At RUCK OR DIE 003, we burned it down - I haven’t been that smoked in years, and that seemed to be the consensus at the end, right before we rucked back up to join in some 5K fun. We are the weirdos, the ones pushing hard on life, and we have each other. This makes all the difference.
The proving grounds for people is also the proving grounds for our gear, and this go round it was the Mackall 45 and GR MONSTER. Just like us, the gear can handle it, but it’s vital to the death of pride to periodically test yourself, and your gear, hard. Aka every once in a while you have to do something that really sucks, or the risk is that you’re just living in the past at the expense of right this second. At the expense of the truth.
In my life, Monster had just passed, and the event hurt as bad as any I’ve ever been a part of. It hurt less because of the people who showed up with me to chase the sunrise until we found it.
As for the gear, we are immensely proud of both the ruck and the shoes — gear with meaning, gear with soul. Monster's final approval and his final photo shoot — tough and beautiful like him — before he crossed the rainbow bridge surrounded by nothing but love.
What we tested, including ourselves, has been through blood, sweat, and now a lot of tears.
It hurts, and it’s worth it. I would change nothing.
Thank you all, so much, for the support.
—jason
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