*DEACON 2022 Ruck Backblast*
12 HIM (a dirty dozen) stepped up on Saturday September 17 for the 3rd annual NE Wake Deacon CSAUP and 1st annual ruck edition. Launching from Knightdale station as the runner’s warmed, we each had our ruck of 20-30# but also 3x 60# sandbags and 2x 40# sandbags (240# extra weight). These would get distributed back and forth throughout the event. As Samwise Gamgee would say, we “shared the load…”
From the Start Point, we smoothly made our way to AO#1. Boingo and YHC had a burner for the pax with a smokin’ 9: Lt. Dan’s on one side, burp’n’merks on the other, and every time you passed the middle, drop for 9 LBC’s.
From AO#1, we rucked through the greenway and cut back through the neighborhoods to join the runners at AO#2. Tool Time & Green Thumb treated us the Spartan 300, a Dora mod: 300 partner reps of various exercises with the “run” made into a box shape. Lunge walks to corner, sprint to next corner, bear crawl to next corner, Bernie back to start.
From AO#2, we headed south through the park to the railroad tracks. Conjuring images of infamous movie Stand By Me, we found no dead kids but eventually found a caboose and nice place for a ruck centered AO#3. We played a quick game of sandbag pull-through inch worm, where got into plank to pull all the sandbags through to the end of the field, inch worm style. And then we pulled them back.
After that, we loaded up and made our way down to AO#4 to join Billy Goat and Pierogi for antics filled DJ session beatdown. Many stations were set up to test the pax limits, and some pax seemed to limit themselves a bit so that Hubert lifted up his voice to encourage us all to do our best!
We took a short 10 min break right after and enjoyed some good fellowship, snacks, Gatorade (or was it Tang??!) and water.
Rucking up and grabbing the sandbags, we set out on about a 3 mile movement. It is no small feat to go that distance with rucks and an extra 40-60# on your shoulders. The men communicated well and switched often and came into AO#5 a little smoked. We were too late to join and spent 2-3 minutes getting some water and Gatorade.
For the final push to Endex, we ditched the sandbags and ran the rest Mog Mile style, ruck running the last 0.8 miles. We joined in with Rio and Gilmore for some Mary, finishing the Deacon with core. Overall, we went about 8 miles total and we pushed our limits! Excellent work to all, including our FNG now named “Red”.