AAR: GORUCK 50 Mile Star Course New York City

This AAR is a follow-on to a podcast AAR that we did together the morning after the event in Central Park. You can access my podcast on multiple platforms here. The AAR is Episode 21.

Earlier this year in April 2019, my wife and I traveled a few hours south to Columbus, OH and tackled our first GORUCK Star Course 50-Miler and second 50 mile ruck together, the first being in the summer of 2018 at the Eagle Up Ultra in Canal Fulton, OH. That was a very different event that was 10 flat 5-mile loops on crushed limestone whereas the Star Course involves sidewalks, hills and every kind of surface you can imagine in a big city. Columbus beat us up pretty bad physically so we had a handful of lessons-learned to make things right this time around. While my wife had vowed not to do another 50 mile ruck, we just couldn't say no to NYC, a city we love to visit together. It would be very different than Columbus where "normal" people sleep overnight. NYC would be sure to be alive throughout the night...and it was.

Logistics: we didn’t know the Start Point location until close to the event date but thanks to the public transportation on the island, we opened up our aperture for where to stay and opted for an Airbnb a good bit north in the little village (~ 7800 in population) of Hastings-on-Hudson. We found a Tiny House in someone’s backyard and since we’re fans of this way of living (at least up until this trip!), we decided to capitalize on the the opportunity and stay there. We left for the 6 ½ hour trip to NYC on Friday morning of the event, leaving plenty of time to get into the city and make our way to the 9pm start.

We got to the city in plenty of time but my stress level quickly shot through the roof as our location wasn’t near (or so I thought) any major train or subway station. We ended up leap-frogging a few Lyfts to get near the Start Point which was just south of the Bronx, on Randalls Park Island, east of Manhattan. I found a brewery, Bronx Brewery, a 1 mile walk from the start and we decided to get a Lyft there, enjoy a flight together and a pizza. This was a smart call as it got us close to the start with plenty of time to spare. Around 7pm, we walked over to the Start Point.

Training: We do CrossFit together in our garage 5 days a week under the leadership of Pat Sherwood and his affiliate, CrossFit Linchpin. Outside of this, we ruck on our own here and there and occasionally go long and by long, I mean 12 or so miles at the most. We feel that our ace in the hole is our background covering this distance twice before as well our dedication to the CrossFit methodology. Overall, we’re in the fittest condition of our lives at 46 years old and felt that together, nothing would keep us from finishing this and finishing it well. That’s really it. We didn’t follow any GORUCK training plan or any training plan, for that matter. We just do CrossFit and regularly put those rucks on our backs, even if for a few miles on a date night.

In our Rucks: Here is one change we made in comparison to Columbus…how we loaded out our rucks. The weight requirement is 20lbs for those 150lbs or more which we both are. That’s non-consumable weight so food and water can’t count. At home, I grabbed a 10lb plate from the garage and some 5s and 2.5s. This allowed us to build our weight slowly AND distribute that weight around the ruck instead of all in one spot… e.g. on our lower back. So what would I want at the finish? Flip-flops and a dry shirt. I packed them. I also had my waterproof pelican case with my wallet, headlamp, and replacement batteries. That’s about it before the consumables. For that, I carried a full 3L water bladder that weighs 7lbs, a bag of beef jerky, 6 or so gels, lubricant, some salt tabs, a handful of grapes, Triscuits, and 5 or so Cuties. I carried all the food and she carried only her weight, about 6 small bottled waters, Nuun electrolyte tabs, plus her flip flops and a few fresh shirts and a sweatshirt if it got chilly. I weighed in at 22lbs before the consumables. So with it? Probably around 30-31lbs. In Columbus, my fully loaded ruck weighed 37lbs. Once we were all weighed in by the cadre, I took a 5lb plate from her which bumped me up to near-Columbus weight but lowered her burden. This is completely permissible as the Star Course is a TEAM EVENT vs. individual.

Navigation: Here’s another big one. First off, we used the Road Warrior app in both cities and upgraded to the Pro Version for $5.00 then canceled it after the event to prevent another charge after a month. This is one of many apps in the app store where you can add in waypoints/coordinates and have the app “optimize” the most efficient route to take. I was totally unfamiliar with the app prior to using it in Columbus. This time, I made up routes using the app in the week prior to the event to play with the settings because how the settings are set has a HUGE impact on the data it gives you and thus, a monumental impact on your event and the miles covered. The overall point of the event is to hit every waypoint in the fastest way possible and on foot, that’s going to be the shortest as well. In the app, we set it as follows: Round Trip, Avoid Tolls, Avoid Ferries, Shortest Distance (vs. Fastest).

Road Warrior App

Navigation #2: 5 min prior to 9pm, the Cadre gave us the hit list (see images at the end of this AAR)…. Or the way point list. They were listed in random order, all included a required hashtag, and any specifics about the waypoint and if required, what exactly had to be in the photo. At each waypoint, all team leaders had to text a photo of the team, at the waypoint, with the required hashtag. This text went to GORUCK HQ who responded each time, confirming receipt. Just recently, GORUCK transitioned to this from using Instagram...a very welcome change! It was great to get those confirmation texts and I’m sure, much easier to track for HQ and bring more integrity to the event. So back to the Hit List. We went and found some good light to sit down and go through it. It is CRITICAL to know your route before you take one step. Double/Triple check it. Make sure it makes sense and you agree on it. So she read off each way point and I searched for it in the Road Warrior app and added it to the list one at a time. Sometimes, the app won’t find what the list says. That’s where Google Maps saves the day over and over again. Take St. Patrick’s Cathedral, for example. Neither app found an address for it. So to take out any possibility of plotting another cathedral in the city (yea, there are just a few churches in NYC), I grabbed the address of Florsheim Shoes next to it and used that address in Road Warrior. BOOM. The same went for the Charging Bull at Wall St. That bull has no address…but the Planet Fitness right next to it sure does. Never, ever guess when plotting the route. Take the time to do it right the first time. So once we input all 20 waypoints, we hit “Optimize.” This orders the route and if we set it up right, it’s a circle of sorts as it’s round trip. And right here is the BIGGEST lesson learned from Columbus: identify the longest stretches and do them first. In Columbus, we had a LONG 12 mile stretch after we had already rucked 30 miles and it was along a busy highway in the heat. It was absolutely miserable and felt like it would never end. This time, our goal was to chop off big miles early while we’re fresh. That route took us north into some very shady areas but would take us south in the morning when we’d enjoy the awesome sights of Manhattan and Brooklyn in the daylight. We had our plan! We then numbered the waypoints on the Hit List (don’t forget a pen!) and double/triple checked we hadn’t missed anything. A sanity/gut check is necessary from everyone to make sure nothing is missed. So we were off…at 9:27pm.

