Out of the Comfort Zone

After the sons and I registered for the GoRuck Challenge described in this post as well as here GoRuck started some new events one of which is the GoRuck Light, the "Light" making it about half of a Challenge. The first one was last weekend in New York City. On Saturday, we'll take part in the second, in Washington, DC. We figured it would help us prepare for the Challenge in May. It's about half as long time-wise and distance-wise and I at least will be carrying half the weight I will in the Challenge. Am I nervous? Hell, yes, but I'd be more scared if I weren't.

We will start Saturday at 7:00 a.m. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. When I heard this, I got pretty revved up. What a cool place to start. The end of the Mall away from the Capitol and where so many events of note have taken place. Add this new event of note, though I don't think there will be all that many tourists around to watch us start. Fortunately, we have a dear friend in the area who offered to drop us off despite the early hour meaning that I don't need to worry over where to park. There is no guarantee that we will finish anywhere near where we start, and I would hate to return to find our car had been ticketed or towed.

Through two Facebook groups associated with the event--one that can be viewed by the cadre (leaders) who will be putting us through our paces and one that can't--I've "met" a few of the folks we will be rucking with. Some will be coming to Charlottesville in May, so we can start bonding now. Personalities have already started to emerge. Those of us who are GoRuck virgins and nervous about what we may have gotten ourselves in for have been encouraged and calmed by those who are GoRuck veterans. They have stressed that it will be about teamwork more than strength or endurance or ability. We shall see.

My nerves have not been helped by the right thumb that took a hard bit in karate a week ago and another one last night. I did get an informal opinion from an orthopedist at Seal Team that while there could be a cracked bone, it wasn't clear that they'd even try much treatment other than rest. I tweaked my left wrist in karate last night, just a bit, and must have slept on it wrong because it hurt more this morning than it did last night. There are also the knee bands I wear on a daily bases. Feeling old? Not really, just decrepit.

The resident son and I have tried to prepare as best we can. We have read what we can find about past events--how to wrap the bricks we are required to carry so that they don't harm our packs, how to carry water, what gloves to wear, and so on. We have been wearing our loaded packs on a daily basis and this morning even practiced carrying a log while wearing them. We have experimented with different clothing options and have both pretty much decided what we each will wear depending on the predicted weather. Finally, we have continued with daily (well, weekdaily) Seal Team workouts and told ourselves that the Light will just be a week's worth of those in one morning. We can do this.

Will we succeed? Everyone on last week's Light finished, so there is no reason to think that our Light will be different. I am skipping karate tonight to protect thumb and wrist and will be extra careful about them at Seal Team workouts. If I'm lucky, all will go well. If you're lucky, I'll remember and make the time afterwards to post something here about how it all went.