Gear up for RuckUp for the Regiment with this Green Beret spouse for the 5k/10k ruck
Halley Pilmore is a Green Beret spouse, a fan of rucking for exercise and a supporter of the Special Forces Charitable Trust — so when the opportunity arose to sign up to ruck for a Memorial Day fundraiser at her home gym, Workhorse Fitness & Yoga, she was first in line to get rucked up.
It’s Halley’s second year participating in RuckUp for the Regiment, a ruck run / walk that gives participants the option of completing a 5k or 10k, by yourself or with a team. She plans to do the 10k trek. The event, put on by Workhorse Fitness & Yoga and the Special Forces Charitable Trust, raised $6,000 last year — and Workhorse owner Tiffany Fleeman hopes this year’s event will surpass that total.
- What is the Special Forces Charitable Trust? It is a charity geared towards supporting special forces members and their families by providing them with a community through workshops, events and activities. The organization also supports spouses pursuing their own careers and continuing education goals through grants and scholarships. “When I went back to grad school, I was worried about the additional financial burden on my family,” Tiffany says. “I applied and was awarded a grant through the SFCT that was enough to cover the cost of my books through the entire first year of my program, which allowed me to move forward with pursuing my goal of earning my master’s degree. They also provide merit-based scholarships to the children of Green Berets.” Learn more about the trust here.
Halley has been training specifically for the event, using her husband’s old rucks to challenge herself. “I may start rucking more and with my husband, if I can keep up,” she says. “It is a phenomenal workout. I think it’s important to switch up ways to be active in your life so it doesn’t become stale to you. You never know what you might try and love.”
Halley began her rucking journey for this event last year. She participates in many charitable events with her Workhorse community. “They have helped me find myself and created a home away from home for me at the gym,” she says, “They push me in all aspects of my life to be a better athlete and person.”
So, What is Rucking?
Rucking is where you go on a hike/ run with weight attached to your back, which elevates your heart rate more and burns more calories. There is a specific way to do it as to not injure yourself (or face plant, which Halley says absolutely can happen).
“You want to pretend you’re scraping gum off of your shoes while rucking,” Halley says. “I’m not entirely sure of the why but it helps keep things in line.”
Tips:
- You want to keep the weight in your ruck as high as possible so you don’t strain your back. Your shoulders can bear weight easier. Thats right, mom was right about those backpack straps. You also want to keep the ruck strapped closely to your body.
- Supportive footwear is important.
- Make sure you keep good posture.
- Bring water.
“I see firsthand how much special forces soldiers commit to their work and I also see the spouses at home holding down the fort. If Workhorse can be just a small part of giving back to this community, for me that is a no-brainer,” says Tiffany. Being a spouse herself, she understands the lifestyle and has experienced help from SFCT firsthand.
Groups from Workhorse fitness have been training up for the event each Monday leading up to Memorial Day weekend when the ruck takes place. Although the event is open to anyone, you can register here.