The early miles went very well. We first headed north to Yankee Stadium, then further north to Inwood Hill Park before heading south to General Grant’s Museum. In those 3 waypoints alone, we had passed by the benchmark 12mi ruck distance and felt great. The cadre were all camped out at the Museum checking folks in and supplying water, Gatorade and cuties. In that 12 miles, we smelled more marijuana than either of us had ever smelled, saw countless street parties, one barber shop after another packed out well past midnight, one skunk, men playing dominos on folding tables in the middle of the sidewalk, and plenty of seemingly mischievous things going down and all we did was move smartly by and avoid eye contact. After saying our goodbyes to the Cadre, we moved east towards the northern part of Central Park and rucked across the top of it. This is where we found the first homeless in great numbers on the benches and a few fat, nasty raccoons giving them a hard time. At the opposite end, the NE corner of the Park is Duke Ellington’s statue, our 4^th stop. It was then we broke a few laws. Little did we know, but Central Park is closed from 1am-6am. Our route took us through it and dang, it was DARK! By the time we emerged from that darkness, New York’s finest rolled on by and asked us to leave which was no problem! The exit was just ahead as was the Firemen’s Memorial near the Hudson River in the back of a residential neighborhood. After that, we moved on back towards Central Park and about halfway down on the west side of it where the Museum of Natural History is...think "Night at the Museum." Out front is a statue of President Theodore Roosevelt on his horse, our next waypoint. Moving on from there to the southwest corner of the Park, opposite Duke Ellington, is Columbus Circle. Nothing really special about this, except a super busy intersection, just not in the middle of the night. Our next waypoint was one of my favorites, the USS Intrepid museum. As a Navy guy previously stationed on aircraft carriers, it was amazing to see her lit up in the wee hours of the morning. Absolutely beautiful!

Firemen's Memorial

President Roosevelt Statue at the Museum of Natural History

At this point, we made a bee line east towards the center of Manhattan...Times Square. If you've ever been there, you've seen the neon flag at the Armed Forces Recruiting Station. That was our next waypoint. Talk about a quiet Times Square. Never have we seen so few people! Still, though...totally lit up! From there, it was time head on south towards the financial district and Washington Square to find the massive arch that graces it's northern entrance, a clear copy of the Arc de triomphe in Paris, France. We had a friendly homeless guy try to befriend us but we had a mission to accomplish so south we went out of there, headed towards Ground Zero which is more on the western side of lower Manhattan. Unfortunately, the memorials where the twin towers once stood were blocked off and guarded in the middle of the night so we couldn't even get close. Just past them, our waypoint was the American Response Monument that was up on a walkway above street level...blocked off. So, a photo of it in the distant background had to do. We passed a few teams here who were taking a breather. This waypoint is a horse statue and dedicated to the first U.S. Special Forces who responded to the attacks of 9/11 and went forward to hunt down the Taliban. After this, we headed do the southern waterline at Battery Park. If you've been to NYC and caught a ferry over to Lady Liberty or Ellis Island, there is a good chance you picked it up here. In Battery Park was our next waypoint, the World War II East Coast Memorial. It is a series of giant tablets with the names of fallen service members who died in the western Atlantic during WWII. In its center and in the back is a giant eagle. This memorial looks over the water towards the Statue of Liberty which, let me tell you, was absolutely breathtaking. She was fully lit up, there was a light breeze blowing, a ripple in the river, and the ultimate feeling of peace. There was no one but us. All we really wanted to do was to take off our rucks, take a seat, and just soak it all in. But...we had to get going. This was definitely my wife's favorite waypoint. On to the Charging Bull of Wall Street!

Times Square

Washington Square Arch

Statue of Liberty

East Coast Memorial

Charging Bull at Wall Street

After a short jaunt north to the Bull, we quickly set off on one of our longest stretches south into Brooklyn. Daybreak was coming soon and it couldn't have been better timed with our crossing of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Bustling with runners, bikers, photographers and even a few brides in their dresses getting photographed, we just loved crossing into Brooklyn at sunrise. Of course, we took lots of photos, too. I had just picked up the iPhone 11 Pro Max and it did not disappoint! This stretch was about 4.2 miles which normally, is easy. However, at this point of our event, north of 30 miles, definitely took its toll. We were blessed to have the surroundings we did, though. This was yet another reason why we went north first. We'd rather be here in daylight vs. up north in the daylight.

Sunrise from the Brooklyn Bridge looking over to Manhattan Bridge

My bride getting her ruck on!!!

Chick-Fil-A Brooklyn

Once we finally passed over the river into Brooklyn, we bee-lined it to the Soldier-Sailor Monument which was yet another arch! BUT FIRST....about halfway down the road that led there, we passed a Chick-Fil-A on our right. Snacks only take us so far and as HUGE fans of CFA, we very quickly made the executive decision to enter, order, and sit down for breakfast together. A real meal! Wow, it was incredible and so appreciated! We rucked out of there with a reborn pep in our step! We also appreciated clean bathrooms. They really are a premium in NYC. So shortly after 7:30am, we continued on south towards the arch. 

While we hadn’t seen any teams in a while, we ran into two teams at the Arch but once we turned around and headed back north, we never saw them again. 2.4 miles after our turn, we made a stop at a fire station where a GORUCK flag hung over their ladder truck, we snapped our pic and moved on towards Jane’s Carousel, a short 0.7 mile away. Jane’s Carousel has a pretty cool history and one that is somewhat personal. It’s an old-school restored carousel with 48 carved wooden horses from Northeast Ohio, specifically the now extinct Idora Park. It was an amusement park in Youngstown, OH from 1899 to 1984. My parents rode that carousel when they were dating. I’m not sure if I rode it as a child but I definitely went to Idora Park. The carousel was built in 1922 in Philadelphia and later installed at the park. On our last trip to NYC with our girls, we visited the Carousel and rode it. Not today, though! A pic, check-in with HQ and we were on our way back to Manhattan, this time via the seemingly never-ending Manhattan Bridge.

Jane's Carousel

This is a photo I took while crossing the Manhattan Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge, One World Trade Center…I just love it. I also took on my wife’s ruck for the trip across the bridge. She needed a recharge and I was happy to provide it. Plus, we could move faster when we did this, even if for a short period. It mixed things up for us and kept the pep in our step! Once over, we landed in China Town and kept moving toward’s McSorley’s Ale House, NYC’s oldest continuously operated saloon…since 1854! This is when the end started coming into focus. TWO more waypoints and it’s off to the finish. First up…the incredible St Patrick’s Cathedral which recently finished a major facelift and restoration. This journey north was much more NYC-like in terms of moving in massive throngs of people through intersections that NYC is known for. Hopefully we didn’t stink too bad! Our visit was quick at St Pat’s but we’d return the following day for a more relaxed visit.

