From Civilian to Sailor

I have heard that RTC(Recruit Training Camp) is 80% mental and 20% physical. So my goal is to knock out the physical part before I leave, and devote that extra 20% to the mental.

As a 20-24 year old male I am required to do a 1.5 mile run in 13 minutes and 30 seconds or faster. Also I have to do about 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups. I don't remember the exact number, just that 50 of each was "satisfactory". 13 minutes 30 seconds for the 1.5 mile run is actually "probationary" so my goal is to do much better than that. The push-ups and sit-ups never worried me, I have been able to do that since before I even signed up. The run, however, was going to be problem.

So my friend Kevin and I started running about 2 month ago I think. We started out running a quarter-mile, and then walking a quarter-mile repeating 4 times. That lasted for about a week, and we upped it to running a half, walking a half, and then running another half. Next we bumped it up to running a the whole mile in times ranging from 7 to 8 minutes. Until finally we ran the whole mile and a half one day. I don't remember exactly but I think we were under 13:30. Now we always run a mile and a half, no matter how much we think we're going to cramp up and fall over, or get sick all over our shiny running shoes. Our best time is 11 minutes and 17 seconds, we must've had a good day that day because we haven't matched or beat that yet. My Initial Fitness Assessment(IFA) is this Saturday but I'm not worried about it, as long as I can get under 13:30 I pass. It will be strange running by myself though. I recommend running with a partner, one who will push you when you're ready to quit. You end up doing more than you ever thought you could. I went from running a quarter-mile and then walking a quarter-mile to running a mile and a half straight in under 13 minutes in about a month. If I had been doing it all by myself I would probably still be fretting about my test coming up.


Oh! almost forgot... 21 days!