I know everyone has their weakness. Some endurance, some strength etc. This is for the operators. Do you guys know of people that were non-athletic and than trained for their indoc into sof field? Than made it? I can run for miles, but seriously I can't seem to get faster than the avg guy. Its my dream to be an operator but im mentally just fucking myself. Kind of just looking for some inspiration. I never thought i'd go to combat, never thought i'd be in a firefight, never thought i'd work on someone half dead. I never thought I could save a life. Well I've never been so sure of a dream until about 1 year ago. Kind of sad really. But I think about bud/s every single day, before I sleep, eat, work out. Its sad really. My wife will even ask me "what phase are you thinking about?" when i have my thinking face on. I know alot of you out their are operators, have worked with people that hate to run. But do it. It'd be nice to hear that some of you dont have God like fitness. Thanks for your time
any SOF that started out from non athletic life style?
- Thread starter DocPQ
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L
Looon
Guest
I was in shit shape when I joined the Army. SERIOUSLY shitty shape.
Even after I graduated RIP and went to 3rd batt, I was far from being the biggest PT stud on the planet. I was bigger than most. 6ft3in tall and around 220 lbs. But I ended up excelling in every way.
Guys that you think should make it based on their physical state don't make it. Then you have the guys that you think don't stand a chance but do in fact make it.
It's a state of mind. If 'you' have the will to make it, that overrides one's physical abilities. Even if you happen the be the best in shape fucker in the world, you will not make it if you don't have the right state of mind. PERIOD.
SEALs, Rangers, SF etc... IS NOT FOR EVERYONE regardless of one's desire to do so.
If you want to give it a shot, shut up and give it a shot. PERIOD.
When the training gets 'tough' is when people quit. For me, the tougher it got, the harder I pushed myself. When it was all over, I then realized that it actually wasn't that hard.
I could hump and ruck with the best of them, if not better, and would watch in amazement at some very small guys keep up with my ass. There was another 60 gunner in another platoon that was so small, his gun case would drag the ground behind him, yet he could keep up with anyone. You would think that he wasn't built for it but he managed to do the job anyway.
State of mind.
Even after I graduated RIP and went to 3rd batt, I was far from being the biggest PT stud on the planet. I was bigger than most. 6ft3in tall and around 220 lbs. But I ended up excelling in every way.
Guys that you think should make it based on their physical state don't make it. Then you have the guys that you think don't stand a chance but do in fact make it.
It's a state of mind. If 'you' have the will to make it, that overrides one's physical abilities. Even if you happen the be the best in shape fucker in the world, you will not make it if you don't have the right state of mind. PERIOD.
SEALs, Rangers, SF etc... IS NOT FOR EVERYONE regardless of one's desire to do so.
If you want to give it a shot, shut up and give it a shot. PERIOD.
When the training gets 'tough' is when people quit. For me, the tougher it got, the harder I pushed myself. When it was all over, I then realized that it actually wasn't that hard.
I could hump and ruck with the best of them, if not better, and would watch in amazement at some very small guys keep up with my ass. There was another 60 gunner in another platoon that was so small, his gun case would drag the ground behind him, yet he could keep up with anyone. You would think that he wasn't built for it but he managed to do the job anyway.
State of mind.
I really appreciate it, and it is time. I'll keep you guys updated. March I do my screening.
L
Looon
Guest
I joined the service long before there was a internet. There was no way to get an idea of what to expect. There was no way to get advice on how to train for it. There was no way to tell what I was actually getting myself into.
I signed up to be a Ranger and regardless of what I might face to get there, I made a commitment to just fucking do it. I would die before I would ever think about quitting.
You could train your ass off and be in the best possible shape ahead of time and it won't matter if after you get there and realize that that life isn't for you.
I signed up to be a Ranger and regardless of what I might face to get there, I made a commitment to just fucking do it. I would die before I would ever think about quitting.
