Rucking is as much about mindset as it is about muscle; practice the fundamentals, stretch those hips, and before you know it, the speed will come naturally—without (literally) running yourself into the ground.

I’ve been getting messaged again lately , and once more, many of the Special Operations Forces ( SOF ) candidates’ questions center around rucking and being able to tote the big pain pill. Several have mentioned that they are a bit shorter than the average candidate and have issues with maintaining their speed without running.

So, let’s take a step back in time, get back to the basics, and start from there. First, and most importantly… Ignore the noise! I can’t stress that part enough.

Don’t worry about everyone else’s horror stories. I’ve said this countless times, and s

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