Yes, there are times when I step away from the acupuncture clinic and try to put my teachings into practice. This past weekend I completed the GoRuck Tough Challenge. What is it? The GoRuck series of events are fitness challenges designed to honor our military and are organized and run by former Special Forces instructors. Rucking is a term used to describe hiking/walking with backpacks loaded with a significant amount of weight. Soldiers are expected to carry 80 lbs of gear or more during missions. These rucking events are done in honor of these soldiers. The TOUGH challenge was a team event where a group of us would be subject to 17 miles of hiking with 40 lbs. in our packs. Along with our weighted backs we were required to carry several "coupons" or weighted sandbags ranging from 40 to 120 lbs. Every few miles we would stop and preform several rounds of intense PT (physical training). This went on for over 10 hours throughout the night finally ending at around 7:30 in the morning. The prolonged effort to carry so much weight for such a long time and distance was new to me. This challenge brought a new meaning to "prolonged discomfort". Our 20 person team prevailed by sharing the collective burden of so much weight by rotating the sandbags to different members to keep them from collapsing in exhaustion. It was hard, exhausting, and painful work, but we knew that to finish this challenge, we had to all operate as a team. By the end, our feet were on fire, and the muscles in our neck, back, shoulders, and hips were completely trashed. I've never experienced that level of pain for such a long time. These kind of challenges teach how strong the mind can be in overcoming discomfort, the fear of failure, and how to thrive outside your comfort zone. Why do something like this? Besides doing it in honor of our veterans, I also see it as a celebration that I can STILL do things like this at age 53 years old.
