YHC wanted to try something a little different for WSR, and partially inspired by an article by former F3 Nation Nantaan Dredd on the value of competition (https://www.collisionlearner.com/post/the-power-of-competition), designed a few games for the PAX to participate in. He advertised ahead of time asking the PAX who planned on attending to bring as many sandbags as possible and in F3 fashion they came through. We had a surfeit of sandbags to play with on this fine morning.

We started by rucking up and transporting the sandbags to the first contest area, and then took our rucks off for a quick and simple warmarama. Side Straddle Hops, Weed Pickers, Imperial Walkers. We then moved into a short, simple but challenging WoD, using our rucks as coupons, consisting of three rounds of x10 Manmakers, x20 Little Baby Flutter Kicks (performing crunches and flutter kicks at the same time, holding the ruck overhead), and 20 ruck hold Squats. YHC wanted the PAX to work together, so we did each exercise in cadence, taking turns calling the cadence. YHC choce the Guttiest of all Checks to call cadence for the Manmakers, a challenging six-count movement, and he performed flawlessly. 8-Bit was the first to call cadence for the Squats, which he modified to Copperhead Squats, and the other PAX calling that exercise followed suit in subsequent rounds.

After the WoD it was time for the games to begin! The first game was a team effort. We split into two teams of three. Because there was an odd number, YHC played the “Disruptor”. The goal of the contest was to transport the team’s sandbags up the terraces. The team had to get each of their alloted sandbags to one terrace before moving any of their sanbags to the next terrace, ensuring the teams stayed and worked together. The Disruptor attempted to grab sandbags from either team and send them back down the terraces, hindering the teams’ progress. Each team had to alter their strategies, and guard their sandbags by sitting on them, or by hindering/sitting on the disruptor. Each team was able to adapt to the disruption caused by YHC and get their sandbags moved to the top and back down the terraces in an expedient fashion.

The next contest was an individual contest of “Foxholes”. YHC had seen this exercise performed once at THL and adapted it to the rucking mentality of WSR. Each PAX started on the grass in front of the bandstand, and their mission was to transport themselves across the field. The method of moving was to: perform one WWI sit-up. one Merkin, grab their ruck and roll one time. Then, 2, 2, and 2, and so on increasing the reps of each movement by one on each consecutive set. Five or six rolls across the field had quite the dizzying effect!

After we completed that contest it was back to our teams for thr Ruck/Sandbag Relay. The PAX lined their rucks on one end of the field and the sandbags divided equally on the other end. One PAX from one team at a time would run to their ruck, put it on, and run back to their teammates in the middle. While that PAX ran, their teammates held plank. When the PAX returned, the team performed 10 Side Straddle Hops in cadence (this was the “passing of the baton”) and the next PAX went for their ruck. After each PAX on the team had obtained and donned their ruck, the each PAX went to the other end to grab a sandbag. The objective was to collect all the sandbags at the team’s startex. This time YHC was an ally as opposed to enemy, and helped each team as he saw fit, or held plank and did SSH with them in the center. Both teams performed this task admirably as well.

The final team event was “Ruck of War”, a variation of tug of war. YHC had prepared his 120# sandbag especially for this event, tying a rope to the handles so that the sandbag would be in the center of the rope. Each team placed their rucks 10 Mouth-2-Mouth sized paces (approximately half a mile haha!) away from the sandbag on either side. The two teams started in the high plank position over the center ruck. They then ran back to where their rucks were, rucked up, and returned to the rope. The first team to pull the sandbag off of the center sidewalk onto their side of the grassy area was the winner.

YHC accepts blame here for both of his team’s losses. On the first attempt he just couldn’t get his ruck on correctly and was late to the party. On the second attempt he straddled the rope when he picked it up and was nearly split in two when those behind him picked their rope up. It made it very hard to put maximum effort into the tug when this happened! The team of 8-Bit, Dropbox and Mouth-2-Mouth were very impressive.

The final event of the Rucklympics was another individual event. We rucked the circumference of the amphitheater AO 3 full times, approximately one mile. After this we had about 10 minutes of time left, and we took a leisurely rucks-on stroll down Arnold Mill Road and back.

In the CoT, 8-Bit (and by proxy Hass, who was out of town) passed the flag and co-site Q to Dropbox and Mouth-2-Mouth. We appreciate the efforts of 8-Bit and Hass leading this AO during the past year, and look forward to the stewardship of M2M and DB.

We mentioned several of our PAX’ wives who are struggling with cancer, and lifted them up in prayer.

NMM: All in all YHC really enjoyed the Rucklympics, and the PAX in attendance seemed to enjoy it as well. It was something a little different from the norm but still challenging, and also still allowed for some 2nd F and plenty of mumblechatter exchange during the evolutions which is one thing YHC loves about rucking and Woodstockrucks.