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Feb 4 •
Introductions thread- Start Here 💪
Answer this questions in the comments 👇 🏋️♀️ Who are you and what are you working on right now? 🗻 What’s your biggest challenge at the moment? 🏆 What would make this community a massive win for you in the next 30–60 days?
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Feb 24 •
Reccomended Books List 🍎
The following are books that I would highly reccomend to anyone thinking about joining any SOF component. First up is Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starett, The best military athletes understand the importance of recovery and this is the textbook on how to become your own physical therapist. Could not reccomend this enough. https://amzn.to/46nkUBf If SFAS is on the horizon then I would reccomend, The Chosen Soldier by Dick Couch. Though a little dated and some things have changed, this book gives good insight into the 18X pipeline. https://amzn.to/4sfr5Qt For insight into what an ODA can do on a deployment there is, Hammerhead Six by Ronald Fry. This book is written about a dive team ODA in Afganistan and the work they put in on this particular deployment. It is also a unique perspective getting insight into what the National Guard SOF community has to offer. Defineatly worth checking out. https://amzn.to/47b6nZE For those with ambitions of becoming a batt boy and joining the Ranger Regiment there is, Sua Sponte also by Dick Couch. https://amzn.to/3P0MUVh If you want to learn the history about the SF regiment, I reccomend, From OSS to Green Berets by Col. Aaron Bank. This book is written by the father of the Green Berets, from his early days with the Office of Strategic Services and his training with the French resistance, to his tour of duty in Indochina and the creation of the Army's Special Forces Group. https://amzn.to/3Oxwt2F Another book with great insight into what deployments can look like there is, Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton. This book has also been made into a movie, 12 Strong, and tells the story of the first US forces in Afganistan after the events of 9/11. https://amzn.to/3Oxwt2F
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Oct 15 •
Does Your Achilles Feel Stiff the First 10 Steps Out of Bed? Don’t Ruck Through It
If your Achilles is stiff and sore for the first 10 steps out of bed, and tender about 2–6 cm above the heel, that’s an early overload warning. Don’t ignore it, and don’t ruck through it. Most candidates keep piling on mileage until a small flare-up becomes a 6-week layoff. Fix it in week one: - Cut ruck volume 30–50% and drop hills for 1–2 weeks. Don’t stop completely. - Keep running easy as long as the pain stays mild. - Do slow heel raises on a step, 3 seconds up and 3 seconds down: 3x15 with a straight knee, then 3x15 with a bent knee, once a day. - Add weight in a backpack only once those feel easy. Sharp pain, swelling, or a pop or snap means stop and see sports med or a PT. This is general guidance, not medical advice. Rucking loads your calf and Achilles hard, so catching a small flare early costs far less than a forced layoff before selection. What’s the first body part that flares up when your ruck miles climb, and what did you change that actually fixed it? Drop it below, along with your current weekly ruck mileage. If you want to work through your own numbers live, bring them to this week’s Coffee Hour.
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Oct 14 •
Is Your Aerobic Base Actually Built? The 30-Minute Heart Rate Drift Test
How to run it: use a flat route or track and keep the same effort the whole way, around 70-75% of max HR (you can speak in full sentences). Record your average pace and average HR for each half. Example: 9:30/mi at 142 bpm in the first half, 9:30/mi at 154 bpm in the second half = about 8% drift. - Under 5%: Your base is solid. Add duration or pace, not both. - 5-8%: Keep building easy volume. - Over 8%: Your easy days are too fast, or you need more weekly volume. Retest every 4-6 weeks on the same route. SFAS is hours of sustained movement under load. The candidate whose heart rate creeps up in hour one is the one fading in hour six. (This is a general coaching rule of thumb, not official doctrine.) Run this test this week and comment with your pace, your average HR first half vs. second half, and your drift %. Bring your results to Coffee Hour and we'll look at what to fix next.
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Oct 13 •
Are You Only Rucking on Pavement? Why
If every ruck you do is on flat pavement, you're training for a test you won't take. Selection movement happens on uneven, loose ground (sand, pine duff, ruts, rolling terrain), and pavement never trains the small stabilizers that keep your ankles and knees working under load. The fix: make ONE of your weekly rucks off-pavement. • Use a trail, sandy path, or soft dirt road. Keep pavement for pace work only. • Start at about 45 lbs (dry weight) and expect to run 1-2 min/mile slower on soft ground. That's normal. Don't chase pace. • On your longest ruck, look for roughly 500-1,000 ft of climbing over 8 miles. • Train the downhills: short steps, soft knees, no heel-slamming. Descents are where quads and shins fail first. • Add 2 sets of 10 single-leg calf raises and 30-second single-leg balance holds per side, 3x per week. This is general training guidance, not official doctrine. Adjust to your own body and build up gradually. Your turn: what's the worst surface you've ever rucked on, and what gave out first (ankles, knees, shins, or feet)? Drop your surface, distance, and load below. Bring it to this week's Coffee Hour and we'll break down fixes.
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