Now…this big final push was one I had told my wife that was around 4 ½ miles long. I plotted it in Google Maps and I was off. It was 5.1 miles. From there, it was 2.4 miles to the finish…so 7.5 to go. We were nearly out of water and she was beat down. I told her “There is no shame in letting me take your ruck. We’re a team. We move the weight together and do it together. Let me help you and you can recharge. Just keep up with me.” And that was that. For the next 3.5 miles, I cranked it up a notch with about 50-ish pounds on my back, and we charged over the Queensland Bridge into Queens. Now that felt like a bridge that would never end. Plus, it was a squeeze on the pedestrian bridge over. Runners, bikers…and us. I sucked every drop of water I had out of my bladder on the way over and once over, we dropped into the first convenience store we saw and spent a worthwhile $3.80 on a gallon of water. We were both out and we’d nearly polish that off on the way to the finish. Shortly after, I shed her ruck and we were off headed north in the hot sun. Our final waypoint was in a northern Queens park with Randall Park Island to the north over the water and the Hellgate Bridge to the east. Our photo had to include that bridge so we had to go deep enough in to get it. Once we did and we did our final check-in, we were off to the finish. But first…

We had to summit yet another bridge to get onto the island where our Cadre waited with cold Budweiser’s and patches…and pizza. By the time we reached the pedestrian path, we had 1.7mi to go. We put smiles on our faces and charged on…together. “Get to the top of the bridge and then it’s downhill to the finish.” My wife says often: “Just do the next thing.” That was more appropriate now than ever. Break it up into pieces, crush them, and move on to the next. Once off the bridge, we passed on through a few parking lots before walking just past Icahn Stadium where we spotted the GORUCK pop-up tent. The island was hopping with sports events and lots of fans…and thus, the smell of marijuana returned. I didn’t miss that! Mocha Mike greeted us back at the tent, shook our hands while giving us our patches, and most-welcome hugs for another Star Course finish. He also greeted us at the finish in Columbus where he lives…but he grew up right there in NYC. We finished in 16hrs, 39min, 40sec. 87 people and 31 teams started. 70 people and 28 teams finished. We were the 10^th team of 28 teams and she the 4^th woman out of the only 8 female finishers. We were also 30min+ faster than Columbus but since we don’t know exact mileages for the two cities, we don’t compare the two as it’s apples and oranges.

At the highest point of the bridge, heading to the FINISH. Hellgate Bridge behind us.

FINISHED!

Removing our shoes for our beloved flip-flops, we were thrilled to see zero blisters. Not one. Our foot care worked and it worked on mostly concrete walking surfaces having never unlaced our shoes once. Even better is that we felt no chafing on our bodies. I mean..we were sore. Sure. But we were far from broken and scarred. We didn’t just finish, we CRUSHED it and did it right…TOGETHER. After laying around a bit, enjoying some pizza and the company of fellow finishers, we began the slowest walk of our lives with our rucks 1 mile to the Bronx Brewery for a normal glass of that Imperial IPA I had the day prior. So good. From there, we grabbed a Lyft back to our Tiny House up north.

Key Takeaways:

• Do nothing new on event day. Nothing. Nutrition, socks, underwear, lubrication, shoes, shirt, shorts…practice it all prior. I wore my trusty and old Inov8 Roclite 290s, a very old pair of Darn Tough socks, Born Primitive athleisure underwear, Prana shorts, and a tri-blend Rogue Fitness t-shirt. On my feet, I lubed them with Body Glide and one baby teaspoon of my lubricant powder. I also used “nip-guards” to prevent bloody nipples and the Body Glide anywhere skin would rub together or the ruck would rub…shoulders and lower back. I never once reapplied Body Glide or the powder.
  

  

• Download the app and practice with it. Know the settings and make sure you’re confident in its functionality.

• Know your role on the team. Who’s the navigator? Not everyone is good at navigating and some are experts at it. Decide who is doing what before you even show up at the event.

• Eat Well: garbage in = garbage out. We didn’t carry much food but what we did have was quality and fueled what we were doing. Again, don’t introduce new things. You don’t want stomach issues during the event. It is very poor planning to carry nothing. This isn’t a 5K and your body AND mind needs nutrition in order to function and function well.

• Enjoy it! We don’t take for granted this opportunity to do something epic and do it together. We’re closing in on 27 years of marriage next month and crushing this together AND walking away from it unscathed just sweetens it all. We actually ended up in Manhattan the next day covering lots of miles doing touristy things. We really felt amazing.

Thanks for reading about our journey in the Big Apple! Keep scrolling down to see images of our Hit List.

Note: If you’re on Instagram, I have archived the many IG videos I posted throughout the event on my profile page as a “Highlight.” Simple click on Star Course NYC to watch video and check-in posts from throughout the event. IG: garageboxnick

Year in Review: CrossFit Linchpin

Just a few days ago, I celebrated my 1 year anniversary with CrossFit Linchpin. "They" are a real CrossFit affiliate but are completely virtual. With thousands of brick-n-mortar CrossFit affiliates across the globe, Linchpin is unique as its mailing address is a home in Washington state where only the owner (Pat Sherwood) and his wife (Emily) train. Today, I won't rehash the year or repeat the story of Linchpin, etc. but please feel free to read my first two reviews. The first was 6 weeks in and the second was 4 months in. Before I dive into my 1 year thoughts, take a look at the scattergram below. Focus on the vertical and horizontal axis. Notice a trend? Higher output at shorter time durations vs. lower power output as the duration grows. I'll get back to this in a minute.

The CrossFit Linchpin Community has continued to grow over the past year and more continues to be added to the bargain-basement $10 per month cost. I've also had the pleasure of helping out a bit as the new Private Track group on Facebook was launched last month. With over 600 Private Track members in there already (a portion of the total community), it's been awesome to see where people are from, where they work out, hear their stories, share successes, help and answer questions, and just GROW this awesome virtual community. From driveways to garages to affiliates to hotel gyms to basements. People are getting it in!

