Killer Humans - GoRuck Light Class 136

I have witnessed AUTHENTIC BADASSERY.  <-----Definition here.  (There are embarrassing pictures below so I will post that again if you are interested.)  

I got to hang out with some killer humans this weekend in an event put on by Goruck, an organization I had no idea even existed a few months ago (as my classmate and lawyer John so eloquently put it in his blog post here)

It is not a race and the first rule of GoRuck is to look cool.  The second is not to get lost.  The third is if you get lost to look cool.  You also have teams who are responsible for getting through challenges as a team and autonomously establishing leadership and completing tasks or being penalized.  One is that the flags and various team weights go with you and they cannot touch the ground.  The other is that you wear a weighted ruck that cannot touch the ground.

Mike carrying one of the "Team Weights" in addition to the weighted Ruck 

The day started with mountain climbers, flutter kicks, burpees, and some fun special games called "Tunnel of Love" and "I am a pretty Star" and somebody definitely went through the dog poo.  Flags are being held by volunteers who want to witness the event called "shadows".  The team weights are on the necks of those who volunteer to hold them!  Shadows cannot hold team weights.

                                           

In a short 6 hours we went from strangers to people who worked together, carrying each other, equipment, our injured casualty, the beer, whatever.  Teamwork at its BEST.  Here is one of the team weights, Kling.  Kling finished GoRuck Selection.  He would be a Killer Human practicing Authentic Badassery. You can go check Selection by GoRuck out here, but "its probably not for you."

 We spent some quality time in the fountain in 40 degrees at 8am after a few lunges across the park
                                               

                           We began our leisurely afternoon tethered jog 3 miles to piedmont park.  Our Cadre chose to share stories of his friends in combat.  Below Mike is reading about a man who low crawled 90 feet for hours under fire to tend to wounded…please note no bags, flags or team weights are on the ground.

 We then low crawled using only our upper bodies, as a unit. for 50 feet.  It took us a little while.

Then we had "casualties".  The 3 miles back to the start we had to carry our rucks, flags, team weights and now 8 casualties.

There were breaks along the way. Here is mountain climber break.

 More walking and carrying…not sure who looks more pained here, me or Mike.

Oh!  Almost forgot.  Here is synchronized lunge break!  Since we couldn't do it in unison, we were told to lock arms.  Cadre Jake said "there are 2 ways to do things.  The right way, and AGAIN."

6 hours later we had done the human inch worm, overcome a tragic accident and witnessed bravery and leadership in action.  There is a common thread of awesomeness in awesome people.  Those who have faith, integrity and grit tend to behave in the same ways and it tends to result in things that make me have major hope for the human race. I could not be more proud to be a part of…
                                     

                                       

                GORUCK LIGHT CLASS 136!

My permagrin has just now started to wear off.  Just a little.

                                     

Thats all I got!
Anna
PS:  The AUTHENTIC BADASSERY definition is a few posts down, just scroll.

BIG THANKS TO JOANNA JUNE AND 

LaTavia Savage-Bowens for the pictures and bonus points for being their awesome selves.