Getting sick before PFT

[Lonestar155]

Anyone else ever get sick before their big PFT date. Im a little pissed off and worried at the same time. I have not got sick all year and here I am a week away from the PFT. The flu has not allowed me to run or do anything for a whole week. Should I just tell my OSO to push it back a few days or will this make me sound like a ------???

 

[A.Kuettel]

The exact same thing happened to me last year. I got better about 4 days before my pft and decided to give it a shot. I ran about 30 seconds off my normal time but was still good to go. I would say it defintely varies between person to person and if you are still sick before you go, but I was really worried myself and did fine. On the other hand unless you have to get the pft done for this next board your OSO should be fine with pushing it back.

 

[Slammer2]

I'd try to push it back if you can, but get used to running sick. Pretty much everyone in the squad bay at OCS was sick. I think half of our platoon had an upper respiratory infection at some point. But if you're seriously not feeling well, theres no need to force yourself to run and do poorly (unless you HAVE to get this score in by a certain date or something like that). Good luck.

 

[nd32]

I've pushed back my PFTs before and the OSO didn't seem to care. As long as your will still get you packet into the current board, I don't see why they would care.

 

[FlyMikeFly]

On "pushing it back"

I got sick just before a PFT a few years ago and performed better than I ever had before. I almost tried to get out of the PFT but decided to go through with it. Two days prior to the PFT I was throwing up out of both ends; all I could keep down was liquids. I had lost about five or six pounds and feared that I would be too weak to do well on the PFT. I went ahead and ran and ran one of the best PFTs ever! I can't explain it, but I have a hunch that performing well on the PFT has less to do with how you are feeling physically and more about your mental readiness and focus. Just a thought, I say go for it!

 

[Zilch]

Maybe you had lost enough weight from evacuating bodily fluids that you went faster?

 

[SemperGumbi]

If you can, push it back. Why NOT push it back? He wants you to do well as much as you do.

But realize that you can probably perform decent even sick. The body is impressive that way. I had food poisning the first few days at OCS (read: liquid leaving my body at an impressive rate from both ends, and pretty bad nausia) and had to do the PFT like that. I was VERY concerned, but ended up doing fine. You probably will too...but if you have the chance, set yourself up fpr success vs. testing your body. There will be plenty of time for the latter.

 

[FlyMikeFly]

Yeh, I think it was my light weight due to fluid loss that gave me the edge. Because of this, I have intentionally contracted dissentary prior to every PFT since then and I have continually improved my score (kidding of course).

 

[Lonestar155]

FLYMIKE,
Just read your blog on your PFT run, very motivational. Mind over matter...

 

[invertedflyer]

I'd say that running a good PFT is two-fold physical/mental. If you're feeling energized and well rested you're gonna just do that much better. Tell your OSO you need a few days, I'm sure they'll be understanding and will accomodate you.

I ran it one time with only a few hours of sleep and a nasty hangover.. still turned out with a 278!!! Mind over matter... but believe you me if it wasn't last minute I would have asked my OSO for a day or two, I felt like the world was coming to an end after that run.

Just remember that you want to go to OCS with as much endurance as possible... you're body is inevitably going to get broken down, and you'll probably get sick at least once. The more endurance you ship with, the better your body will hold up against sick candidates, pathogens, quigly goo, etc. Remember, you can take the candidate out of the quigly, but you can't take the quigly out of the candidate...you'll see what I mean.

 

[joboy_2.0]

we had a guy take a PRT (close enough) while sick and although he looked like he wanted to die, he made it through ok. If you are applying I'd say wait a couple days, but if this is just a regular PFT that isn't counting for anything, suck it up and go for it. If you can't make the mins in each category when sick...well this is too early in your career to be that bad off...

If you need to push it back, don't hesitate to call the OSO. Take a bottle or two of nyquil, and when you wake up a week later...you'll feel great!

 

[Lawman]

we had a guy take a PRT (close enough) while sick and although he looked like he wanted to die, he made it through ok. If you are applying I'd say wait a couple days, but if this is just a regular PFT that isn't counting for anything, suck it up and go for it. If you can't make the mins in each category when sick...well this is too early in your career to be that bad off...

If you need to push it back, don't hesitate to call the OSO. Take a bottle or two of nyquil, and when you wake up a week later...you'll feel great!

