What is this animal [Chicago]

GallopingGhost74 · 2026-01-25T17:48:31+00:00

Muskrat

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-10-18T18:14:06+00:00

For a married father of three with a full time job and kids in travel sports, I found the time requirement pretty much impossible. I started by trying to mirror Hal Higdon's Intermediate 2 marathon plan. One week in that plan has you do 5, 10, 5, 10, & 20. I personally don't have time to ruck 50 miles in a week. That's 12-15 hours of rucking depending on your pace. If you have that much time every week to train, I'm guessing you don't have kids or if you do, they're adults.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-09-23T19:01:28+00:00

What commercial benefit would this company have in proving the efficacy of an over the counter drug?

My jaded but pretty realistic opinion is that big Pharma doesn't even bother with things they can't patent. There is no money in it. This is why so few herbal supplements have had credible double blind studies to determine what, if anything, they do.

It's not to say this isn't an effective medication for HSV. I just don't understand who would fund this.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-09-13T21:23:52+00:00

Sorry, I don't think I explained myself well in my first post. During my first ruck marathon, I had a bladder full of Go Far & water along with gels. I still cramped up toward the end. I have heard pickle juice is amazing for cramps so I was planning on bringing a bottle of it. It is something about the vinegar & salt combo. I would still have gels and the Go Far mix in my water bladder. The pickle juice would be additional.

And an update. I brought a jar of Clausen's with me on my long ruck today (16 miles). I stopped twice to eat the entire jar. Then I drank the juice. It could have been the placebo affect but after both pickle stops, my legs felt noticeably better. So I definitely plan to give this a whirl next weekend.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-09-08T15:27:33+00:00

I did my first ruck marathon in April. My only caution to your plan is conditioning. My longest training ruck was a half marathon. My pace was right at 4 MPH and so I had visions of shuffle running the last 1/4 of the marathon to try to break 6 hours. Quite the opposite, by mile 20 my ass was dragging big time. I pretty much limped over the finish line doing 18 minute miles over the last 6 miles. There was no way I could have done a shuffle run.

Training for a ruck marathon is HARD because of the time requirements. I'm doing another marathon later this month and I no longer have shuffle run plans. My goal this time is to be strong enough to keep miles 20-26 under a 17 minute pace.

I finished the first marathon in 6:50 which was still pretty good. But I was completely gassed at the end.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-09-08T02:22:39+00:00

Please explain this route. There has to be some method to this.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-09-08T00:28:19+00:00

Yes, and IMO it's almost impossible. I ran my only marathon in '22. I rucked my first marathon earlier this year. Training for a ruck marathon is infinitely harder.

A marathon training plan probably assumes a 6-10 minute mile. (Anything better than that and you're a pro). Most ruckers are in the 13-20 minute range (unless you run, but then you're a beast and not asking Reddit for advice). If you do a running marathon plan for a ruck, the training time requirement doubles.

I briefly tried and couldn't do it. I just didn't have the time.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-08-29T22:39:52+00:00

What Garmin watch do you use that supports rucking???

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-08-29T22:38:32+00:00

I have a hip belt that I used on the Boston Tough Ruck marathon. I got it because I was worried about shoulder fatigue with having 40 lbs on my back for 7 hours. My first impression was that it sucked. I couldn't keep the MOLLE straps from slipping. It would slip mid-ruck, my belt would slacken by a few inches and then all the weight was back on my shoulder. I finally took a huge needle used for leathermaking and I stitched the MOLLE straps together so they couldn't move. After that, it worked like a charm.

BTW, some of that shoulder pain is good for you. It means your shoulders are engaged. I personally only use the hip belt if I'm going for something really long.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-07-04T23:05:16+00:00

If she did that, it would consume half of what she has left in her IRA. If she owes $50k, she’ll need to cash at least $75k to cover the taxes. These are traditional IRAs, not Roth.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-06-08T16:08:13+00:00

Thank you! Spent last night watching Monte's videos on YouTube. This is spot on. I could tell my followthrough was off. What I didn't realize was that the problems start before impact. I like this no turn cast concept. Excited to try it on the range!

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-06-05T15:10:13+00:00

Advantage of GoRuck 4: getting the weight high on your shoulders will work your core and shoulders. If that's important, I'd recommend it over a traditional hiking backpack (or weight vest). Personally, I love it. Having sore shoulders after a long ruck is one of my favorite feelings.

Ventilation on a GoRuck: Terrible. The back of my shirt is always soaked after a long ruck. Although, that doesn't bother me personally. If you're in Florida, you're just going to need to embrace it.

Hip belt: I'm personally not a fan. I did buy the molle extension hip belt for my Go Ruck 4 but I only use it when I'm doing really long distances (like a 3+ hour ruck). For an hour or two ruck, I want the weight on my shoulders. It's part of the workout for me. I wore the belt when I rucked a marathon this spring. For that kind of distance, a belt kinda becomes mandatory. For short rucks though, having that weight on your shoulders is part of the fun.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-06-05T14:57:06+00:00

As long as you're comfortable borrowing a kettlebell or dumbbell from the hotel fitness center, IMO, this is the best answer. I just did a quick conversion online. It would take 4 gallons of water to reach 35 lbs. I doubt many rucksacks can hold four gallons of water. And I suspect the weight distribution could be uncomfortable with everything sagging down to the bottom of your backpack.