You could train your ass off and be in the best possible shape ahead of time and it won't matter if after you get there and realize that that life isn't for you.
I agree that making it through most SOF training is mental, but you cannot forget to physically prepare for the worst. The easier the physical events are on you, the less you will have to depend on your mental toughness to pull you through your physical shortcomings. George Patton said "A pint of sweat, saves a gallon of blood.", well in your case a pint of sweat will save a gallon of tears later.
Most of the guys I have come to know in the service had a sports background or some sort of background that got them out of the house and working with their hands and mind. Not all of them were natural athletes, but all of them were students of their chosen profession and they understood that in order to be good at what they do, they had to be fit. If you cant arrive at the battlefield in a condition where you can positively influence the fight then you are no good to your men. Good luck.
Most of the guys I have come to know in the service had a sports background or some sort of background that got them out of the house and working with their hands and mind. Not all of them were natural athletes, but all of them were students of their chosen profession and they understood that in order to be good at what they do, they had to be fit. If you cant arrive at the battlefield in a condition where you can positively influence the fight then you are no good to your men. Good luck.
Well said sir. I loved being with infantry, just so tired of dry holes, crappy intel, and having shitty hand me down gear. I'll keep you guys updated, maybe even run into some of you in the future.
You don't have to be that fit. You just have to be hard. If you want to do something, put it in your head that you will do it and more than likely you will end up there. If you cut it short, I guarantee you won't.
Not everybody who is in SOF is a great athlete. They all worked pretty hard to get there. The trick is staying in shape over the span of your career. My advise is to bust your ass to get in there and then stay in shape. Don't be that guy...
Not everybody who is in SOF is a great athlete. They all worked pretty hard to get there. The trick is staying in shape over the span of your career. My advise is to bust your ass to get in there and then stay in shape. Don't be that guy...
Re-evaluate your goals. Stop overthinking. Change your mindset from 'What If I Fail', to 'When I Pass', What Lies Ahead.
I worked at SFAS mid-90's.
1 soldier, 1 soldier friend visited me after I moved back to Faynam in 2003. The friend brought a fat overweight pessimist soldier with him to 'try' selection. 2 guys attempted SFAS, 1 guy failed, 1 guy passed. Guess which one.
The one who passed goes by the callsign 'varsity'.
The failures questions were 'Where do I go if I don't get selected' and 'What happens to me back at my unit if I don't make it'.
WTF.
After reading your 'What If's', it appears you have already formalized your thoughts of failure into the 'What If Abyss'.
Change your mindset.
Your wife does not exist when you are in BUD/S. The real world does not exist when you are in BUD/S. You should have 1 single minded thought while attending ANY SOF school/selection, and that is to get selected.
:2c:
That's motivating.
Hey now, that's not always true! Rock used to tell people that without me there, he would've quit. I know I helped get him through.
Back to the original question about running, my ex didn't run so much as lumber. He was pretty slow on land, but a fish in the water. He said that the worst thing about BUDS was the COLD water. It doesn't matter what time of year it is, the water in San Diego is frickin' COLD. You have to be prepared for that, because that's when most of the guys in his class that rang out did so - during the nighttime evolutions that were spent mostly in the water.
To summarize what my SF Brothers posted.
1. If you really want it, and are supposed to be there - you'll make it.
2. each 25m target is there for a reason.
3. Just friggin do it.
4. There is no tomorrow.
5. There is no yesterday.
6. It's not luck, it's determination. Be determined.
1. If you really want it, and are supposed to be there - you'll make it.
2. each 25m target is there for a reason.
3. Just friggin do it.
4. There is no tomorrow.
5. There is no yesterday.
6. It's not luck, it's determination. Be determined.
when I joined the Army, I was not in any shape that I would brag about. I was average built, around 210 at 6'1.. Was a little more fit when I got to RIP but not a huge improvement.
The runs in RIP killed me, but I still passed all my PT tests and ruck times.
