It’s all mental. That’s what people tell you about the GORUCK Challenge.
Yes it is.
The GORUCK Challenge is a team event based on the elite training that Army Special Forces receive. The 8-10 hours, 15-20 miles of under promised good livin’ is tough, to put in mildly.
I took the Challenge for the first time last year. It helped me recover from the wounds I suffered on the IED explosion a few years back. Each class donates money to the Green Beret Foundation.
The GORUCK Challenge introduces you to yourself. The real you.
Sure, you need to be fit to be able to deal with the Challenge, however I’ve seen uber-athletes in pick physical condition quit. I’ve also seen people in less physical condition not only finish, but carry their Team weights or a teammate’s ruck with them.
It’s all mental.
Part of the deal is understanding that this is a team event. It’s not about *you*, it’s about the *team*. It’s trusting that person in front of you, to your right, to your left and behind you. It’s being able to help and be helped when needed. It’s putting the team first, working together towards the same goal: being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Yet, it goes down to the individual too.
Having the mental ability to cope with the discomfort and put the team first. Not everyone can do that. Having the drive to keep on going even when your mind and body is telling you to quit, to go get that cold beer… Just quit… Not everyone can do this.
Still, you see them on every Challenge. The people that find it in themselves to never quit. To help, and to make sure the team keeps on going forward, so that everyone can finish together.
The GORUCK Challenge introduces you to yourself. It shows you what teamwork is. Lead by a fantastic, and often crazy, Cadre of SOF veterans, the Challenge is not for everyone. But then again, you wouldn’t do it if it were.
It’s all mental.