Beast Goddess
Ruck Club
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Train like a beast. Love like a goddess. Live like a warrior.
Bellingham, WA · Coached toward GORUCKEvery mile is
a practice.
The ruck is a tool. And what you discover while carrying it? Well, that's the point.
I started rucking because it changed me in ways I didn't have words for yet. There's something about strapping weight to your back and walking — especially through the trails of Bellingham, where the trees are old and the air asks nothing of you — that cuts through the noise faster than almost anything else I've found.
The Beast Goddess Ruck Club grew from that. A space for people who want to build real physical strength and show up to their lives differently. We train toward GORUCK events — team-based endurance challenges that will push you past what you thought you were capable of. But the training is just the container. What happens inside it is up to you.
We use the Sophrosyne Way as our framework — eight pillars rooted in the ancient Greek ideal of self-mastery, balance, and wholeness. The ruck takes care of the body. The pillars take care of the rest.
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Ready to start? The trail is waiting.
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Where are you
in your spiral?
Our tiers are drawn from Savannah Wishart's Spiral of Transformation — a progression of goddess archetypes that moves from raw physical power toward integrated self-mastery. Advancement isn't about pushing pace or maximizing load. It's about consistency, honesty, and doing the work. The ruck will tell you when you're ready, and if you move too fast... it will humble you.
I've developed a series of Tiers as invitations for standards to practice from. There are three: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Where you start doesn't matter; just that you show up.
Atalanta
"Physical power and autonomy. You are remembering what your body can do."
Atalanta was a huntress — abandoned at birth, raised by bears, faster than every man who came for her. She didn't discover her strength in the controlled, safe container of a gym. She found it by moving through the wild. At this tier, you are doing the same. You're building the habit of showing up, figuring out how your body responds to load, and realizing — probably sooner than you expected — that you are stronger than you thought.
- Complete a 4-mile Padden Loop ruck
- Ruck 2x per week for 4 consecutive weeks
- Attend 2 group rucks per month
- Log 3 rucks in one week for the first time
- Complete the Nightly Check-In for 7 consecutive days
- A solo ruck in nature — notice the earth and sky, without company or technology
Artemis
"Wild instinct and self-trust. You have found your rhythm — now push deeper."
Artemis is the huntress who doesn't second-guess herself. Goddess of the moon and the forest, she moves with the kind of quiet confidence that only comes from having been alone in the dark and kept going anyway. By this tier, you know your body. You've stopped waiting to feel ready. Now the work gets more intentional — longer distances, more weight, more honest conversations with yourself about what you're actually capable of.
- 8 weeks consistent — 2+ rucks per week
- Complete an 8-mile ruck at full Artemis weight
- Written or spoken reflection: "What am I reclaiming?"
- 8-mile ruck at Artemis weight, sub 2:45
- Test yourself — add 5 lbs for one full week of rucks
- Invite someone into the ruck club!
Sophrosyne
"Integration and balance. You carry weight — physical and metaphorical — without apology or explanation."
Sophrosyne (Ancient Greek: σωφροσύνη) — a healthy state of mind, characterized by self-control, moderation, and a deep awareness of one's true self, resulting in true happiness.
Sophrosyne isn't the loudest or the heaviest. She's the one who has done enough inner work that she doesn't need to prove anything anymore. The strength is there — built over months of showing up — and so is the softness. She leads with quiet confidence, and often in silence. And she knows that the training never really ends, because the point was never to arrive.
- 12-week consistent training log
- Complete Artemis tier requirements
- 12-mile ruck at Sophrosyne weight, sub 3:30
- Complete the GORUCK Simulation Day (event coming soon)
- Complete an official GORUCK event — any distance
- Summit a local mountain with full ruck weight
- 30-day daily self-connection practice, integrating the physical with mental and emotional practices
- 6- or 12- hour SEALFIT event
Eight pillars.
One practice.
The Sophrosyne Nightly Check-In came out of my own practice — a simple set of questions I return to at the end of the day to make sure I'm living in integrity, and not just moving through the motions. In the ruck club, we use it to close group sessions and track what's shifting over time. The eight pillars serve as a compass to alignment.
Sophrosyne Nightly Check-In
by Savannah Wishart · Beast Goddess
After every group ruck we close with a 2-minute check-in — everyone rates their energy 1–10, no explanation required. Over time, patterns emerge. You start to notice what depletes you and what fills you back up.
We all showed up on the ruck, but were you truly present? Did you feel the air against your skin, the rain on your face, your hips straining under the weight? Sometimes numbers are easier to log than being in your body.
