Rucking off the Bandwagon

Episode Summary:

In this honest and hard-hitting episode of Just Ruck It, Lindsay tackles something every rucker (and every human) faces sooner or later: what to do when you've fallen off the bandwagon—and how to start again when the weight you carry isn't just in your pack, but in your heart, body, and mind.

Whether you're dealing with injury, burnout, grief, or plain old life chaos, this episode is your permission slip to take a breath, reset, and begin again—without shame.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Lindsay’s own “Olympic-level” dive off the bandwagon (hello, poison ivy and prednisone)
• Why comebacks never look like movie montages—and that’s okay
• The truth about injury recovery and the courage it takes to ask for help
• How to start small, show up consistently, and build momentum again
• Real strategies for pushing past mental resistance and reclaiming your rucking rhythm
• A weekly challenge you can do today—even if your shoes have dust on them

Key Takeaways:

• You’re not starting from scratch—you’re starting from experience.
• Your comeback doesn’t have to be big. It has to be real.
• Progress starts with standing up—literally.
• Consistency will get you farther than motivation ever will.

🏁 This Week’s Challenge:
Go for one walk—just one.
No weight required. No pressure.
Just you, your shoes, and the decision to show up.

💬 Join the Conversation:
Have a comeback story or a weekend win to share?
Tag @JustRuckingIt on Instagram or join the community at JustRuckIt.Substack.com.
You might even be featured in an upcoming episode!

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Injury recovery and the value of physical therapy
• Building a sustainable, low-pressure routine
• Rucking during heat waves and navigating mental slumps

Life is Rucking Wonderful!

Transcript

Welcome back to Just Ruck It, I’m your host Lindsay,

What do you do when the thing that once gave you purpose… now just feels like pressure?
 You were out there crushing miles, sharing selfies, loading your pack with pride—and then a curveball. Injury, burnout, illness, grief or just… life.
 Suddenly your ruck’s not on your back. It’s in the corner.
 And now, the hardest part isn’t finishing a ruck.
 It’s starting again.

Today we’re talking about comebacks.
 About what it looks like to start over, when the world or your body, or your brain say “nope.”
This isn’t about shaming the break. It’s about honoring it—and then finding a way forward that fits the version of you that exists right now.

If your ruck has been collecting dust, your shoes are buried, and you don’t even know where to begin…
 Take a breath.
 Because today, we’re starting again—together.

When the Bandwagon Hits Reverse

Here’s the thing—
 I am the undisputed queen of swan diving off the bandwagon.
Not falling off. Not slipping.
Nope—full Olympic-level, arms-flailing, 10-out-of-10 dive.

Give me a little reason to stop, and I’m gone.
 This week? That reason is poison ivy.
I’m on prednisone, which means my brain is fried, my sleep is nonexistent, and my nervous system is wired tighter than a squirrel on Red Bull.
Add in the fact that Western NY has apparently been relocated to the surface of the sun—and yeah, I’m not rucking. I’m hiding in the AC like it’s a survival bunker, bingeing protein ice cream recipes and pretending that counts as recovery nutrition.

I say I’ll get back out there “tomorrow.”
 Then tomorrow comes… and somehow, the couch wins again.
 Sound familiar?

And listen—this isn’t a shame spiral.
 It’s a reminder that we all go through these seasons.
 Even me. Especially me.
 The one with the rucking podcast and the printed planner and the Instagram feed that says “Just Ruck It.”

So if you’ve been feeling like a fraud, or a failure, or just too damn tired to try—
 You are not alone in that.
This is what starting again actually looks like:
Messy. Frustrating. A little bloated. And full of good intentions hiding behind a spoon.

But here’s the truth:
 You can get back out there.
And you don’t have to wait for the stars to align, your skin to clear up, or the temperature to dip below lava.

You may just have to start, smaller.

When the Setback Is Physical (and Feels Permanent)

Now, maybe your reason for stepping away isn’t just mental or emotional.
 Maybe it’s physical.
 Maybe it hurts to ruck.
Maybe something broke—or tore—or just stopped cooperating.
And the idea of starting again doesn’t just feel hard—it feels impossible.

Let me tell you something:
 I get that.

I’m still recovering from a carriage accident.
 Yes, you heard me right—a carriage accident.
Because if I’m gonna wreck myself, I do it historically.
Straight up 1795 style. 

I was wearing a helmet—thankfully—but my right leg? Not so lucky.
 A lot of muscle damage.
 And because it was 2020 and I was stubborn as hell, I didn’t get the physical therapy I should have.
 I figured I’d just “walk it off.”
 Bet you can guess by now what I didn’t do: I did not walk it off.

What I did do was carry that injury like a permission slip.
A free pass to not try.
Because pain is a great excuse—and fear of re-injury is even better.

It took me years to stop hiding behind it.
To realize that ignoring it wasn’t strength—it was sabotage.

This past year? I’ve been doing the slow, unsexy work.
 Physical therapy.
 Modified workouts.
 Letting go of ego and trusting professionals who know more than I do.

There is no shame in getting help!
 Going to PT and hiring a trainer has been the best thing I could have done for myself. 

