Want to Host a Ruck Meet Up?
For the most part Street Parking members will be found working out alone in their garages, living rooms, bedrooms, or any random place that will get the job done. We love, support, and encourage this because we know that NOT having fitness tied to a specific location or looking a certain way helps us take control of our fitness for the long haul.
Within the Street Parking community, however, members do get together regularly by hosting meetups! Meetups are an essential part of the Street Parking community —they help build connections and hold us accountable to our fitness goals, and there's nothing like those positive vibes we get from doing fitness with like-minded individuals. Meetups are purely member-driven and generally involve doing any Street Parking Daily Workout, Team Workouts, or even a ruck!
Speaking of rucking…
Over the last two years, we have seen many Street Parking members gravitate towards rucking, so much so that we created an Extra Program geared solely toward rucking. Whether rucking solo or going with a group, this simple program is one of the best ways to get moving purely because of all the positive benefits it has on our overall health and wellness.
Rucking has a low barrier to entry, making it friendly to almost anyone. It has a lower impact on our joints, and members find that it’s a great option when recovering from an injury or to stay moving during a stressful season of life. Rucking gets us outside. It prepares us for the demands of everyday life (aka carrying luggage or kids through an airport).
Not only physically beneficial, rucks can easily be done with others and provide a positive social outlet. The social benefits from rucking should not be underestimated so much so that we would encourage anyone and everyone within Street Parking to host a ruck-specific meetup —
which is why we are providing you with the tools you need to host a successful ruck-specific meetup.
We've gathered a handful of tried-and-true tips from two Street Parking members, Riva Grace and Natasha Albatrosov, who are heavily involved with rucking and host ruck-specific meetups regularly. They also run the Unofficial Street Parking Ruck Club Facebook Page where you can get more information about rucking while leaning into the greater Street Parking community for support!
Tip #1 - Scope out your path or trail.
Before hosting your meetup, it's going to be extremely important to recon/scope out a path or trail that is safe and suitable. Keep in mind: you might have members or individuals coming from all walks of fitness, making it very important that you pick a path that is friendly to EVERYONE!
Rucks can take place anywhere! Urban streets (sidewalks through a city/town), mountain trails, or your local park with a walking path are all great options, but we highly recommend choosing a manageable distance for even a beginner. You might decide to ruck for a specific length (for example, a 2-mile ruck where you walk 1 mile out and 1 mile back) or you might choose a short loop path so members can customize their distance as needed. The benefit to a short loop path would be that members attending could pick their distance and decide to stop when it feels right for them!
If members attending your meetup are unsure of what distance to start with, we highly recommend they check out our "Street Parking X GORUCK Rucking Program," designed to introduce and guide members on how to start their rucking journey. You can find this program by going to TRAIN > EXTRA PROGRAMS > SPECIALTY > STREET PARKING X GORUCK RUCKING PROGRAM.
Tip #2 - Pick a date, create an event, and get the word out.
Once you've established a solid location, you will want to pick a date and time, create an event, and get the word out. It's recommended that you start getting the word out 3-4 weeks in advance to give people enough time to mark their calendars!
If it's your first time hosting a Street Parking meetup, read our "Hosting a MeetUp" guide for tips on hosting and planning your first meetup. For Street Parking members, you will find this under Tools > MeetUps> Hosting a MeetUp Guide.
Once you're ready to host the meetup, don't forget to fill out the "Street Parking Meetup Form" so we can support you and your meetup in the local meetup calendar and on our social platforms. For Street Parking members, you will find this under Tools > Meet-Ups > Street Parking Meet-up Form.
Tip #3 - Help members plan and prepare for their upcoming ruck.
What weight to start with?If someone is newer to rucking, we encourage everyone to ease into it with a 10 or 20 Ib plate - or even no weight at first, just water in a pack. To start, carrying weight is not necessary for anyone, but over time it should be something they are willing to build themselves up to!
How to stay hydrated while rucking?Staying hydrated will be key! We recommend using a water bladder for simplicity purposes, but you could also carry plain water in any bottle and throw it in your pack. Pro Tip: Carry plain water in your bladder and electrolyte water in a bottle to double up on hydration!
What shoes to wear? Find the right shoes for you! There is a lot of talk about boots vs. running shoes, etc. Above all else, when first starting, wear shoes you're comfortable in!
Tip #4 - Create a flow for the actual meetup.
Now that you've set a date for the ruck, you're spreading the word and preparing everyone. It will be important to start planning how to run the actual meetup once the day arrives. Make sure you have a rough plan but remember to keep it low-key and fun. There does not need to be a lot of "structure," but thinking things through before the day comes will keep the event running smoothly. Consider how many people might attend, where your location is, what the parking is like, and in general, how you want the meetup to flow.
Pro Tip: We would recommend starting with a simple Street Parking warm up that you can easily walk everyone through, or alternatively an ice breaker of choice. Some great options for a warm up would be the Full Body Dynamic Warm Up or Full Body Simple Warm Up. If you feel comfortable with it - choose 5-10 movements that move your joints through a full range of motion and perform 5-10 reps. The warm up should be simple and done in 8-10 minutes to loosen up stiff joints and increase the heart rate.
Tip #5 - Keep it fun!
Keeping it fun is the most important tip of all. The goal of any meetup should be to create a positive experience for everyone involved, having every person who attended walk away feeling excited and energized!
To keep it fun, consider doing more than just a ruck…
- Start with a Street Parking Daily Workout and finish with a Ruck! If you decide to do this, we recommend that you be mindful of how demanding the workout will be and how long you plan to ruck for. In this case, the ruck should be kept on the shorter side.
- GORUCK has some cool patches for group rucks, like "ice cream ruck," "taco ruck," "donut ruck," etc. Get a group together, choose a ruck, such as a 3-mile ruck from Ruck Session 3, and enjoy a great local hangout afterward, such as ice cream, tacos or donuts! Make it a thing you do for ruck meetups and get your group a specific GORUCK patchHERE!
- For a fun icebreaker, if you're new to hosting a Street Parking ruck-specific meetup, try a "Pot Ruck." For a pot ruck, everyone would bring a breakfast item to share after the ruck. This is a super easy way to make it fun and keep everyone socializing even after the ruck ends!
3 Easy to Share Recipes for a “Pot Ruck”:
Remember, the goal for any meetup is to create community and to connect with other like-minded individuals. Start simple, keep it fun, and work hard. It should be that simple.
We hope to see you all out there hosting or attending a ruck-specific meetup and having a great time!
Additional resources to get started with rucking.
GORUCK is one of our amazing Street Parking partners, and we would encourage anyone who is interested in rucking to use them as a resource.
GORUCK has what is called a GORUCK Club where in all parts of the world people are getting together and forming rucking communities. The members of these clubs get together regularly to push themselves and build camaraderie as a team.
GORUCK Clubs are the heart and soul of the GORUCK Nation.
To learn more about getting involved with a GORUCK Club,CLICK HERE.
