So ... the main difference between ODS and OCS is the timeline with emphasis on time. ODS gets the "same" instruction OCS does in 5 weeks vice 13.
This means we don't PT every single day, in fact at King Hall (KH) we went maybe 5-6 times. OCS on the otherhand is out there everyday. An example would be 1/3rd of our class going to the wet-trainer one morning while the rest MARDET it up for classroom time. It's all about sked. We still technically checked all the boxes pulling some watches, room inspections, etc .. its just not nearly as many or as intense.
We used to say "forward starch" for chow because that's about 99% of your options. The chow hall itself was really run poorly (long long waits) and the food selection was not stellar. The highlight for most meals was when the salad+tuna line wasn't fifty sailors deep.
I'm trying to get into ODS and then maybe to switch to active duty later but I have also thought about applying to OCS if I don't get selected to reserve in the first attempt. OCS does sound intimidating. I run 4 miles per day but still, I'm turning 38 very soon, I feel old it sounds physically challenging for a computer nerd like myself.
Won't work, at least not right away. You can jump on AD orders and try and ride them out but the number of opportunities for an unqual IWC JO will be limited.
It's all a mindset, I mean we have 50-somethings at ODS and I'm 36 and yeah some ODS evolutions were annoying .. but I did try to put out my best so maybe that's why. If I was older and even considering OCS I wouldn't even worry about the run, I'd worry about injury and injury prevention. I'd be doing tons of yoga etc working up to it. I'd want to make sure everything was up to par.
BTW the sport's medicine clinic at KH is amazing. I've had lower back pain after running and well from getting older for a bit now .. it really flared up at ODS after we did a core workout indoor on the hard-tile floor at KH (very smart)... anyhow went to the clinic and turned out it was my hamstrings pulling on my lower back the entire time. A couple quick stretches daily prevents all the pain. Previously I had seen some doctors, gotten an MRI, and a few chiros .. so hat's off to that clinic.