Dec. 7, 2025
What The Greatest Coach of All Time Would Teach You About Rucking
The player is loading ...
In this episode, we break down the most powerful teachings of Coach John Wooden and apply them directly to rucking. We unpack why Wooden’s “don’t whine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses” rule is foundational for growth, how his definition of success removes comparison from your training, and why the journey — the actual day-to-day work — must become the destination. We explore how attention to tiny details prevents injury and boosts performance, why intentness is the real separator, and how mistakes and failure are required steps on the path to becoming your best. Finally, we finish with three of Wooden’s Eight Suggestions for Succeeding and translate them into actionable rucking principles.
Links & Resources
- Pick up a copy of Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court
- The Rucker's Edge on Instagram: @theruckersedgepod
Notes
- Music Credit: Play This Game by Black Rhomb.
- I'm not a doctor, and this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult with your physician before starting any new exercise or physical activity.
WEBVTT
00:00:00.110 --> 00:00:02.730
Have you ever wondered how some people can stay
00:00:02.730 --> 00:00:05.009
insanely consistent with their rucking training?
00:00:05.129 --> 00:00:08.330
You know through bad weather busy weeks or low
00:00:08.330 --> 00:00:11.310
motivation While others flame out after a few
00:00:11.310 --> 00:00:13.849
hard efforts? Today We're breaking down the lessons
00:00:13.849 --> 00:00:16.890
of legendary coach John Wooden to reveal the
00:00:16.890 --> 00:00:19.289
mindset that keeps you progressing long after
00:00:19.289 --> 00:00:21.530
the excitement wears off You'll learn how to
00:00:21.530 --> 00:00:24.109
build discipline that actually sticks, how to
00:00:24.109 --> 00:00:26.609
stop comparing yourself to other ruckers, and
00:00:26.609 --> 00:00:29.390
how to fall in love with the process so you never
00:00:29.390 --> 00:00:32.049
stall out again. You're listening to the Rucker's
00:00:32.049 --> 00:00:34.429
Edge podcast, a show all about rucking that is
00:00:34.429 --> 00:00:36.250
designed to help you improve your rucking routine,
00:00:36.509 --> 00:00:38.549
lose weight, and ultimately gain your strength
00:00:38.549 --> 00:00:40.969
and energy back. Each episode dives into the
00:00:40.969 --> 00:00:43.509
science, stories, and strategies behind rucking.
00:00:43.729 --> 00:00:46.450
You'll learn from top ruckers, coaches, and health
00:00:46.450 --> 00:00:48.570
and fitness experts who break down what it takes
00:00:48.570 --> 00:00:51.939
to train smarter, recover faster, and stay ready
00:00:51.939 --> 00:00:54.259
for the next challenge. So whether you're new
00:00:54.259 --> 00:00:56.259
to rucking or an experienced rucker that's already
00:00:56.259 --> 00:00:58.880
logged hundreds of miles, this is the show for
00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.060
you. I'm your host Spencer. Thanks for listening
00:01:01.060 --> 00:01:03.460
in. Today we're doing something different. I'm
00:01:03.460 --> 00:01:05.519
trying out a new format for the show and I've
00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:07.459
been wanting to do this for a while. I read a
00:01:07.459 --> 00:01:10.099
book recently that was surprisingly loaded with
00:01:10.099 --> 00:01:13.640
very valuable rucking advice. The book was titled
00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:16.900
Wooden, a lifetime of observations and reflections
00:01:16.900 --> 00:01:20.230
on and off the court. In the book, Coach John
00:01:20.230 --> 00:01:22.549
Wooden shares his personal philosophy on achievement,
00:01:22.670 --> 00:01:25.489
success, and excellence, and he offers lessons
00:01:25.489 --> 00:01:28.129
and wisdom that he learned throughout his career
00:01:28.129 --> 00:01:31.150
at UCLA and his life as a dedicated husband,
00:01:31.469 --> 00:01:34.290
father, and teacher. In case you're unfamiliar
00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:36.650
with Coach John Wooden, he was the head basketball
00:01:36.650 --> 00:01:41.810
coach at UCLA between 1948 and 1975. During his
00:01:41.810 --> 00:01:44.170
stint as head coach over there, he won 10 NCAA
00:01:44.170 --> 00:01:47.290
national championships, including a crazy streak
00:01:47.290 --> 00:01:50.530
of seven titles in eight years, and he captured
00:01:50.530 --> 00:01:53.650
an 88 -game win streak and multiple undefeated
00:01:53.650 --> 00:01:56.829
seasons. Coach Wooden was named the College Basketball
00:01:56.829 --> 00:01:59.730
Coach of the Year a whopping six times, and he
00:01:59.730 --> 00:02:01.890
became the first person inducted into the Naismith
00:02:01.890 --> 00:02:04.950
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player
00:02:04.950 --> 00:02:08.250
and a coach. He was also awarded the Presidential
00:02:08.250 --> 00:02:12.360
Medal of Freedom in 2003. What struck me instantly
00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.680
while reading this book was how directly his
00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:17.439
teachings translate to rucking. I'm not talking
00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:19.699
metaphorically, like literally, they transfer
00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:22.419
literally over to ruckers. I highlighted what
00:02:22.419 --> 00:02:25.159
I consider to be the top 11 takeaways from the
00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:28.080
book that will benefit you, the listener, and
00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.520
help you improve your rucking and mindset. So
00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.139
today you're going to hear Wooden's own words,
00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:35.199
and then we're going to interpret them through
00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:37.180
the lens of a rucker trying to become the best
00:02:37.180 --> 00:02:40.669
version of themselves. So for the next 30 minutes,
00:02:40.870 --> 00:02:43.469
let's imagine that you are one of his players,
00:02:43.629 --> 00:02:45.770
but instead of a basketball, you're carrying
00:02:45.770 --> 00:02:48.590
a rucksack. Let's think, you know, what would
00:02:48.590 --> 00:02:51.270
he teach you? What habits would he demand from
00:02:51.270 --> 00:02:53.990
you? What standards would he expect from you?
00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:57.349
And what mindset would he refuse to compromise
00:02:57.349 --> 00:03:02.210
on? Let's begin where Wooden begins, with the
00:03:02.210 --> 00:03:04.389
rule he learned from his dad, the rule he demanded
00:03:04.389 --> 00:03:07.569
every single day of his life. So lesson number
00:03:07.569 --> 00:03:11.280
one. Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't make
00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.379
excuses. And this is the second set of threes
00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:17.979
that his father gave to him. He says, My father
00:03:17.979 --> 00:03:21.000
had what he calls his two sets of threes. They
00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:23.340
were direct and simple rules aimed at how he
00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:26.900
felt we should conduct ourselves in life. The
00:03:26.900 --> 00:03:29.039
first set was about honesty. Never lie, never
00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:31.620
cheat, never steal. My brothers and I knew what
00:03:31.620 --> 00:03:34.539
it meant and that he expected us to abide by
00:03:34.539 --> 00:03:37.680
it. The second set of threes was about dealing
00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.000
with adversity, and this is what applies to ruckers.
00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.340
Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses.
00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:46.680
This is Wooden's baseline, not advanced level,
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.780
not championship level, just baseline. Because
00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:52.139
the moment you start whining, complaining, or
00:03:52.139 --> 00:03:54.300
making excuses, you've stopped learning. You've
00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:57.199
shut down the door on growth, and rucking discomfort
00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.819
is guaranteed. There's no scenario where you
00:04:00.819 --> 00:04:03.300
get stronger without dealing with pain and fatigue.
00:04:04.009 --> 00:04:06.629
If Wooden was coaching you, he would look at
00:04:06.629 --> 00:04:09.870
you at mile seven when your feet hurt, your pack
00:04:09.870 --> 00:04:12.330
is pulling back, and your shoulders are burning
00:04:12.330 --> 00:04:15.669
out. And he wouldn't say, oh, poor thing, bless
00:04:15.669 --> 00:04:18.829
your heart. He would say, this is feedback, use
00:04:18.829 --> 00:04:21.209
it. Every blister, every hot spot, every slow
00:04:21.209 --> 00:04:24.069
pace, every bad training day, that's data, that's
00:04:24.069 --> 00:04:26.389
information, that's instruction. Complaining
00:04:26.389 --> 00:04:29.329
blocks the lesson. You know, if Wooden coached
00:04:29.329 --> 00:04:31.769
you, he'd tell you, be a student of your struggles.
