bits and pieces

Events are fun and everyone likes to talk about their training leading up to the event but nobody wants to talk about the small details, before and after the event, that help make everything flow for your fat ass to do the event (or have it do you as is usually the case) and get comfortable. Probably because it’s dumb and we’re all adults (allegedly™) so it’s not even a concern. But I’ve taken it upon myself to provide some non-pro-ass tips to help you when you’re finished paying somebody to fly out and smoke you on your day(s) off.

That actually sounds dumb come to think of it.

“Hey when are you going to take a vacation?” – coworker

“That is my vacation. Walking 20 miles with a backpack in the dark while staring at backpacks, asses, and boots? Uh yeah sign me up.” – you people

Post-event is the second best part of the event (endex being the best, of course) because you get to ground your ruck and not be all about GORUCK. Here you no longer have an event looming* over you, appreciate your life, and lie to yourself that you’ll never do an event again. You plan for the future, your hopes and dreams, what food you’ll eat, or, in my case, all of that while shivering for about an hour afterward.

*I’m sure if you trained your ass off and did an event there would not be that minor sense of dread so maybe that part doesn’t apply to you.

This last event I learned that changing in a cold ass parking lot is fun. There’s nowhere to step on the ground (the floor is lava, but in reverse). The same with an extremely hot day. I also picked up a cough that took a few days to clear up. The post-event flu is no longer a myth.

Good thing I’m retired from Heavy because I’m weak and need to upgrade my cardio (or install it).I’ve finished my eight Heavy so now I’m 8-1 against Heavy. After everyone split to go eat, we took Dan back to his hotel to pack up his stuff and I grabbed a shower. After the shower, I was going to put on my compression socks when my hands turned into lobster claws while wrestling with the socks. We rolled out looking for fast food and this is apparently a thing now, we went to fucking Arby’s to get a meal on the way to the airport.

Then Phil went all Transporter and I woke up when we got to the airport in what felt like five minutes and not an hour. I asleep on the drive from Arby’s to the airport. Thanks Phil! I kept waking up startled when I’d hear a noise.

Some event takeaways:

-During the post event shower, I was surprising not that dirty (but smelly). Usually you have to rinse and soap like 3 times.

-Did I earn it? Dunno. Probably not but I pushed myself for sure. That’s what it’s all about.

-My neck was sore from looking at the trail for roots all night

-“I get home and I’m physically wrecked but I’m mentally refreshed.” – Roony

-They have freaking BLACK SQUIRRELS!!

wtf

Here’s where planning pays off bigly.

Pre event

– When flying, I put a larger, empty duffel bag into either my event ruck or other bag,

– Getting enough bags – a checked duffel bag, plastic bags, and garbage bags are key to post-event organization

– towel to dry off with

– flip flops

– change of clothes

– wipes

– deodorant

Post event

– one bag to stuff your dirty event clothes in

– one bag for your shoes

– one construction garbage bag to drop your whole ruck into (which this giant pile goes into the duffel)

– the other two bags can go back inside the event ruck, then that gets stuffed into the construction garbage bag, and all of that goes into the duffel bag to check in for your flight home

That allows me to put my event gear into the ruck, put the ruck in the garbage bag, and put all of that into my checked bag on the way home so I don’t carry the smell with me

Now clearly, none of that stuff is absolutely required but it makes being comfortable a lot easier.