PAX: Skid (Q), Kilo, Retainer, Nice and Slow, Snow Day, Storm Trooper, Little Jerry.
7 PAX showed up, bright and early for a challenging Ruck through the hilly Siltstone Trail of Jefferson Memorial Forest. Depending on which GPS device you rely on, we covered somewhere between 12.35 (Little Jerry’s Garmin) and 14.54 miles (Skid’s Fitbit App). On 5 hours flat, that puts us between a pace of 24.3m/mile (LJ’s stats) or 20.6 m/mile (Skid’s stats). While they’re likely less reliable, I’ll go with my stats. That may seem slow, but when you account for the heat, the weight and the elevation, it all adds up to a pretty intense Ruck. We were all in good spirits and the fellowship was great. I was proud of everyone that participated and hope to join these HIMs again very soon.
I’d like to wrap-up with the following awards:
Bruce Banner Award = Storm Trooper. Bruce Banner (aka, Incredible Hulk) is a physical freak of nature, but our Storm Trooper finds his strength from somewhere deep within. Storm Trooper rucked up with +70 lbs on this trip! Why, you ask? Well, this beast of a man is going Elk hunting and he just thought hauling around 70 pounds for 5 hours was a good way to get better….. no doubt. Congrats Storm Trooper.
Nostradamus Award = Kilo. At about mile marker 9, Kilo says, “You know, as long as I’ve rucked out here, I’ve never seen a snake.” No more than ½ a mile later we spotted a cottonmouth cross right into our path. Thanks Kilo. But have no fear, Little Jerry protected us by prodding it with his hiking sticks. But seriously, thanks for helping out, making this Ruck a real deal.
Tenzing Norgay Award = Little Jerry. Norgay was the famous Sherpa that assisted Sir Edmund Hillary to ascend Mount Everest. And in that true Sherpa spirit, Little Jerry provided wisdom through his navigation and knowledge of the terrain. LJ is quite and inspiration and someone that motivates us all to be better HIMs.
Henry Rowengartner Award = Retainer. Rowengartner was the focus of the 1993 film “Rookie of the Year”. Rowengartner came out of nowhere as a 12 year old kid to tear it up as a major league pitcher. Likewise Retainer came in as a Rucking Rookie, but only a real man will choose a 14.5 mile trail ruck as a “starter course”.
Team Spirit Award = (tie) Snow Day and Nice and Slow. What is an awards show without a spirit award? First there’s Snow Day. He’s quiet, calm, cool and collected… and through this demeanor he conquered the trail without a single complaint or even any indication that he was winded. He had a mission to accomplish, and he did just that. Along the way, he was always willing to hang back with Storm Trooper to assist and provide encouragement. Then there’s Nice and Slow. A nice contrast, to Snow Day’s quiet nature, Nice and Slow likes to talk. I had some great conversation with him about life, work and family. Not only did I get to know him better, but this type of conversation is important for long Rucks to break the monotony of the trail. It really helps to pass the time and keeps morale high.
F3 Louisville 