00:04:32.370 --> 00:04:35.670
Essentially, learn from your mistakes. Alright,
00:04:35.810 --> 00:04:38.069
lesson number two. Coach Wooden views success
00:04:38.069 --> 00:04:42.829
as doing our best to become our best. Wooden
00:04:42.829 --> 00:04:45.529
writes, My dad had great influence on my own
00:04:45.529 --> 00:04:48.029
personal definition of success, and it has little
00:04:48.029 --> 00:04:51.790
to do with fortune or fame. Although I probably
00:04:51.790 --> 00:04:53.589
didn't really understand it at the time, one
00:04:53.589 --> 00:04:55.790
of the things he tried to get across to me was
00:04:55.790 --> 00:04:58.189
that I should never try to be better than someone
00:04:58.189 --> 00:05:01.750
else. Then he always added, But Johnny never
00:05:01.750 --> 00:05:05.050
ceased trying to be the best you can be. That
00:05:05.050 --> 00:05:08.350
is under your control. The other is not. You
00:05:08.350 --> 00:05:10.970
have little say over how big or how strong or
00:05:10.970 --> 00:05:14.149
how smart or rich someone else may be. You do
00:05:14.149 --> 00:05:17.649
have, at least you should have, control of yourself
00:05:17.649 --> 00:05:20.730
and the effort you give toward bringing out your
00:05:20.730 --> 00:05:23.670
best in whatever you're doing. This effort must
00:05:23.670 --> 00:05:26.189
be total, and when it is, I believe you have
00:05:26.189 --> 00:05:29.250
achieved personal success. The concept that success
00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:32.410
is mine when I work my hardest to become my best
00:05:32.410 --> 00:05:36.350
and that I alone determine whether I do so became
00:05:36.350 --> 00:05:39.129
central to my life and affected me in a most
00:05:39.129 --> 00:05:42.529
profound manner. Try your hardest in all ways
00:05:42.529 --> 00:05:46.209
and you are a success. Do less than that and
00:05:46.209 --> 00:05:50.129
you have failed to one degree or another. And
00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:52.709
then later on in the book, he outlines his definition
00:05:52.709 --> 00:05:57.379
of success. And it is... Success is peace of
00:05:57.379 --> 00:06:00.319
mind that is the direct result of self -satisfaction
00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.639
and knowing you did your best to become the best
00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.120
that you are capable of becoming. Furthermore,
00:06:05.379 --> 00:06:07.720
only one person can ultimately judge the level
00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:11.040
of your success. You. Think about that for a
00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:13.439
moment. I believe that is what true success is.
00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:16.000
Anything stemming from that success is simply
00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:19.160
a byproduct. Whether it be the score, the trophy,
00:06:19.339 --> 00:06:23.290
a national championship, fame, or fortune. So
00:06:23.290 --> 00:06:26.029
again, Wooden had the clearest definition of
00:06:26.029 --> 00:06:29.430
success. Read that again. Peace of mind. Not
00:06:29.430 --> 00:06:32.029
the trophies, not paste, not Instagram posts.
00:06:33.209 --> 00:06:36.170
Peace. If Wooden coached you, he wouldn't care
00:06:36.170 --> 00:06:38.430
about your 12 -mile ruck time. He would only
00:06:38.430 --> 00:06:41.089
care about whether you became your best. You
00:06:41.089 --> 00:06:43.110
can't control the genetics of the guy next to
00:06:43.110 --> 00:06:45.550
you. You can't control the weather. You can't
00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:48.069
control the conditions of the trails. But you
00:06:48.069 --> 00:06:51.100
can control your effort. and Wooden would measure
00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:54.860
you only by that. This view of success is exactly
00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:56.920
why I like the self -evaluation function in the
00:06:56.920 --> 00:06:58.660
Garmin Connect app. That's where I track my rucks.
00:06:58.860 --> 00:07:03.220
It makes me really gauge if the workout was truly
00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:06.759
a success or not. I mean, sure, some people could
00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.279
also measure success by just showing up and staying
00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:13.699
consistent, but really, I like to gauge my workouts
00:07:13.699 --> 00:07:17.360
by level of effort. And if I didn't mark the
00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:20.370
level of effort as hard, Was it really a successful
00:07:20.370 --> 00:07:24.129
effort for me? Okay, lesson number three. The
00:07:24.129 --> 00:07:27.310
journey is the end. Learn to love the process.
00:07:28.730 --> 00:07:31.230
Wooden says, Some people wondered how I would
00:07:31.230 --> 00:07:34.009
endure working in such a minutely detailed, persistent,
00:07:34.250 --> 00:07:36.610
and arduous manner day after day, week after
00:07:36.610 --> 00:07:39.649
week, for years on end. I could tell them only
00:07:39.649 --> 00:07:43.670
this. I love it. It was as Cervantes described.
00:07:43.930 --> 00:07:46.350
Cervantes was a 14th century Spanish writer.
00:07:46.699 --> 00:07:49.300
And this is my favorite Wooden line in the entire
00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:52.860
book. He says, for me, the journey was the end.
00:07:53.060 --> 00:07:55.980
The practice and the planning and the drills
00:07:55.980 --> 00:07:59.939
were my journey, and I loved it. And, you know,
00:07:59.959 --> 00:08:02.620
I think it was Ralph Waldo Emerson that coined
00:08:02.620 --> 00:08:05.160
the phrase, it's not the destination, it's the
00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:08.519
journey. That is totally what Wooden is talking
00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:11.420
about here. The end is the destination, the place
00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:14.240
of rest. Wooden is saying the work is the destination.
00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:17.740
This is the heart of rucking. Rucking is not
00:08:17.740 --> 00:08:21.839
glamorous, flashy. It's quiet, simple, repetitive,
00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:26.519
and quite frankly, humbling. You don't show up
00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:30.139
to ruck for medals. You show up for who you become
00:08:30.139 --> 00:08:33.000
along the way. And what it would force you to
00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:36.759
fall in love with, you know, tying down the pack,
00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:40.059
taping up your feet, warming up before each ruck,
00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:44.100
your best mile, your worst mile, finishing when
00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:46.610
you're tired. logging your training when you
00:08:46.610 --> 00:08:49.950
finish, and then showing up the next day to do
00:08:49.950 --> 00:08:54.070
it all over again. Also, this mindset is what
00:08:54.070 --> 00:08:56.850
keeps Rutgers consistent for decades. Most people
00:08:56.850 --> 00:09:00.950
burn out because they treat training like a transaction.
00:09:01.269 --> 00:09:05.090
I suffer now so I can enjoy later. To most people,
00:09:05.129 --> 00:09:08.909
that's unstable. Wooden treated training like
00:09:08.909 --> 00:09:12.009
a relationship. He loved the craft, and people
00:09:12.009 --> 00:09:15.279
who love the craft don't quit. They train when
00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.860
tired, when busy, when things feel slow, and
00:09:18.860 --> 00:09:22.159
when life gets messy. Because training isn't
00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.379
separate from life, it is life. Lesson four,
00:09:25.580 --> 00:09:29.440
details create success. And this is where Wooden
00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:31.200
becomes a wrecking coach without even knowing
00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.559
it. This passage comes from a chapter called
00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:37.740
Details Create Success. He poses a question,
00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:42.240
how can I become an optimist? And the answer
00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:45.120
is proper preparation and attention to details.
00:09:46.279 --> 00:10:00.740
He continues, They are fundamental to your progress
00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:04.100
in basketball, business, and life. They are the
00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:06.659
difference between champions and near champions.
00:10:07.529 --> 00:10:09.710
For example, at the first squad meeting each
00:10:09.710 --> 00:10:12.029
session held two weeks before our first actual
00:10:12.029 --> 00:10:15.029
practice, I personally demonstrated how I wanted
00:10:15.029 --> 00:10:17.409
players to put on their socks each and every
00:10:17.409 --> 00:10:19.850
time. Yeah, literally he's talking about he's
00:10:19.850 --> 00:10:21.929
teaching his players how to dress themselves,
00:10:22.149 --> 00:10:25.309
how to put their socks on. This is serious. I'm
00:10:25.309 --> 00:10:28.450
not making this up. This is what he did. He said,
00:10:28.549 --> 00:10:30.929
carefully roll the socks down over the toes,
00:10:31.269 --> 00:10:34.870
ball of the foot, the arch, and around the heel.
00:10:35.070 --> 00:10:38.080
Then pull the sock up snug. so there will be
00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:41.139
no wrinkles of any kind. I would then have the
00:10:41.139 --> 00:10:43.500
players carefully check with their fingers for
00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:46.779
any folds or creases in the socks, starting at
00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:49.240
the toes and sliding the hand along the side
00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:51.840
of and under the foot, smoothing the sock out
00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:54.679
as the fingers passed over it. I paid special
00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:57.279
attention to the heel because that is where wrinkles
00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:01.000
were most likely to occur. I would watch as the
00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:04.220
players smoothed the socks under and along the
00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:07.590
back of the heel. I wanted it done Conscientiously.
