Testing Your Rucking Training (Training with a Ruck Series Part 3 of 3)

WEBVTT

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If you've been training with a ruck and you're

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starting to wonder what all this work is actually

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building toward, this episode is going to answer

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that question. Today we're covering the full

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landscape of ruck events, from beginner -friendly

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charity rucks and community events, all the way

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up to 24 -hour team challenges, selection -style

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military events, and multi -day endurance races.

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By the end of the episode, you'll know exactly

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what's out there, what each type of event demands,

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and how to pick the one that fits where you are

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right now. As ruckers, we typically train consistently,

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but we may never take the step towards an actual

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event. And I get it, it's a big leap, but if

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you've been putting in the work with no finish

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line in sight, today's episode might be exactly

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what changes that. You're listening to the Rucker's

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Edge podcast, a show all about rucking that is

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designed to help you improve your rucking routine,

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lose weight, and ultimately gain your strength

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and energy back. Each episode dives into the

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science, stories, and strategies behind rucking.

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You'll learn from top ruckers, coaches, health

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experts, and performance specialists who break

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down what it takes to train smarter, recover

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faster, and stay ready for the next challenge.

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So whether you're new to rucking or an experienced

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rucker that's already logged hundreds of miles,

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this is the show for you. I'm your host, Spencer.

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Thanks for listening in. All right, so this is

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episode three of a three -part series we've been

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building together. Episode one covered using

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your ruck for conditioning. We talked about intervals,

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hill repeats, EMOMs, strut gets, all of that.

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Episode two got into strength training with a

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ruck. So we talked about loaded carries, squats,

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presses, the whole thing. And now here in episode

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three, this is the one where we actually answer

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the question most people will eventually ask.

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that have put a ruck on, what am I training for?

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And I mean, obviously we know why we started

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rucking for majority of us, at least in my case

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and the circle around me, it was an entry into

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getting back into shape. But once we started

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getting in the shape, we started seriously training

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and now we may not know exactly what we're training

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for. Training without a goal is fine. Plenty

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of people build solid fitness just by staying

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consistent with no event on the calendar. Like

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Terrence Ogden, for example, he was on the show

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a few weeks back. He stated how he trains to

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be ready. But some people aren't wired that way.

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Some people train harder, train more consistently,

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and enjoy the process more when there's something

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specific they're working towards, like a goal.

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And in the wrecking community, one type of goal

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we can set for ourselves is completing wrecking

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events, challenges, or races. You know, something

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that puts us at a starting line in six weeks

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time and forces us to prepare ourselves for that

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exact moment. And there's real psychology behind

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this. When you commit to a specific event, you

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give your training a deadline. And deadlines,

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even self -imposed ones, tend to make us take

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things more seriously. So what this episode is

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designed to do is give you a clear picture of

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what the Ruck event world looks like. Because

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if you don't know what's out there, you can't

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make a good choice. If you can't make a good

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choice, you'll keep training without a destination,

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which works for some people, like I mentioned.

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not for others. We're going to go from the most

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accessible, approachable events all the way to

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events that genuinely test the limits of what

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people are capable of. And I'll break down what

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each type of event involves, who it's built for,

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and what you need to prepare. And at the end,

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I'll sort of give you some ideas that would help

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you choose your first event based on what you

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actually want out of all of this. So let's get

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into it. Let's start at the ground level. You're

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new to rucking or you've been rucking for a while

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but have never done anything organized, this

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is the section for you. So the lowest barrier

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to entry in the ruck event world is probably

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your local area. I'm talking about charity rucks,

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memorial rucks, community ruck clubs, and organized

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group rucks that happen all over the country.

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These events are less about performance and more

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about participation. You show up with a ruck,

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you walk with a group, and you finish. That's

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it. There's no cutoff time, no strict wait requirements,

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and no one pulling you off the course for being

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too slow. If you've never done a rucking event

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before, this is a completely legitimate starting

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point. You're not just walking alone in your

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neighborhood. You're moving alongside people

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who show up for the same reason, the same purpose

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that you did. And the community piece is seriously

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underrated. Charity rucks specifically are great

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because the motivation is built in. You're not

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just finishing a route. You're raising money

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for something. It's not you doing it for yourself,

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but you're doing it. it for this this bigger

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purpose and you know veterans organizations fallen

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soldier fallen soldier memorials local non -profits

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these are there are dozens of events structured

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okay sorry charity rucks specifically are great

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because charity rucks specifically are great

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because the motivation is built in you're not

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just finishing a route you're raising money for

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something it could be veterans organizations

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fallen soldier memorials, local nonprofits. There

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are dozens of event structures this way, and

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they typically welcome all fitness levels. The

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9 -11 Memorial Ruck is one of the more well -known

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ones, but honestly, in most mid -sized cities,

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you can find something like this within a reasonable

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drive. Then you have a community Ruck Clubs.

