It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.

Edmund Hillary

Day 30 and we have our very first challenger to complete the Everest in May Challenge in its entirety!

JJ Watson was the very first person to complete both sides of the challenge, rucking a total of 115 miles while carrying 45 lbs. of weight in his ruck, and climbing a total of 12,000 steps (stairs) without a ruck. An amazing accomplishment, especially considering that this is a man who works away from home quite a bit, and even had to take a road trip during the middle of the challenge which made his ability to put in miles for those days impossible.

When asked about the toll the challenge had on his body, and how it might compare to the real thing, , he thoughtfully replied:

My feet hurt. But no frostbite. Close, though. I did ice my arches a number of times.

JJ Watson

When asked his thoughts on completing the challenge how it felt to accomplish the fete, he gave me the following quote:

Only one person ran away from me while I was rucking.

JJ Watson

There you have it folks. A true commentator of our times! Congrats go out to him on being the first to complete the challenge, and a hearty thanks to him for participating and keeping the challenge interesting!

As for the rest of the field, here is how Day 30 stacked up, by the numbers:

Miles Rucked on Day 30: 24.17 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 30 Days: 712.02 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 30: 4,750 stairs (475.00 flights).

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 30: 95,243 stairs (9,524.30 flights).

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 30:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 30:

Day 30 is complete with our first challenger successfully completing the full challenge! Will Day 31 see more finishers?

LFG.!

When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near.

Andy Stanley

Day 29 and the end is definitely near. Memories of how this challenge started are approaching critical mass when compared to how many dreams I have of finishing. For me, personally, I am going to have a tough go of it to complete the challenge. Miles seem manageable, but steps (stairs) will depend on the desire of my legs to keep going.

Here are the numbers for Day 29:

Miles rucked On Day 29: 23.50 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 29 Days: 687.85 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 29: 3,383 stairs (338.30 flights)

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 29: 90,493 stairs (9,049.30 flights)

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 29:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 29:

Day 29 is over. Day 30 fast approaches.

The summit is what drives us, but the climb itself is what matters.

Conrad Anker

Week 4 stats and leader board, on time, as promised.

Miles – Week 1, 2, 3 & 4 Leaders

1^st Place: Pierpoint

2^nd Place: JJ Watson

3^rd Place: Mike Denmon

Steps (Stairs) – Week 1, 2, 3 & 4 Leaders

1^st Place: Cardoso

2^nd Place: Heinrich Spartacus Henstock

3^rd Place: JJ Watson

And for anybody wondering what your daily average is for miles and steps (stairs), here you go.

To complete the challenge in May, over 31 days, we should be:

Walking: 3.69 miles per day

Climbing: 369 steps (stairs) per day

No change in either leaderboard (rucking or steps(stairs)) from Week 3 to Week 4. I am hoping that we can bypass 100K steps (stairs) in the next three days, and 750 miles.

LFG!

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.

Molière

Day 28, the end of Week 4, and the day before Memorial Day. We keep moving because that’s what we do.

Here are the numbers for Day 28:

Miles rucked On Day 28: 16.69 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 28 Days: 664.35 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 28: 1,178 stairs (117.80 flights)

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 28: 87,110 stairs (8,711.00 flights)

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 28:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 28:

Day 28 is the end of Week 4. Leaderboard posts and averages coming up!

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Day 27 and the end is in sight. But is the peak in sight for our challengers? And if it is in sight, is that enough? Or must we conquer the peak and look upon what he have worked for as an end that leads to our next campaign?

Here are the numbers for Day 27:

Miles rucked On Day 27: 23.15 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 27 Days: 643.49 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 27: 4,518 stairs (451.80 flights)

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 27: 85,932 stairs (8,593.20 flights)

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 26:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 27:

Day 27 is done. Day 28 marks the end of the 4th week of this challenge, and the results will be up tomorrow so everyone can know where they are, and how much further they need to go to reach their goal.

Men of ideas and men of action have much to learn from each other, and the truly great are men of both action and abstraction.

Jack Donovan

Action and abstraction is why I like doing these challenges. More importantly, it is why I like hosting them for others to participate in as well.

I’ve always had an imaginative mind. The ability to be creative and entertain myself is something that has come naturally to me. Not all men have the ability to be abstract in their thinking.

That’s why I like to make games of these challenges. Instead of saying, “Let’s run 5 miles.”, I like to say, “Let’s ruck 114.31 miles and climb 11,431 stairs to simulate climbing the tallest mountain in the world!” Let’s have action, and abstraction. Purpose, both physically and in spirit.

I hope this brings joy to others and provides them with a way to get moving when being stationary is easier.

Here are the numbers for Day 26:

Miles rucked On Day 26: 8.59 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 26 Days: 620.34 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 26: 2,613 stairs (261.30 flights)

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 26: 81,414 stairs (8,141.40 flights)

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 26:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 26:

Very low day on participation, going into a 3-day weekend. I am sure it will pick back up though.

We need the iron qualities that go with true manhood. We need the positive virtues of resolution, of courage, of indomitable will, of power to do without shirking the rough work that must always be done.

Theodore Roosevelt

When I think of this challenge, I think of something difficult that is completely up to one’s own decision to do it or not. I think of the solitude that comes with doing the work, but also the coming together of many people to do something that is challenging for not only physical reasons, but more so mental and philosophical reasons.

Having the resolve to do what you say you are going to do is a virtue, sure. I like to think of it as a weapon, as well. A weapon that only gets sharper the more you wield it. A weapon that can be used to inspire and do right and hold up to the moral standings that makes for a civilization to be proud of.

Here are the numbers for Day 25:

Miles rucked On Day 25: 22.35 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 25 Days: 611.75 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 25: 685 stairs (68.50 flights)

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 25: 78,801 stairs (7,880.10 flights)

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 25:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 25:

100K steps (stairs) isn’t looking likely anymore, but we have still put up a lot towards that benchmark. Excited to see where we end up.

No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself.

Seneca

Day 24, the struggle is real for everyone still getting after it.

Here are the numbers for Day 24:

Miles rucked On Day 24: 17.80 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 24 Days: 589.40 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 24: 5,953 stairs (595.30 flights)

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 24: 78,116 stairs (7,811.60 flights)

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 24:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 24:

Seven days left to reach the top!

Existence is a series of footnotes to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece.

Vladimir Nabokov

We saw a drop in activity on Day 23, compared to Day 22, but after all of that activity on Day 22 it is very understandable.

Here are the numbers for Day 23:

Miles rucked On Day 23: 22.77 miles.

Miles Rucked Through 23 Days: 571.60 miles.

Steps (Stairs) Climbed on Day 23: 2,219 stairs (221.90 flights)

Steps (Stairs) Climbed Through Day 23: 72,163 stairs (7,216.30 flights)

The Daily Rankings, as I mentioned I would start sharing, are as follows:

Miles Through Day 23:

Steps (Stairs) Through Day 23:

Let’s keep it going!