I hated running in the Army, but I did find that doing a long hike/walk with a weighted backpack (once or twice a week) actually helped me work up endurance for longer runs and timed runs.
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When you can get a good rhythm going, it can get very zen.
I think it's a good alternative. The Tactical Barbell conditioning book turned my brain onto the aerobic side of endurance work and they recommend long rucks as an alternative to long runs.
Also helped to strenthen my core (i've had a tiny bit of lower back issues since high school) a bit. Running was sometimes is incredibly rough on my back.
I hated running in the Army, but I did find that doing a long hike/walk with a weighted backpack (once or twice a week) actually helped me work up endurance for longer runs and timed runs.
...
When you can get a good rhythm going, it can get very zen.
I think it's a good alternative. The Tactical Barbell conditioning book turned my brain onto the aerobic side of endurance work and they recommend long rucks as an alternative to long runs.
Also helped to strenthen my core (i've had a tiny bit of lower back issues since high school) a bit. Running was sometimes is incredibly rough on my back.