00:11:08.190 --> 00:11:10.830
Not quickly or casually, I wanted absolutely
00:11:10.830 --> 00:11:14.309
no folds, wrinkles, or creases of any kind on
00:11:14.309 --> 00:11:17.350
the sock. Then we would proceed to the other
00:11:17.350 --> 00:11:20.029
foot and do the same. I would demonstrate for
00:11:20.029 --> 00:11:22.250
the players and then have the players demonstrate
00:11:22.250 --> 00:11:29.289
it for me. This may seem like a nuisance, but
00:11:29.289 --> 00:11:32.289
I had a very practical reason for being meticulous
00:11:32.289 --> 00:11:35.059
about this. Wrinkles, folds, and creases can
00:11:35.059 --> 00:11:37.840
cause blisters. Blisters interfere with performance
00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:40.600
during practice and games. Since there was a
00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:42.879
way to reduce blisters, something the player
00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:45.580
and I could control, it was our responsibility
00:11:45.580 --> 00:11:48.620
to do it. Otherwise, we would not be doing everything
00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:51.539
possible to prepare in the best way. I mean,
00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:54.840
if you've rucked once, you know that blisters
00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:59.960
can absolutely destroy a ruck. So, yeah, a spot
00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:03.559
on, Coach Wooden. Like, nailed it. He continues
00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:05.980
later on, he says, these seemingly trivial matters
00:12:05.980 --> 00:12:08.600
taken together and added to many, many other
00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:10.720
so -called trivial matters build into something
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.460
very big, namely your success. You will find
00:12:14.460 --> 00:12:17.000
that success and attention to detail, the smallest
00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.360
details, usually go hand in hand in basketball
00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:24.120
and elsewhere in your life. When you see a successful
00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:27.360
individual, a champion, a winner, you can be
00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:29.460
very sure that you are looking at an individual
00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:32.480
who pays great attention. to the perfection of
00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:36.200
minor details. Imagine this man watching you
00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:39.379
put your socks on before a long ruck. He'd stop
00:12:39.379 --> 00:12:41.740
you. He'd say, do it again. Because he knows
00:12:41.740 --> 00:12:44.899
blisters don't happen at mile nine. They happen
00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:46.919
in the first five seconds when you've rushed
00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:49.679
your sock onto your foot. You know what he would
00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:53.769
absolutely love? Foot care, anti -chafe. proper
00:12:53.769 --> 00:12:56.289
pack adjustment, progressive loading, pacing,
00:12:56.450 --> 00:12:58.570
discipline, hydration prep, logging miles, strength
00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:02.289
training, mobility, and absolutely recovery routines.
00:13:03.190 --> 00:13:06.149
You know, this reminds me, my grandfather used
00:13:06.149 --> 00:13:08.289
to coach baseball. He was another great coach.
00:13:08.389 --> 00:13:12.710
And he always told his players, perfect practice
00:13:12.710 --> 00:13:16.350
makes perfect. This fits right into this chapter.
00:13:16.590 --> 00:13:20.389
You know, do everything the right way. If you
00:13:20.389 --> 00:13:22.570
do that, the results will take care of themselves.
00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:28.159
Okay, lesson five, intentness. So one of the
00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:31.340
things Coach Wooden is famous for is his pyramid
00:13:31.340 --> 00:13:34.519
of success. The pyramid of success is basically
00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:38.340
his philosophy on achieving success. It emphasizes
00:13:38.340 --> 00:13:40.980
the importance of hard work, integrity, and teamwork.
00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:44.360
And one of the blocks within the pyramid of success
00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:49.559
is intentness. And in the book he says, I could
00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:52.659
say intentness means determination. I could say
00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:55.379
it means persistence. I could say it means tenacity
00:13:55.379 --> 00:13:58.679
or perseverance. I will say it is the ability
00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:01.259
to resist temptation and stay the course. To
00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:03.059
concentrate on your objective with determination
00:14:03.059 --> 00:14:06.860
and resolve. Impatience is wanting too much too
00:14:06.860 --> 00:14:09.879
soon. Intentness doesn't involve wanting something.
00:14:10.059 --> 00:14:13.559
It involves doing something. The road to real
00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:16.539
achievement takes time. A long time. But you
00:14:16.539 --> 00:14:19.519
do not give up. You may have setbacks. You may
00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:21.419
have to start over. You may have to change your
00:14:21.419 --> 00:14:24.019
method. You may have to go around or over or
00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:26.519
under. You may have to back up and get another
00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:30.039
start. But you don't quit. You stay the course.
00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:34.679
To do that, you must have intentness. If Coach
00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:37.399
Wooden were coaching Rutgers, he'd say, don't
00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:39.899
skip training just because you're tired. Don't
00:14:39.899 --> 00:14:41.679
add weight too fast because you're impatient.
00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:44.659
Don't stop because it's cold. Don't drop a plan
00:14:44.659 --> 00:14:48.370
because progress feels slow. Stay the course.
00:14:49.029 --> 00:14:51.830
Stay the course. This is one of the hardest things
00:14:51.830 --> 00:14:55.590
for beginners. Everyone wants results. Very few
00:14:55.590 --> 00:14:59.090
want intentness. But intentness is the difference
00:14:59.090 --> 00:15:03.090
between I tried rucking once and rucking changed
00:15:03.090 --> 00:15:06.549
my life. Okay, I've never said the word intentness
00:15:06.549 --> 00:15:08.750
more in my life. I'm just going to stop and move
00:15:08.750 --> 00:15:11.950
on. All right, lesson six, never fear failure.
00:15:12.090 --> 00:15:15.559
It's the only route to success. This lesson comes
00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:17.980
from a chapter called Winners Make the Most Mistakes.
00:15:18.179 --> 00:15:22.220
He said, My coach at Purdue, Piggy Lambert, constantly
00:15:22.220 --> 00:15:25.080
reminded us the team that makes the most mistakes
00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:28.259
will probably win. That may sound a bit odd,
00:15:28.340 --> 00:15:31.179
but there is a great deal of truth in it. The
00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:34.100
doer makes mistakes. Coach Lambert taught me
00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:37.559
that mistakes come from doing, but so does success.
00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:41.460
The individual who is mistake -free is also probably
00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:44.980
sitting around doing nothing. And that's a very
00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:48.220
big mistake. So this translates to, you know,
00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:51.620
don't shy away from a challenge. Learn from shortcomings
00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:55.340
through that challenge and improve so you succeed
00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:58.720
next time in the future. If winning coach rucking,
00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:01.580
your mistakes would look like starting too fast,
00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:03.539
you know, getting blisters, carrying too much
00:16:03.539 --> 00:16:06.720
weight. carrying too little weight, mismanaging
00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:10.220
hydration, overtraining, undertraining, and this
00:16:10.220 --> 00:16:13.039
is all feedback. Wooden would say, mistakes are
00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:16.059
the price of admission. Just learn from those
00:16:16.059 --> 00:16:19.440
mistakes, adjust in the future, and then achieve
00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:23.440
success. Lesson seven, self -control creates
00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:27.899
peak performance. Wooden says, you cannot function
00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:30.340
physically or mentally unless your emotions are
00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:33.220
under control. That is why I did not engage in
00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:36.139
pregame pep talks to stir emotions to a sudden
00:16:36.139 --> 00:16:39.600
peak. I prefer to maintain a gradually increasing
00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:42.240
level of both achievement and emotions rather
00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.539
than trying to create artificial emotional highs.
00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.600
For every contrived peak you create, there is
00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:53.080
a subsequent valley. I do not like valleys. Self
00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.039
-control provides emotional stability and fewer
00:16:56.039 --> 00:16:59.090
valleys. Wooden continues on later on he says
00:16:59.090 --> 00:17:01.950
in the many years before we won a championship
00:17:01.950 --> 00:17:04.309
I overcame disappointment by not living in the
00:17:04.309 --> 00:17:07.250
past to do better in the future you have to work
00:17:07.250 --> 00:17:09.269
on the right now dwelling in the past prevents
00:17:09.269 --> 00:17:12.890
doing something in the present complaining whining
00:17:12.890 --> 00:17:17.130
making excuses just keeps you out of the present
00:17:17.130 --> 00:17:20.650
that's where self -control comes in self -control
00:17:20.650 --> 00:17:23.430
keeps you in the present so strive to maintain
00:17:23.430 --> 00:17:27.400
self -control So this is straight up stoicism
00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:30.559
by Wooden. When your pack feels heavy at mile
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.039
eight, your brain wants to quit. That is emotion.