For me, I absolutely love it and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. In my core, I really believe in supporting things and people that resonate with me. The approach remains the same: Constantly varied, functional movement, performed at a high intensity. That's CrossFit, defined. However, there is no bias towards any one thing. Many programmers lean a certain direction, like towards olympic lifts or WODs or lifting heavy, for example. Here, though, it is extremely well balanced which points towards the overall goal of pouring our heart and soul into one hour a day that leads us to living a long and healthy life with the ones we love. Pat says it much better here, if you'd like to hear the "heart" behind CrossFit Linchpin. Check out the data below from my last year as compiled by Beyond the Whiteboard (BTWB) that is also included when a part of the Community. Click on any photo to see it better:

That is balance. Add in a healthy diet, showing up daily, not cherry-picking the non-sexy workouts (ie: sprints, core work), and a positive attitude and boom, you have fitness.

Here is my exact history since May 8, 2018. I have 667 logged workouts. Now that can be a bit deceiving. A "workout" is a WOD, an accessory piece, or something I entered manually that I did on my own as I often do in the world of rucking. The checkmarks are days that I put in the work and the others are rest days. Extreme consistency is how I'd characterize it. Thursdays and Sundays are traditionally my rest days and I, for the most part, follow them. I do slip, occasionally. :) All of this data pours from BTWB. This data is another reason to stay...not THE reason but dang, the data only gets richer for ME with every passing day. It helps me choose wisely the loading by showing me my past performances, previous personal records, and just creates lots of efficiency in the process. It's also a dose of reality. For example, I'm weak in a lot of areas, namely gymnastics and olympic lifts. I'm strong in other areas, too. Overall, it puts me just over mid-pack and this rarely moves more than two digits. Today, it's at a 59 and has been sitting at 60 or 61 for awhile. (Yesterday's hang power snatches, I'm sure, didn't help matters!)

So back to that scattergram at the top. That scattergram is me over those 667 "workouts." It tells a story and it tells the story as it should be. It tells me that I scale when I should to maintain the intensity and that I bring the intensity when I should. Shorter duration workouts are meant to do that. Monday's workout is exactly that. It's only 7 minutes! Outsiders might look at that and think: "how can it be that bad? It's only 7 minutes? How much "fitness" could possibly come from 7 MINUTES?! It's these workouts and others that we grind out over a half hour or more, the accessory work, the heavy days...it's all variance at different time domains, intensity levels and showing no bias towards any one thing. Except the L-Sit...Pat really LOVES the L-Sit and it often appears in accessory work. As he says: "I don't care who you are, everyone can work on their L-Sit." Truth. I don't know if my L-Sit has gotten much better over the last year but I never skip them. It's always "accumulate 2 minutes" and mine always go 20sec, then chunks of 10-15sec until I hit 2 minutes. Grip, core, and just good 'ol work. Love it!

Closing out today, I just want to say how thankful I am to have found Pat's affiliate and that I joined a year ago. It has brought balance to an area that is very important to me. I don't have limitless time to spend in the garage. I have max 70min. I must be heading in by 5:40am or I'll never make to work by 7am. So while 4:30am sounds early to 99% of the population, it is VITAL and protected. Further? My wife joins me every day. We're both 46 years old and are in our 27th year of marriage. We are both our fittest in our life and love living life together, exploring and having fun. We want to live healthy lives for as long as we can and this 60-70min a day we do together is but one tool in our marriage toolbelt that just WORKS. Then, we get to do fun things like we did last month in Columbus, OH, when we took 2nd place at the GORUCK 50 Mile Star Course! Weight on our backs and unsupported all the way, except for each other! Like I often say on my IG...

"Do what you love with the ones you love."

Thanks to CrossFit Linchpin for helping make that a reality...from the both of us.

IG: @garageboxnick

Daily CrossFit Linchpin workouts and other "life" things thrown in here and there. :)

Why I Ruck

It was 2015 and I was on recruiting duty for the Navy, recruiting future Naval Officers. One of those was a hopeful Navy SEAL. Spoiler Alert: he wasn't selected for the SEALs but did get selected to fly and today, he's in uniform pursuing his Wings of Gold. That person mentioned this thing called "rucking" to me, the challenge event, and of course, the gear. Like any good "GRT," he brought his ruck into the office to have a session of "show and tell." As someone who was an ultra-runner for the previous 17 years and a newbie CrossFitter, and watching the military "feel" that the GORUCK YouTube videos had, I dipped my toe into the water and did what anyone does when curious, I Googled it.

Very shortly after that, I stumbled on the newly founded Cleveland Area Rucking Crew (CARC) and decided I'd show up for a local ruck. That was January 3, 2016 in a local park and like any good rucking event, there was someone to take photos to prove it happened. Even if you don't read it, click here to read my report about it and at least browse the photos. They really sum it up well! It was THIS experience that thrust me "all in" to rucking. That little bug was planted and I wanted all of it. Like any smart GRT does (GRTs is an acronym used for anyone who has completed a GORUCK event....stands for GORUCK Tough.), I quickly signed up for my first event: The 24+ hour Heavy. This editorial today isn't about regurgitating every report and event I did, so I won't but let's just say the "Heavy" isn't typically the starting point in a GRT's journey. It was an epic experience and I earned my patch. All of my AARs can be read at the AAR link here on my blog.

From my experience over Father's Day 2016 in Detroit at the Heavy, I met more new friends and that's a MAJOR reason for "why" I ruck. From the Cadre who led that event, one of which is a Team RWB Eagle, to other GRTs who I continue to stay in touch with today, the people make rucking all that sweeter. As time progressed forward, I got more and more involved in our local rucking club, always meeting new friends and eventually, my wife got a ruck and did her first event a month after the Heavy. While she is not a fan of the challenges, she DID fall in love with rucking itself and today, she'll proudly proclaim "Rucking's my favorite!!!" Actually, the next time you see her, ask her about her first event. This was how it started. Now if you know her, you can only imagine her thoughts when the sprinklers popped up and Cadre Geoff told us all to start low-crawling through them...

In the end, though, she got her patch and she'll tell you it was the hardest thing she's ever done. Yes, it was a GORUCK Light but if you know anything about Cadre Geoff Reeves, a "Light" in his book is essentially a 5-6 hour "Tough." While she'll never do a traditional event again (we did the Rock-n-Roll Light in 2017), she loves to ruck at the rawest level. There is just something about putting weight on your back and heading out, especially with a least 1 other human...or your dog. If people would just give it one shot, many would be hooked.

