Welcome back to Just Ruck It. I'm your host, Lindsay, and today we're going to take a deeper dive, the distance or pack weight. We're gonna talk about your why Now. Recently I shared mine as I'm cresting the 50 year mark. I've made my choice. My why is simple. I wanna age into the strongest, most self-sufficient version of myself, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I wanna keep climbing mountains literally and metaphorically, and I wanna live with freedom, not fear. That's my why. But what's yours? What gets you out the door when you really don't wanna go? What do you hear in your head when the couch is calling louder than your ruck? What are you fighting for and who are you becoming Now, today, let's take a deep dive in the power of why. Now, if you've listened to the show for a while, you've heard my story. The moment that I cracked and everything just blew wide open for me. Mount Joe. Simple day hike, simple day pack, nothing fancy. Halfway up, gasping for breath, knees, aching, body heavy. Had to give up my pack, that is when I realized that something hit harder than any hill ever could. I wasn't who I used to be and not because of age, not because I turned 40, 45, 50. It's because I stopped choosing to show up for myself. I had stopped maintaining the foundation that would've made that hike feel doable instead of defeating my condition. Or lack thereof. It was a reflection of my choices. And in that moment, standing there on the side of Mount Joe, I realized I had two paths ahead of me. I could keep blaming age and time, or I could start making choices to be the best version of myself, but who was that version? That's when I started to look into the people that I admire most. My mentors, folks older than me who were still doing the things that I wanted to do. They weren't clinging to chairlifts and glued to a TV and a recliner. They were hiking, horseback riding, showing up at a gym, rucking trails, living life. Yeah. They had their aches and pains. Yes, they grumbled about stiff joints or needing a longer warmup period, but they did not let that define them. It was just a note in the margins of their day, not the headline. They adjusted, they adapted, and most importantly, they kept going. And that's when it hit me. I have all the control. It's not a trendy routine or the amount of weight that's in my ruck. It's about the small daily decisions that I make. The ones that either pull me closer to the life that I want or push it farther away, and that's when Rucking became my anchor. But my why. My why is what fuels me to pick it up, to get out that door to push. When my body says meh, and my mind says, eh, it's raining, maybe tomorrow. My why is the future that I want to live into and every step I take today will shape that future, but I want this show to be about you. So take a moment and I mean, really take it, and I want you to think about your why. if my story resonates with you, oh my gosh, take it, use it, let it fuel you. But if it doesn't quite fit, that means it's time to dig deeper, uncover your own core reason to keep going when everything feels uncomfortable. Maybe your why is your kids, you wanna stay strong enough to keep up with them or to model what resilience looks like. Maybe you're facing down a health issue, type two diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and you are so tired of being tired and you wanna take that control back. Maybe you've got a trip coming up, a dream hike, a vacation that you wanna experience fully. And not from the sidelines, or maybe the weight you're carrying isn't in a rock. Maybe it's stress, burnout, grief. Boy, do I get grief? I have felt it. I lost both of the mentors ones that I've told you about within a few months of one another. And that kind of loss, it cuts deep and sometimes the only way through it. Movement. Your why does not have to be flashy. It doesn't have to be big, but it has to be yours because when the motivation fades and it's going to your why is what is pulling you forward. This journey. This evolution isn't about rocking farther or faster. It's about becoming the kind of person who keeps showing up for your body, for your future, for your life. Now, here is what I want you to ask yourself today. What am I training for? What's waiting for me on the other side of all this effort? What kind of life do I wanna live, and who do I need to become to get there? Hold that. Why? Write it down. Say it out loud. Let it anchor you. Because once you know your why, every step you take has purpose. There are a lot of ways to move your body. You can lift, you can run, you can take a class or hit the gym. For me, rucking is different. It's not just a workout, it's a practice. A process, a way to build strength inside and out. What I love about rucking is how you feel, the work, the burn in your legs, the weight on your back, that rhythm of your steps. It's physical, but it's also mental. That pack becomes something symbolic. It's your effort, your grit, your commitment, the weight that is both literal and figurative. And every ruck is a journey. Just like life, that path changes. Sometimes it's flat and easy. Sometimes it's steep and punishing. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it shines. But you keep going because every step gets you closer to who you want to be physically. Rocking is one of the more complete movements out there. You're building strength through loaded resistance. You're working mobility, especially in your hips, knees, and ankles, and you're training your cardiovascular system every single time. That heart rate rises with effort, but it's the mental space that keeps me coming back because Rucking gives you time. Time to reflect. Time to decompress, time to let your thoughts untangle themselves out there on the trail or even in your neighborhood. Your mind gets quiet enough to hear yourself again. And when the weather sucks, when it's cold, wet, miserable, that's when the ruck becomes a metaphor, because life has hard days too. Getting through them step by step reminds you this is not gonna last forever. You are so much stronger than the storm. And that's why I say rucking is the perfect practice. You're not just walking with weight, you're shouldering your why. Carrying it forward, letting it shape you into someone capable of more, because you're choosing growth even when it's uncomfortable. Alright, Rutgers this week. Let's turn it inward. I want you to pause the grind, step back from the gear and the goals. Sit with this one powerful question. Why are you doing this? And I don't want the surface level stuff I don't want because I wanna lose weight or because I wanna get in shape. I really mean why? What are you working toward? What are you trying to become? Because when the weather sucks and life gets chaotic, or when you just don't feel like showing up, it's your why that pulls you forward. Now you wanna take it a little further. If you're willing to share your why, I'm sure myself and other listeners would love to hear your inspiration. You can find the details on how to submit it at just ruck it.substack.com or tag me at just rucking it on Instagram and let's talk because this journey we're on, it starts with showing up for yourself and knowing exactly why it matters. And remember, life is rocking wonderful. When you remember what you're there for.