PATHFINDER Life Guides Life Changes

How to decide your mileage if you’ve got too many plates spinning

We know what it means to have full plates spinning. We’ve had small children, run businesses, navigated around careers, homeschooled (thanks 2020) and so much more. We get it - you’re just trying to get it all done, reasonably successfully, and take care of yourself at the same time.

See a Sample Calendar for a busy schedule

Your mileage with PATHFINDER Life is flexible. Select what works best for you and your situation.

  • You can choose to do the 60-mile requirement, at any mix of miles per week that works for you. You may choose to start really slowly with the anticipation of adding more miles at the end. Fill out your calendar to decide if that makes sense.
  • You can choose to swap in up to 30 miles of your 60 mile requirement with our LifeFlex option, which is only available in the PATHFINDER Life program.
  • You can choose to do the 1.5x mile Challenge if rucking is where you want to focus most, and ruck up to 90 miles total.
How LifeFlex works:

Trade in 15 minutes of workout time for 1 mile rucking. Your workouts can be either PATHFINDER Ruck Workouts or any variety of cross training. You can swap out workouts for miles at any time during the 12 week program, and LifeFlex can be used for up to 30 miles worth of trade-in value.

Keep track of your LifeFlex conversions in the log by allocating a quarter-mile (.25) per 15 minute workout. In the Notes section of your log entry, write LifeFlex Trade to keep track.

How to pick your workouts

Selecting your workouts with PATHFINDER Life is easy. You can choose to do any length PATHFINDER Ruck Workout, or you can complete 45 minutes of any cross-training exercise of your choice. With a minimum of 12 workouts (or double your workouts for 24 total with the Double Workout Challenge), of any style, you create a doable program that keeps you strong, fit and active without taxing your reserves. And if you choose to include the 12 Yoga/Mobility Classes Challenge, you create a full-body routine that improves your mobility, flexibility and healing processes.

Your workouts can also be broken up if necessary. Your 45 minutes of cardio/strength can be divided up throughout the day, however your needs fit and days work, and still count as long as the overall time requirement has been met. 

Example: 10 minutes of upper body strength in the morning, 35 minute walk after dinner. 

  • Keep track of your schedule if you follow this framework to log :45 cardio accurately.
  • At least 12 total workouts must be completed

Any mix of PATHFINDER Ruck Workouts or cross-training workouts of up to :45 min. counts.

PATHFINDER Workouts of any length

OR

:45 min Cross-training minimum 1x/week (in any mix, no ruck requirements)

  • Swimming
  • Walking
  • Cycling/Spinning
  • Running
  • Lifting
  • Yoga
  • Rowing
  • CrossFit/Boot Camp/Home Gym
  • Treadmill/Elliptical
  • HDT / RuckStrong / GORUCK training app / etc

    How to select your PATHFINDER Life Challenges

    Select PATHFINDER Life Challenges to fit your current situation. Start by selecting three Challenges and fitting them in on your calendar. Then, if you feel like you want to fit more Challenges, do. If you don’t want to fit more, don’t. It really is that easy.

    Select 3 if:

    • You’ve got a career or family life in desperate need of balancing.
    • You feel like you don’t have enough time to keep up a demanding training schedule with the challenges of daily life.
    • You want to maintain your fitness with as little stress as possible.
    • You’ve gone through stressful life changes and are in need of some down time and recharging.
    • You feel overwhelmed or you’re just not energized by the thought of adding more. Really listen to yourself here.

    Pick 4 - 6 if ...:

    • your work/life balance schedule allows it
    • you want to keep up your higher baseline fitness between programs or have a Light scheduled during your 90-day program window
    • you’re coming down off of Endure, Advanced or Horizon-level program work and feel healthy, recovered after a normal night's sleep and feel you manage stress appropriately

    See PATHFINDER Life Challenges

    What to do if things get in the way

    You committed to a path...but what happens if it’s just not working? We all encounter times when things just didn’t go to plan. 

    • If you committed to 4-6 Challenges, drop one or some to better fit the time you have. Your minimum Challenge requirements are set at three. Rethink your approach.
    • Change your Challenges. With the Exercising Your Brain Challenge, you can read or listen to audiobooks as your ruck, drive or work. Try yoga, if you haven’t. If you have a young child, our Coupon Challenge uses your child’s stroller as a coupon while you ruck, in lieu of heavier weights.
    • Rewrite your calendar. Print a new one out and go back to the drawing board. If you find your PATHFINDER Life calendar stressful or it now feels like a chore, change things up. With flexible workout options, you can find something that makes you feel fulfilled.
    • Talk to your CA. Our CAs are experts in making PATHFINDER work in their regular lives. They may have some useful tips to help you continue your success.