Several months ago, we came up with an idea when I was involved in a leadership position with Team RWB, to lead local rucks that have an extremely low barrier-to-entry, had no PT, and simply served to introduce rucking, meet new friends, and break bread together. That's when our Ruck-n-Brew "series" was born. That first one was held at an ice cream shop but quickly morphed into a craft-beer centric thing. The concept was simple: ruck for about 90min, talk about rucking/life/etc., and end near the time that whatever establishment is opening for business. Park at or near that same location, too. We had a huge turnout at that first one which catapulted us to where we are today. Next Saturday, we lead our 6th Ruck-n-Brew in Akron, OH where we'll meet up at Thirsty Dog Brewing, ruck on the University of Akron campus, then end right when they open for business. EVERY SINGLE TIME, my bride and I think "maybe no one will show up and we'll still do it" and EVERY SINGLE TIME, they show up and always, someone new as well. It's contagious, it's fun, it burns some calories and you know what? It's not running. Yea, as a prior distance runner, I'm not going to hate on running but a lot of people who run and/or hate to run or are beat up by it love to ruck because of the zero-impact it brings.

Our first four ruck-n-brews

Elevation Ruck in Canton

Our reasons and drive aren't the same. I have done a handful events, to include two Heavys, 2 or 3 Toughs, a few Lights and now, the 50 Mile Star Course. I enjoy the "suck" where my wife doesn't. That last Heavy in August 2018 had special meaning to me and I'm so glad I did it. But in the end, we both just love to ruck, it's something we can do together and we continue to meet new friends. That's called LIVING LIFE to its FULLEST! Just this past weekend in Columbus, OH, we did the 50 Mile Star Course and it was incredible! I used my experience in ultra-running and caring for my feet and passed that on to this event and it paid off big time. We actually finished second overall which was stunning! Again, I wrote a report from that event and it's well worth the read if you're considering it. No PT in that event at all...just rucking a city hitting a bunch of points-of-interest. Then 5 days later this past Thursday night, an impromptu meeting in Canton, OH for the newly released GORUCK challenge dubbed "Elevation Ruck" where we had to climb 1500 steps with 4 or more others. SO glad we went out because EVERYONE who showed up was new to us! You see? It just keeps on flowing...and it's never the same. I could brainstorm just about anything and throw it out there to the local community and someone is going to show up. Everyone has at least a backpack sitting in the closet and everyone can throw some stuff in it and go for a walk. That's rucking. Sure, you'll probably want a "real" ruck and maybe even some steel plates to go in it (or wrapped up bricks) later but why not just dabble in it first and see what you think? You may just love it and if you do, there is a massive, growing community out here ready to welcome you in.

Our 50 Mile Finish in Columbus, OH on April 13, 2019

AAR: GORUCK 50 Mile Star Course - Columbus OH

Sunset at the start point

There was a time where I ran endurance events solo. Those days have long past. These days when I cover distance, it's with my bride of 26+ years and as she says often, "Rucking's my favorite!" (cue the Elf "Smiling's my favorite!" scene). Last summer at Team RWB's Eagle Up Ultra in Canal Fulton, OH, we conquered our first 50 mile distance, heavily supported, and on a 5 mile crushed limestone loop. Further, we slept at home and commuted to the start just in time for the 6am start, well rested. On April 12, 2019, we woke up on "race" day at 6:30am, commuted to Columbus, a 2 1/2 hour jaunt to our south and eventually made our way to the start, ready to set off at 9pm without any additional sleep. Through this AAR (After Action Report), I hope to paint a picture of our journey but also lend some advice to those who aspire to tackle one of these.

First off, some context. For those unfamiliar, rucking is simply defined as throwing some weight in a pack and going for a walk. GORUCK is the "rucking company" that has single-handedly spear-headed a rucking movement across the country when all they set out to do in the beginning was to create a military-grade ruck and sell it. The rest is history, as they say. They are mostly known for their challenge events that are team-based and very physical (think body weight exercises, carry large amounts of weight over distance, for 6, 12 or 24hrs). The "Star Course" is totally different. Participants build a team of 2-5 people and are given a "hit list" of waypoints at the start. Waypoints are locations in the city that everyone must visit. As they arrive at each location, they'll post a photo to Instagram using specific tagging directions and HQ staff will monitor and log each entry to ensure all points are visited. The only mode of transportation is rucking (no scooters, bikes, Uber, taxis, etc.). Once all are hit, at least 50 miles will be covered. HOW you cover them is up to you.

We arrived just prior to 8pm where we had our rucks weighed and checked in. For those under 150lbs, the weight requirement is 10lb dry (before water). Everyone else must carry 20lb dry. My ruck after a full 3L bladder and supplies was just over 37lbs. As 8:30pm approached, our 4 cadre hosts gathered the 30 teams and 98 participants around and went over the rules, took another roll call, and then called for a mother, someone from each of the services, and a police/fire person who all held Old Glory. As darkness filled the space, we all sung the National Anthem. THAT was awesome. Land of the free... and there we all were, ready to take Columbus by storm...or rucks. Mocha Mike offered some advice prior to handing out the waypoints regarding planning, apps we'll use to navigate, and safety. At 8:57pm, he cut us loose to plan and get out there. Quickly, 9pm arrived and Marjie and I continued to input the addresses into our choice app for the journey, the Road Warrior app. This is one of several suggested apps where you input coordinates and it'll "optimize" the route for the most efficient travel route. Once done, we showed our map to Mocha, got some more advice, and headed on out into the night around 9:30pm, already 1/2 hour in and we hadn't taken a step yet.

Pre-Event Brief (photo courtesy of Lisa Rich)

Now for some advice reflecting back. Right after we left, we stopped at our car because we forgot a pen. We needed to go over EVERY waypoint and ensure our plan was solid.

• Trust but verify: You MUST go over the waypoints BEFORE you leave and bounce the list off of the app. What if you fat-fingered something and missed a point? If you miss a waypoint, you will be disqualified.
• Does it make sense? Look at the map and the route. Does it make sense with the information you have? Does the direction of travel make sense? Reverse it? We went clockwise through the route but we could've flipped it.
• Don't follow the app blindly: We never used the Road Warrior app again to navigate. We used our waypoint list and Google Maps in "Satellite" mode. That way, we could use common sense and also look and see possible alternatives like Google offers up. Google actually says if it's relatively flat or hilly...great information.
• Drop a Pin: Once you identify the next waypoint, read the instructions closely. If it says "Take your group photo on the north side of the building in front of the statue" then drop a pin on that statue's head and let Google navigate you there. That'll save time, steps and frustration when you arrive there in the dark, unable to find your required photo spot. Attention to detail! ... and efficiency.
• Battery Mode: While you are required to have a battery pack to charge your phone, I never needed it. All of that Instagram use and mapping on Google Maps and my iPhone still made it since I had it in battery saving mode, found in settings.
• Waypoints: I can't stress it enough! BE SURE you have your plan ROCK SOLID before you head out. You cannot afford to miss a single waypoint. 

Green Lawn Abbey, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Elevator Brewing, and the Arnold Schwarzenegger statue at the Convention Center where the "Arnold" is held every year.

