*Disclaimer: I am not an ITC graduate. Nor am I a licensed strength and conditioning coach, or a medical professional. My statements are my own opinions and do not necessarily represent those of the Marine Special Operations School. If you choose to follow any of my advice, you do so strictly of your own volition.*
Ok, with that out of the way I can get down to business. First and foremost, congratulations on getting selected. It is a huge deal, but really just the beginning of a long journey. I like the fact that you have a plan to maximize your potential before checking in to ITC. That shows you have some drive, ambition and maturity.
I'll start with the rucks. ITC only does 10 mile ruck runs. That being said, I wouldn't waste my time rucking 3 or 5 miles. Since you have already been selected, I'll assume you are ready for 10 milers and will not need to work up to that distance. Only ruck once per month for at least 10 miles. Make sure your pack weighs at least 45 lbs. dry, not including chow and water. You'll probably be closer to 55 lbs. once you add a full Camelbak. Don't forget the rifle either. Now, I am not saying to run around the base, or your neighborhood with your AR in hand. You don't want that kind of attention. You can substitute the weight of the rifle by carrying a 2x4 (paint it black if it makes you feel better) or a 10 lb. weight. It may seem trivial, but you have to get used to carrying something in hand. You cannot, nor should you want to strap the rifle to your pack. It must be carried at the ready.
As far as running is concerned, think of your run days as one of two things. You are either going to do an aerobic workout, or an anaerobic workout. For aerobic days, run no more than 6 miles slick. You should be able to easily maintain an 8 minute per mile pace or faster. Try to increase speed slowly as the weeks progress. You can run intervals if you want, so long as your overall pace is still within standards. So, every other mile might be an 8 minute pace, while the ones in between might be 7 minute miles. Overall, your pace would be around a 7:30. I like to do this sometimes to break up the monotony of a long run. You get the idea. For anaerobic days, run sprint drills of varying distances. If you are stationed near any hills, make sure you practice sprinting up them. Jog back down to catch your breath, and repeat. A multitude of sprint workouts are available from reputable sources on the internet. I personally like an 8 x 400m with cals on the back end. It is extremely important that you do a proper warm up and a couple of sprints at 50-75% before going all out. Skipping the warm up and going right into full blown sprints is a pulled hamstring waiting to happen.
Finning is huge at ITC. It is a skill that takes time to properly develop. Do not spend money on expensive, fancy fins that you will most likely not be able to wear at ITC. I have seen the fastest finners ever use good ol' Scuba Pros or Rocket fins. Power for finning comes from your hip flexors, not your fins. First time finners often experience severe pain in the hips, knees and ankles. Therefore, they alter their body position to lessen the strain. This equates to more drag in the water, and less efficiency (A.K.A. slower times). Ever see someone executing a front plank with their hips sagging, or their butt up in the air? It's the same principle. They are trying to compensate for weak abdominal muscles with other, stronger muscles. Don't do it. Finning is going to hurt no matter what you do. Take ruck running for example. It sucks. You just have to endure it long enough to make the times and hopefully outperform some of your peers. Get with someone who knows what they are doing, and learn from them. A Recon Marine or MARSOC operator who is dive qualified, and willing to work with you would be a good start. A Marine Corps Scout Swimmer would be the next obvious choice. I cannot stress it enough. Do not put in thousands of meters of finning utilizing the wrong techniques. You will only build improper muscle memory and develop bad habits, which you will then have to break at ITC. From a safety standpoint, make sure you always fin with a buddy, and wear a swimmer's vest just in case something happens. Your standard equipment for finning is as follows: Cammies, booties and fins, Load Bearing Equipment (LBE or equivalent), rubber rifle (dummy corded to you) and a 45 lb. ruck (waterproofed and just buoyant enough so it doesn't sink). Attach your ruck to your LBE with a sling rope and carabiner. That way you won't lose it should you encounter a surf zone.
