Day 1

So Folks - If you're stumbled onto this blog, you're probably wondering what my blog "Road To The Ranger Tab" is. Here it what it is: It is the chronicle of my personal journey towards earning the United States Army's coveted Ranger Tab.

I decided to start the blog and journey on this day because in exactly 4 months from today, I will be done with my first year of teaching at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Four months is the recommended minimum amount of time that Ranger candidates should spend physically and mentally preparing for Ranger School. I should make one thing clear: I am unsure at this point whether I am going to go to Ranger School either this summer or next summer, but I figure either way I need at least 4 months to prepare.

I have a former Navy SEAL mentoring me through this process. The first big "step" he and I are working on is physical preparation. Starting today, I begin my mentor's "Phase 1" workout. This is a 10 week workout program designed to build the very high level of physical fitness needed to pass Ranger School. The "Phase 2" workout will be for the remainder for the 4 months and is designed to help me pass the specialized Ranger School events, like ruck marches, airborne training and the notorious, grueling obstacle course known as the Darby Queen. At least for the next 10 weeks, though, the blog will focus on my trials and tribulations of the Phase 1 workout.

In order to help motivate myself, and share the results of this journey with those following me, I will post workout statistics, pictures, and general musings about how everything is going.

Thanks for following,

Phil