Rucking?
You may have seen the social media posts and flyers up around the gym for the “ruck” event last weekend and wondered what it was all about. I am here to report my experience at the event.
A “ruck” is a military style event where a weighted pack or backpack is worn during a hike. During the “hike” you are given challenges to complete as a team by a leader or “Cadre” who is a special forces veteran guiding you through the experience. Each event is dedicated to a military event such as, the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Prior to the event, you are given a list of items that you must have in your pack, most importantly, a designated weight which varies depending on the event and individual body weight. Upon my arrival to the meeting point, the pier at Pacifica beach, the weather kicked up a notch and we were experiencing winds around 40-50 mph, rain and a temperature that was a dash below comfortable.
As we gathered, our rucks were checked for the appropriate items, we were given our mission, our flag bearer took the lead and we were on our way. The first thing we learned was that we were a team and there were consequences for not working together and staying together. Some of our challenges required us to transport heavy items as a unit, the biggest lesson learned was communication. Ask for help when you need it and be alert to what is going on around you. Along our path, the cadre educated us on the events that occurred that day 78 years prior during the attack on Pearl Harbor. We stood facing Hawaii and took a moment to remember the 2,403 Americans that died that day.
A big shout out to our resident WCCF Rucker, Todd Flavin, who did the Go Ruck Tough event that went through the night on Friday and also did the Go Ruck Light event with me only a few hours later Saturday afternoon, that is dedication! You may see Todd around the gym in boots training for his next event, you can see why!
For me, it was so powerful to see 15 strangers come together and work as a team, when we barely even knew each others names. In our busy lives, we can tend to stay in our comfort bubbles, but when we can step out of that and open up to new experiences, amazing things can happen. Things that let us know we are alive and there is so much in this world to experience. It was a very special day that left me exhausted, fulfilled and grateful. It was also a great test of my fitness. We work so hard in the gym every week and when we can find opportunities to apply and test our bodies and minds, it makes us better.
The next Go Ruck event in our area is in January 17-18 and is dedicated to the Great Raid which was a raid that occurred during World War II. Check out the events at goruck.com. Hope to see some of you there!
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