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In some of my past posts I have talked about Rucking. Which is as simple as putting on a pack, ruck sack, then adding some weight and start walking. I started doing this in January, even though it has been cold and snowy, but is doing some good and becoming very enjoyable. In this process of learning more about this, I have put myself up to a challenge, the Mission 22 March Go Ruck challenge. This is a challenge to walk 48 miles in the month of March. I am at 32 miles and should be able to complete.
I think that putting something in front of us that may be hard is a good thing. We need to challenge ourselves, and this push gets us out of our comfort zone and helps us to grow and achieve more. When I started the rucking, I was hitting a mile and feeling it, then it was 2 and yesterday I did 5. I feel confident that I can do some major mountain hikes this summer. This is something I have wanted to do more but never felt like I was in good enough shape. Getting outside is so good for the mind, breathing fresh air and taking in the beauty of the world is so good for all of us.
But I want to take a minute and talk about Mission 22. Mission 22 was founded by Veterans. Most of the staff are Veterans, spouses of Veterans, or have immediate family members who have served in the US military.
Mission 22 provides extensive, personalized support and resources to help Veterans and their families thrive. Mission 22’s programs for Veterans and military spouses offer everything from biometric monitoring of stress, sleep, and activity levels; to meditation and coaching; to exercise programs and a wellness supplement regimen; to books and learning resources to help Veterans put their experience in context.
Mission 22 recognizes that a Veteran’s experience is a family’s experience – families live through all the ups and downs that soldiers returning home do. We’ve developed a support program exclusively for spouses to take positive steps that renew their identities as individuals and the strengths they bring to their household.
I did not serve in the military, but I did have a lot of family members that did. I appreciate the veterans, and this is a small thing I feel I could do to help them along with challenging myself. I would challenge you to find something that pushes you and gets you out of your comfort zone. Something that will not be easy, but if you can find a group that can help you with your challenge. The Mission 22 March Go Ruck Challenge was created on Facebook, and you record your miles, update members on your success and help raise money as a group. This builds some accountability into your personal challenge. Find something in your community that may help you do something like this.