Bellingham gifts us with the magick of Chuckanut, Padden, Mount Baker, the bay, the trails. We build deliberate pauses into our rucks — a breath at the ridge, stillness at the water. Marinating ourselves in the presence of the trees is just as important as moving between them.
We end every group ruck by sharing one moment of joy from the day. It keeps our mind searching for the positives — training is hard, and joy is part of what makes hard things sustainable. And food.
Contrary to what many people think, discipline isn't punishment. It's keeping integrity with yourself. The question I come back to in tier conversations: are you training from a place of self-love and care, or from a feeling of not-enough-ness? The body knows the difference even when the mind doesn't.
At Sophrosyne tier, a daily self-connection practice outside of rucking is recommended. Five minutes of journaling post-ruck counts. The physical training is one layer. This is another. If time and weather permit, we end rucks with silence and journaling, so that we can begin to integrate our hard work before we move on with our days.
Document your journey however feels natural — photos, voice memos, writing. It could be a public blog, or it could just be for you, as a witness to your journey. Optional group shares if you'd like to be publicly celebrated.
The most useful question in every debrief and every tier advancement conversation. The hard miles are always teaching something — if you're willing to stay with the question long enough to hear the answer.
What you
need to start.
You don't need much. An old backpack with some weight in it will get you through Atalanta tier just fine (you can use rocks, a kettlebell, dumbbells -- feel free to be creative). As you advance, the gear matters more, especially if you're crawling around in the mud and doing a Hero WOD at 3am. The right ruck and plate make a real difference at 5+ miles. That being said, it's always better to start simple and build from there, instead of never starting at all.
Here are some gear recommendations to get started. Feel free to email me any questions you have about what might work best for your goals and needs!
Essential Gear
- Rucksack — GORUCK Rucker recommended; include hip belt and sternum strap
- Ruck plate or other weight — start light; you can always build over time
- Broken-in trail or hiking shoes (suggested: Mackall rucking shoes or Merrell Trail Gloves)
- Moisture-wicking base layer
- Rain shell — it IS the PNW after all
- Hydration — water bottle or bladder
- Headlamp for early morning or evening rucks
- Reflective tape on the pack/ruck
Recommended Add-Ons
- Merino wool socks
- Trekking poles (hikes/backcountry only)
- Small first aid kit
- SNACKS (!!)
- Journal for post-ruck reflection
- Watercolors, other art supplies on special event days
Weight Standards by Tier
- Atalanta — Women: 10-15 lbs / Men: 15-20 lbs
- Artemis — Women: 20 lbs / Men: 30 lbs
- Sophrosyne — Women: 25–30 lbs / Men: 45 lbs
- GORUCK Light: 20 lbs (W) / 30 lbs (M)
- GORUCK Tough: 25–30+ lbs (W) / 45+ lbs (M)
Where to Start
- GORUCK Rucker 4.0 — built specifically for rucking
- GORUCK ruck plate
- Old backpack + weight plates — works for Atalanta tier
- Weighted vest or Spy Ruck (for women) — alternative for fun, but not allowed for official ruck events
What we
agree to.
If you're like me, you have some resistance to authority figures and rules that just seem to be for the sake of having rules. Through my own self-discipline practices, I have found it extremely helpful to create standards for myself that ensure that I show up at a high level, and continue to grow from there. This "Code of Conduct" is inspired by agreements that I've made with myself... which, in turn, extends to how we support those who are rucking beside us. The quality of this club is a direct reflection of what each person brings to it.
Within minutes of startex at every GORUCK event I've done, the anxiety that had been living between my ribs all week goes quiet — and what takes over is just the work. The ruck is not trying to break you. It is showing you what you're made of. Keep moving.
Zero tolerance for gossip, comparison culture, or belittling another member's progress. We don't shrink people here, and that includes ourselves. If something isn't working, we address it directly and with care. This is a place where we celebrate each other, and by doing so, we lift one another up!
The cold mornings. The sore shoulders. The stretch of miles you didn't think you had left in you. These are the whole point. You chose this. Come back to that choice when it gets hard. Remember how good that shower is going to feel, and how delicious that food is going to taste when you really, truly earn it!
You're responsible for your training, your energy, and your attitude. When you miss a week — and you will miss weeks — you return without drama, without a long explanation, without shame. You just start again.
There is no final destination here. we will never arrive at happiness, without sorrow. We will never hit a level of fitness and never have to train again. No one in this club has arrived at a final stage of achievement. The moment you stop asking questions is the moment the real growth stops. Stay curious — about the training, the trees, about your body, and about what's possible.
How you show up on the trail is a reflection of how you show up everywhere. The ruck humbles the ego after a few miles. Masks and armor begin to fall away. That's one of the things I love most about it.