Strength training is great. It feels good to get stronger, and everyone likes bigger muscles. Just don't get carried away trying to see how much you can bench or curl. It's easy to fall prey to these exercises. When someone wants to know how strong you are, they never ask what your clean and jerk is. It's always bench press. Anyways, you should focus on functional strength. Do compound movements like dead lifts, power cleans and the snatch. Start off with very light weight so you can dial in your technique. These are technical lifts that can result in injury if done improperly or with weights that are beyond your ability. Squats are always a staple in every serious lifters repertoire. Building a big upper body with a weak core and skinny legs is like a house of cards waiting to fall. Build your leg, core and back strength up and the rest of your body will follow suit. Military athlete, Cross fit or Gym Jones all have good workouts that will build strength and cardiovascular endurance. Choose what works best for you. Finally, contact subject matter experts and discuss your goals with them. Ask them for advice based on your current skill level, your goals and how much time you have to get there. Learn as much as you can from books and the internet. There is a wealth of knowledge out there just waiting for you. I recommend this one for starters: "Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches" by Greg Everett
Swimming is another skill set that is often overlooked. Many people are just not comfortable in the water. I've seen 300 PFTers who couldn't swim 100 meters in cammies. Seek out advice from MCIWSs in your unit. Lifeguards at the pool may be another valuable resource. They are often more than willing to teach someone who really has a desire to learn. Maybe you know someone who swam competitively in high school or college. Make friends and go to the pool together. Some Marines claim that they weren't able to practice on swimming as much as they should have due to not having a pool where they are stationed. To these Marines I say, "Find a way"! If you have to swim in open water, then that's what you have to do. Sometime MCCS lifeguards can be Nazis at the pool. "You can't do this and you can't do that..." Take a buddy for safety, and get out there and swim. Work on survival strokes like the breast and side, just like you did in Phase I of A&S. Stick with the stroke that you are the fastest and most proficient at. Never swim less than 500m at a time, and always swim in cammies unless you are doing a warm up or cool down. It's OK to be slick for those. Practice treading water in cammies if possible. Place small weights (1-2 lbs.) in each cargo pocket to weigh you down. Also, practice treading water with your legs only. Hold your hands out of the water and work on your ''frog'' or ''egg beater'' technique. Start slowly by holding that position for 20 seconds. Gradually increase until you can hold it for one minute. Then put your hands down and relax. You are trying to get your heart rate back down. Remember: Treading water is not exercise. It is your rest period between exercises. Got it? Finally, expect everything you do in the pool at ITC to be above and beyond ( harder) what you did in Phase I of A&S. The instructors at ITC do not have time to play games with weak swimmers.
Dynamic warm ups and proper cool downs/regenerative stretching are the key to staying healthy and not sustaining an injury over the next four months. If you take only one thing away from my rambling, it should be this. Do not skimp on the Movement Prep and Regen. If you have only one hour that you can dedicate to working out today, you must consider that at least 30 minutes of that hour will be consumed by the warm up and the cool down. Every year I see solid Marines fall off of ITC's inbound roster due to injury. It takes a lot of dedication and motivation to get out there and put in the work. It's even harder to do the right things before and after the given workout.
My last paragraph has nothing to do with the physical side of MARSOC. I want to talk about the responsibility you share now that you have been selected. Your peers at your unit, for all intensive purposes, will consider you a 0372. Even though you are not an operator yet, people will perceive you as MARSOC because you were selected. You must conduct yourself appropriately. Be polite and professional at all times. Exercise humility. Let your actions do the talking, not your words. Even though you will soon leave your current command for ITC, you still have an obligation to those Marines and Sailors you work with. They are your first priority. Your workouts and personal wants/desires come second. Never forget that. Make sure when you depart your unit, you do so with the respect and admiration of those who served alongside you. If you can do that, you are on the right path to becoming a MARSOC Marine. Semper Fidelis and good luck!
