SGPT Interviews GoRuck graduate Mike Kalinowski

SGPT sits down with GoRuck graduate Mike Kalinowski for an interview about his recent GoRuck event that he finished.

SGPT: Tell us about yourself?

MK: I am a 31 year old father and husband. I recently went back to school to get my bachelor’s degree.

SGPT: Did you have an athletic background growing up?

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MK: Somewhat. I played soccer, basketball and swam through middle school. When I got to high school I started smoking and partying a little much. In my early twenties I turned it around and started practicing martial arts. During the process of earning my black belt I started weight lifting and running.

SGPT: How did you train for the GoRuck event?

MK:I don’t have a lot of training time (work, dad, husband and school) so I focus on the big lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press and shoulder press) for my regular gym sessions. As I got closer to the event, about 6 weeks out, I mixed in hill sprints, body weight PT sessions, sandbag work, short 2-4 mile runs and 3-6 mile rucks.

SGPT: Tell us a little about the event?

MK: The GoRuck Challenge is an event where a group of individuals learn to come together and work as a team. If you don’t the cadre will teach you how the best way they know how. It will also test your perceived limits and show you how to blow them out of the water.

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SGPT: What was hardest part of the event?

MK:For me the hardest part is when the cadre start to turn up the heat and those demons come out and try and tell you to quit. Since every challenge is different, you need to focus on the task at hand not worry about whats coming next.

SGPT: What is one thing you wish you would have done to get ready for GoRuck?

MK: More work under a ruck. Squats, pushups, lunges, bear crawls, low crawls all with a ruck.

SGPT: Any tips for up and coming athletes that want to do the GORuck?

MK: Sign up. It really is the hardest part. Your team will help get you through it. The GoRuck family is full of people from all walks of life. You don’t need to be an elite level athlete to complete a challenge. Though the more prepared you are physically, the more enjoyable the experience.

SGPT: Many thanks for the interview Mike

MK: Thank you.

About GORUCK:
go·ruck [verb go + verb ruck] noun ruck is short for rucksack (aka backpack), it’s also a verb: to ruck is to move with a rucksack, and implies action, energy, and purpose. We build the best gear right here in the USA, we lead team-building endurance events based on our experiences in Special Forces, and we love to ruck.

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