Last night, I did my first GoRuck Light to honor our fallen heroes of 9/11. We did military-style drilling until we reached reps totalling the number of fallen (including civilians). And then we ran NYC making sure to stop at the firehouses most affected by the tragedy. The entire time, everyone had a rucksack filled with weights. Mine weighed approximately 30 lbs. No one quit and no one complained. People supported and carried each other's weights. And everyone did as instructed by the outstanding special forces war vets who guided us the entire time and turned regular civilians into team leaders on the spot (including yours truly). It was a humbling experience to face every single drill and challenge side by side with these inspiring participants (21 of which had started their challenges 72 hours before and hadn't slept or showered in that time - including 2 bad ass women) knowing that 14 years before, the brave men and women of the FDNY and NYPD did the same for us during our darkest hour. Why where we there? To #honorthefallen #f_ckyourdesk #f_ckimpossible #whatyoumissed

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No bibs were used. Everyone was expected to bring a rucksack full of weights. You were encouraged to purchase both your rucksack and weights from GoRuck, the organizer. It really wasn't an obstacle course. It was a physical and mental challenge, designed by former special forces. Check Outerthere recommendations on what to bring to an OCR.

If you haven't done an obstacle course race (OCR), then this is a good one to try. OCRs are the new new for people who just have way too much energy and love team-based adventures. GoRuck is the ultimate team-based race, where no obstacle can be completed without working in a team. And you gotta do the entire thing with a 20lb weight in your backpack.

GoRuck Challenges were created by the company that designs military-grade backpacks. And the race was designed by ex-military guys. So, just imagine. I'll be doing this "easy" version of the race (4-5 miles, 7 to 10 miles, 20lbs). Want to join me?

Visit this link to register for the race. It's between $85 and $95 for the race plus you can purchase your pack, weights, etc directly on the site.  I bought a bag and will add my own weight. You can find a discount code online. I used this one. We'll be meeting at a TBD location at 9am. Race starts 1p at Brighton Beach. Expect to do all kinds of insane, near-drowning obstacles in the water, so bring extra change of clothes. OCRs use up a ton of energy and get all crampy, so bring things you can snack on between obstacles (energy gels, protein drinks, sweet/salty trailmixes, etc). Anything you can't consume with a single handful is too much. You will eat plenty later. Hydrating using water bladders/bottles are highly recommended. Bring a few. And finally, don't be scared. You won't die. But you will learn more about yourself than you ever imagined. And make lifelong friends. What more reason do you need to try this adventure out?