1-15 A&S

[yarles87]

Fellas,

Looking to start a thread for the January class. With Uncle Petey's blessings, here it goes...

I'm following MA's Operator Sessions, supplemented with swimming 3-4 times a week until I hit 10 weeks out for the prep program. This will be a struggle with ITX/EMV taking up the first 3 weeks of the prep program, but sometimes you have to make do.

PFT: Last one was a 290 in the late spring.
15k race down in Coronado: 7:38min/mile pace

Goal times:
12mi ruck: 2:10
300m swim: sub 8min
PFT: Probably just look to maintain that score

I gave myself a little test on Friday to see where I'm at:
4 mile ruck (45# dry) - 44min flat for a 11min/mile pace. Felt pretty easy and just maintained a steady shuffle throughout.
Followed immediately by a 300m cammie swim - 8:45. This was the first time swimming in cammies, and the drag was significant, even with holes in pockets and ankle cuffs cut off.

Monday: A.M. 8 rds of 2x Craig special (rds 4-8 were at 235) and 10 pullups per round.
P.M. 5 mile at easy pace (8min/mile)

Tuesday: 8x3 of BP (rds 4-8 @ 275) and DL (rds 4-8 at 385) with 10 pullups every round.
P.M. (swim, all side stroke) 200m warm up slick, 5x100m (cammies). (fastest was 2:32, slowest 2:44). 1min rest between. 15min water tread to finish it out.

Notes: I'm messing around with my strokes to see what works best. I'm a bigger guy with bigger legs, and they can really start to drag me down. The long strokes work great when I'm slick, but not so well in cammies. I'll keep experimenting. The tread - I found keeping my body long, straight, and relaxed makes it easy. I keep my head tilted back and waterline at my chin. I use the scissor kick instead of beater style. I go to my happy place and enjoy the water.

Good luck everyone. Train Hard.

 

[yarles87]

5 mile ruck: 57min
Using the MARSOC fitness app for the stretching program.

Didn't feel like a good effort today. My legs were just smoked for some reason, so took to sprinting to a landmark, than hiking to another landmark.

 

[yarles87]

5 mile ruck: 57min
Using the MARSOC fitness app for the stretching program.

Didn't feel like a good effort today. My legs were just smoked for some reason, so took to sprinting to a landmark, than hiking to another landmark.

 

[yarles87]

Thurs (21Aug)
Same DL/BP/Pullup Routine as Tuesday.

Fri: Took a rest day, pulled a late one due to night training.

Sat: 7 mile run in a little less than a hour on a slightly hilly, loose sand trail. Just a LSD run.

Sunday I'll be hitting a swim, and then out to the field for a week. Hopefully this thread picks up a few guys while I'm gone!

 

[turminal_lance]

I just got back from 3-14 (medical drop) I am waiting to heal up before I start training again.
I'm sure youve heard this before but the 2 things that drop a lot of guys are Pull-ups and the swim.
As far as the pull ups. Practice strict pull ups. any sign of kipping or improper form is a wasted pull up. I practiced going all the way up. (chin clearly over the bar, hang, and count 1 Missisipi.
And the swimming. the time isnt as important as being comfortable in the water. Can you easily tread water for over 30 minutes in a pool full of dudes and having to pass off a 10 pound brick ? if you can be comfortable in the water under stress, and get the times. Dont worry about the pool too much. I did before I left and it didn't really do anything for me. Also you will be slower at A&S. about a minute or so.
Hope to see you there.

 

[Gomer]

Following the 10 week program, supplemented with Military Athlete operator sessions. Due to odd working hours (48 hours on, 48 hours off) I've had difficulty with consistent training times and days. After the 10 week program I'm going to go through the Military Athlete MARSOC program- looks really intense.

I've experimented with several different socks, and so far have found the smartwool light hiking socks with smartwool liner to compliment to be best for me. Haven't had any blisters yet (knock on wood).

During my post workout routine, unless I need to roll out a posterior muscle, I use "The Stick" and absolutely love/recommend it.

Current times:
3 Mile Run- 21:12
3 Mile Ruck- 23:35
6 Mile Ruck- 1:07
300m Swim: 9:47

I have yet to attempt any crossovers. Hoping to attempt that soon when I find a pool that allows it.

I'm on the airstation in Camp Pendleton, if anyone wants to train just let me know.

 

[Gomer]

Correction on that 3 Mile Ruck.... I was looking at one of my run times.

3 Mile Ruck- 29:02

 

[yarles87]

Terminal Lance - Best of luck healing up and reapplying. Sorry to hear about the injury.

Gomer - Blister avoidance tip: Leukotape on any areas on your foot that you know are prone to hotspots/blisters, and put some trailfoot vaseline ointment on toes/heels/where ever. Preemptive actions are the best to avoiding that hurt.

Did a 10 mile hike last week with the company, and a 9 miler tomorrow company movement. Standard infantry guy pace, which is agonizingly slow. I'm not going to double up on weekly rucks until 10 weeks out, but any time under ruck is better than nothing.

