Don't be Late, Light, or Last
Or- Choose your adventure: "Your life is ending one minute at a time."
Think.
This week’s title is a mantra in special operations units:
Don’t be late- Be where you need to be when you need to be there.
Don’t be light-Have all required gear and make sure your ruck weighs what it is supposed to.
Don’t be last- You can’t always be first, but you should never be last.
I’ve been preaching the gospel of strong backs and hard feet for many years, and these 3-rules have always been the commandments of rucking or perhaps my version of the rules of Fight Club. But today I’m going to take a contrarian view.
It’s ok to be late, light, and last.
With increasing frequency, I run into people who tell me they would like to ruck for fitness, but:
“I was never in the military and I think I’m too old, or it’s too late to get started.
Be late- You’re never too old, it’s never too late. Well, tomorrow may be too late, but today is right on schedule.
It’s kind of like how the best time to plant a tree was a long time ago, the second-best time is now.
“I’m not sure I can carry enough weight.”
Be light- Carry what you know you can carry. If that is five or ten pounds, that’s fine. If you finish with no ill effects, add weight next time. Carry a telephone book or a decorative garden gnome. A gallon milk jug full of water weighs 8 lbs (I don’t advise rucking with your milk this time of year).
The bottom line is that you can find some bricks or books or logs or something to use for weight. Starting light is better than not starting.
“I’m afraid I’ll be too slow.”
Be last- but don’t be satisfied with it.
People love to say that “the last finisher is far ahead of those who never started.” While that is a pithy and potentially inspirational quote to have embroidered onto a hand towel to make you feel good about being slow, it shouldn’t be the goal.
But hey,
Here’s an idea,
How about worrying about the one person you have control over?
Concern yourself with yourself.
That’s basically the first rule of Stoicism (Far less secretive than the first rule of Fight Club).
Once we recognize that wasting time worrying about what other people are doing or thinking is folly, it becomes easier to own up to the fact that, barring some life-altering calamity, you are almost undoubtedly the person primarily responsible for your current status.
And just like a choose-your-own-adventure book, you have options:
Option 1: If you choose to be sad and do nothing turn to page 100.
Page 100: You’re getting sadder by the day, and more likely to believe that it’s too late to do anything about it. You agree with the Chuck Palahniuk quote from Fight Club (the book) "Maybe, self-improvement isn't the answer. Maybe, self-destruction is the answer."
Option 2: If you choose to do hard things and be less sad turn to page 101.
Page 101: Go for a ruck. You’ll be slow and sore, but less sad and, in the words of Tyler Durden. “Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.” (Stoicism 101)
So why Rucking?
It’s good for you.
Walking is great exercise. Walking with weight is even better.
Rucking can burn 3x more calories than walking with 3X less stress on the knees than running.
It gets you off the couch and outside.
The above means it’s good for your mental health.
It’s a great solo or group activity.
Rucking can be meditative, provide the opportunity to work on a problem, or to think about nothing.
As I said last week, it builds mental toughness. Tyler Durden would agree with Marcus Aurelius when he said,
“A pain in the hand or in the foot is not contrary to nature so long as the pain is acquired while the foot is performing the function of feet and the hands are doing the work of hands. By the same token, human suffering is not contrary to nature so long as it arises out of human toil and endeavor.”
There is a low barrier to entry: You need some sort of weight and a way to carry it. We’ll talk much more about ruck selection and loading, footwear and foot care, and many other topics in future episodes.
But to get started: If you have no idea where to start, try 10% of your body weight.
If you are carrying 35 lbs. or less, nearly any backpack and set of comfortable shoes will do.
How far should I go?
We can modify Fight Club Rule 7: Fights Rucks go on as long as they have to. Go out until you’re tired, then turn around and go back. Seriously, start with a distance you’re comfortable with. If that is around the block, then go around the block. Add distance and repeat 2-3 times per week.
How fast should I go?
In the military, generally, a 15-minute-per-mile pace is what we shoot for, but you may be better off shooting for a Zone 2 Heart Rate. We will talk more about heart rate zone training in a future episode, but in a nutshell, you should be slightly winded, but be able to carry on a conversation. At Zone 2 it would be tough to carry on a one-sided conversation, so if you bring a friend, make sure they’re real.
What’s it going to be?
You’ve got to choose.
Choose adventure.
Happy Rucking!
P.S. If you enjoy Think. Read. Write. Repeat. and would like to support by buying me a beer, click on the beer below and you can do just that. Cheers!
Read. Fight Club
By Chuck Palahniuk
If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie some of the above references may have passed you by. If so, read the book, watch the movie, then come back and join the conversation.
Write. (review) Salty Britches
Skin Barrier Ointment
As a Marine, ultra-runner, and rucker I have suffered the pain of nearly debilitating chaffing, and blisters. I have used everything from diaper rash cream to Vaseline to fight the inevitable effects of heat and friction on my skin.
I recently got turned on Salty Britches. It’s insane how well this stuff works. I’ve been using it for a few months now and it has become an integral part of my pre-ruck routine. Give it a shot.
From the website-
Salty Britches is a soothing long-lasting barrier against skin irritation for any occasion. Created to withstand saltwater chafing and is now trusted by families, athletes, and military personnel for year-round all-day protection.
Repeat.
Words of wisdom from those who said it best:
"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less-than-perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful." -- Mark Victor Hansen
"You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." -- E.E. Cummings
"Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement." -- Golda Meir
Thanks for reading Think. Read. Write. Repeat. See you next Thursday!
Great read, John! You inspired me to start rucking again and now on day 40 (I ruck with 45 pounds every third day while hiking without weight on the other days (weighted rucks 3-4 times per week). I’m looking forward to more reads on rucking. S/F - Duke