A few weeks back a few guys in the DHT community and I did a 50k ruck with 30+lbs!
50k = 31 miles
A mix of trails and roads… this was no easy challenge. I’ve ran a 50k, 1/2 Ironman and Full Ironman. The 50k ruck was the second longest event I’ve done behind the IronMan.
What it took
11.5 hours time on feet
72,300 STEPS
Huge challenge... much harder than many expected...
We started the day at 5am with 8 guys.
Off we went! Mile after mile. The first 6 miles fly by with great conversations. We are all pumped about the day ahead. You can feel the energy pulsating from the group. We catch a great sunrise over the lake. Something primal about being out in nature watching night turn into day
We take our first break at mile 14. At this time everyone is feeling GREAT. From my prior experience with endurance events I figured as much. A quick stop at the trucks everyone refilled water bottles and grab a quick bit to eat + restocked the bags with snacks on the go. Our goal was 5min stop which quickly turned into 10 mins.
My goal during the stop… DO NOT SIT* Knowing the legs would stiffen up quick if I did. I also prioritized KEEPING THE RUCK ON* I took it off only to restock then immediately put it back on. Same reason… to not get stiff by taking it off than putting it back on.
BOOM OFF WE WENT
The 2nd half of the challenge was ahead. This is when the REAL challenge begins. Legs getting a sore, feet starting to hurt and backs feeling like they have been carrying weight all morning. On top of this… I chose the harder trail for the second half (lol) a bit muddy and just enough rolling “hills” to piss ya off.
yeah… this is when some of our crew started falling off. Mile 18 the first guy drops out. No shame in this. He took the challenge on 1 week notice and didn’t train for it. It was also a massive PR ruck for him. Reason= Back pain* He never rucks more than a 5k. If you ask me… 18miles is a GREAT accomplishment. Mile 24 the next drops out. No shame in this. He took the challenge on a few weeks notice as well and didn’t train for it. Massive PR for him as well. Reason= LEGS LOCKED UP. Mile 26 the next guy drops out. He had just started rucking a month or 2 ago. No shame. It’s the longest hes ever gone. A massive PR and accomplishment. Reason= LEGS LOCKED UP
We finish the day with 5 making it the full 50k. A 63% ish completion rate. THIS WAS MUCH HARDER THAN MOST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
I am doing another 50k ruck challenge with a new group April 25th. Here’s a few things I’ll be encouraging this time around:
-Better Prep* Rucking is simple training. Weight on back… time on feet* The more ya do it the better you’ll do. The next 8 weeks I have a 4 day a week training plan for the guys that includes 3 days of rucking with different weight/paces/distances. + 1 day of running. Not many people have HOURS and HOURS of time to train endurance. A 50k is a long ways to go. The plan I have is mindful of training time- but when it comes to endurance to achieve it you must train it. I’ve found a decent balance… the program will set us up for best possible success.
-Better Fueling protocol We put some focus on this… but not as much as it needed. If you’ve never done endurance it’s hard to gage JUST HOW IMPORTANT this is. Guys learned and most all of us said we could have done a better job at fueling.
Here’s a great read on that by my brotha Dylan Spina ENDURANCE FUELING
All in all it was a successful day. We all had a blast, set PRs and enjoyed connecting and growing together. Guys came in from: NC, WV, Kentucky, Northern IN and from all over the city. We hung out at my place the day after- ate steaks did the sauna + ice bath. That helped with recovery a ton. Ironically… so does more walking (motion is lotion)
New levels of confidence UNLOCKED
Interested in joining the next 50k community event? Join the team: JOIN DHT COMMUNITY We have a group a men meeting up virtually, weekly. There you will have accountability, direction, challenges and multiple meet ups a year to join!
Want 8 week 50k ruck challenge program? ALL YEARLY subscribers have access to the program. I’ve also included my cook book and a nutrition plan to support fueling you for the training.
DO HARD THINGS
Zach