Woody Hayes statue at the Varsity Club restaurant, Jesse Owens Plaza at Ohio Stadium, Fred Beekman field, and the Jack Nicklaus Museum

Central Ohio Fire Museum, ROGUE FITNESS! (we had already been there during the day Friday!), Ohio History Museum

Our early miles were a lot of fun. We had hit half of the waypoints before we even left city limits. That passed time quickly and gave us a tour of the Ohio State Campus, lots of college parties, endless odor of pot, and even a toga party rocking to some great 80s music. Then, we began to head north and the segments started to get longer. We knew we'd end up north of I-270, the beltway surrounding the city, which was hard to imagine knowing how far it is just to drive it. Our first long segment that would take us north of I-270 was just over 8 miles long, over 2hrs without a waypoint. Below are the waypoints after wrestling with them over 17+ hours. You'll notice how they are numbered on the left. That's what we did after building the route while I navigated, Marjie kept this list and was referencing it constantly to ensure we didn't miss a beat.  They are listed in no particular order, except the start point/end point is listed first. You'd be in a world of hurt if you simply followed the list in THIS order. (The numbers at the right are the distances between waypoints in the order we did them that I tabulated after the event. I HAD to know the total mileage, not counting the few errors we made along the way.)

Nutrition and Gear: Try nothing new, OK? Nothing you put on your body or IN your body during an event like this should be new. No new pairs of socks, no new foods...nothing. Foot care should be tested and tried, chafing spots known and taken care of, and nutrition/hydration plans solid. For an event of this length, keeping the electrolytes and water flowing and food going in is critical. You WILL become grossly dehydrated and if you wait until those hairs stand up on your arm to hydrate, you've already lost the battle. Drink often and start early. What we carried total as a team:

• 3L source bladder (me) ... weighs 7lb full
• 6 water bottles (her)
• 2 PB&J and some pretzel sticks (1 each of us)
• 8 gels (variety of brands but most with caffeine)
• BodyGlide (or your favorite lube)
• Ibuprofen, water-proof band-aids, Biofreeze x 2
• Socks (her)
• Winter hat and gloves (me) .... gloves (her)
• Lots of beef jerky to share (me)
• Nuun fizz tablets (her) ... electrolyte source to mix in water bottles
• Pelican Case: wallet, motrin, battery pack, replacement batteries for headlamps, bandaids
• Headlamps: one each

As we arrived at the Columbus Metropolitan Library (stop 12), Cadres Mocha Mike and Brad were there with Mocha's beast of a truck. The last time I saw that truck was August 2018 when it held hundreds of pounds of sandbags and ammo cans. (Extortion 17 Heavy) Ahhh, "great" memories! We filled my water bladder, grabbed a few Cuties, and sip of Gatorade and were off on our largest segment, that being 8.3mi. At this point, we were TIRED but still feeling quite good. This segment would takes its toll on us physically and mentally. Eventually, there wasn't much talking and more just relentless, steady forward movement and a positive attitude. We knew from Eagle Up that we'd go through peaks and valleys but not at the same time. We were ready for that and always had the others back. Arriving at Magic Mountain, we were in the Polaris area (where we picked up some gels earlier in the day en route to Columbus) and then began our trek east into Westerville as we headed towards Hoover Dam. If you look at the map up above, see that LONG line on the right? That is what waited for us after Hoover Dam when it would be light out. We had no idea how long that would be...and we didn't want to know. In fact, we never tracked our mileage except in between segments. Biting off pieces is much easier than the whole when it comes to mental strategy.

Columbus Metropolitan Library (where Mocha and Brad met us), Magic Mountain in Polaris, First Responders Park (that's pieces of the World Trade Center behind us) and Hanby House.

It was at this point as we headed into Westerville that we wanted coffee BAD. I remember clearly it was 5:30am after we left Magic Mountain and how McDonald's wasn't open yet. Coffee, a water re-fill, bathroom break...all were going to happen if they were open. But alas, NOTHING was opening until 6am. We kept on going, hoping to pass something but just about 100% of the route headed to Hoover Dam would be residential neighborhoods...8 more miles, aka: 2+ hours. BUT...in Westerville after the 6am hour, we spotted a pastry shop, specifically the Schneider's Bakery. Luckily, they had coffee brewed. One of the comments a patron made soon after walking in was "it looks like you two are out for a walk!" Well, you might say that! That led us down the path of explaining rucking and how our "walk" began yesterday at 9pm! We got our java, some carbs, and headed back out. That place was a blessing! I do wish I would've got a group selfie with everyone in there. We continued on through the sunrise hours through quiet neighborhoods and a straight line, one that ended at the Hoover Dam. 

Marjie was suffering quite a bit at this point. Her pace had slowed and for someone who adores silence, she put on some TayTay (Taylor Swift) to help put some pep in her step! At the end of the straight line, there was a gas station that granted her great reprieve with a clean bathroom vs. a nasty portapotty across the street. And off to cross the dam we went, find the trail head at the northeast corner, then plot a course for downtown Columbus.

Hoover Dam (not bad for being up over 24hrs and covering an unknown amount of miles, eh?!)

"Don't tell me." Very specific instructions. Just prior to that, I had plotted the route and simply said "Woah." Off we went. In GORUCK Heavy events and in the "rucking world" in general, a baseline distance to ruck is the 12 mile distance, hopefully in under 3 1/2 hours. That's the benchmark...FRESH. And here we were, 33+ miles in, and the distance to the next waypoint downtown? EXACTLY 12 miles. My lips were sealed! The worst part, outside of the distance, was the extremely busy road that made a beeline downtown. From time to time, the bike-n-hike was available so we used that, basically leapfrogging off and on for safety. This stretch seemed to never end and was very mentally taxing with all of the traffic. If we were to die doing this endeavor, it would be via automobile along this segment. Our feet both felt like we were walking on nails, but no blisters evident. The camber coming off the roads always hurt. Anything but flat was very uncomfortable inside our shoes. Speaking of which, we hadn't taken them off once and had no plans to. I'm very much against taking shoes off unless you get something in there that is causing a problem or WILL if left alone. Through my ultra-running years, I came to love powdered lubricant. I put that in my socks and lube up my feet with BodyGlide. (Here is the powdered lube I've used for 10+ years) Doing that has gotten me through countless endurance races and every GORUCK event, to include two 24+ hour Heavy events. Eventually, we made it and I divulged the number. SO glad that was behind us. Now to FINISH this!

We arrived at Waypoint 17 (Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens) and spirits took a dramatic up-swing. NOW we knew it was in the bag. We just had to keep moving.

