Monday, March 27, 2017

Friday, Mar. 24 - Saturday, Mar. 25

C.A.R.C. after Dark GoRuck event
 - 9pm to 12noon
 - started at Molon Labe Crossfit and then went into the Cuyahoga National Park
 - I went into the event with a more negative attitude than the last time in October.  Some in the ruck community take these events VERY seriously and strive to live GoRuck.  My goal was to have fun and lighten the mood, we're in Macedonia, Ohio, not Fallujah, Irag.  It all starts with a 'Welcome Party', basically random calisthenics with loaded packs that you never do well enough or in a quick enough time.  Holding overhead is typically where I struggle the most, but you get through it and move on.  They added in some group tire lifts overhead, 4 to a tire, and we then loaded the tires with 60, 80, 100, 120# sandbags, total weight on the heaviest tire plus sandbags was around 500#.

After this we had a classroom session and dinner (this was build as more of a learning GoRuck, not just a beatdown ruck).  We then went over basic tactical first aid and an intro to navigation/map reading.  Next we got into prisoner escape methods; how to break/cut through ducktape and zipties.  All a lot of fun with plenty of jokes thrown around.

Next it was time for the Army PT test; 2 minutes pushup, 2 minutes situp and a 2 mile run.  I was happy with 70 pushups, 69 situps and sub-16 run before they bound our hands and feet, put a bag over our heads and put us in the back of a UHaul.  A short drive to Cuyahoga Valley National Park while we escaped our shackles in the back.  The van stop and we all jumped out ready to navigate to our next checkpoint.

We were in search of hidden glowsticks while avoiding searching volunteers.  Before long the sun was beginning to appear on the horizon.  We continued our navigation, sometimes successfully and others not so much.  Eventually time ran out and our leader called in the evac, our UHaul again, but this time without the shackles and bags to head back to the gym by noon.

All in all a good time.  I am surprised by how many people don't ever walk in the woods.  Lots of comments about how far in the middle of nowhere we were.  We could see/hear a road pretty much the whole time.  

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