Today (I wrote this text on the 8th of November, 2025), at the beginning of walking, doing street photography, and rucking, I told myself, “Enjoy discomfort.”
Why did I tell it? I wanted to inspire and uplift myself. After all, it was the first time I was rucking with the most significant amount of kg (37.5 [83 lbs]) on my back and shoulders during cold weather (it was 6 degrees Celsius [43 degrees Fahrenheit]). Do I have to mention I was walking in summer clothes (including the www.adammazek.com t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers – without a winter cap and gloves)? How did I feel? In general, I felt great. I took over 13k steps. Also, I took over 100 photos during my photo walk. During the night before my walk, I slept for eleven hours. I think it is one of the most crucial factors to be able to do all things mentioned above.
Besides the proper length of sleep, what is the recipe to be able to walk in summer clothes in such cold weather, by taking over 13k steps with a rucksack weighing 37.5 kg?
Speaking shortly, to succeed, one must enjoy discomfort. Without it, there wouldn’t be a success, and I probably would have to return to my home by taxi. One must accept pain and discomfort to finish this hectic task. Without embracing it, it would not be possible. While rucking in such circumstances, I am focusing on pain. It appears mainly due to the heavy load in the whole body or due to the cold in my fingers and hands.
I am monitoring myself to see whether the pain is normal. In general, I’ve never stopped my walk due to pain, so I’ve never had unusual pain while rucking or walking in cold weather. Also, once I am in a flow of feeling discomfort, I often sing songs to myself. For today, mainly while rucking, I am singing Led Zeppelin’s songs like “For Your Life” or “The Rover.”