I didnt play any sports really, and I hated to run.
But I made it through. And I gotta tell you.. for something like SOF selection, its like 90/10.. 10 physical/90 mental. When I started RIP, there was this gent who already served in Korea with an Infantry Division (its number escapes me). He looked like God himself carved him from stone. And I was like... man is this what it takes to be a Ranger??? Umm yeah, he quit the first night of Cole Range because it was too cold and rainy.. along with 75% of the class.
Being physically fit is helpful, but it has nothing to do with telling yourself, "I wont quit". I cant tell you how many PT studs quit at Cole Range. I dont blame them, I pissed myself to keep warm many times. But you get through it.
Its hard to say who has the mentality to make it through.. Its not something you can train on. Its in you already, or its not. Simple as that.
The runs in RIP killed me, but I still passed all my PT tests and ruck times.
I didnt play any sports really, and I hated to run.
But I made it through. And I gotta tell you.. for something like SOF selection, its like 90/10.. 10 physical/90 mental. When I started RIP, there was this gent who already served in Korea with an Infantry Division (its number escapes me). He looked like God himself carved him from stone. And I was like... man is this what it takes to be a Ranger??? Umm yeah, he quit the first night of Cole Range because it was too cold and rainy.. along with 75% of the class.
Being physically fit is helpful, but it has nothing to do with telling yourself, "I wont quit". I cant tell you how many PT studs quit at Cole Range. I dont blame them, I pissed myself to keep warm many times. But you get through it.
Its hard to say who has the mentality to make it through.. Its not something you can train on. Its in you already, or its not. Simple as that.
Good effin luck man. Its ALL mental, even the physical stuff.....mentally can you take it? Im sure you can. You'll make it.
I'm a big wuss really, but I'm also ridiculously stubborn, which helps. Nobody can make me quit anything. That has gotten me in plenty of trouble at times, but it's also gotten me through some very long and uncomfortable times in my military career. Don't let "mercy" be in your vocabulary. Nobody's going to make you quit, and everything else is temporary.
i'm not SOF, so I cannot speak as some others can, but having spent years in the infantry I will say this. I'm a lean guy, 5'8 and 150. I DID NOT come into the military from a athletic background, and for years in didn't really take care of myself in the mental or physical aspect. A few years ago, after suffering a hernia, I decided to change that. Trust me, if you set your mind to it, anything and everything is possible. Dedication and setting your mind to a goal will achieve ALOT. After taking a much more vaunted interest in my physical well being, I went from a 230/300 PFT to a 280/300 PFT. Focus your mind, set it to what you want and how you will get to them, and you will succeed. Good luck to you and God's speed.
Well, umm...
I didn't play sports, I really didn't work out. I did PE every year in high school more because it was more interesting, got to be outside, and I'd swim 3 times a week and lift twice a week. I was in boy scouts.
Everyone thought I would be the next bill gates or something. A friend from high school I have on facebook led to seeing another friend post on his page. She's in the army now as a dental tech.
I wish I could have seen the look on her face when she saw my military pictures and shit. I was NOT expected to go military let alone go into SOF... Throws old acquaintances for a loop.
Mental toughness, understanding that they can't PURPOSELY kill you, and just putting it in your mind to just keep going until they say stop...
Shit's not hard, but shit ain't easy either.
I didn't play sports, I really didn't work out. I did PE every year in high school more because it was more interesting, got to be outside, and I'd swim 3 times a week and lift twice a week. I was in boy scouts.
Everyone thought I would be the next bill gates or something. A friend from high school I have on facebook led to seeing another friend post on his page. She's in the army now as a dental tech.
I wish I could have seen the look on her face when she saw my military pictures and shit. I was NOT expected to go military let alone go into SOF... Throws old acquaintances for a loop.
Mental toughness, understanding that they can't PURPOSELY kill you, and just putting it in your mind to just keep going until they say stop...
Shit's not hard, but shit ain't easy either.
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