00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.420
Wooden wants control. He doesn't want you spiking
00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:39.519
in emotion, high or low. He wants you steady.
00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:42.380
So a Wooden -trained rucker doesn't get rattled
00:17:42.380 --> 00:17:47.079
by heat, rain, soreness, fatigue, slow splits,
00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:50.880
other people's paces, or the terrain. He stays
00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:54.619
in the moment. He works the problem and moves
00:17:54.619 --> 00:17:59.369
forward. Lesson eight, character over reputation.
00:18:00.089 --> 00:18:02.670
This is a kind of short one. He says, be more
00:18:02.670 --> 00:18:05.069
concerned with your character than your reputation.
00:18:05.410 --> 00:18:07.869
Character is what you really are. Reputation
00:18:07.869 --> 00:18:10.930
is what people say you are. Reputation is often
00:18:10.930 --> 00:18:15.650
based on character, but not always. So character
00:18:15.650 --> 00:18:19.589
is who you are at mile 10. Reputation is the
00:18:19.589 --> 00:18:22.230
edited version on Instagram. A wooden rucker
00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:26.170
trains quietly, consistently. without external
00:18:26.170 --> 00:18:29.109
validation. Your character is how you train when
00:18:29.109 --> 00:18:32.069
no one sees you. Your character is whether you
00:18:32.069 --> 00:18:35.150
finish the plan you set. Your character is whether
00:18:35.150 --> 00:18:38.450
you show up even when you're discouraged. Wooden
00:18:38.450 --> 00:18:40.250
would teach you to build character under the
00:18:40.250 --> 00:18:43.369
weight of your pack. Okay, before moving on to
00:18:43.369 --> 00:18:46.609
the last three of Wooden's lessons I'm going
00:18:46.609 --> 00:18:49.230
to discuss today, I want to take a quick break
00:18:49.230 --> 00:18:52.059
to say thanks for listening to the podcast. Please
00:18:52.059 --> 00:18:54.099
text this episode with a fellow rucker that might
00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:55.920
find it interesting or a friend that could benefit
00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:58.099
from rucking. Sharing this episode would help
00:18:58.099 --> 00:19:00.059
the show grow and help more people improve their
00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:05.019
health and lives. Okay, back to it. All right,
00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:07.500
home stretch. Let's do these last three. And
00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:09.980
they're all kind of grouped together. In the
00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:12.960
book, Wooden goes over eight suggestions for
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:16.519
succeeding. So these last three are handpicked
00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:18.819
out of this eight. I'm just going to run through
00:19:18.819 --> 00:19:20.359
the eight right now, and then we'll dive deeper
00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:23.680
into the three that I selected. The eight suggestions
00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:27.420
are, number one, fear no opponent, respect every
00:19:27.420 --> 00:19:30.900
opponent. Number two, remember it's the perfection
00:19:30.900 --> 00:19:33.160
of the smallest details that make big things
00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:35.039
happen. We kind of went over that one earlier.
00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:38.240
Number three, keep in mind that hustle makes
00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:42.519
up for many a mistake. Number four, be more interested
00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:46.599
in character than reputation. Number five. Be
00:19:46.599 --> 00:19:49.960
quick, but don't hurry. Number six, understand
00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:53.119
that the harder you work, the more luck you will
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:57.920
have. Number seven, know that valid self -analysis
00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.940
is crucial for improvement. And lastly, number
00:20:00.940 --> 00:20:04.559
eight, remember there is no substitute for hard
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.420
work and careful planning. Failing to prepare
00:20:07.420 --> 00:20:11.539
is preparing to fail. You may have noticed that
00:20:11.539 --> 00:20:14.259
I touched on a few of those in previous lessons.
00:20:14.970 --> 00:20:16.589
And I touched on those before because he goes
00:20:16.589 --> 00:20:19.170
into much greater detail on those in the book
00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:20.890
than these last three, but these last three are
00:20:20.890 --> 00:20:24.589
still very crucial and important. And those three
00:20:24.589 --> 00:20:27.730
are hustle makes up for mistakes, be quick but
00:20:27.730 --> 00:20:31.390
don't hurry, and failing to prepare is preparing
00:20:31.390 --> 00:20:35.329
to fail. Okay, so let's talk about lesson nine,
00:20:35.509 --> 00:20:39.309
hustle makes up for many mistakes. This is what
00:20:39.309 --> 00:20:41.690
I'm saying, you don't need to be perfect, you
00:20:41.690 --> 00:20:45.099
need to be intent. If you're a new rucker, You
00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:48.119
don't need perfect gait mechanics. You don't
00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:51.460
need elite VO2 max. You don't need ultra runner
00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:54.740
conditioning. You need hustle. You need to show
00:20:54.740 --> 00:20:58.299
up. You need to finish your route and keep moving
00:20:58.299 --> 00:21:00.900
when it gets hard. Just get a little further
00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:03.279
than you did yesterday. Every effort compounds.
00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:07.799
Lesson 10, be quick but don't hurry. This directly
00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:12.720
correlates to pace control. You know, being quick,
00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:16.730
that's being efficient. Hurrying? That's getting
00:21:16.730 --> 00:21:19.910
sloppy. Wooden doesn't want you rushing. Rushing
00:21:19.910 --> 00:21:23.690
breaks form, causes injury. Rushing comes from
00:21:23.690 --> 00:21:26.190
emotion instead of preparation. He wants you
00:21:26.190 --> 00:21:29.829
smooth, calm, focused, and in control. A wrecker
00:21:29.829 --> 00:21:32.609
who is quick but not hurried is sustainable.
00:21:33.369 --> 00:21:36.390
And sustainability beats intensity every time.
00:21:36.950 --> 00:21:39.309
And that brings us to the last one. Lesson 11.
00:21:39.589 --> 00:21:43.890
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Wooden
00:21:43.890 --> 00:21:48.430
was a preparation machine. He planned practices
00:21:48.430 --> 00:21:51.210
down to the minute. He logged everything. He
00:21:51.210 --> 00:21:54.670
reviewed everything. This is exactly what separates
00:21:54.670 --> 00:21:57.930
the average rucker from the high performer. You
00:21:57.930 --> 00:22:00.390
plan your weekly mileage. You plan your weight
00:22:00.390 --> 00:22:03.269
progression, your hydration, recovery, nutrition.
00:22:03.630 --> 00:22:06.349
You prepare for the weather. You prepare your
00:22:06.349 --> 00:22:09.589
gear. A good ruck begins 24 hours before you
00:22:09.589 --> 00:22:12.700
even step outside. All right, so that's it. Those
00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:16.119
are the 11 lessons that I pulled from the book,
00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:19.299
Wooden, A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections,
00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:23.180
on and off the court. I'll put a link in the
00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:25.420
show notes if you want to go and buy it and check
00:22:25.420 --> 00:22:29.700
it out. I highly suggest you do. There is so
00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:33.180
much more helpful and useful information. in
00:22:33.180 --> 00:22:35.980
the book that I didn't cover on here. It's littered
00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:40.059
with just phenomenal insight into his philosophy
00:22:40.059 --> 00:22:42.779
on coaching and parenting. If you're a parent,
00:22:42.839 --> 00:22:46.059
excellent resource for parents in there. I highly
00:22:46.059 --> 00:22:48.819
suggest you check it out. But that was it. And
00:22:48.819 --> 00:22:50.500
so just real quick, I'll do a rundown of all
00:22:50.500 --> 00:22:53.279
the lessons. Number one, don't whine, don't complain,
00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:57.740
don't make excuses. Number two, success is doing
00:22:57.740 --> 00:23:00.799
your best to become your best. Number three,
00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:03.539
the journey is the end. Learn to love the process.
00:23:04.059 --> 00:23:08.279
Number four, details create success. Number five,
00:23:08.900 --> 00:23:12.839
intentness. Number six, never fear failure. It's
00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:16.160
the only route to success. Number seven, self
00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:19.480
-control creates peak performance. Number eight,
00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:24.079
character over reputation. Number nine, hustle
00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:28.019
makes up for many mistakes. Number 10, be quick
00:23:28.019 --> 00:23:31.690
but don't hurry. And lastly, number 11. Failing
00:23:31.690 --> 00:23:35.589
to prepare is preparing to fail. Okay, so that's
00:23:35.589 --> 00:23:37.269
it for today. If you want to reach out to me,
00:23:37.289 --> 00:23:39.910
head on over to theruckersedge .com or on Instagram
00:23:39.910 --> 00:23:42.710
at theruckersedgepod. If you enjoyed today's
00:23:42.710 --> 00:23:44.869
episode, make sure to follow or subscribe to
00:23:44.869 --> 00:23:46.769
the show so that you're notified when I drop
00:23:46.769 --> 00:23:49.970
new episodes. And lastly, really appreciate you
00:23:49.970 --> 00:23:51.750
listening in. Thanks so much for listening to
00:23:51.750 --> 00:23:53.549
this episode of The Rucker's Edge.