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Then you have community Ruck Clubs, which are

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really just organized group training that sometimes

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culminates in informal events or challenges.

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Go Ruck has something called Go Ruck Clubs, where

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local groups meet regularly to Ruck together.

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These events themselves don't always have a company.

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a competitive element. They're more about consistency

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and community. But being part of one of those

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groups often leads to people doing bigger events

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together, which is a natural progression. On

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the more structured side, a lot of running races

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have started adding ruck divisions. Your local

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5K or 10K might have a ruck category where you

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complete the same course with a weighted pack.

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These are great because the infrastructure is

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already there, you know, timing, aid stations,

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and the finish line. And the ruck division often

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has a more relaxed atmosphere. You're not trying

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to set a 5K PR. You're just moving efficiently

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with weight and finishing strong. And if your

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local 5 or 10K race doesn't have a ruck category,

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reach out to them. Talk to them. Say, hey, you

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know, there's a movement out here, and I think

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you could probably get a lot of people signing

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up for a ruck category. Be the person that you

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want to see change in the world. Reach out to

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them. Try to get a category for rucking added

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to it. The weight standards in these divisions

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vary, but you'll commonly see something like

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20 to 30 pounds for men and 15 to 20 pounds for

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women. Some events are more flexible. The key

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is to check the specific event requirements before

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you register because they do differ. The point

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of this section is... for you to realize or know

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that you don't need to jump straight into a hardcore

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12 -hour event to participate in a ruck community.

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There are options specifically designed to be

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accessible. Okay, so now let's step it up. For

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people who want to actually race, who want, you

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know, a clock placement or something measurable

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to chase, competitive rucking has grown a lot

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in recent years. The organization that's probably

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most worth knowing about here is Ruck Race League.

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Ruck Race League is currently in its second season,

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and it's a competitive rucking series that has

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been building a real presence in the endurance

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event world. They run time -rucked races at various

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distances, and they take the competitive side

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to it seriously. While they have built a pretty

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strong, close -knit community, some of these

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competitions are serious. There are weight standards,

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there are age group categories, and there are

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actual rankings. There's a leaderboard involved,

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which is really cool. What makes Ruck Race League

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interesting is that it treats rucking as an athletic

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discipline, not just a fitness activity. So if

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you've ever felt like rucking deserved more recognition

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as a legitimate sport, this is one of the organizations

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moving that needle. For these types of events,

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your pace and your weight carry matter. You can't

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just log a ruck in Strava with a vague amount

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of weight and a day pack and hope for the best.

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These events specify a minimum weight requirements

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and your finishing time is your finishing time.

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It's going to be compared to others. If you're

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competitive by nature, that structure is incredibly

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motivating. If you've been wondering how your

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rucking fitness stacks up against other people,

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that's going to be how you find out. From a training

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standpoint, if you're targeting a competitive

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ruck race, you need to put more thought into

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your pace. A lot of ruckers train at a comfortable

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zone two pace, and that's perfectly fine for

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general fitness. But if you're racing, you need

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to know what you can sustain at a faster pace

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with your target weight over that race distance.

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That means you actually need to do some pace

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work in your training, which we touched on in

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episode 43, the first episode in this training

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with a ruck series. Now we're getting into the

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territory that a lot of people associate most

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strongly with the word ruck. That's go ruck.