Having run both the PFT and the PRT are night and day differnt. Even an out of shape person can force their way through the PRT and get a passing if not respectable score, the same cannot be said for the PFT.

Just remember that you want to go to OCS with as much endurance as possible... you're body is inevitably going to get broken down, and you'll probably get sick at least once. The more endurance you ship with, the better your body will hold up against sick candidates, pathogens, quigly goo, etc.

Sick once? Man... what anti-biotics were you taking. We had 3 differnt candidates end up on SIQ for "pnuemonia," I got a sinus infection (let me tell you drill on a yellow flag while knocking back suddofed is not a great idea) and everybody had the candidate cough for at least a week if not all of it. Wanna get an idea of what your immune system is doing, I have a scar on one of my knuckles from OCS about the size of a nickle. It was just from rubbing some skin off during MCMAT. Problem was every time we did a field event (quigly, IMC, CRT, ect) the Corpsman would inspect all your scabs and wounds and most likely chance was you had to scrub them off with a fingernail brush and bacitration the hell out of them. Your body literally slows to a crawl in healing because you just dont have the energy stores.

Also other then the PFT your only gonna run 3 miles or less a few times at OCS. Fartlek Ext is something like 4-4.25 and while you are stopping to cross train the pace is kicking. Main thing is that endurance will prevent injury. When the muscles wear down the bones start taking the impact (case in point my spraining and ankle and training on it till I ended up with a stress fracture). Also theres the whole running around the squadbay in shower shoes that is just a knee and ankle killer. First 4 days in my knee just swelled up all sorts of funky and I had trouble bending my leg. Luckily I only lost a day of training to get it looked at but things that would normally just be a take it easy for a day or two and you'll be fine are potential killers at OCS.


Oh and dont fret the whole nervious thing. I still get nervious as hell before a PFT even when I know I can pass it. The only guys that arent fighting their demons at a PFT are the guys that can do 300+ without a second thought.

 

[Slammer2]

When the muscles wear down the bones start taking the impact (case in point my spraining and ankle and training on it till I ended up with a stress fracture).

Aint that the truth :icon_tong How you healing up by the way? I can run full speed again but it still hurts every now and then.

things that would normally just be a take it easy for a day or two and you'll be fine are potential killers at OCS.

I had a tiny cut about half an inch long on the top of my hand that i got from that low crawl through the razor wire on the E-course. That thing took about a month to heal into the inch long scar that it now is. good times.

 

[invertedflyer]

Also other then the PFT your only gonna run 3 miles or less a few times at OCS.

The shortest run at OCS is 3 miles. I had a nasty abrasion on my elbow that had to be scraped clean or treated every morning. Not to mention I got ITBS that cost me a couple days out... I couldn't even march without it hurting. The key is stretching out, this well help you prevent injuries... After jrs. I learned my lesson, did some Physical Ther. and kept stretching... didn't have any problems in Srs.

A little anxiety before a PFT is a good thing... it actually helps you push that extra inch that could get you that 20th pullup... Pullups are your moneymakers. GL

 

[Lawman]

Aint that the truth :icon_tong How you healing up by the way? I can run full speed again but it still hurts every now and then.

Im doing real good. I have a letter from one of two pediotrists saying I can return to full duty with a understanding that I will be conducting very high impact training. Started getting serious about runs about two weeks ago. Im nowhere near as fast as I was but I can still stretch a good bit of distance since I know just how much suck I have taken in the past and push through it. Hope to be back for a good PFT by the time the Feb Board is up. Since Im all "done gradgiated" I pretty much just work and PT (24 hour gyms are the shiznit).

Inverted, I think if you actually measure it out the days where we just did stuff like the curcuit, UBD's and Push pulls it comes out to be less then 2 miles of total running. Granted the only time your doing that without a conjunction of Fartlek or Squad/Individual runs is the first couple weeks but if it isnt actually shorter then 3 miles is sure feels shorter. I know I loved Color Sgt PT, because while Im not by any means a runner my strenght to mass ratio is great so rope climbing and multiple reps of pull/push ups and crunches was like a day off for me. The only thing I ever felt like I could just breeze through was firemen carry, but that was when I ended up hauling a guy 20-30 lbs heavier then me.