00:00:00.110 --> 00:00:02.730
Have you ever wondered how some people can stay
00:00:02.730 --> 00:00:05.009
insanely consistent with their rucking training?
00:00:05.129 --> 00:00:08.330
You know through bad weather busy weeks or low
00:00:08.330 --> 00:00:11.310
motivation While others flame out after a few
00:00:11.310 --> 00:00:13.849
hard efforts? Today We're breaking down the lessons
00:00:13.849 --> 00:00:16.890
of legendary coach John Wooden to reveal the
00:00:16.890 --> 00:00:19.289
mindset that keeps you progressing long after
00:00:19.289 --> 00:00:21.530
the excitement wears off You'll learn how to
00:00:21.530 --> 00:00:24.109
build discipline that actually sticks, how to
00:00:24.109 --> 00:00:26.609
stop comparing yourself to other ruckers, and
00:00:26.609 --> 00:00:29.390
how to fall in love with the process so you never
00:00:29.390 --> 00:00:32.049
stall out again. You're listening to the Rucker's
00:00:32.049 --> 00:00:34.429
Edge podcast, a show all about rucking that is
00:00:34.429 --> 00:00:36.250
designed to help you improve your rucking routine,
00:00:36.509 --> 00:00:38.549
lose weight, and ultimately gain your strength
00:00:38.549 --> 00:00:40.969
and energy back. Each episode dives into the
00:00:40.969 --> 00:00:43.509
science, stories, and strategies behind rucking.
00:00:43.729 --> 00:00:46.450
You'll learn from top ruckers, coaches, and health
00:00:46.450 --> 00:00:48.570
and fitness experts who break down what it takes
00:00:48.570 --> 00:00:51.939
to train smarter, recover faster, and stay ready
00:00:51.939 --> 00:00:54.259
for the next challenge. So whether you're new
00:00:54.259 --> 00:00:56.259
to rucking or an experienced rucker that's already
00:00:56.259 --> 00:00:58.880
logged hundreds of miles, this is the show for
00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.060
you. I'm your host Spencer. Thanks for listening
00:01:01.060 --> 00:01:03.460
in. Today we're doing something different. I'm
00:01:03.460 --> 00:01:05.519
trying out a new format for the show and I've
00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:07.459
been wanting to do this for a while. I read a
00:01:07.459 --> 00:01:10.099
book recently that was surprisingly loaded with
00:01:10.099 --> 00:01:13.640
very valuable rucking advice. The book was titled
00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:16.900
Wooden, a lifetime of observations and reflections
00:01:16.900 --> 00:01:20.230
on and off the court. In the book, Coach John
00:01:20.230 --> 00:01:22.549
Wooden shares his personal philosophy on achievement,
00:01:22.670 --> 00:01:25.489
success, and excellence, and he offers lessons
00:01:25.489 --> 00:01:28.129
and wisdom that he learned throughout his career
00:01:28.129 --> 00:01:31.150
at UCLA and his life as a dedicated husband,
00:01:31.469 --> 00:01:34.290
father, and teacher. In case you're unfamiliar
00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:36.650
with Coach John Wooden, he was the head basketball
00:01:36.650 --> 00:01:41.810
coach at UCLA between 1948 and 1975. During his
00:01:41.810 --> 00:01:44.170
stint as head coach over there, he won 10 NCAA
00:01:44.170 --> 00:01:47.290
national championships, including a crazy streak
00:01:47.290 --> 00:01:50.530
of seven titles in eight years, and he captured
00:01:50.530 --> 00:01:53.650
an 88 -game win streak and multiple undefeated
00:01:53.650 --> 00:01:56.829
seasons. Coach Wooden was named the College Basketball
00:01:56.829 --> 00:01:59.730
Coach of the Year a whopping six times, and he
00:01:59.730 --> 00:02:01.890
became the first person inducted into the Naismith
00:02:01.890 --> 00:02:04.950
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player
00:02:04.950 --> 00:02:08.250
and a coach. He was also awarded the Presidential
00:02:08.250 --> 00:02:12.360
Medal of Freedom in 2003. What struck me instantly
00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.680
while reading this book was how directly his
00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:17.439
teachings translate to rucking. I'm not talking
00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:19.699
metaphorically, like literally, they transfer
00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:22.419
literally over to ruckers. I highlighted what
00:02:22.419 --> 00:02:25.159
I consider to be the top 11 takeaways from the
00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:28.080
book that will benefit you, the listener, and
00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.520
help you improve your rucking and mindset. So
00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.139
today you're going to hear Wooden's own words,
00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:35.199
and then we're going to interpret them through
00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:37.180
the lens of a rucker trying to become the best
00:02:37.180 --> 00:02:40.669
version of themselves. So for the next 30 minutes,
00:02:40.870 --> 00:02:43.469
let's imagine that you are one of his players,
00:02:43.629 --> 00:02:45.770
but instead of a basketball, you're carrying
00:02:45.770 --> 00:02:48.590
a rucksack. Let's think, you know, what would
00:02:48.590 --> 00:02:51.270
he teach you? What habits would he demand from
00:02:51.270 --> 00:02:53.990
you? What standards would he expect from you?
00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:57.349
And what mindset would he refuse to compromise
00:02:57.349 --> 00:03:02.210
on? Let's begin where Wooden begins, with the
00:03:02.210 --> 00:03:04.389
rule he learned from his dad, the rule he demanded
00:03:04.389 --> 00:03:07.569
every single day of his life. So lesson number
00:03:07.569 --> 00:03:11.280
one. Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't make
00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.379
excuses. And this is the second set of threes
00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:17.979
that his father gave to him. He says, My father
00:03:17.979 --> 00:03:21.000
had what he calls his two sets of threes. They
00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:23.340
were direct and simple rules aimed at how he
00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:26.900
felt we should conduct ourselves in life. The
00:03:26.900 --> 00:03:29.039
first set was about honesty. Never lie, never
00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:31.620
cheat, never steal. My brothers and I knew what
00:03:31.620 --> 00:03:34.539
it meant and that he expected us to abide by
00:03:34.539 --> 00:03:37.680
it. The second set of threes was about dealing
00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.000
with adversity, and this is what applies to ruckers.
00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.340
Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses.
00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:46.680
This is Wooden's baseline, not advanced level,
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.780
not championship level, just baseline. Because
00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:52.139
the moment you start whining, complaining, or
00:03:52.139 --> 00:03:54.300
making excuses, you've stopped learning. You've
00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:57.199
shut down the door on growth, and rucking discomfort
00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.819
is guaranteed. There's no scenario where you
00:04:00.819 --> 00:04:03.300
get stronger without dealing with pain and fatigue.
00:04:04.009 --> 00:04:06.629
If Wooden was coaching you, he would look at
00:04:06.629 --> 00:04:09.870
you at mile seven when your feet hurt, your pack
00:04:09.870 --> 00:04:12.330
is pulling back, and your shoulders are burning
00:04:12.330 --> 00:04:15.669
out. And he wouldn't say, oh, poor thing, bless
00:04:15.669 --> 00:04:18.829
your heart. He would say, this is feedback, use
00:04:18.829 --> 00:04:21.209
it. Every blister, every hot spot, every slow
00:04:21.209 --> 00:04:24.069
pace, every bad training day, that's data, that's
00:04:24.069 --> 00:04:26.389
information, that's instruction. Complaining
00:04:26.389 --> 00:04:29.329
blocks the lesson. You know, if Wooden coached
00:04:29.329 --> 00:04:31.769
you, he'd tell you, be a student of your struggles.