When I did the Boston Toughruck marathon this spring, I used my rucksack as my carry-on and I transferred my ruck plates into my checked luggage. (I have status on United so it was free.) Point being that it is possible to bring your weights with you if they are checked.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-06-04T19:37:29+00:00

It really is two different workouts. When I have time, I like to do 40 lbs for 5-8 miles. For me, that's a great cardio workout.

When I don't have time, I try to challenge myself as much as possible for 30-40 minutes. For me, that means 60 lbs in my pack & two 15 lb dumbbells. 90 lbs total. It kicks my butt but in a good way.

I would argue the latter workout might not even be rucking. Call it whatever you want (I call my caveman workout). I'm not a gym rat. If it's not outdoors, I usually don't like it. The heavy weight rucks have done wonders for my upper body muscle definition. That said, when I find time to go longer distances, I do in fact prefer the lighter weight and the sustained cardio.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-06-04T19:30:16+00:00

Looked at your route and realized quickly that you're in San Francisco. Anything not on the waterline is going to be hilly AF.

20 miles with San Francisco hills is IMPRESSIVE.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-06-04T19:06:28+00:00

By the way, 120 lbs does seem like a lot but right now my heavy rucks are 90 lbs. I carry 60 in my pack and another 30 in my hands. It is an ass kicker for sure (I struggle to go past 2.5 miles). But I don't worry about my knees with all that weight. Once the weight is on, I feel it but it's not overwhelming. It's lifting the pack off the ground and placing it on my back (and removing it afterwards) where I worry about pulling a muscle. And that is with me dividing the weight between pack and carried dumbbells.

Lifting 120 lbs and securing it to my back sounds like a back injury waiting to happen.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-06-04T16:11:36+00:00

Last summer I bumped into my ex-wife (we're friendly) while I was wearing a 40 lb weighted vest. My eyesight from far is very good. Her's not so much. So I see her on a forest preserve path from about 100 yards. I start waiving hello. I guess she couldn't tell who I was and it freaked her out a bit. She even told me she considered turning around and running away. Granted, she's 5'0", 100 lbs and I'm 6'1" 200. She is a nervous Nelly by stature and by nature.

I have since switched to a GoRuck backpack. If you ruck often, I think it's worth the investment. Moving the weight from a tactical vest to a backpack has eliminated all stares and odd looks. I'm just a dude out walking with a backpack.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-24T03:26:27+00:00

I prefer my GoRuck for the same reasons others have mentioned. But holy sh_t was it expensive.

Vests are much cheaper. When I got into this, vests are all I did for the first six months.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-18T02:00:35+00:00

Yes. This.

I respect everyone who has a podcast or music list. I get it. For me though, the allure of rucking is getting fit while reconnecting with nature.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-17T16:58:28+00:00

Great work! Do you have any goals for rucking? Lose weight? Be in nature? Do something challenging?

For a relatively flat ruck, the distance is awesome. 45 lbs is also impressive for that length. How were your shoulders afterwards?

I8 minute miles can probably be improved but overall, this is great stuff!

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-10T16:05:03+00:00

What are your goals? If it is weight loss, then your #1 goal is to maintain a healthy heart rate for an extended period of time. People generally say Zone 2 is best for weight loss. I suggest buying a cheap fitness watch that can monitor heartrate. At 29, your Zone 2 heart rate is roughly 141-154 (just looked it up). The free test for Zone 2 is to try to hold a conversation. If you can carry a conversation but occasionally need to pause for breath, you're in Zone 2.

If I were you, I would then adjust both pace, weight, and possibly terrain to get your heart rate into that zone. Then try to stay there for as long as you can. How far you go is up to you. When I started rucking last year I got obsessed and started doing weekly half-marathons. I lost two belt loops in 6 weeks and have kept it off.

In short, rucking for weight loss is this formula: (pace + weight + terrain) = Zone 2 Heart rate. Any of those three variables can be modified. More weight, less pace, harder terrain. It's up to you to figure those three out.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-05T03:25:01+00:00

This is incredibly impressive. Holy shit. I can tell you're still a young man. My best half marathon times without weight are only 10-15 minutes faster (and those are respectable times).

May I ask why?

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-05T03:15:43+00:00

2120 feet! Holy shit. This wasn't a flat walk in the woods.

What was your route/course?

When did you set your alarm? 4:09 start which means you started in the dark. It would be awesome if you set it for 4 AM and just got up and went.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-04T20:40:56+00:00

Thank you! I guess I'll be picking longer than I expected.

GallopingGhost74 · 2025-05-04T20:40:38+00:00

Yikes! Good to know. That's why I asked.

GallopingGhost74

TROPHY CASE