The BackBlast:

AO:

woodstockrucks

Pax Names:

Chops, Hass, Jungle Love, Lucky Charms, Gut Check, Hasbro, Secret, Hooch

Number of Pax:

8

FNG Names:

Number of FNGs:

0

Intro:

Pull up, Hasbro! There is no good way to carry this thing.

Warm-o-Rama:

Ruck on and ruck out for GoRuck April Challenge – Lucky 7 Day 3. Ruck one mile (Hubbard Road loop through the shops, then east down Arnold Mill). Crossed at Woodstock Fire Dept. Station #1, and found YHC's truck parked in the Allen Temple AME Church parking lot ready to hold the flag while we get to work.

The Thang:

Nevermind what's in the bed, boys. To complete the Day 3 Challenge, we used the 75 Meter stretch marked with a speed bump at 25 and 50 Meters for 10 flippin' rounds of the following: (1) 50 meter ruck suitcase carry, (2) 10 ruck high pulls or "big boy ruck rows" (BBRR), and (3) 25 meter ruck-on bear crawl. That's 500 meters with the ruck in one hand, 100 BBRR, and 250 agonizing meters on all fours holding the ruck up with the back of your head. Pick up the six or recover briefly. Load up with the coupons from truck bed – 8 men carried 2 40-lb water jugs, 3 25-lb landscape timbers, and 3 60-lb sand beasts/"body bags" 1/3 mile back to the amphitheater, which after the Day 3 Challenge was quite enough to set in the ache. Offloaded the coups, looped through the bottom of the amphitheater with 5 minutes left. 10 ruck-on 'Mercans to await the six, ruck-on backwards walk/run AFAP uphill from flag pole to weather siren (appx. 75 meters, since we're metric-friendly this morning). Back to the flag.

COT:

Lifted up our brothers competing in the Spartan Sprint, the families and friends of several community members who lost their lives last week, and for all our children as we seek to lead and guide them through difficult circumstances and help them grow in wisdom and maintain hope.

Naked Man Moleskin:

Did you know that Hasbro can fly? He was in a brief but deliberate NOSE DIVE after saying hello to a deftly-placed body bag (precisely laid in the middle of the sidewalk between Hasbro and the spot where his headlamp beam illumined the ground). He was coming right at me, so I yelled "PULL UP, BRO! PULL UP!" Thankfully I was there to save him, and he avoided a nasty road rash. Didn't even hurt his knee! Amazing! Thank God, honestly – could have been a nasty knee-breaker.

Men, we carried some heavy stuff this morning and completed some very difficult challenges. This is how we get stronger, whether literally/physically in a workout or mentally/emotionally through life's stressful situations. May we keep our eyes fixed on the hope we have in Jesus Christ, trust that our God is working in and through us to spread His glory and goodness to this world, and take on every challenge presented, inside and outside the gloom, with unfaltering strength and determination. Jesus said "in this world you will have trouble, but take heart – I have overcome the world." Heart set. Eyes up. Ruck on.