00:04:32.370 --> 00:04:35.670
Essentially, learn from your mistakes. Alright,
00:04:35.810 --> 00:04:38.069
lesson number two. Coach Wooden views success
00:04:38.069 --> 00:04:42.829
as doing our best to become our best. Wooden
00:04:42.829 --> 00:04:45.529
writes, My dad had great influence on my own
00:04:45.529 --> 00:04:48.029
personal definition of success, and it has little
00:04:48.029 --> 00:04:51.790
to do with fortune or fame. Although I probably
00:04:51.790 --> 00:04:53.589
didn't really understand it at the time, one
00:04:53.589 --> 00:04:55.790
of the things he tried to get across to me was
00:04:55.790 --> 00:04:58.189
that I should never try to be better than someone
00:04:58.189 --> 00:05:01.750
else. Then he always added, But Johnny never
00:05:01.750 --> 00:05:05.050
ceased trying to be the best you can be. That
00:05:05.050 --> 00:05:08.350
is under your control. The other is not. You
00:05:08.350 --> 00:05:10.970
have little say over how big or how strong or
00:05:10.970 --> 00:05:14.149
how smart or rich someone else may be. You do
00:05:14.149 --> 00:05:17.649
have, at least you should have, control of yourself
00:05:17.649 --> 00:05:20.730
and the effort you give toward bringing out your
00:05:20.730 --> 00:05:23.670
best in whatever you're doing. This effort must
00:05:23.670 --> 00:05:26.189
be total, and when it is, I believe you have
00:05:26.189 --> 00:05:29.250
achieved personal success. The concept that success
00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:32.410
is mine when I work my hardest to become my best
00:05:32.410 --> 00:05:36.350
and that I alone determine whether I do so became
00:05:36.350 --> 00:05:39.129
central to my life and affected me in a most
00:05:39.129 --> 00:05:42.529
profound manner. Try your hardest in all ways
00:05:42.529 --> 00:05:46.209
and you are a success. Do less than that and
00:05:46.209 --> 00:05:50.129
you have failed to one degree or another. And
00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:52.709
then later on in the book, he outlines his definition
00:05:52.709 --> 00:05:57.379
of success. And it is... Success is peace of
00:05:57.379 --> 00:06:00.319
mind that is the direct result of self -satisfaction
00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.639
and knowing you did your best to become the best
00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.120
that you are capable of becoming. Furthermore,
00:06:05.379 --> 00:06:07.720
only one person can ultimately judge the level
00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:11.040
of your success. You. Think about that for a
00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:13.439
moment. I believe that is what true success is.
00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:16.000
Anything stemming from that success is simply
00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:19.160
a byproduct. Whether it be the score, the trophy,
00:06:19.339 --> 00:06:23.290
a national championship, fame, or fortune. So
00:06:23.290 --> 00:06:26.029
again, Wooden had the clearest definition of
00:06:26.029 --> 00:06:29.430
success. Read that again. Peace of mind. Not
00:06:29.430 --> 00:06:32.029
the trophies, not paste, not Instagram posts.
00:06:33.209 --> 00:06:36.170
Peace. If Wooden coached you, he wouldn't care
00:06:36.170 --> 00:06:38.430
about your 12 -mile ruck time. He would only
00:06:38.430 --> 00:06:41.089
care about whether you became your best. You
00:06:41.089 --> 00:06:43.110
can't control the genetics of the guy next to
00:06:43.110 --> 00:06:45.550
you. You can't control the weather. You can't
00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:48.069
control the conditions of the trails. But you
00:06:48.069 --> 00:06:51.100
can control your effort. and Wooden would measure
00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:54.860
you only by that. This view of success is exactly
00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:56.920
why I like the self -evaluation function in the
00:06:56.920 --> 00:06:58.660
Garmin Connect app. That's where I track my rucks.
00:06:58.860 --> 00:07:03.220
It makes me really gauge if the workout was truly
00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:06.759
a success or not. I mean, sure, some people could
00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.279
also measure success by just showing up and staying
00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:13.699
consistent, but really, I like to gauge my workouts
00:07:13.699 --> 00:07:17.360
by level of effort. And if I didn't mark the
00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:20.370
level of effort as hard, Was it really a successful
00:07:20.370 --> 00:07:24.129
effort for me? Okay, lesson number three. The
00:07:24.129 --> 00:07:27.310
journey is the end. Learn to love the process.
00:07:28.730 --> 00:07:31.230
Wooden says, Some people wondered how I would
00:07:31.230 --> 00:07:34.009
endure working in such a minutely detailed, persistent,
00:07:34.250 --> 00:07:36.610
and arduous manner day after day, week after
00:07:36.610 --> 00:07:39.649
week, for years on end. I could tell them only
00:07:39.649 --> 00:07:43.670
this. I love it. It was as Cervantes described.
00:07:43.930 --> 00:07:46.350
Cervantes was a 14th century Spanish writer.
00:07:46.699 --> 00:07:49.300
And this is my favorite Wooden line in the entire
00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:52.860
book. He says, for me, the journey was the end.
00:07:53.060 --> 00:07:55.980
The practice and the planning and the drills
00:07:55.980 --> 00:07:59.939
were my journey, and I loved it. And, you know,
00:07:59.959 --> 00:08:02.620
I think it was Ralph Waldo Emerson that coined
00:08:02.620 --> 00:08:05.160
the phrase, it's not the destination, it's the
00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:08.519
journey. That is totally what Wooden is talking
00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:11.420
about here. The end is the destination, the place
00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:14.240
of rest. Wooden is saying the work is the destination.
00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:17.740
This is the heart of rucking. Rucking is not
00:08:17.740 --> 00:08:21.839
glamorous, flashy. It's quiet, simple, repetitive,
00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:26.519
and quite frankly, humbling. You don't show up
00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:30.139
to ruck for medals. You show up for who you become
00:08:30.139 --> 00:08:33.000
along the way. And what it would force you to
00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:36.759
fall in love with, you know, tying down the pack,
00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:40.059
taping up your feet, warming up before each ruck,
00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:44.100
your best mile, your worst mile, finishing when
00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:46.610
you're tired. logging your training when you
00:08:46.610 --> 00:08:49.950
finish, and then showing up the next day to do
00:08:49.950 --> 00:08:54.070
it all over again. Also, this mindset is what
00:08:54.070 --> 00:08:56.850
keeps Rutgers consistent for decades. Most people
00:08:56.850 --> 00:09:00.950
burn out because they treat training like a transaction.
00:09:01.269 --> 00:09:05.090
I suffer now so I can enjoy later. To most people,
00:09:05.129 --> 00:09:08.909
that's unstable. Wooden treated training like
00:09:08.909 --> 00:09:12.009
a relationship. He loved the craft, and people
00:09:12.009 --> 00:09:15.279
who love the craft don't quit. They train when
00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.860
tired, when busy, when things feel slow, and
00:09:18.860 --> 00:09:22.159
when life gets messy. Because training isn't
00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.379
separate from life, it is life. Lesson four,
00:09:25.580 --> 00:09:29.440
details create success. And this is where Wooden
00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:31.200
becomes a wrecking coach without even knowing
00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.559
it. This passage comes from a chapter called
00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:37.740
Details Create Success. He poses a question,
00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:42.240
how can I become an optimist? And the answer
00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:45.120
is proper preparation and attention to details.
00:09:46.279 --> 00:10:00.740
He continues, They are fundamental to your progress
00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:04.100
in basketball, business, and life. They are the
00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:06.659
difference between champions and near champions.
00:10:07.529 --> 00:10:09.710
For example, at the first squad meeting each
00:10:09.710 --> 00:10:12.029
session held two weeks before our first actual
00:10:12.029 --> 00:10:15.029
practice, I personally demonstrated how I wanted
00:10:15.029 --> 00:10:17.409
players to put on their socks each and every
00:10:17.409 --> 00:10:19.850
time. Yeah, literally he's talking about he's
00:10:19.850 --> 00:10:21.929
teaching his players how to dress themselves,
00:10:22.149 --> 00:10:25.309
how to put their socks on. This is serious. I'm
00:10:25.309 --> 00:10:28.450
not making this up. This is what he did. He said,
00:10:28.549 --> 00:10:30.929
carefully roll the socks down over the toes,
00:10:31.269 --> 00:10:34.870
ball of the foot, the arch, and around the heel.
00:10:35.070 --> 00:10:38.080
Then pull the sock up snug. so there will be
00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:41.139
no wrinkles of any kind. I would then have the
00:10:41.139 --> 00:10:43.500
players carefully check with their fingers for
00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:46.779
any folds or creases in the socks, starting at
00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:49.240
the toes and sliding the hand along the side
00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:51.840
of and under the foot, smoothing the sock out
00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:54.679
as the fingers passed over it. I paid special
00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:57.279
attention to the heel because that is where wrinkles
00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:01.000
were most likely to occur. I would watch as the
00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:04.220
players smoothed the socks under and along the
00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:07.590
back of the heel. I wanted it done Conscientiously.
