Aug 27

Aug 27 Rucking My Way to a Healthier Life

Last month when I was in Jacksonville working with the team at GORUCK, I got to talk to them about a variety of topics.

We talked about the future of their business, the new gear they had coming out (including their long awaited firearms cases) and life in general outside of the office.

Jason and I chatted a lot about rucking and why it was a good exercise. Since running will never be a part of my life with the crap knees I've got, the idea appealed to me.

Rucking = Distance + Weight + Time

Three easy variables that could be adjusted as needed without crashing my knees.

Laura and I already enjoyed going for walks, but what if we added some weight on our backs while we walked. How much better would our strolls be as they evolved into a ruck instead?

We chatted about it and she liked the idea so I bought us a couple of 10 Liter Bullet Rucking Kits. My reasoning being that by having dedicated rucks with a sandbag and hydration system always inside, we could just grab them and go when we wanted to.

Plus, I kind of fell in love with this bag while on site and when do I turn down getting a new piece of gear?

The first couple of times we went out was hard. Suddenly having almost 30 lbs on your back definitely takes a casual stroll to a whole new level.

As with most things, it gets easier the more you do it. If it gets too easy, we can increase the distance, time or weight we ruck. I've already got a couple of brick packs all taped up for when we are ready.

I'm not one to talk much about fitness or this part of my life, but the other day Emily came with us (she doesn't have a ruck yet) and she insisted on taking a photo of Laura and I holding hands. She had a big grin on her face as she explained, "It is a great photo and plus you know Jason will love it."

Progress has already been made and we are trying to get out two to three times a week. Best part is that even when I'm on the road I can easily find something to weigh down my pack and go out for a ruck.

The neighbors have given us some weird looks, but it has also sparked great conversations about what we are doing. Maybe I'll have to start a local rucking club or something. :)

On top of all of that, it gives Laura and I time to talk and we've always loved that so if nothing else it is completely worth our time.

We've always celebrated small victories and there have been many of them in the last few weeks. I'm hoping for many more in the coming months and years.