Sunday was some heavy Craig Special work, Monday was DL/BP with a 5 mile run at the end at a fasterish pace (38min), Tuesday was a quick work capacity sprint work, and today was the first day around a pool so jumped in.
200m slick warm up, 5x100 sprints in cammies, (fastest was 2:19, slowest was 2:40), and then a 300m test run. Hit 8:45, which is the same time for me, but felt much easier. I like doing the 300m's after I'm good and smoked. Pool closed on me so wasn't able to get a tread in.

I'll hit a 8mile run on friday, and get in the pool Thurs-Sun before heading out to the field again for the week.

 

[yarles87]

Thurs: 10 Mile BN hike... painfully slow
Fri: MA Operator Session followed by...
Swim: 100m warmup, 300m for time (8:15), 700m at about 80% effort, 15min water tread with 1 hand out, other hand out, both hands out, 15 secs per every 3 min.

300m was 30 sec PR for me, but it was with 25m lengths instead of 50m, so I'm not getting to excited over it.

8 mi LSD run tomorrow and more pool work.

 

[Stanimal]

Hmmm...where to start? As turminal_lance stated, one reason that candidates fail to make it through the program is pull ups. Form is very important. Not just for pull ups, but with every movement. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Many Marines have found out the hard way that A&S is very strict on pull ups. If you have any doubts on what will be counted and what will not, just read the order. (MCO 6100.13 w/ch 1) Google it, or go to your S-3 shop for reference. Follow the order and you'll be fine. Another reason candidates go home early? The pool. It's not necessarily due to slow swim times, but rather a fear of water or drowning that makes Marines quit. Many candidates lack the confidence to swim, tread or do underwater crossovers. It is a difficult thing to train for, because MCCS will never let you practice these things. You just have to find a way to get out of your comfort zone in the water. Push yourself. Better yet, try and get a MCIWS to push you beyond what you think you are capable of. Try sprinting one lap down and back in cammies as hard as you can. When you reach the wall, immediately push off and begin treading water. Your heart and respiratory rates will be very high at this point, so use the water tread as a way to actively recover. Don't push yourself hard on a sprint, and then stand up or grab the wall. You'll get no such respite at A&S. Use the tread to catch your breath! If you find the wall irresistible, turn your back to it. That way you won't be tempted to reach out.

Yarles87: Practice treading with your body straight up and down, or "vertical" in the water column. Keep your head up and your eyes to the front. You want to keep the waterline below the ears, so you can hear commands from the MCIWS/staff. Also, the scissor kick is good for tank treads with fins, but the "frog" or "egg beater" is preferred for treading in cammies. Work on your technique until you master one of these two styles. Don't know what tank treads are? You are one of the lucky ones...

The number one reason candidates leave the program early? Drop On Request. Many Marines have pulled themselves out of training over the years. A few had legitimate family reasons, or what have you. Most just had a change of heart, or felt that they weren't good enough. Just give it everything you've got everyday, and let the chips fall where they may. Oh...and never, ever quit. Ever!

 

[Stanimal]

Here are a few goals to shoot for during your prep before January. These are not the "answers to the test", but if you follow the guidance it will help to set you up for success. You will want to have a PFT score above 275 in order to avoid receiving a counseling. MARSOC's T&R manual states that CSOs must maintain a minimum PFT score of 225. This is ridiculously low, and will simply not get it done. Any CSO (or Recon Marine for that matter) worth his salt would be embarrassed to admit he ran anything less than a 285. That is not an exaggeration. In the conventional Marine Corps, a 250 PFT is a pretty good score. In MARSOC, a 250 is laughable unless you are injured in some way. I have a buddy who has never gotten less than 20 pull ups until he broke his hand riding dirt bikes. With a cast on and gripping only with fingertips, he managed 17 strict reps. Operators always find a way.
Have someone grade your pull ups, and ask them to scrutinize your reps pretty harshly. Come to a complete dead hang. Pull straight up so that your chin is completely above the bar. Return to the starting position and give a slight pause at the bottom. Repeat. Seems pretty simple, but candidates punt this one into the stands quite a bit. Reps in the 7-10 range on the initial test at A&S are not uncommon, and almost always precede a candidate's early departure.

You will do several rucks at Phase I, the shortest being 8 miles. Although the minimum standard pace is 15 min/mile, you'll need to go quite a bit faster to be competitive. The shorter ruck runs (less than 6 miles) are good for Marines who are trying to work up to the longer distances. As soon as you are able, start doing 8, 10 or 12 mile distances. Don't try and ruck more than twice a month, and always do something that's great for active recovery the following day like swimming. For a good target pace, try to run 12 min. miles or faster on the longer rucks. For shorter rucks, 10-11 min. miles should be manageable. Don't be surprised on the first ruck run at A&S if all the candidates leave the starting line at a full gallop.