00:11:08.190 --> 00:11:10.830
Not quickly or casually, I wanted absolutely
00:11:10.830 --> 00:11:14.309
no folds, wrinkles, or creases of any kind on
00:11:14.309 --> 00:11:17.350
the sock. Then we would proceed to the other
00:11:17.350 --> 00:11:20.029
foot and do the same. I would demonstrate for
00:11:20.029 --> 00:11:22.250
the players and then have the players demonstrate
00:11:22.250 --> 00:11:29.289
it for me. This may seem like a nuisance, but
00:11:29.289 --> 00:11:32.289
I had a very practical reason for being meticulous
00:11:32.289 --> 00:11:35.059
about this. Wrinkles, folds, and creases can
00:11:35.059 --> 00:11:37.840
cause blisters. Blisters interfere with performance
00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:40.600
during practice and games. Since there was a
00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:42.879
way to reduce blisters, something the player
00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:45.580
and I could control, it was our responsibility
00:11:45.580 --> 00:11:48.620
to do it. Otherwise, we would not be doing everything
00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:51.539
possible to prepare in the best way. I mean,
00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:54.840
if you've rucked once, you know that blisters
00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:59.960
can absolutely destroy a ruck. So, yeah, a spot
00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:03.559
on, Coach Wooden. Like, nailed it. He continues
00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:05.980
later on, he says, these seemingly trivial matters
00:12:05.980 --> 00:12:08.600
taken together and added to many, many other
00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:10.720
so -called trivial matters build into something
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.460
very big, namely your success. You will find
00:12:14.460 --> 00:12:17.000
that success and attention to detail, the smallest
00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.360
details, usually go hand in hand in basketball
00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:24.120
and elsewhere in your life. When you see a successful
00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:27.360
individual, a champion, a winner, you can be
00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:29.460
very sure that you are looking at an individual
00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:32.480
who pays great attention. to the perfection of
00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:36.200
minor details. Imagine this man watching you
00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:39.379
put your socks on before a long ruck. He'd stop
00:12:39.379 --> 00:12:41.740
you. He'd say, do it again. Because he knows
00:12:41.740 --> 00:12:44.899
blisters don't happen at mile nine. They happen
00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:46.919
in the first five seconds when you've rushed
00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:49.679
your sock onto your foot. You know what he would
00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:53.769
absolutely love? Foot care, anti -chafe. proper
00:12:53.769 --> 00:12:56.289
pack adjustment, progressive loading, pacing,
00:12:56.450 --> 00:12:58.570
discipline, hydration prep, logging miles, strength
00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:02.289
training, mobility, and absolutely recovery routines.
00:13:03.190 --> 00:13:06.149
You know, this reminds me, my grandfather used
00:13:06.149 --> 00:13:08.289
to coach baseball. He was another great coach.
00:13:08.389 --> 00:13:12.710
And he always told his players, perfect practice
00:13:12.710 --> 00:13:16.350
makes perfect. This fits right into this chapter.
00:13:16.590 --> 00:13:20.389
You know, do everything the right way. If you
00:13:20.389 --> 00:13:22.570
do that, the results will take care of themselves.
00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:28.159
Okay, lesson five, intentness. So one of the
00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:31.340
things Coach Wooden is famous for is his pyramid
00:13:31.340 --> 00:13:34.519
of success. The pyramid of success is basically
00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:38.340
his philosophy on achieving success. It emphasizes
00:13:38.340 --> 00:13:40.980
the importance of hard work, integrity, and teamwork.
00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:44.360
And one of the blocks within the pyramid of success
00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:49.559
is intentness. And in the book he says, I could
00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:52.659
say intentness means determination. I could say
00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:55.379
it means persistence. I could say it means tenacity
00:13:55.379 --> 00:13:58.679
or perseverance. I will say it is the ability
00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:01.259
to resist temptation and stay the course. To
00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:03.059
concentrate on your objective with determination
00:14:03.059 --> 00:14:06.860
and resolve. Impatience is wanting too much too
00:14:06.860 --> 00:14:09.879
soon. Intentness doesn't involve wanting something.
00:14:10.059 --> 00:14:13.559
It involves doing something. The road to real
00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:16.539
achievement takes time. A long time. But you
00:14:16.539 --> 00:14:19.519
do not give up. You may have setbacks. You may
00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:21.419
have to start over. You may have to change your
00:14:21.419 --> 00:14:24.019
method. You may have to go around or over or
00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:26.519
under. You may have to back up and get another
00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:30.039
start. But you don't quit. You stay the course.
00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:34.679
To do that, you must have intentness. If Coach
00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:37.399
Wooden were coaching Rutgers, he'd say, don't
00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:39.899
skip training just because you're tired. Don't
00:14:39.899 --> 00:14:41.679
add weight too fast because you're impatient.
00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:44.659
Don't stop because it's cold. Don't drop a plan
00:14:44.659 --> 00:14:48.370
because progress feels slow. Stay the course.
00:14:49.029 --> 00:14:51.830
Stay the course. This is one of the hardest things
00:14:51.830 --> 00:14:55.590
for beginners. Everyone wants results. Very few
00:14:55.590 --> 00:14:59.090
want intentness. But intentness is the difference
00:14:59.090 --> 00:15:03.090
between I tried rucking once and rucking changed
00:15:03.090 --> 00:15:06.549
my life. Okay, I've never said the word intentness
00:15:06.549 --> 00:15:08.750
more in my life. I'm just going to stop and move
00:15:08.750 --> 00:15:11.950
on. All right, lesson six, never fear failure.
00:15:12.090 --> 00:15:15.559
It's the only route to success. This lesson comes
00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:17.980
from a chapter called Winners Make the Most Mistakes.
00:15:18.179 --> 00:15:22.220
He said, My coach at Purdue, Piggy Lambert, constantly
00:15:22.220 --> 00:15:25.080
reminded us the team that makes the most mistakes
00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:28.259
will probably win. That may sound a bit odd,
00:15:28.340 --> 00:15:31.179
but there is a great deal of truth in it. The
00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:34.100
doer makes mistakes. Coach Lambert taught me
00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:37.559
that mistakes come from doing, but so does success.
00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:41.460
The individual who is mistake -free is also probably
00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:44.980
sitting around doing nothing. And that's a very
00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:48.220
big mistake. So this translates to, you know,
00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:51.620
don't shy away from a challenge. Learn from shortcomings
00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:55.340
through that challenge and improve so you succeed
00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:58.720
next time in the future. If winning coach rucking,
00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:01.580
your mistakes would look like starting too fast,
00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:03.539
you know, getting blisters, carrying too much
00:16:03.539 --> 00:16:06.720
weight. carrying too little weight, mismanaging
00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:10.220
hydration, overtraining, undertraining, and this
00:16:10.220 --> 00:16:13.039
is all feedback. Wooden would say, mistakes are
00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:16.059
the price of admission. Just learn from those
00:16:16.059 --> 00:16:19.440
mistakes, adjust in the future, and then achieve
00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:23.440
success. Lesson seven, self -control creates
00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:27.899
peak performance. Wooden says, you cannot function
00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:30.340
physically or mentally unless your emotions are
00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:33.220
under control. That is why I did not engage in
00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:36.139
pregame pep talks to stir emotions to a sudden
00:16:36.139 --> 00:16:39.600
peak. I prefer to maintain a gradually increasing
00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:42.240
level of both achievement and emotions rather
00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.539
than trying to create artificial emotional highs.
00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.600
For every contrived peak you create, there is
00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:53.080
a subsequent valley. I do not like valleys. Self
00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.039
-control provides emotional stability and fewer
00:16:56.039 --> 00:16:59.090
valleys. Wooden continues on later on he says
00:16:59.090 --> 00:17:01.950
in the many years before we won a championship
00:17:01.950 --> 00:17:04.309
I overcame disappointment by not living in the
00:17:04.309 --> 00:17:07.250
past to do better in the future you have to work
00:17:07.250 --> 00:17:09.269
on the right now dwelling in the past prevents
00:17:09.269 --> 00:17:12.890
doing something in the present complaining whining
00:17:12.890 --> 00:17:17.130
making excuses just keeps you out of the present
00:17:17.130 --> 00:17:20.650
that's where self -control comes in self -control
00:17:20.650 --> 00:17:23.430
keeps you in the present so strive to maintain
00:17:23.430 --> 00:17:27.400
self -control So this is straight up stoicism
00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:30.559
by Wooden. When your pack feels heavy at mile
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.039
eight, your brain wants to quit. That is emotion.
00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.420
Wooden wants control. He doesn't want you spiking
00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:39.519
in emotion, high or low. He wants you steady.
00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:42.380
So a Wooden -trained rucker doesn't get rattled
00:17:42.380 --> 00:17:47.079
by heat, rain, soreness, fatigue, slow splits,
00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:50.880
other people's paces, or the terrain. He stays
00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:54.619
in the moment. He works the problem and moves
00:17:54.619 --> 00:17:59.369
forward. Lesson eight, character over reputation.
