Prevailing wisdom generally classifies fun into a few categories – the first two of which are relevant to most people (any more than 2 and you’re getting into “plot of an action movie” territory).

Type 1 fun is your classic type of fun; it’s fun in all aspects. Examples of Type 1 fun activities are a bike ride through a park, exploring a lake via kayak, or a backyard BBQ with friends. Most recreational activities people do fall into this Type 1 category.

But for a certain segment of people, Type 1 fun isn’t enough. Individuals in this group are not content going through life without challenges. They have the urge to seek out activities that require intense effort and test the limits of their physical and mental strength. Activities that fulfill this need fall into the category of Type 2 fun. As you can imagine, the “fun” that Type 2 offers isn’t’ actually enjoyable when it’s happening.  In fact, it’s often downright miserable, a test of how much a person can endure and a testament to willpower. Think hiking up a mountain sucking in air in the high altitude and weighed down by the skis on your back, spending the night shivering on a ledge cuddled up with your climbing partner, or trying to put one foot in front of the other during the last 3 miles of a marathon. To some degree, getting through a Type 2 activity requires more than just physical strength – mental fortitude is necessary to keep the body moving through the uncomfortable nature of it all.

And yet, once the activity is complete, the pain and misery is brushed aside and replaced with the feeling of accomplishment. The misery of it all becomes a badge worn proudly with every telling of the story. Type 2 fun is the type that creates real memories. It gives you stories that you want to tell around a campfire but also earns you looks of astonishment when told in a more domestic setting (not that they’re unwarranted).

The Endeavor Team Challenge sits squarely in Type 2 fun. Get through it, and you will have accomplished more than you ever thought possible, but that’s the challenge – getting through it.