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If you've been in the rucking world for more

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than five minutes, you've probably heard the

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name. Let's break down what these go ruck events

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actually are. So starting out, go ruck events

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are they're they're team based endurance challenges

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led by a cadre. The events are not races. You

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don't finish first. You finish. as a team and

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that distinction is core to the entire goruck

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philosophy goruck runs a range of events at different

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difficulty levels i'll walk you through the main

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ones so you know what you're looking at we'll

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start with the the lightest one or what they

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used to call light now i believe they're calling

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basic it's called the goruck basic and that's

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the entry point it typically runs around four

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to five hours and covers six to eight miles The

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basic is challenging, so don't let the name fool

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you, but it's designed to be completable by people

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who have been rucking consistently and have a

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reasonable base of fitness. There will be physical

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challenges along the way, team exercises and

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moments that are genuinely uncomfortable, but

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it's meant to be a positive first experience

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with the GORUCK format. The GORUCK Tough steps

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things up considerably, though. This is the classic

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GORUCK event. It runs around 10 to 12 hours and

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covers 15 to 20 miles, and the demands are significantly

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higher than the basic events. The Tough is where

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the GORUCK culture was. really established. It's

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long enough that you go through multiple ways

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of feeling good and feeling terrible. The team

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dynamic becomes critical because when some people

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are struggling, others are carrying more of the

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load. The cadre running the event will push the

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team and how the team responds together is a

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big part of what gets evaluated. Then there's

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go -ruck heavy. This one is serious. 24 hours,

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40 miles plus, and physical requirements that

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don't really... The heavy is not a beginner event

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by any stretch and even experienced Rutgers treat

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preparation for the heavy as a dedicated training

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cycle. Go ask Joe Baker from Baker Fitness. A

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lot of people do heavy as part of a multi -event

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weekend and HTB, meaning heavy, tough, and basic

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back -to -back. If you go that route, one of

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the underrated challenges is actually managing

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the time between the events. You have to eat,

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sleep, and recover in a compressed window, and

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the temptation to quit between those events is

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real, from what I've told. Never done HTB, but

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I could totally see that. Sleep feels incredible

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when you're already depleted. Having a plan for

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your nutrition, your rest, and your mindset during

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those gaps is just as important as the training

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that got you there. What separates go -ruck events

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from most fitness events is the team component,

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like I mentioned before. In most endurance events,

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races, solo challenges, whatever, your performance

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is your performance. If you're struggling, that's

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your problem to manage. In Garruk, your performance

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is the team's problem. If you're crushed, your

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teammates help. If your teammate is crushed...

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you help them. There's a lot of log carries,

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sandbag shuffling, and partner -supported movements

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built into these events specifically because

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they force the team to function as a unit. One

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thing people underestimate about GORUCK is how

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much PT or physical training or PT elements shapes

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the experience. The PT in these events will legitimately

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beat you down as the night wears on. Strong people

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lose their form. People get taken out not by

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the mileage, but by the physical tasks. Their

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bodies stop being able to execute the movements

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cleanly. That's useful to know because it changes

00:12:39.610 --> 00:12:42.009
how you prepare. It's not just about being able

00:12:42.009 --> 00:12:44.710
to ruck long distances. You need to be able to

00:12:44.710 --> 00:12:47.210
do the physical work with a ruck on your back

00:12:47.210 --> 00:12:50.690
repeatedly over many hours. On the weight side,

00:12:50.929 --> 00:12:53.250
Go Ruck Challenge events require 20 -pound plates

00:12:53.250 --> 00:12:56.149
if you're under 150 pounds and 30 -pound plates

00:12:56.149 --> 00:12:59.419
if you're over 150 pounds. For the heavy, you

00:12:59.419 --> 00:13:01.539
also need to be comfortable getting under serious

00:13:01.539 --> 00:13:04.500
team weight. I'm talking heavy logs. If you're

00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:06.200
doing it heavy, you better be able to get under

00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:08.690
some pretty heavy things. One more gear note

00:13:08.690 --> 00:13:10.769
worth making here. For go -ruck specifically,

00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:13.970
using a pack designed for rucking with handles

00:13:13.970 --> 00:13:16.429
on all sides is a legitimate recommendation.

00:13:17.049 --> 00:13:18.950
These packs are built around the weight plate

00:13:18.950 --> 00:13:21.210
system and the physical training movements. So

00:13:21.210 --> 00:13:23.750
when you're taking your ruck on and off under

00:13:23.750 --> 00:13:26.330
pressure, getting to the ground and back up repeatedly,

00:13:26.549 --> 00:13:29.269
the design really matters. It's one of those

00:13:29.269 --> 00:13:31.529
cases where the purpose -built tool actually

00:13:31.529 --> 00:13:35.460
is the right tool for the job. The collective

00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:37.940
suffering aspect is either exactly what you're

00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:40.340
looking for or it sounds like a nightmare and

00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:42.440
your reaction to that description is probably

00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:45.500
a decent signal for whether GORUCK is the right

00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:48.039
fit for you. Some people find that shared misery

00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:52.019
incredibly bonding and motivating. Other people

00:13:52.019 --> 00:13:53.899
would rather suffer alone on their own terms.

