Why GORUCK?

Tomorrow is one week till I'm shipping up to Boston (insert Dropkick Murphy Music), my training is at full bore until Sunday when I taper to the event. In the last week with my ramped up training people have been asking me what the hell I'm doing walking around with bricks in the cold, then it gets into what GORUCK is and after doing my best to try they ask, "Why would anyone want to do that?" I'll briefly try to explain and not get into trying to sell anyone on the experience. GORUCK is is a Tactical gear company started by a former special forces individual who used certain well known "mud" endurance races to test his flagship product the GR1 Rucksack. You can learn a lot more by going to http://www.goruck.com.. The company has really become a people company and its premise is to "Build Better Americans". If you get involved with the GORUCK community of people who have completed some of their challenges you'll find that the effect is pretty amazing, but I digress. The event itself is not a race. It is a Team building challenge. You learn very quickly that the event is not about you. It's about your team. That's what makes it different. The Cadre, just like any sadistic trainer, knows how to put you through the physical wringer. The difference is, from their personal experience and training, they also know how to add a very healthy dose of mental stress to that physical scenario, dubbed "Good Livin'", forcing you to go in of two directions. One, let the the stress break you as an individual and you quit, or two, work with your team to overcome it. The degree of that stress depends on the event. The Light (99% Pass rate) is a fun but still physically demanding toe in the water 6-7 hours of "Good Livin'", the signature event , the "Challenge" (94% Pass rate) is a 12+ hour 15-20mi event with more weight and more mental stress, the Heavy (50% Pass rate),which is a very SERIOUS Dose of Good Livin'. 24+ Hours, 40+ Mis. Then there is Selection. Probably as close as you can get to actually Special Forces Training, 3 days of utter hell, of which only a few have passed. So there is is in a nut shell, now why do it? The reasons are many and tough to explain, here are the obvious in my mind. It sounds like an awful thing to go through, but I quote Cadre Mike, "Be Yourself and be open to the idea that you are about to have the best and hardest night of you life." 1.) Like any other physical endeavor, half marathon, marathon, tough mudder, etc, It is very rewarding to complete the physical challenge. 2.) You will be pushed in ways that test your limits mentally and show you what you can accomplish. It really teaches you a lot about yourself. 3.) The Team component is unmatchable. It really makes you forget about yourself and work for others. To Quote Cadre Tom, "The worst thing you will face tonight is not the weight of your ruck, the log, the water, or the cold. The worst thing you will face tonight is yourself. If you can focus on your teammates, and not yourself, you will be able to complete the challenge.” this could not be more true. When you feel your team starting to click it's pretty amazing. 4.) To Quote Cadre Bert, " Thank you for your enthusiasm in trying to learn what we do." This is after all Special forces inspired training taught by Special Forces individuals. These events give a small taste of what these amazing individuals do day in and day out. If nothing else this will give you the utmost respect for these awesome weirdos who do this voluntarily for months and years under the threat of death, not a day at a time in a familiar city and then go home. So Thats,"Why do this?" You can learn a lot about yourself and the cadre, and gain some new perspective on how to accomplish many things in pretty crappy situations. That being said: GORUCK Heavy is definitely on my mind. Especially so after Last Saturday in which two things happened. One The GORUCH Heavy took place at Ft. Bragg. and two I went on my last long training ruck, 20mis with 50lbs. I read the After Action Report from Bragg. They crushed them. Super loads, mental f*cks and freezing temps for 30 hours. That's to be expected and what was signed up for. I've spent the last 10 weeks getting ready physically. Mentally I'm surrounding myself with things I'll need to get through. I'm as ready as I can be. Just have to Remember, DFQ ( Don't F*in Quit), It's not about me it about them, and Remember those who have gone through way more suck for me without ever knowing me and in many a case paid the ultimate price. There is the inspiration....