I Used to Be “the Fit One.” Then I Couldn’t Keep Up With My Own Kid on a Hike.
Carrying a 20-pound pack up one hill showed me exactly where I stood. Here’s what I changed, and why my first attempt at fixing it went wrong.
It was supposed to be an easy family hike. Four miles, one decent climb, back for lunch.
Halfway up the hill my son’s pack strap broke, so I took it. Maybe twenty pounds. Water, snacks, a jacket.
Ten minutes later I was the one asking for a break. My son, who is eleven, stood at the top of the switchback waiting for me. “You okay, Dad?”
I played high-school football. I’d always been the fit one. I still thought of myself that way.
“I still thought of myself as the fit one. My legs had other ideas.”
So I bought a rucksack
I’d seen people rucking, which is walking with a weighted pack. It looked simple. The next Monday I threw 40 pounds in a backpack and went out for five miles.
By Wednesday my feet had blisters I could feel through my socks. By Friday my lower back was telling me something. I added weight and distance at the same time, every time, because more felt like progress.
Two weeks in, I stopped. Not because I didn’t want to do it. Because I couldn’t.
The problem wasn’t effort
I had plenty of effort. What I didn’t have was a starting point, a progression, or any idea how to look after my feet.
So I started over with the 8-Week Military Ruck Plan. It’s a printable PDF, and it made me slow down before I sped up:
- 1I did a baseline test. A timed 2-mile ruck on a flat route, written down, so I’d know where I actually started.
- 2I picked the right track. Track A, the beginner track, starts at 10 pounds. That felt almost embarrassing. It was exactly right.
- 3I followed one rule. Each week, add weight or distance. Never both.
Three rucks a week
One short and brisk, one steady, one long. Two recovery days with a mobility routine. Week 5 is a planned lighter week, which I thought I didn’t need until I got there.
The calendar went on the fridge. My son started checking the boxes for me.
Week 8
I ran the same 2-mile route with the same stopwatch. I’m not going to give you a number, because yours will be different. But I beat my baseline, my feet were fine, and my back never complained once.
A month later we did the same hike. I carried both packs.
- An 8-week plan in two tracks: 10 to 25 lb, or 20 to 35 lb
- A baseline test and Week 8 retest with score sheets
- Pack setup, footwear, lacing fixes and a foot-care routine
- Printable calendar, weekly logs, pack-out cards and route planner
- Bonus: The Hybrid Week: Ruck + Calisthenics
Eight weeks, three rucks a week, one rule. Start with a baseline this weekend.
Start my 8-week plan →