A few months ago I got really, really drunk and saw that Chad posted about hosting a custom GORUCK Challenge in Culebra, Puerto Rico and I signed on immediately because everything is a good idea when you are drunk. As usual, I didn’t train except by drinking beer and because of this lackadaisical attitude, I now know the meaning of failure.

For me, failure is having to give up your ruck for any length of time, let alone for the ten minutes I was fighting up that hill. Which is a cool thing, sorta. I’ve done a few GORUCKS in my time and now I just do ’em to hang out with people and not for any self-discovery shit like I learned in that first one. This was a good lesson in humility though. Since I had this whole Challenge thing figured out, I just didn’t train for it (and haven’t since April). No rucking or cardio except during the actual events which I’ve learned really not a good idea. It only took me 9 events to learn that. Also, I should probably eat.

For this challenge, my last actual GORUCK training was a Heavy I did 2 months prior. Cardio? You don’t need that shit. I started lifting heavy in order to reach my 3 plate squat goal and 4 plate deadlift and that’s working out well and all but it doesn’t really help when you’re GORUCKing. Getting close, 40 lbs to go for my back squat. I haven’t maxed out my deadlift yet but maybe we’ll work on that.

This is not to say that everyone who gives up a ruck is a failure. Reaching that point and having to give up your ruck is a good lesson everyone needs to learn. It’s a good lesson in letting go of the ego. I just thought I learned it in 281 but I guess sometimes you don’t learn the lessons you should that first time through.

Class 887 Tropic Thunder was good times. Not the most physically demanding class (in spite of my failure to perform) but then again, I don’t know if any class will ever be harder than your first Challenge class. That’s not a knock on cadre because they can make your life hell but it’s a lot easier to deal with mentally when you know what’s coming. This was supposed to be my last stop on the GORUCK train aka my GORUCK Farewell Tour but I fucked up and got a nice dose of humble pie at this Challenge. Because of that, I am now signed up for the GORUCK Redemption Tour 2014 in Los Angeles on May 2nd.

Anyway, the whole point of this post is that I bought a hammock so that when I went camping I would be able to hang out in a hammock all day and I didn’t hang up my hammock because I was lazy.

Culebra is a gorgeous place but there is fucking sand everywhere. Fuck sand.