The Mini GoRuck

At 0430 Monday morning, Bruce, Kelly, Tatiana, Henny, and I met at Barton Spring Pool in Austin, TX and Scott was standing by in Nebraska. We were awake that early to do a mini GoRuck Challenge. Bruce, Kelly and Scott have been training individually for this event for several months. They all work for together and Bruce convinced the others to join him at the GoRuck Challenge in San Antonio 20 October. The GoRuck is a taste of Special Forces training, hosted by former SF guys around the country. Tatiana and Henny have been training, but didn't know they were doing this mini challenge until two days prior. This was everyone's first opportunity to actually get together and practice teamwork.

There was a hitch in the plan a few days before it started, as Scott had a business meeting come up that would keep him at home in Nebraska. He and I discussed this obstacle and determined a way around it. Scott talked me through a Google map of the area around his house and I made several maps that I could email to him as the Challenge progressed.

After confirming everyone was awake and ready, we got into Bruce's truck and I asked them to close their eyes as I drove them to the start point. Once there, I gave them a map and their first workout. I also called Scott in Nebraska to tell him his portion. All members had to complete their portion of the workout before moving on and there was a 15 minute time limit for the workout and clue search. Any time over that resulted in a penalty, 1 burpee for every 30 seconds. They found the clue and, after a little discussion and a map check, headed south along Shoal Creek.

The next workout was wall balls from the bottom of the half pipe at a skate park, about a 12 foot height. Scott had to just do thrusters, not as fun, but a similar motion. Once all participants were finished with that, those at the skate park each got to run a lap with the medicine balls and then search for the clue. They finally found it clipped to one of the overhead spans, but only Bruce could reach it.

Bruce and Kelly hadn't ever been on this stretch of the Shoal Creek trail, and we crossed under several bridges with an odor mixed between bat and human excretions. Once we got to the river, the next workout was partner carries up the stairs at the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.

The next challenge was the log carry. Bruce and Kelly shared a 150lb log and Tatiana and Henny shared a 90lb log for the final mile and a half back to Barton Spring Pool. Scott had a 140lb wrestling dummy all to himself for his mile and a half walk back to his house.

Bruce wanted to give the log a turn solo.

And so did Kelly. (I assure you, this next picture is Kelly)

Once we all got to the pool, the final workout was to swim a lap in under 8 minutes. Scott had a 2000m row on his C2 rower back home. The group at Barton Springs was thankful for the cold water after carrying the log. In total, the group only finished 5.5 minutes over time, so we all did 11 burpees after the swim.

I am very proud of the mental toughness and great teamwork that everyone displayed during this challenge. I never heard 'I can't' about anything, only a few enthusiastic 'I love the way this sucks!' and everyone seemed to be focused on what they were doing and the goals they were accomplishing.