(Not to be confused with 15 Tons.)
"Rucking," is a fitness thing, where people walk or hike with a backpack of some weight. Probably an oversimplification that offends people who actually do it. Anyway, I read a little bit about it and figured I'd try something like it.
One thing I read suggested to start out at 15-20% of your bodyweight. (I gather genuine rucking involves around 40%, something I don't see myself ever attempting.) I went with a bit less than 10% and stuck a 20 pound dumbbell in my little Osprey daypack. Putting it on, I decided, "Oh, hell no!" Switched it out for a 15-pounder and figured I'd give that a try.
I don't know if it was the weight or the density, but I definitely felt it. The daypack has a waist belt, so I had that cinched up tight; and the shoulder straps linked with a "sternum strap," (Are we going for alliteration here? Why isn't it called a "chest strap"? Beats me.) Anyway, the load was secure.
I didn't use the sticks, I figured I'd just try wearing the pack and see how that felt. 78°F and 95% humidity was how it felt. My heart rate wasn't elevated, and my pace was slower, just under 20 minutes a mile. There is no "rucking" workout on the Apple Watch, oddly enough. I didn't think to look for it until after I finished my walk and saw I supposedly burned the same amount of calories I'd have burned without carrying the daypack.
I'd have thought there'd have been one for "rucking," where you enter the weight of your pack at the start of the workout, but no. Doesn't seem that there is.
My usual 5K route has nearly zero elevation gain. There are a couple of spots that go up and down a couple of feet, but it's basically flat. I wore my regular New Balance 608s. ("Dad shoes," Caitie says.) They seemed adequate, though I suspect the insoles will flatten or wear out faster.
Anyway, it was definitely something of a workout. I'll try it with the poles one of these days. I was surprised at how such a small amount of weight seemed to increase the effort, though that was never reflected in my heart rate. I think it might have been of more value doing something like going over and back on the CR 210 bridge, where there's some elevation gain. That would have bumped up the exertion.
I did get a chance to get a good look at Jupiter and Mars, just above Orion, this morning. Mars looked redder than I recall, but maybe that was just because it was so near Jupiter. Cool though.
I don't carry a flashlight or wear a headlamp, but I encounter a few people who do. The things are blinding. I don't know, maybe they're afraid of snakes, or tripping over something, but it always seems to me like there's enough light without one. There are a couple of dark spots between the street lights, but even there you can usually make out the leaves on the sidewalk. I was on the road at 0512 this morning, and still ran into four people!
Checked the tide data for the Tolomato and it's midway on the ebb for the next couple of mornings. It'll still be on the ebb on Friday, but just coming off so there'll be plenty of water. I don't know the area, and I don't want to find myself in some oyster beds with the tide running out. Friday maybe I'll put the kayak in and paddle up the river a little while and let the current help bring me back. Just get the feel of it. We'll see.
Originally posted at Nice Marmot 09:15 Tuesday, 13 August 2024