Episode 11: Charlie Engle
Charlie Engle is the author of, “Running Man: A Memoir of Ultra Endurance”
It’s a remarkable book filled with lots of conflict, adventure and intrigue… and inside he shares his journey both vulnerably and generously.
Both the book and his journey start in a dark world of crack-cocaine addiction, but don’t worry, by page 70 he’s in recovery
and has discovered that he loves to push his physical and mental limits far beyond what normal human beings would consider possible— and sane.
His favorite race was the Badwater Ultramarathon—considered to be the world’s toughest race—which starts below sea level in the furnace of Death valley where race temperatures can reach 130 degrees. The grueling race continues for 135 miles up to Whitney portal at 8300 feet on the base of Mt Whitney.
By all accounts its a brutal race… but that wasn’t extreme enough for him
So, he decided to run across an entire desert.
And not just any desert—the Sahara desert.
And why not become the first human to run all the way across the Sahara AND the whole continent of Africa, as well?!
It was a journey which consisted of running two marathons every day for 111 consecutive days, without taking a single day off.
And the ground temperatures for half of those days were 140 to 150 degrees. About 4600 miles in all.
This wasn’t a hundred-mile run.
This wasn’t a TWO hundred mile run
This was a Four Thousand Six Hundred mile run!
He recruited an Academy award-winning director, and Matt Damon who produced a movie about their epic feat. He and Matt also created a nonprofit that has raised millions to help provide clean water in Africa.
It’s interesting to note, that while his crazy accomplishments ( running the Sahara) were matched by few others on the planet, Charlie shares that it wasn’t until he was unjustly sentenced to prison for 16 months that his story finally became “Deal-worthy” in the eyes of the traditional publishing world… and ultimately resulted in an auction with 5 of the big houses.
His book was published over 3 years ago, and he still gets half a dozen emails every day from people around the world who have been touched by his story and his book. That’s the kind of impact that’s possible when you write a good book.
Charlie is a humble guy with a kind heart, who just happens to be a Super Beast on the trail.
He shares that he always breaks down during his long races—that there’s always massive suffering he has to work through.
So listen in and learn why he says that during races—and during our lives—it’s Not about what happens to us, it's about what WE Choose To Do about it.
Download the free BYLR Radio App and listen in to Charlie on Episode #11 of The Jim House Show!
I would love to have you join us!
