…Badass Women: Emily McCarthy…

Break from the freezing Hudson River at my first GORUCK Challenge, Class 003 in November 2010.

 

Name: Emily McCarthy

Age (if you don’t mind): 39

Instagram Handle: @emidently

Occupation: Chief of Staff at GORUCK

How many events have you done?

  • 003 Tough, New York, NY
  • Light in Jax Beach, FL (I forget the number sometime in 2014 I think)
  • 1032 Tough, Worcester, MA
  • Custom Ingress Light in San Francisco, CA
  • All Female Light, Miami, FL
  • Beach Beta 001, Jacksonville Beach, FL
  • Veterans Day Light, Jax Beach, FL
  • DC Star Course 001
  • Several Scavengers, Treks, Firearms Days, and other secret events

First GORUCK Event: 003 GORUCK Challenge (current day Tough, back when there was only one event type) in New York. Jason brought us a load of bricks and told us to distribute amongst ourselves. I was the only female in that class. Only one female had done a GORUCK Challenge prior at Class 001 in San Francisco.

Couch-surfing during my first Light in Jax Beach, circa 2014.

Events coming up:

  • Bragg Heavy (RIP Joe Warner and Jerome Gonzalez)
  • D-Day in Normandy, France for 75th anniversary of the invasion
  • Momma Stump All Female HTL

 

What brought you to your first GORUCK Event?

I wanted to prove that I could do this super tough event that my ex, Jason McCarthy, was putting on. I also wanted to support him with something that we started together but mostly to make a point.

Why do you keep coming back?

The older I get, I am nostalgic for those crucibles in life where I learned so much because it was uncomfortable and I was forced to see the world through someone else’s perspective, be it good or bad or neutral. It’s not easy to find a community or activity that challenges you to build character by being uncomfortable and having to get along with others. GORUCK does that for me and I feel sharper and stronger as a result, both mentally and physically. I’ve met a ton of excellent people through GORUCK and have learned a lot about myself in the process.

What do you appreciate about being a woman in the GORUCK community?

I think it is important for everyone, females in particular, to maintain an identity outside of being a significant other, spouse, or parent. GORUCK allows me to be the Emily that first defined me: a tomboy, someone who loves being outdoors, an athlete, a teammate, an adventurous person who accepts (almost) any/all challenges.

 

Rucking to La Ciudad Perdida with Jason during our honeymoon in Colombia, February 2018.

 

What is challenging about being a woman in the GORUCK community?

The same things that are challenging about being a female in the world: we battle against patriarchal thinking and institutions that are no longer relevant or acceptable as a one-size-fits-all category toward women. Whether it be during a Challenge, at work, or within the home, women deserve the right to not have to speak ‘man’ in order to be heard or understood. We are strong enough and good enough to lead and be led, to work together or independently, to determine our own destiny.

There is still a lot of work to be done. It will take thoughtful discernment and teamwork by women to determine when it is time to fight and when it is time to disrupt the status quo by simply going around the obstacles.

Favorite training exercise /event gear/rituals…etc  that you want to share?

Well, you saw it in the aftermath of the DC Star Course – 50 Miler: yoga does a body good. I like to practice warm-ish power yoga 2-3 times a week plus CrossFit with the team at GRHQ. I love to run but hate doing it alone so I’ve found that rucking has been a great substitute. I’m really looking forward to another chance to earn that elusive Star Course patch!

Advice for other women?

Coming from someone who was a tomboy and did not have any really good girl friends until my senior year of high school and college, I believe I am a better person today because of the female influences in my life. Since my father passed away, my mother and I have grown closer and she has taught me so much when it comes to raising children. I encourage all women to seek out positive female role models and girl friends, not as a replacement for men, but as a trusting community of people who will understand and love you in a way that only women can.

Any GRT women that you admire or love to be on a team with?

There are so many! I love the Badass Babes group because we challenge and support each other. I love all the ladies who I’ve hired at GRHQ and who make GORUCK better. I love Carmela because she is brave and real and caring and strong. I want her to be my kids’ teacher one day because she strikes me as the type of teacher who you never forget. I love Jaala Shaw, Tina Streeter, Stephanie McGrew, Sara Bagala, Heather Williams, Sandy Plflanzen, Renée Aly, Francesca Margarita, Nikki Jay, Lindsay Luna, Becky Proietti, Carolyn Peeples, Cassie Walther, Monica Graves, Patti Riippa, Ashley Kairalla, Kristie Iverson, Momma Stump (RIP), Andi Marie, Maria Deligiannis, Brooke Francev, Amy Malliett, Sarah Brown Smith, Jen Workman, Andrea Towle, Jen Jarvi, Hailie Beam, Frances Arias, Catie Beal, Eva Torres, Shanie Danielson, Cristina Mendoza, Joanne Ford, Leslie Ann, Samantha Rymer, Paige Bowie, Nico Converso, Tabby Aditi, Heather DeCarli, Catrine Machi, Amy Saldana, Lissa Mongato, Anna Banana, Missy Carvin, Emily Cannister, Erica Townsend, Samantha Kilgore, Erica Handleman, Yamillet Rivas, Debi Bone, Michelle Berois, Jess Orestano, Babette Griffith, Cindy Harthcock, Aimée Rebeck, Jen Salucci, Barbara Bee, omg I’m running out of room…if I left someone off, I owe an event with you. 🙂

Any memorable stories with you and another GRT you want to share?

