SGPT Interviews SEALFIT 20X Finisher Eddie Jesinsky

SGPT: Tell us about yourself? Where are you from and where do you train?

EJ: I grew up in the Washington, DC area. I was living in Las Vegas, NV until 2018 when I moved to Guadalajara, Mexico. I go to a few local gyms here in Guadalajara.

SGPT: Did you have an athletic background growing up?

EJ: Not particularly, though I played team sports as a kid and did martial arts later in life until an injury stopped my practice.

SGPT: How did you train for the SEALFIT 20X event?

EJ: I would go to gym regularly, 3-5 times a week, and also added in some rucking with weight and occasional 5k OCR (Spartan, etc).

SGPT: Tell us about the event? Where was it and how was the course?

EJ: The event was at Vail Lake in Temecula, CA on September 21, 2024. The weather was fairly ideal- not too hot or too cold and it didn’t rain. It was held at a nice low altitude as well. We checked in around 6am and secured around 8-830pm if I recall correctly. I believe there were three Kokoro drops and three 20X drops.

SGPT: What was the hardest part of the event?

EJ: For me, the hardest part was the anticipation and anxiety prior to and during the first grinder session- after realizing I could make it through that, the rest was primarily a physical endurance exercise.

SGPT: What kind of boots /trail running shoes did you use for the event? For training?

EJ: I used the Altama Maritime Assault Mid for both the event and for training- they did not require much to break in and they were comfortable and drain well. They also look like Converse: https://originalfootwear.com/products/altama-maritime-assault-mid-1

SGPT: Did you use double socks or body glide on your feet to prevent blisters? How did you prepare your feet?

EJ: Compression socks are very important, I did not use anything else and had no blistering.

SGPT: What kind of ruck did you use for training and the event?

EJ: GORUCK GR1, but we did not do much ruck PT- I believe the Rucker or similar would be better for exercises.

SGPT: What is one thing you wish you would have done to get ready for the 20X event?

EJ: I was not where I wanted to be as far as upper body strength- particularly for the Murph and the log PT. While the 12hr 20x allows for some tailoring to each athlete for the PST/Murph, the log PT requires everyone’s maximum effort.

SGPT: Any tips for up and coming athletes that want to do a 20X Challenge?

EJ: Focus on upper body strength and core, and get well acquainted with ice baths- they were very disorienting.

SGPT: What good book are you reading now? Are you listening to any good podcasts or audio books you can share?

EJ: One of the most memorable books I’ve read recently is George Robert Elford’s Devil’s Guard.

SGPT: Many thanks for the interview Eddie. We greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and congratulations on finishing the SEALFIT 20X Challenge.

EJ: Thank you! Looking forward to the next opportunity to push myself.

About the Author:

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