YHC thought hosting an overnight ruck will attract a few weirdos from out of town that like that sort of stuff. What surprised me, was that it attracted a few of our own weirdos that don’t normally do this kind of stuff, along with an out of towner (Urkel).
It was decided by a few to merge this ruck into the May GORUCK challenge and use the opportunity to complete the Service Appreciation portion of the challenge. That means 4 showed early for 2 minutes MAX merkins followed by 2 minutes MAX sit-ups, then the Ruck.
The route was disclosed, a disclaimer was given and 9 PAX set out on a grueling journey that ended up being 15.8 miles. Miles 1-5 spirits were high, mumblechatter was plentiful, and we even stopped for a photo op. Miles 5-10 spirits were still high, mumble chatter fell off slightly and 1 made the smart choice to drop some of his weight in a hiding spot in order to return later and retrieve it. During this phase of the ruck, we had a wake up call when one PAX started a tip toe dance across the street after a warning of “SNAKE” was shouted. The copperhead did his best to attack that PAX member, but the fact that the snake’s head had been flattened he had difficulty moving. Miles 10-12 mumblechatter was very low, some were falling off due to blisters and hurt, but all pressed on. This is the most grueling part and that part that makes men into Ruckers. There was a moment of excitement when several realized we’d be passing the Donut Shop right as they opened, so the majority voted to indulge in a donut and or coffee. This may have been our downfall. Those that were hurting stood still too long and we lost that time which made us about 5 minutes late to the start of the 1 hour beatdown that followed the Ruck. Miles 13-15 proved to be difficult as there were no sidewalks, but the parade of dump trucks driving by at 60 MPH created a breeze of sorts that was welcomed by all. The final mile was one of hurry, but wait on the six. We knew we were late so a short cut was scouted. The six was struggling and his weight was shared by others, (it’s what we do). Pulling up at 7:05 to a COP of 18 other men was a little invigorating to YHC. I’m impressed by every man that chose to participate in this ruck, some who don’t ruck much, for one this was his first ruck. Others decided to break in new boots, carry too much weight, or follow up a GORUCK Tough with this. While all will look back and feel a sense of accomplishment, YHC for one will always remember that night and the men who made it epic!