Quote:
Originally Posted by JWil
Ok, sounds good. What type of distances were you doing for rucks prior sfas?
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Usually 4-8 miles. During the week, I'd do one ruck in the city where I was living (much to the perplexity of my fellow city-dwellers, who are not used to seeing someone walking/running with a heavy pack) for time with a 13-14 min/mile target. On weekends, I would drive up to the mountains northwest of NYC and go for a 6-12 mile hike with no speed target at all. However, with the huge elevation changes (an 8 mile hike would typically include a couple thousand feet up/down total) and rugged trails, this is still an excellent way to burn calories (I'm a fat kid by nature), toughen feet, and strengthen those muscles which don't get much work on a flat, paved surface. It's also a good way to get some land navigation training on your own (and it's actually enjoyable, as opposed to the misery of a timed ruck march, at least in my opinion).
It might not be a bad idea to do at least one "full dress rehearsal" 12-mile timed ruck just so that the first time you do it won't be the time when it counts. Also, take a look at the topography in the Fort Bragg area so you'll have an idea of how hilly the routes can be (the hills aren't crazy, but they're significant). That can help you adjust your time standard depending on the topography in your area.