Yes. The photo of me in the pink sports bra was taken by Jason, my ex at that time, during the 003 Challenge in New York in November 2010. He had just put us in the freezing cold Hudson River, temps were in the teens overnight and was allowing us to change into dry clothes. The sun had just come up, we had survived the night, I was feeling good. Someone had brought me coffee which I don’t drink but Challenge beggars should not be choosers so I said thank you and enjoyed the warmth. Then Jason did the unthinkable: after we had put on our one set of dry clothes he told us to get back in the water. I about lost it. This made no sense. I hated him. Life sucked. Afterward, this other guy and I were on the verge of hypothermia but we made it to the endex. I’m sure that was one of the first times Jason had used that form of false finish torture. It certainly hasn’t been his last. But Hell was going to freeze over before I gave him the satisfaction of me quitting. After the event was over, I told him that his little Challenge was easy and that he’d better make it tougher. Sorry not sorry 🙂

Giving my sweet Carm a big hug at the DC Star Course, May 2018.

 

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…Is Your Workout Really Working Out?…

Working out is a social norm these days. You see people traipse in and out of the gym day by day, hour by hour, and everyone online has a new progress update to share with their followers. And maybe you’re looking to get in on this kind of action – you think you could work your body a bit harder and a bit better, to make sure you can be really proud of yourself when you look in the mirror each morning.

So you started with a beginner’s workout, tried it out for a couple of months before moving on, and you believe you’re steadily climbing up the ranks to the ultimate shape you could be in. But what if there’s been no traction recently? Have you stopped to consider whether or not your efforts are really paying off? Let’s take a look at the idea below.

Be sure to give yourself a stretch when you’re done with whatever workout you choose. (Source)

Are You Injured Regularly?

And you may not even know you are – you just think pain is all part of the game. Well, there’s acceptable levels of pain (a.k.a. aches that subside when you put the weights down or stop running so fast), and then there’s an injury in the making that you should stop and pay attention to.

Allowing yourself to be injured every time you work out won’t do you any benefits, and it’s not the best way to let your muscles grow bigger and stronger when you fall asleep at night. After all, a regular weight lifting routine is going to rear tiny rips into your muscle fibres, but anything more than that is going to take a lot longer to heal. You’re just going to get more stiff and more sore every time you wake up, and you’ll eventually have to take a break from the workout routine.

Have You Seen Any Recent Results?

Has your weight gone up? Has it gone down? Can you deadlift more? Are you sleeping better? Questions like these can mean you need something more intense. After all, the more we complete an action, in this case a circuit, the more we’re going to get used to how it feels. And that doesn’t allow you to progress, and ultimately, you’re going to get very frustrated.

That’s where a personal trainer would come in handy, and someone from UP Fitness would be perfect for making sure your strength training is going to be a lot more beneficial for you. Your body is going to need more and more of a challenge the more you work it out, and that means you’re going to have to let go of those beloved dumbbells you bought in good faith at the start of your journey.

Your workout might not be working out for you, and that means it’s time to introduce a change to your fitness regime. Hopefully these couple of pointers could help you to decide whether you’re progressing or not.

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…How To Make Your Health Kick Work Harder For You…

https://unsplash.com/photos/OBbliBNuJlk

When it comes to being healthy, it’s always good to know that you’re doing everything you can. Because when you want to get in shape, it’s important to make everything count. You will want to know that you’re on track, and every effort you make is for a reason. Because when you decide to change your life and get onto a bit of a health kick, it can be hard work! And this means that you’re going to want to make sure that you get the results you want, as soon as you can. You don’t want to be struggling or doing the wrong things! It’s so much better to know that you are making your efforts work as hard as possible.

But, the problem for a lot of people is that they may not know exactly what they need to do to get the results they want. So, ask yourself, are you on track? Are you getting the results you want? Or do you want your efforts to be working harder for you? If that’s the case, then you may want to think about tweaking the steps that you’ve already taken to see if they can work that little better for you! So let’s take a look at how we can do exactly that.

Manage Your Hydration Levels

First of all, you need to make sure that you’re drinking enough water. This is the quickest way for you to be able to boost your health. If you know that you are dehydrated, your body won’t work that hard for you. So you need to drink more water and see how well your body reacts to it.

Prioritize Your Sleep

And you absolutely need to make sure that you’re sleeping as well as you possibly can be. It’s essential. You will want to ensure that you are sleeping at the same time each night, and getting up at the same time each morning. The more you can work on your sleeping routine and get it to work for you, the healthier you are going to feel.

https://unsplash.com/photos/XCkRGOX2VgM

 

Boost Your Diet

So the next thing that you need to do here, is to make sure that you’re really pushing your diet and making the most of it. One of the ways that you can do that is to ensure that your body is doing the right things, using things like the BHB products from KetoLogic, when you need it too. So vitamins and supplements can be great here. But not only that, you need to choose your food groups wisely.

Be Smart About When You Eat

But not only that, you’re then going to want to make sure that you’re super smart about what you’re eating. There are certain things to eat in the morning and then other things to eat before and after your workouts. And if you really want to make sure that your body is getting a boost, you need to channel your protein and carbs into your diet right around the time you workout. This will help your health to work harder.

Mix Up Your Workouts

From here, you should definitely think about trying out a range of workouts. Because when you want to be healthy, you know you need to exercise. Yet if you’re only ever doing the same thing over and over again, you will find that your body starts to stagnate. So, it can be super fun to have a go at different things, like running and weight training and team sports and yoga and anything else that can push your body in different ways.

Change Your Mindset

However, you really do need to realize that to be healthy, you need to find a perfect balance between your mind and body. It really does matter for you to ensure that you are in the best possible position mentally. Because when you change your mindset, you will find that you are able to believe in yourself and push your body to where it needs to be.

Take Some Time Out

But then also, you absolutely need to make sure that you’re taking time out for yourself. Because you want to make your health work harder for you, right? But this means that you need to rest and let your mental health have some time to itself too. It’s not all about doing more or pushing yourself. Sometimes, it’s about really giving yourself a break and allowing yourself to heal, so that you can get better results when you are working out.

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