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Columbus Museum of Art, Kelton House 

The last several waypoints, except for the segment to the Endex were under a mile each. Attention to detail was our friend, here, and missing no Instagram posts or required hashtags...and following specific directions. We had trouble finding a fountain at the Library and probably wasted a solid 15min. That's where my suggestion of dropping a pin directly on the required picture spot can really save you time, especially over a 50 mile trip.

Ohio State Capitol, the largest gavel on the planet, my foot care post-event, and two beers and two patches we got at the Endex.

Once we found that gavel above, we were 1.5mi to the finish. "If it's 5 or more miles to the finish, I'm going to cry," Marjie told me. I gave her a big, fat pregnant pause as I plotted the route and then told her it was only a mile and a half to the finish. YES! It was only a few minutes to 2pm so we certainly weren't going to hit the 2pm mark but probably 1/4 after the hour. Time to get this! As we arrived back at Scioto Audubon Metro Park, Mocha shouted to us as we approached "You're SECOND!!!" What?!?!?! Marjie had said many times "I bet we're going to be the last ones in or close to it." To hear we had placed 2nd and would get $200 in GORUCK credit to their store was simply stunning to us. THIS doesn't happen to us! Heck, we're 46 years old and it really shouldn't, right?! Remember, a rule to be eligible to place in the event is to finish as a team. Many teams became fractured through the event and some didn't post every waypoint. We did. 100% start and finish and 100% course completion in accordance with the rules. Honestly, we're still shocked! 17hrs, 15min, 17sec. Remember how I tabulated the distance? I did that just after finishing. I simply re-did the Google routes while they were fresh in my head and added up the segments. I was hoping and praying it wasn't under 50 miles. As I added up the final segments, I was afraid it wouldn't hit 50. 50.3 miles. DANG! Considering a few errors we made and the leap-frogging off and on that trail during the 12 mile jaunt, we are 150% confident that we achieved 50+ miles. WHEW!!!!

After hanging out for awhile, enjoying some pizza and talking with others about the event, we made our way back to our Airbnb in Short North Columbus. We showered and crashed for about 2hrs. That shower was another tell-tale of success. Neither of us screamed out in pain which is common in an event like that, thanks to chafing. NOTHING! Waking up 2hrs later, we felt like a ton of bricks had fallen in on us but we woke up, brewed some coffee and decided to hit up Hoof Hearted Brewing 0.4 mi away. That was a slooooooowwwwww walk! But it was perfect. Afterwards, another slow walk and BAM! Out for 9 hours...

Waking up on Sunday morning, we were shocked at how good we felt and how good the walk felt on the way to breakfast. It poured overnight and many of the blossoms were knocked to the ground where we walked, quite comfortably. No blisters, some redness, and shocked at our condition. We did it and we're more than fine post event. Now at 5pm Sunday, we still feel awesome and we're both nearing a gallon water intake for the day. Flushing our bodies out, moving often and resting.

We didn't have a big training plan for this event. We do CrossFit for an hour a day with CrossFit Linchpin in our garage, we ruck for shorter distances and the occasional 12 miler, I ruck my morning and afternoon breaks at work for 15min chunks and that's about it. Nutritionally, we track our macros and care for ourselves but aren't obsessed by it. Overall, we just enjoy life and being the best versions of ourselves...together. Too many years were spent doing our own thing. We're glad that's over. This was an awesome experience and we wouldn't want it any other way. I'm super proud of my bride and look forward to what lies ahead in the future!

Parting words...here is a compilation of the Instagram Stories I posted throughout the event as we traveled.

CrossFit Linchpin, Nutrition, Rucking and More

I'm sitting here on a day off, temps are about 17 degrees outside, a balmy 20 degrees north of what it was only 48 hours ago, and I have the itch to write a few thoughts so here it is...and yes, it's about fitness, "CrossFit," etc.

Nearly 8 months ago, I signed up for CrossFit Linchpin and began following the programming of Pat Sherwood, a former Navy SEAL, owner of CrossFit Linchpin and current CrossFit Health staff. I have written twice before and most recently, at the 4 month point. You can read the first post here and the 4 month update here.

Not much has changed, really. Since the 4 month update, Pat has added more value to the $10 monthly price-tag by adding in a "limited equipment option" every single day...that being 5 out of 7 days a week. (Thursdays and Sundays are rest days) A pair of dumbbells, a pull-up bar, a jump rope, and a set of gymnastic rings to hang from that pull-up bar. That's it for the limited equipment option and believe me, those folks often get far more "brutality," courtesy of those dumbbells, than those of us with all the gear in our garages or boxes. Plus, coming up in a month or so, he's adding an additional option of nutrition and the macro feature on Beyond the Whiteboard (BTWB) for probably $10 more. I won't be using that as I already am very happy with my nutrition game and right where I'm at but it'll be a great feature for so many who don't track what they eat. Hear me when I say: "NUTRITION IS EVERYTHING." You can work out without end and will NEVER yield the results you could if you got your nutrition squared away. I'm proof of that...in my mid-40s!

This winter has been fairly normal with warmer-than-usual days and then this past week, we had the "Polar Vortex" that dropped windchills into the negative mid-twenties and a high around minus 1. That's the coldest the garage has ever been and we actually brought in the dumbbells the night prior to warm up then did the limited equipment option in the living room which consisted of front squats with the dumbbells on our shoulders and dumbbell snatches. You see? No excuses for cold, etc. On most days, I head out early, turn on the baby space heater and prop up anything metal that we'll be using in front of the heater to warm it up like barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells. It works pretty good. One thing is for sure: no day is too cold to be out there. I NEED it and it's not for any narcissistic reason. The expenditure of calories, the pushing myself into uncomfortable, striving to do my best against myself...I need it for my dang sanity. Fitting in my never-before size 30 shorts is just icing on the cake. It's not the reason. Honestly, it's the nutrition that keeps those fitting, not my morning grind. I know my "why"...do you? Until you do, you'll always find an excuse.

You can always find a way to do what's important to you.

As for nutrition, it's on point! If you recall, I hired a nutrition coach from January - March 2018, shed 5" and about 20lbs and then went on my own since then and I've maintained that loss. I weigh myself every single morning (that scale is my accountability partner), still weigh out my breakfast and lunch, and then make good choices for dinner and extend myself some grace here and there. I LOVE food and the occasional craft beer so if I can still maintain, do well in the garage, and enjoy some of life's awesomeness, then it's a win-win all the way around. I do focus on water a lot, always trying to surpass a gallon a day. I never touch soda/pop and shy far away from processed garbage, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Whole, delicious foods is what you'll see on my plate the majority of the time. It's working!

