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I've been doing a tempo run, LISS run, and hill sprints for my 3 runs each week. I'd like to add rucking in there - right now I walk to work (3 miles) 2-3 times a week, usually on my MS days, but that's with a backpack that's like 5 lbs, 10 maximum, so I don't think it really counts.

Right now I jog/run about 1 mile to my hill, do the sprints, then jog/walk back depending on how I'm feeling. Is there any reason the more experienced of you could think of for why it'd be a bad idea to ruck instead of jogging? The two reasons I can think of are A)I'm trying to squeeze too much into one session, so it might lead to injury and 1-2 miles of rucking might not be very useful anyway, and B)I won't be warmed up enough running-wise when I get to the hill. But it's only 1 mile there and 1 back (unless I take a long way) and I can always warm up a bit once I get there.

I don't want to be cramming two useful training techniques into one less-than-useful session, though. Would it be smarter to replace my LISS run with a ruck so I can ruck longer, and keep to jogging to/from the hill?

(edit) Perhaps if I want to combine rucking and HIC like that, it'd be smarter to go for the pepper-potting drill or something similar?

Caleddin wrote:I've been doing a tempo run, LISS run, and hill sprints for my 3 runs each week. I'd like to add rucking in there - right now I walk to work (3 miles) 2-3 times a week, usually on my MS days, but that's with a backpack that's like 5 lbs, 10 maximum, so I don't think it really counts.

Right now I jog/run about 1 mile to my hill, do the sprints, then jog/walk back depending on how I'm feeling. Is there any reason the more experienced of you could think of for why it'd be a bad idea to ruck instead of jogging? The two reasons I can think of are A)I'm trying to squeeze too much into one session, so it might lead to injury and 1-2 miles of rucking might not be very useful anyway, and B)I won't be warmed up enough running-wise when I get to the hill. But it's only 1 mile there and 1 back (unless I take a long way) and I can always warm up a bit once I get there.

I don't want to be cramming two useful training techniques into one less-than-useful session, though. Would it be smarter to replace my LISS run with a ruck so I can ruck longer, and keep to jogging to/from the hill?

(edit) Perhaps if I want to combine rucking and HIC like that, it'd be smarter to go for the pepper-potting drill or something similar?

Not at all, I think your idea is a good one. It's an efficient use of time and it kills two birds with one stone. It's also a realistic mimic of military training....ruck somewhere, drop the ruck go balls-out, then ruck some more. If that's what you're preparing for. Here's another thing you might not have considered....Apex Hills. Put a kettlebell in your pack and when you get to your hill do Apex instead of regular. Now you have a good amount of weight to ruck with and a superior version of hill sprints.

For general conditioning there is no issue with what you are doing and as blackpyjamas said above it mimics what actually happens. I like the idea of Apex and think that is brilliant. I may actually give this a crack in the future. I like the sound of a 30 min ruck at aerobic pace, some hard sprints and 30 min ruck back at an easy pace to recover from the sprints.