00:13:54.019 --> 00:13:56.580
Neither preference is wrong. It's just a useful

00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:58.500
thing to know about yourself before you register.

00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:02.120
For preparation, go -ruck events require a solid

00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:04.820
rucking base, some capacity for body weight movements,

00:14:05.019 --> 00:14:07.440
you know, push -ups, flutter kicks, that sort

00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:10.200
of thing, and the ability to get on and off the

00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:13.000
ground with a loaded ruck quickly. If you want

00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:15.379
to stress test your readiness before any event,

00:14:15.539 --> 00:14:18.279
there's a go -ruck drill developed by Cadre Cleave

00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.360
called the Deck of Death, and that covers a lot

00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:23.000
of the movement patterns you'll actually see.

00:14:23.500 --> 00:14:26.299
So eight counts, ruck swings, flutter kicks with

00:14:26.299 --> 00:14:29.259
the ruck overhead, that kind of thing. Running

00:14:29.259 --> 00:14:31.039
through it gives you an honest picture of where

00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:34.580
your gaps are. The physical preparation is real,

00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:36.600
but a lot of people who've done go -ruck events

00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:40.440
will tell you that the mental side of being cold,

00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:42.559
tired, and hungry at 2 a .m. while a cadre is

00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:44.980
asking your team to pick up a log, that's where

00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:47.879
mental toughness either shows up or it doesn't.

00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:49.840
Before I go into the last type of rucking event

00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:51.840
I'm going to cover today, I want to say thanks

00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:55.080
for listening to the episode. If you have a friend

00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:57.580
or know a fellow Rucker that has expressed interest

00:14:57.580 --> 00:15:00.000
in any of these events, text this episode to

00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:01.779
them. It might help them decide which one to

00:15:01.779 --> 00:15:03.840
choose or give them the motivation they need

00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:06.860
to pull the trigger and register already. Okay,

00:15:06.899 --> 00:15:10.139
back to it. So now that we've talked about the

00:15:10.139 --> 00:15:13.720
team events, let's talk about some solo endurance

00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:17.299
events. And I'm specifically thinking of Green

00:15:17.299 --> 00:15:19.899
Beret Fitness. Before I get into this, I want

00:15:19.899 --> 00:15:22.500
to give a quick credit here. A lot of what I

00:15:22.500 --> 00:15:24.659
know about the practical differences between

00:15:24.659 --> 00:15:27.059
Go Ruck and Green Beret Fitness comes from a

00:15:27.059 --> 00:15:30.000
former guest on the podcast, Sam Svetkovsky.

00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:32.519
You may remember her from episode 36, where we

00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:35.590
talked about why runners should ruck. She's done

00:15:35.590 --> 00:15:37.870
multiple GoRick events, including a heavy, and

00:15:37.870 --> 00:15:40.110
she's done Green Beret fitness events, including

00:15:40.110 --> 00:15:43.509
Operation Ocala and Operation Black Bear. Her

00:15:43.509 --> 00:15:48.509
firsthand breakdowns are some of the most useful

00:15:48.509 --> 00:15:50.789
and honest writing on the topic I've come across.

00:15:51.070 --> 00:15:54.250
So I suggest go and give it a read. It's over

00:15:54.250 --> 00:15:57.960
on her blog at ruckwithsam .com. Green Beret

00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:00.799
Fitness runs events that are modeled more closely

00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:03.840
on Special Forces selection processes. And the

00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:05.559
first thing to understand about these events

00:16:05.559 --> 00:16:08.379
is that they are fundamentally different from

00:16:08.379 --> 00:16:10.399
GORUCK in one very important way. And I already

00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:12.299
alluded to this in the intro of this section.

00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:16.240
They are individual. GORUCK is always a team

00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.059
event. In Green Beret Fitness events, you're

00:16:19.059 --> 00:16:21.899
on your own. Nobody can carry weight for you.