One of the most powerful things about GORUCK events is carrying each other — sometimes literally. When someone climbs the tiers to Sophrosyne, we all feel it. A win for a team member is a win for the team.
Crying on a ruck is allowed. Laughing on a ruck is invited. You are welcome here as the full version of yourself — not the edited one.
What you
need to know.
Walking with a weighted pack. As crazy as that sounds, yes, it is that simple. When I met someone to learn all about this ruck event thing, I couldn't wrap my head around the simplicity of it. "Isn't that... hiking...? Why the alternative name?" It's one of the oldest forms of human movement. Soldiers, hunters, gatherers have all done it (and still do). The weight builds aerobic fitness and muscular endurance with far less impact than running, and it's one of the most effective things I've found for regulating the nervous system while also building real strength.
You can click here to join the facebook group, or reach out via email.
Most updates will be shared on the Bellingham Ruck Club substack, where I'll be sending out weekly newsletters with the local event, plus some inspirational thought bites and a remote rucking challenge. You can sign up for emails here.
Rucking events are team work. If you were in BUD/S, this is your boat crew. Which means that the team supports the one who is struggling most. No on gets left behind! This is not like Spartan or Tough Mudder (although I will be designing some fun events where we get to have fun crawling in the mud!).
No. The Atalanta tier meets you where you are. 10-15 pounds and a willingness to show up is enough. The fitness comes from the training — that's the point.
The Beast Goddess world is rooted in feminine reclamation, but the ruck club welcomes everyone. The beast, the goddess, the warrior — those energies live in all of us. Sophrosyne has no gender. That being said, as we grow, my intention is to start a women's only group.
Team-based endurance challenges led by Special Forces cadre. The GORUCK Light runs 4–5 hours; the GORUCK Tough runs 10–12 hours. They are some of the most clarifying experiences I've had in my life (although mine were in Sweden through MILRUCK) — the kind that make everything else feel more possible. Sophrosyne tier is designed to get you GORUCK Tough-ready.
The location changes, and we let participants know ahead of time.
To start, we are having one group ruck per week. Attendance is encouraged but not mandatory every week. Your solo rucking fills the rest of your weekly mileage goals.
Eight questions I return to at the end of the day — Energy, Movement, Nature Time, Pleasure, Discipline, Self-Connection, Creative Expression, Alchemy. I close group rucks with it and encourage it as a daily personal practice. The physical training is one layer of what we're building here, but that is just the foundation. The Pillars are something I developed in my life coaching program to check-in with the areas of life that feel the most important to me.
You come back. No explanation, no shame spiral, no long apology needed. Radical ownership means picking up where you left off and moving forward. The timeline is yours — what matters is that you keep returning to it. It doesn't do anyone any good to wallow in shame. Life happens, we pick ourselves up, we move forward.
Hej, I'm
Savannah.
in my happy place (on a mountain)
I'm happiest when I'm moving my body with my world on my back. A mountain helps, too.
Rucking found me the way most good things do — at a point when my world was crumbling, and I needed to rebuild my sense of self. Choosing to do hard things made it easier for me to face the challenges that life throws my way, that don't come with my signature of consent. But a ruck? I choose to do the hard work there. As Dennis Hultgren of MILRUCK has said -- when you are chililng at a coffee shop, you've got a million problems. But when you're 7 hours into a ruck event with a giant log over you're head? You've widdled that pile of problems down to one. With the weight of your world on your back and a team to keep you accountable and lean on, you commit to one single step forward, and somewhere in that movement, things start to get clearer.
I've been coaching people toward their edges for 7 years — in CrossFit, in life coaching, in GORUCK-style training, and in the kind of vulnerable conversations about strength and self-worth that most people avoid until the Universe smacks them across the face. The Beast Goddess Ruck Club is where all of that comes together (minus the smacking).
Six MILRUCK finishes. Enough miles on my back to know that the wall you hit around hour six at 3 am is the same wall you hit in the rest of your life — and that what you do with it matters. I founded The Primal Revolution in 2013 to explore what it means to live beyond the comfortable and the ordinary. The ruck club is one way to explore the physical expression of life lived beyond the status quo.
I lead these rucks because I know what it costs to live life outside of alignment, and away from like-minded people. Whether you're carrying fifteen pounds for the first time or training for your first GORUCK Tough, I'll be on the trail with you.
"I'm here to be a warrior and a leader. To master myself so I can fulfill this purpose as best I can." — Mark Divine
That quote has lived in me for years, even before I read it. Warrior is a place I earn each day — through the training, through the hard conversations, through the choice to keep moving when stopping would be easier. That's what I want to create through Bellingham's ruck club -- to explore and expand what is possible.
Learn more at beastgoddess.com and primalrevolution.com
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