said. von Royden said. “So I had a general pop class at 5 a.m. I took a 20-minute nap and then worked 5 to 7, ran, came back, worked 8 to 11, then ran again.”
- “The second day, I canceled at 5 a.m., I was like, ‘I can’t, I’ve gotta get it.'” Sleep a little more. But on the second day, we definitely slept more.
bottom line: The decision to make a 4x4x48 challenge was tested by Stenhouse, Von Rueden, Brown and Alan. Those who could only take a shorter version underwent a grueling test on their own.
This has not been a standard fitness test for the traditionally athletic group Takes CrossFit-style workouts. However, they had the core and mental strength that had been forged during the long sessions with Von Rueden, and they used it to overcome a very difficult test.
Get the newsletter
For a daily recap of all things CrossFit. Community, competitions, athletes, tips, recipes, deals and more.
“*Specify the required fields