00:16:21.940 --> 00:16:24.440
Nobody can take a task off your plate when you're

00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:27.340
struggling. You might start alongside other people

00:16:27.340 --> 00:16:30.120
and you might even move for a stretch with someone,

00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:32.039
but there's no guarantee you're going to finish

00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.379
with them. That distinction shapes everything

00:16:34.379 --> 00:16:37.340
about how these events feel. In Garbuck, you

00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:39.740
have a team around you, people to talk to, someone

00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:42.519
to share the load with when you're spent, you

00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:44.639
know, someone to hand you a snack at 2 a .m.

00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:47.460
But in Green Beret Fitness, if you feel like

00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:52.029
garbage, that's just... Sam described a stretch

00:16:52.029 --> 00:16:55.690
during Operation Ocala where she was tired, alone,

00:16:55.850 --> 00:16:59.289
and freezing, and three miles felt like a lifetime.

00:16:59.490 --> 00:17:02.250
She had another stretch like that later in the

00:17:02.250 --> 00:17:05.009
same event, even more exhausted, and still no

00:17:05.009 --> 00:17:08.650
one to pull her along. Just her, her own mind.

00:17:09.259 --> 00:17:12.220
for however many hours it took to reach the next

00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:14.680
checkpoint. From a terrain standpoint, Green

00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:16.920
Beret fitness events are dramatically different

00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:20.359
from Garak. You're on actual trails in real wilderness.

00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:23.680
There's elevation, you know, there can be sandless

00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:26.759
gravel, you know, pond crossings, mud, fallen

00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:30.019
trees. Mountain events have serious elevation

00:17:30.019 --> 00:17:32.920
changes. You're going up peaks and back down,

00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:35.740
and Sam describes the scenery as genuinely beautiful,

00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:38.579
which is worth something, but it also means you're

00:17:38.579 --> 00:17:41.420
navigating terrain that changes sometimes and

00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:44.640
doesn't cooperate. The navigation element is

00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:47.880
a big deal in Green Beret fitness. Routes are

00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:50.740
typically shared ahead of time. From my understanding,

00:17:50.920 --> 00:17:53.400
you usually get a route on all trails or something

00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:56.059
similar, but navigating that route accurately

00:17:56.059 --> 00:17:59.480
under time pressure and fatigue is another thing

00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:02.819
entirely. Taking a wrong turn doesn't just cost

00:18:02.819 --> 00:18:06.519
you time, it's costing you miles and time on

00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:09.519
your feet. There's no physical training in Green

00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:13.079
Beret fitness events, no group exercises, no

00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:16.299
cadre -directed physical tasks. The challenge

00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:18.799
is purely about moving through terrain with weight,

00:18:18.900 --> 00:18:21.160
managing your time, and making good decisions

00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:24.559
over a long duration. The gear and nutrition

00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:26.880
demands for Green Beret fitness events are also

00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:29.539
higher than Go Rock in one specific way. These

00:18:29.539 --> 00:18:33.099
events are largely self -supported. Like I mentioned

00:18:33.099 --> 00:18:36.039
before, this is a solo situation. So you're carrying

00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:38.279
your food, you carry your water, you carry your

00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:40.279
emergency gear. There's no aid station around

00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:43.119
the corner. Even if an event is projected to

00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:45.920
take you six to eight hours, plan for it taking

00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:48.940
much longer than that. Don't cut corners on water

00:18:48.940 --> 00:18:51.400
and food weight to save a few pounds because

00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.079
you might need those calories way more than you

00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:58.430
need a lighter pack for the event. The weight

00:18:58.430 --> 00:19:00.630
requirements for Green Beret fitness events are

00:19:00.630 --> 00:19:03.829
set as dry weight, meaning the required weight

00:19:03.829 --> 00:19:07.369
before food and water are added. That number

00:19:07.369 --> 00:19:09.650
varies by event, so check your specific event

00:19:09.650 --> 00:19:13.269
page. Once you add real nutrition for a multi

00:19:13.269 --> 00:19:16.130
-hour day in the field, your pack gets heavier

00:19:16.130 --> 00:19:19.769
fast. So factor that in when you're doing your

00:19:19.769 --> 00:19:22.519
planning. The mental and physical demands are

00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:24.539
layered in a way that's specifically intended

00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:27.480
to stress test your judgment, not just your legs.