00:18:00.089 --> 00:18:02.670
This is a kind of short one. He says, be more
00:18:02.670 --> 00:18:05.069
concerned with your character than your reputation.
00:18:05.410 --> 00:18:07.869
Character is what you really are. Reputation
00:18:07.869 --> 00:18:10.930
is what people say you are. Reputation is often
00:18:10.930 --> 00:18:15.650
based on character, but not always. So character
00:18:15.650 --> 00:18:19.589
is who you are at mile 10. Reputation is the
00:18:19.589 --> 00:18:22.230
edited version on Instagram. A wooden rucker
00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:26.170
trains quietly, consistently. without external
00:18:26.170 --> 00:18:29.109
validation. Your character is how you train when
00:18:29.109 --> 00:18:32.069
no one sees you. Your character is whether you
00:18:32.069 --> 00:18:35.150
finish the plan you set. Your character is whether
00:18:35.150 --> 00:18:38.450
you show up even when you're discouraged. Wooden
00:18:38.450 --> 00:18:40.250
would teach you to build character under the
00:18:40.250 --> 00:18:43.369
weight of your pack. Okay, before moving on to
00:18:43.369 --> 00:18:46.609
the last three of Wooden's lessons I'm going
00:18:46.609 --> 00:18:49.230
to discuss today, I want to take a quick break
00:18:49.230 --> 00:18:52.059
to say thanks for listening to the podcast. Please
00:18:52.059 --> 00:18:54.099
text this episode with a fellow rucker that might
00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:55.920
find it interesting or a friend that could benefit
00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:58.099
from rucking. Sharing this episode would help
00:18:58.099 --> 00:19:00.059
the show grow and help more people improve their
00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:05.019
health and lives. Okay, back to it. All right,
00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:07.500
home stretch. Let's do these last three. And
00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:09.980
they're all kind of grouped together. In the
00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:12.960
book, Wooden goes over eight suggestions for
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:16.519
succeeding. So these last three are handpicked
00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:18.819
out of this eight. I'm just going to run through
00:19:18.819 --> 00:19:20.359
the eight right now, and then we'll dive deeper
00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:23.680
into the three that I selected. The eight suggestions
00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:27.420
are, number one, fear no opponent, respect every
00:19:27.420 --> 00:19:30.900
opponent. Number two, remember it's the perfection
00:19:30.900 --> 00:19:33.160
of the smallest details that make big things
00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:35.039
happen. We kind of went over that one earlier.
00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:38.240
Number three, keep in mind that hustle makes
00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:42.519
up for many a mistake. Number four, be more interested
00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:46.599
in character than reputation. Number five. Be
00:19:46.599 --> 00:19:49.960
quick, but don't hurry. Number six, understand
00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:53.119
that the harder you work, the more luck you will
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:57.920
have. Number seven, know that valid self -analysis
00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.940
is crucial for improvement. And lastly, number
00:20:00.940 --> 00:20:04.559
eight, remember there is no substitute for hard
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.420
work and careful planning. Failing to prepare
00:20:07.420 --> 00:20:11.539
is preparing to fail. You may have noticed that
00:20:11.539 --> 00:20:14.259
I touched on a few of those in previous lessons.
00:20:14.970 --> 00:20:16.589
And I touched on those before because he goes
00:20:16.589 --> 00:20:19.170
into much greater detail on those in the book
00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:20.890
than these last three, but these last three are
00:20:20.890 --> 00:20:24.589
still very crucial and important. And those three
00:20:24.589 --> 00:20:27.730
are hustle makes up for mistakes, be quick but
00:20:27.730 --> 00:20:31.390
don't hurry, and failing to prepare is preparing
00:20:31.390 --> 00:20:35.329
to fail. Okay, so let's talk about lesson nine,
00:20:35.509 --> 00:20:39.309
hustle makes up for many mistakes. This is what
00:20:39.309 --> 00:20:41.690
I'm saying, you don't need to be perfect, you
00:20:41.690 --> 00:20:45.099
need to be intent. If you're a new rucker, You
00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:48.119
don't need perfect gait mechanics. You don't
00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:51.460
need elite VO2 max. You don't need ultra runner
00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:54.740
conditioning. You need hustle. You need to show
00:20:54.740 --> 00:20:58.299
up. You need to finish your route and keep moving
00:20:58.299 --> 00:21:00.900
when it gets hard. Just get a little further
00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:03.279
than you did yesterday. Every effort compounds.
00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:07.799
Lesson 10, be quick but don't hurry. This directly
00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:12.720
correlates to pace control. You know, being quick,
00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:16.730
that's being efficient. Hurrying? That's getting
00:21:16.730 --> 00:21:19.910
sloppy. Wooden doesn't want you rushing. Rushing
00:21:19.910 --> 00:21:23.690
breaks form, causes injury. Rushing comes from
00:21:23.690 --> 00:21:26.190
emotion instead of preparation. He wants you
00:21:26.190 --> 00:21:29.829
smooth, calm, focused, and in control. A wrecker
00:21:29.829 --> 00:21:32.609
who is quick but not hurried is sustainable.
00:21:33.369 --> 00:21:36.390
And sustainability beats intensity every time.
00:21:36.950 --> 00:21:39.309
And that brings us to the last one. Lesson 11.
00:21:39.589 --> 00:21:43.890
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Wooden
00:21:43.890 --> 00:21:48.430
was a preparation machine. He planned practices
00:21:48.430 --> 00:21:51.210
down to the minute. He logged everything. He
00:21:51.210 --> 00:21:54.670
reviewed everything. This is exactly what separates
00:21:54.670 --> 00:21:57.930
the average rucker from the high performer. You
00:21:57.930 --> 00:22:00.390
plan your weekly mileage. You plan your weight
00:22:00.390 --> 00:22:03.269
progression, your hydration, recovery, nutrition.
00:22:03.630 --> 00:22:06.349
You prepare for the weather. You prepare your
00:22:06.349 --> 00:22:09.589
gear. A good ruck begins 24 hours before you
00:22:09.589 --> 00:22:12.700
even step outside. All right, so that's it. Those
00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:16.119
are the 11 lessons that I pulled from the book,
00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:19.299
Wooden, A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections,
00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:23.180
on and off the court. I'll put a link in the
00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:25.420
show notes if you want to go and buy it and check
00:22:25.420 --> 00:22:29.700
it out. I highly suggest you do. There is so
00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:33.180
much more helpful and useful information. in
00:22:33.180 --> 00:22:35.980
the book that I didn't cover on here. It's littered
00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:40.059
with just phenomenal insight into his philosophy
00:22:40.059 --> 00:22:42.779
on coaching and parenting. If you're a parent,
00:22:42.839 --> 00:22:46.059
excellent resource for parents in there. I highly
00:22:46.059 --> 00:22:48.819
suggest you check it out. But that was it. And
00:22:48.819 --> 00:22:50.500
so just real quick, I'll do a rundown of all
00:22:50.500 --> 00:22:53.279
the lessons. Number one, don't whine, don't complain,
00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:57.740
don't make excuses. Number two, success is doing
00:22:57.740 --> 00:23:00.799
your best to become your best. Number three,
00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:03.539
the journey is the end. Learn to love the process.
00:23:04.059 --> 00:23:08.279
Number four, details create success. Number five,
00:23:08.900 --> 00:23:12.839
intentness. Number six, never fear failure. It's
00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:16.160
the only route to success. Number seven, self
00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:19.480
-control creates peak performance. Number eight,
00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:24.079
character over reputation. Number nine, hustle
00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:28.019
makes up for many mistakes. Number 10, be quick
00:23:28.019 --> 00:23:31.690
but don't hurry. And lastly, number 11. Failing
00:23:31.690 --> 00:23:35.589
to prepare is preparing to fail. Okay, so that's
00:23:35.589 --> 00:23:37.269
it for today. If you want to reach out to me,
00:23:37.289 --> 00:23:39.910
head on over to theruckersedge .com or on Instagram
00:23:39.910 --> 00:23:42.710
at theruckersedgepod. If you enjoyed today's
00:23:42.710 --> 00:23:44.869
episode, make sure to follow or subscribe to
00:23:44.869 --> 00:23:46.769
the show so that you're notified when I drop
00:23:46.769 --> 00:23:49.970
new episodes. And lastly, really appreciate you
00:23:49.970 --> 00:23:51.750
listening in. Thanks so much for listening to
00:23:51.750 --> 00:23:53.549
this episode of The Rucker's Edge.