The GORUCK Heavy event is a fickle beast. It’s roughly twice as long as the GORUCK Tough and well over twice as far. Expect to travel over 40 miles and experience hours of PT throughout the event. They’re never easy but the feeling you have when you finish one is well worth it.
What Should You Bring?
You should bring food that sustains and refuels you. Every piece of food you bring should serve some purpose in the greater scheme of the event. Long term fuel, short term energy, something that will make you smile… absolutely everything you bring should check a box on that list.
For us, it’s protein bars, energy gels, a few of those GU things, and beef jerky. No one knows you better than you know yourself. It’s your job to figure out what works best for you and what gives you the energy and motivation you need to push through the 24+ hours.
Train With Your Food
Obviously you should train with the food you’re going to bring. Take it one step further and take a few days where you eat directly before you work out and see how the food settles in your stomach. GORUCK Heavy events are intense and you want to make sure that your body can handle the food you are putting in it.
Packing Your Food
There’s a good (to great) chance that the cadre will take your food at your GORUCK Heavy. We’ve heard of them bringing Kit Bags and going up and down the line collecting food then making the team carry it as an extra weight. It’s not until six or eight hours into the event that food is actually given back to the team and then it’s usually under a time constraint. Why are we telling you all of this? Because it’s important that you pack your food smart.
Store all of your food in a dry bag. The dry bag should either have your name on it or be a recognizable color or design. That will solve a number of issues that you would run into otherwise. First, your food will be together so you will only be looking for one bag in the mess. People who don’t have their food bundled together will be looking for single Cliff Bars in a whole mess of food. Second, having your food in a dry bag means if the food bag is submerged your food will be safe. You don’t want your food to taste like salt or lake water and you sure don’t want to get sick from that.
GORUCK Heavy Food Conclusion & What’s Next
Hopefully this post helps you dial in (or at least gets you thinking about) your food selection for your upcoming GORUCK Heavy event. It always feels good to be able to check something off your packing list and know that it will work for you. Remember to always test your food in advance if possible so you know how your body will react to it. If you find something that works well for you consider leaving a comment… we love hearing about new ideas!
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