00:19:27.579 --> 00:19:30.079
You can't autopilot through a navigation challenge

00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:33.480
at hour 10. You have to think clearly when you're

00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:35.980
tired, which is one of the most underappreciated

00:19:35.980 --> 00:19:39.819
skills in any endurance context. So managing

00:19:39.819 --> 00:19:41.980
uncertainty, staying calm when you're behind

00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:44.299
pace, making smart decisions about your pace

00:19:44.299 --> 00:19:47.259
and your resources, that's what these events

00:19:47.259 --> 00:19:50.390
are actually testing. For someone considering

00:19:50.390 --> 00:19:52.509
this type of event, it looks like the baseline

00:19:52.509 --> 00:19:55.329
fitness requirements are meaningfully higher

00:19:55.329 --> 00:19:59.029
than a beginner go -ruck basic. Running should

00:19:59.029 --> 00:20:01.690
be part of your preparation. You'll likely need

00:20:01.690 --> 00:20:03.970
to move faster at a Green Beret fitness than

00:20:03.970 --> 00:20:06.049
you would at a go -ruck challenge, and the terrain

00:20:06.049 --> 00:20:08.170
demands athletic movement, not just sustained

00:20:08.170 --> 00:20:11.269
heavy walking. A solid Green Beret fitness training

00:20:11.269 --> 00:20:14.170
approach includes rucking, running, hiking with

00:20:14.170 --> 00:20:17.809
elevation, and strength work. Navigations, and

00:20:17.809 --> 00:20:20.359
lastly, I know I talked about it a little bit,

00:20:20.380 --> 00:20:23.160
and honestly, this part is the most intriguing

00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:27.619
to me personally, is navigation skills. They

00:20:27.619 --> 00:20:29.559
are worth developing if you're seriously considering

00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:32.339
this path of Green Beret Fitness Challenges.

00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:34.559
I can see how some people would show up to this

00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:38.819
event maybe not ever using a map and a compass

00:20:38.819 --> 00:20:43.079
in a high -pressure context, and that's a gap

00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:46.140
that training can close. you have to actually

00:20:46.140 --> 00:20:49.299
work on it. So spending time on land, navigating

00:20:49.299 --> 00:20:53.099
before your first event is not optional if you

00:20:53.099 --> 00:20:55.779
want to have a good experience. Okay, so you've

00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:58.539
heard pretty much the full landscape. Now the

00:20:58.539 --> 00:21:02.660
question is, which event is right for you? The

00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:05.160
key is to figure out what you actually want to

00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:08.259
get out of your first event and then match the

00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:11.000
event type to that goal. We kind of went over

00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.559
all this, but if what you want is community,

00:21:14.569 --> 00:21:18.269
Go Go Ruck. Specifically start with the basic.

00:21:18.990 --> 00:21:21.490
The Go Ruck community is genuinely strong. The

00:21:21.490 --> 00:21:23.710
events are organized well and there is something

00:21:23.710 --> 00:21:25.829
about suffering alongside strangers that bonds

00:21:25.829 --> 00:21:28.269
people in a way that most social fitness experiences

00:21:28.269 --> 00:21:31.250
really don't. If you want to do rucking with

00:21:31.250 --> 00:21:32.750
other people and feel like part of something

00:21:32.750 --> 00:21:35.369
bigger, Go Ruck is built for exactly that. Register

00:21:35.369 --> 00:21:37.609
for a basic within a reasonable drive and then

00:21:37.609 --> 00:21:40.069
put in the three to four months of consistent

00:21:40.069 --> 00:21:41.890
training and show up ready to work. If you want

00:21:41.890 --> 00:21:44.960
competition, look at Ruck Race League. or ruck

00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:47.940
divisions within existing endurance races. These

00:21:47.940 --> 00:21:50.839
events give you a clock, a placement, and a number

00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:53.940
to chase. They're perfect if you're motivated

00:21:53.940 --> 00:21:57.339
by comparison, not in an unhealthy way, but in

00:21:57.339 --> 00:21:59.099
the sense that knowing your time and knowing

00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:01.640
how you stack up against people is what motivates

00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:04.660
you and pushes you to train harder. So find a