But it's not just CrossFit. That's 60-75min out of my day (although I admittedly think about it FAR more). Marjie "likes" CrossFit and she is an awesome partner out there. We have serious fun together! Honestly, we have fun doing just about anything together, to include grocery shopping at Aldi but out there, it's just awesome. But she doesn't "love" it like I do. What she DOES love is rucking. She doesn't care for the rucking events that involve a cadre unleashing havoc but simply covering distance under weight. In fact, we'll be doing the GORUCK 50 Mile Star Course in April down in Columbus, OH together. Along those lines, we now host a "Ruck-n-Brew" every month. We choose a location to ruck for about 90min, then head to a local craft brewery or watering hole that is known for a great lineup and enjoy time together. We've hosted 4 so far and they are a BIG hit! We make it super-inviting to newcomers, too. No PT, no log-carrying, or anything like that. We just cover distance (with a purpose!), socialize, share rucking "wisdom," then break bread together. It really is a great time and will continue. Further, there is a monthly rucking challenge page that we're paying attention to and will weave that in. Tomorrow night, for example, we're rucking 86 flights of stairs for the 86 firefighters lost in 2018. We've got a handful of folks showing up and honestly, if it were just us, we'd have fun!

Our last Ruck-n-Brew: Salt Run Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park

We also stay involved with a nutrition coaching company dubbed "PLT Nutrition and Fitness" where Marjie continues to be coached. Paul, the owner, is actually the catalyst for how she first discovered the world of macros which eventually over a year later, turned me on to it to give it a try. Life-changing! Since then, our story has spread and countless others have joined the ranks with us. A fun thing I wake up to every morning these days is a monthly challenge. For January, it was called the Buns of Fire Challenge and rotated back and forth between lunges and squats. I typically weave them into my warmup or workout but if they don't fit, I just do them while the espresso is brewing at 3:15am. :) For February, it's a month full of burpees and pushups. Bring it! It's just a little thing that breeds more community at PLT and gets people moving if "sedentary" is their normal.

So that's it! Family is good, we continue to lead the marriage ministry at our church, we parent teenagers (gulp!), and I still get to put on the uniform every once in a while. I won't say "living my best life" because Marjie detests that but I will say that I'm doing my best to live a full life with the ones I love, heed the calling on my life, and live authentically.

Stay warm, friends!

Update: CrossFit Linchpin at 4 months

6 weeks into joining the CrossFit Linchpin Community, I wrote a review of my experience up to that point and to date, it is my 4th most-read post ever. (if reading this on a computer, look at lower right sidebar for the top posts ever) I launched this blog on Dec. 30, 2007 and have posted 661 times...much less in recent years. So, as I crack the 4 month "anniversary" here in a few days, I thought I'd give an update as the private messages have increased as of late about my thoughts about the programming, comparing it to others, etc.

Zero regrets sums it up pretty well. It's not just Pat Sherwood's programming, either. It's the total package, baby! My mind operates in bullet points so here's a few to explain what I mean:

• Programming: he's tracking it, creating it, and ensuring a great rotation through all the modalities without me having to worry about it.
• Dark Humor: Seriously, this is a reason. Pat has this devilish way of presenting his workouts and you only get to see this on the Private Track. He records a daily YouTube bit that is accessed via CrossFit BTWB and in it, he sums up the workout. But how he delivers it and more funny, the way he begins each one is a pre-cursor to the level of suck coming our way. Today was a perfect example...so much so, that I screen-shotted it and quoted him on my Instastory.
• One Hour: often, I'll look at the day and think "dang, we're going to be done in 30min." NEVER happens. However, we're always done in 60-65min, unless we're milking rest periods or on our phones messing around. If we stay on track, we always finish on schedule and when I have to get to work, that matters.
• CrossFit is NOT life: Pat is in his 40s, like I am. We're both dads, husbands, and have full-time jobs. Now granted, he works for CrossFit Health and I dominate my government cubicle, but the point is, that CrossFit is more a means to the goal of a long, healthy, fit life. It ISN'T life in itself. It's a tool in the toolbox. He often says "you don't need to do more than this to be perfectly fit."
• Accountability: Wait a minute...how does subscribing to Pat's programming in your garage provide any accountability? No one cares BUT ME. 'Tis true. However, when I do something, I do it all the way and I'm not about to skip a workout because of how it looks or whatever. I feel accountable to the PROCESS...to the COMMUNITY...and to MYSELF. So when I see something absurd like 10 sprints on the Airdyne, I don't roll over and go back to sleep. I show up, put in the work, and go on with life.
• Community: Well actually, there is quite a large CrossFit Linchpin Community and it's worldwide. I've enjoyed getting to "know" many of them via social media and seeing how their workouts go on a daily basis. It's been fun and in the garage, it's a little positive nugget to appreciate. Check out the Community's IG feed...it's pretty solid and Pat shares much of what the community is up to on there on a daily basis.
• Scaling is...awesome: Never have I felt so "ok" about scaling I workout. Now don't get me wrong, I don't scale unless appropriate but he "makes it ok" and offers ideas how to, even when I don't have the equipment...or the strength. Knowing the intent of the workout and the intended stimulus is key and if scaling accomplishes that, there is NO shame in scaling. My viewpoint on workouts has been revolutionized and I can attribute that to being here.
• CrossFit BTWB (Beyond the Whiteboard): With your prescription, all of the workouts, Pat's video, and all of your stats are housed here. There is a lot BTWB does but what I most appreciate is when we re-do a workout and more importantly, a lift or accessory work and it tells me what I did last time and when. No more guessing, etc. It's right there in front of me on the day.
• Responsiveness: Every once in awhile, I have a question about the workout or need a suggestion about loading, for example. I don't pester Pat with questions but when it's legit, I reach out and unless he is traveling, he responds dang quick. I really appreciate that.
• Cost: I put this last because honestly, it's not the "why" I am here but really, $10 is a crazy low cost for what I get. He mentioned just two days ago that he has no intention of raising it and Pat, if you're reading this, THANK YOU. I'd stay on, by the way, but I appreciate it, nonetheless. For the time invested, he could get greedy and try to cash in but instead he doesn't. Character matters and for me, this speaks volumes.

Pat often says that all he does is program...it's US that makes the magic happen. Well, if it weren't for the programming, there'd be no magic. Thanks, Pat. Call me a groupie or whatever but I'm proud to be a part of the community. If I'm ever near you, you can rest assured I'll track you down and hopefully throw down with you. Keep on being you. Real, authentic, cool dude, who knows what he's doing and has his priorities down pat. (pun intended)

'Till next time. 

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