There’s strength in that help too.
 In showing up to that PT appointment when you don’t feel like it.
 In putting your money down on a trainer because accountability works.
Because when your card’s charged every month, that “maybe next week” mindset suddenly gets real quiet.

If you’ve been letting an old injury call the shots…
 If you’ve convinced yourself that you’ll “never get back” to what you were—
 Let me remind you:
 You don’t have to go back.
 You just have to go forward.
One rep. One stretch. One small ruck at a time.

What a Comeback Really Looks Like

What does a comeback actually look like?

Let me go ahead and ruin the fantasy right now:
 It’s not epic.
 It’s not cinematic.
 There’s no Rocky montage.
 There’s no “Eye of the Tiger” playing while you triumphantly summit a peak with sweat glistening and a bald eagle flying overhead.

Nope.

A comeback looks like this:
 You get up.
 You put on shoes.
 And you go for a walk.

That’s it. That’s the whole move.
 That is your grand, glorious return.

And the next day?
 You do it again.
 Maybe not at the same time, or the same distance, or with the same energy—but you show up.

And you stick to it.
You make it a date with yourself. Non-negotiable.
Just like brushing your teeth or showing up to work or feeding the dog.
You’re not lacking motivation, you’re lacking routine.  Remember when you were in it?  What did that look like?  Bet it was a consistent routine. I bet you led the boring life of getting after it with minimal doom scrolling. 

And once that routine becomes solid again—
 Once walking becomes part of who you are again—
 Then, and only then, you start adding weight.

Maybe it’s a light pack. Maybe it’s just a couple water bottles.
 You don’t need a fancy ruck plate or tactical vest.
 You need consistency, not gear.

And when your body says, “Hey, I’ve got this”—
 You up the challenge.
 You throw in a hill.
 You swap pavement for trail.
 You explore a new park.
 You start building again.

And it might take weeks. It might take months.
 But you will feel that spark return.
You’ll realize you’re not gasping halfway through.
You’ll notice your legs are holding steady on uneven ground.
You’ll hear your own thoughts getting quieter, calmer… clearer.

That’s what a comeback looks like.
 Not flashy. Not heroic.
 Just steady.
 Intentional.
 Real.

If all you did today was put your shoes on and walk to the mailbox?
 Hell yeah. Celebrate those Small Wins (Because They’re Not Small)

Let me tell you something that doesn’t get said enough:
 Getting up and getting out is a big freaking deal.
If you moved with purpose today, in any way—you won.

If you didn’t?
 But you’re thinking about it?
That matters too.
Because thinking about it and doing it are two very different things.
And you can close that gap.

The hardest step in this whole comeback process isn’t adding weight, or tackling hills, or even making time.
 It’s standing up.
 It’s choosing you—again.

When you’ve been down for a while, it’s so much easier to stay there.
 It’s easier to scroll, snack, nap, or talk yourself into another “tomorrow.”
 And every excuse sounds logical in the moment.

But here’s my push for you—
 What are you doing today?
Have you moved?
Have you walked, stretched, rucked, paced around your kitchen—anything?

If not, and you’re starting to come up with a reason to not do it…
 That’s your cue.
 That’s the alarm bell.

Don’t even let the excuse if your head finish forming.
 Don’t negotiate with it.
 Stand up, grab your shoes, and walk.
 Even if it’s just to the end of the driveway and back.
 Even if it’s 30 steps around your living room.
 Or maybe it’s calling to set up that PT appointment you’ve been avoiding.

If that’s all you’ve got today—that’s enough.
That counts.
That is the comeback.

Because every time you choose to show up for yourself—
 You’re rebuilding.
 You’re proving that whatever took you down isn’t going to keep you there.  You have the power to change your circumstances with every choice you make. So choose you!

Whatever your “try” looked like today—
 Celebrate it.
 Own it.
 High five yourself.
 Because guess what?
 
 You didn’t quit.
 You paused.
 And now—you’re pressing play.

You’re not starting from scratch.
 You’re starting from experience.
 From strength.
 From grit you earned the hard way.

And that matters.
 Every single step, no matter how small, is a step away from stuck… and a step toward strong.

So today?
 Celebrate that.
 Not when you hit a milestone.
 Not when your pants fit better or your pace gets faster.

Celebrate now—because you showed up.
 You tried.
 You chose yourself again.

And that, my friend, is the most rucking wonderful thing you can do.

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 RUCK – cut to live audio from my own ruck
 ------------------

Alright—so maybe you just heard me huffing and puffing my way through those first steps out the door.
 It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t fast. But it happened.
Because sometimes, you’ve got to beat the heat and your own excuses to the punch.

Now it’s your turn.

🏁 This Week’s Challenge:

Just go for one walk.
That’s it.
Doesn’t have to be long. Doesn’t have to be with weight. Doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy.
It just has to be.
One walk—before you talk yourself out of it.
And if you’re already walking again? Make this the week you show up on schedule. Lock in the consistency.

Then tell me about it!
 Hit us up on Instagram or Facebook at @JustRuckingIt
Or share your story, struggles, and comebacks over at JustRuckIt.Substack.com
You might even hear your words in an upcoming episode.

Until next time—
 Life is rucking wonderful… especially when you stop waiting for the perfect moment, and just get moving.