00:22:04.660 --> 00:22:06.700
local event with a ruck division, pick a target

00:22:06.700 --> 00:22:09.900
pace, and build a focused training block around

00:22:09.900 --> 00:22:14.450
that pace and distance. And lastly, if what you

00:22:14.450 --> 00:22:16.930
want is a personal challenge, something internal,

00:22:17.130 --> 00:22:20.589
something you can point to and say you did that

00:22:20.589 --> 00:22:23.009
and be proud of it, long distance events and

00:22:23.009 --> 00:22:24.950
solo endurance rucks like Green Beret fitness

00:22:24.950 --> 00:22:28.269
events might be your path. It just requires you

00:22:28.269 --> 00:22:31.250
and a lot of time on your feet. All right, so

00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:33.289
that's the full picture. We went from charity

00:22:33.289 --> 00:22:35.609
rucks and community events through competitive

00:22:35.609 --> 00:22:38.730
racing and team challenges and all the way through

00:22:38.730 --> 00:22:41.859
long distance endurance. events through Green

00:22:41.859 --> 00:22:44.539
Beret Fitness. Okay, so relating back to this

00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:47.059
series we're doing, here's what I want you to

00:22:47.059 --> 00:22:50.180
walk away with. So episode one gave you the tools

00:22:50.180 --> 00:22:53.240
to build serious conditioning with a ruck. Episode

00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:55.779
two showed you how to build strength without

00:22:55.779 --> 00:22:59.039
needing a gym. And this episode, the third episode

00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:01.960
in this series, has given you a destination.

00:23:02.539 --> 00:23:05.059
You have a clear map of what the ruck event world

00:23:05.059 --> 00:23:07.720
looks like, and you have a simple framework to

00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:10.950
pick the path that's right for you. Lastly, I

00:23:10.950 --> 00:23:13.630
want to close with three insights on preparing

00:23:13.630 --> 00:23:17.170
for one of these events. The first one, give

00:23:17.170 --> 00:23:19.769
yourself enough lead time. For a beginner -friendly

00:23:19.769 --> 00:23:22.750
event, eight to 12 weeks of focused preparation

00:23:22.750 --> 00:23:25.690
is reasonable. For a go -ruck tough or selection

00:23:25.690 --> 00:23:28.609
-style event, plan for four to six months minimum

00:23:28.609 --> 00:23:32.529
if your base isn't already strong. For a significant

00:23:32.529 --> 00:23:36.130
long endurance event, treat it like a multi -year

00:23:36.130 --> 00:23:39.200
goal. Number two. Train with your gear. Whatever

00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:41.480
pack you're using to use at the event, train

00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:45.200
with it. Whatever weight, train with it. Show

00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:47.599
up at any event with unfamiliar gear and you're

00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:50.539
adding an unnecessary variable to any already

00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:53.799
challenging day. You see this a lot in running

00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:55.400
forums where people are talking about like what

00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:57.240
people need to be doing for their first half

00:23:57.240 --> 00:24:00.339
marathon or first marathon. And one of the common

00:24:00.339 --> 00:24:05.259
tips is don't. Try any new food on race day because

00:24:05.259 --> 00:24:07.359
you have no idea how your body is going to react

00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:09.500
to it. Silver Simulator here. Train with your

00:24:09.500 --> 00:24:12.400
gear. Know how it functions on your body. Set

00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:16.000
yourself up for success. And the last of the

00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:19.140
three insights to conclude this episode, don't

00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:21.519
underestimate foot care. Blisters are the most

00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:24.740
common reason people have miserable event experiences

00:24:24.740 --> 00:24:27.779
and they're largely preventable. Find your sock

00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:30.640
system, break in your footwear and know how to

00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:33.119
manage hot spots before they become full blisters.

00:24:33.420 --> 00:24:35.740
And speaking of footwear, if you haven't already,

00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:39.200
hit subscribe or follow because in next week,

00:24:39.259 --> 00:24:41.859
I talk with Alex Thrasher. He's the founder of

00:24:41.859 --> 00:24:44.109
Mud Gear and we discuss all things. foot care

00:24:44.109 --> 00:24:48.269
and blister prevention. Really cool dude. Had

00:24:48.269 --> 00:24:50.069
a fantastic time talking to him. I don't think

00:24:50.069 --> 00:24:52.549
you're going to like that episode, but that's

00:24:52.549 --> 00:24:54.970
it for today. Thanks for listening to this episode

00:24:54.970 --> 00:24:56.329
of the Rutgers Edge.