Ken Frank

Name: Ken Frank

Where are you from? I live and ruck out of the great state of Indiana.

How did you get into rucking?

My first experience rucking was in 1987 when I joined the Army. After the Army I didn't ruck until this past 4th of July when my church held a 5k fund raiser for Teen Mission. My family talked me into signing up for it. I decided to ruck it to see if I could still do it, and figured if I was embarrassingly slow, people would attribute it to the ruck. Somewhere in it, I started feeling like this was a path that I was supposed to follow. I signed up for a couple more 5k's that my wife was going to run and did better than I thought I would. After that the Infantry part of me kicked back in and I decided I wanted to see just what my limits are and signed up to do the Norwegian Foot March. That's when I got involved with Rucking Tough. Now my wife is involved, as a RN, she is my Medical. My daughter, a veteran and elite ultra marathon runner, jumped in to be my training coach, Grandson is my on-call ride should I need assistance. Its really become a Family effort and created a bonding avenue for everyone.

Why do you ruck?

Like I said, I felt as if this a path I'm supposed to follow, It's brought my family closer, It has given me a strong sense of accomplishment, that I hadn't felt in years, each week as I conquer the next challenge. And above all it has strengthened my relationship with God. When I'm out on the ruck, it's me vs me, and that can get brutal, So I just have conversations with God. That has really been amazing.

Favorite ruck so far?

I can't really say I have a Favorite ruck. Each one has had its own challenges, reasons, and meaning. For example, I was in the Army when the battle of Mogadishu happened. So, it touches close to my heart.

What is the hardest lesson you've learned on a ruck?

It's not so much learned as been reminded. The battle isn't in the miles; it's in your mind. It's you vs you. Win or lose, finish or don't, give in to the pain or push through, it all comes down to you.

What is your go-to ruck setup?

My go-to set up is an Army issue Molle 2 with a couple drop pouches, an Army issue camel back hydration system and a couple mag pouches to carry quick access gels and stuff.

What is your advice for new ruckers?

My advice to new Ruckers, SOCKS MATTER and HYDRATE, HYDRATE, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don't stop moving.

What is the next event you are training for?

The next event for me is the Czech military march, but my training is for the Norwegian in November.

What is a fun fact about you?

I also crochet, and actually crocheted my wife a dress for Easter a couple years ago.

KEN FRANK - INDIANA, USA