I've already given some swim advice in another thread for ITC prep, so I won't expound here. Yarles87 mentioned above about swimming in modified cammies. I must caution you against cutting off the bottoms of your cammies, or removing pockets to reduce drag. It is simply not authorized. If you show up to the pool wearing modded cammies, you will be told to change and you will be counseled for failing to follow instructions. Get used to the drag now, and work on overcoming it with better technique and efficiency in the water.
As always...train hard, train smart and good luck!

 

[yarles87]

Stanimal,

Thanks for all the solid gouge, that's great information!

My Co. was in the field this Mon-Thurs. Was able to fit in field PT every day with body calisthenics and hill sprints, on top of running around with kit all day.

Today hit the pool (all in cammies):
100m warmup
4rds: 50m swim, 10 air squats, 10 push ups, 10 crunches
300m swim - 8:31
4rds: 1 min tread w/both hands, 1min w/1 hand out, 1min w/other hand out
10min tread
4rds: 100m swim, 15 push ups, 20 4-count flutter kicks

Felt pretty good overall... 8 mi run in the morning and swim again the afternoon

 

[dmcgill]

Stanimal, I know you've only been here a short time but already your contributions are substantial. Thank you for all the insight.

 

[Stanimal]

Stanimal, I know you've only been here a short time but already your contributions are substantial. Thank you for all the insight.

Thanks dmcgill. Digging the new avatar BTW...

 

[piratezookeeper]

It's still on the first page but I'm loving this thread already. Thank you Stanimal for being a wealth of knowledge. I'll throw my numbers out there for everyone as well:

PFT...................293 - 19:10 on my run time
300m swim......8:16
4 mile ruck.......47:42

I'm going through the USMC 10 week prep guide until I'm exactly 10 weeks out, then I'll be switching to the military athlete 10 week prep guide. Pool hours around San Diego aren't exactly convenient but I go as much as work allows me to regardless. I'm looking forward to working with you guys come january.

 

[Stanimal]

Good to see some guys on here working hard to get better. I hope to see a few more as we inch closer to January. Expect to see an improvement in your overall performance as fall brings cooler temperatures and lower humidity. This should allow you to push yourself harder with less fear of heat related injuries.

One thing you guys should do is try and link up with someone who has similar fitness goals, and work out with them. Ideally, another Marine preparing to attend the 15-1 course. Having a like-minded training partner will help to motivate you through the more grueling sessions. Working out with a partner will make both of you better. Competition amongst yourselves should bring out the all-consuming desire to win. If it doesn't, don't bother coming. You aren't the guy they are looking for. Just remember when you arrive at A&S that your training partner will also be competing for your seat in the next phase of training. Space at the top is limited, and rightly reserved only for those who want it most.

 

[Gomer]

I consider myself and everyone else on this board to be very lucky. Those of us who are bound for A&S receive such a wealth of knowledge from all of the SOF personnel who are so obviously passionate about what they do/know. After implementing a compilation of tips, with many coming from lengthy posts from Uncle Petey and Stanimal, I can always see myself improving. Nothing is more motivating. Thank you.

Recently my 300m swim has improved the most. Today I swam it in 8:19, which is almost 1:30 faster than my last post just weeks ago.

Now an MA Operator session.

 

[Stanimal]

Recently my 300m swim has improved the most. Today I swam it in 8:19, which is almost 1:30 faster than my last post just weeks ago.

Fantastic! Keep it up. One unique trait I've found that almost every operator shares is the relentless pursuit of......well, more. Bigger, faster, stronger, etc. You could be running a 16:30 3 mile, and you would still want to be a little faster. It is truly an addiction. If 20 pull ups is a perfect score on the Marine Corps PFT, and extra reps are worth nothing, why do Marines continue to strive for 25, 30 or even 40 reps? You will never be satisfied with good enough, and THAT is a beautiful thing.

 

[yarles87]

Gomer, awesome PR man! That's a hell of a time drop

Came down with a stomach virus last week that put me down pretty hard. I'm transitioning from the MA operator sessions to his run improvement course w/the 10 week guide swim cards and body weight workouts. Hit a 8:09 300m today. Finding a slow steady improvement with the swim, and looking to get my run time in the sub 19min range (last one I ran was 19:30)

I miss the hell out of powerlifting/oly lifting, but I want to get to about 205lbs, and I have some strength to sacrifice.

 

[piratezookeeper]

This week has been number 4 on the A&S prep guide, I finished the 5 mile ruck in 1:00:19. I ran/shuffled the whole way except for 3 short breaks to drink some water. Sometimes when I am unable to make it to the pool I just substitute the swim portion with a rower, the distance in meters is simply tripled.

My own number one concern is making sure I eat enough throughout the day to maintain recovery. I've been sitting at 155lbs for the better part of a year. Making sure my diet consists of healthy food isn't really as important as getting the proper amount of calories since I know my body will burn any fat I eat. I haven't lost any weight or been getting fat so I guess I've been doing it right so far.

I feel much better than when I first started doing this guide. My recovery times are getting much shorter and the runs at the end of a workout are getting faster. Cheers to another 8 weeks of good training. Props to Gomer on the new swim record, keep up the great work gentlemen!