PRMC Disaster...

[Pvt Doughnut]

Well lads Im back from CTC a day early after what I can only describe as a disaterous PRMC attempt.

I dont know if anyone remembers my post stating that I was suffering from tonsilitous and fevers ect the week before I was due to go down to CTC, well I believed as the pain had gone from my throat and I felt better than I had done, that I was all mended and ready to get on and crack my PRMC.
Turns out I wasnt mended and that even though I felt better, my physical strength and endurance had taken a massive knock and I had no physical energy. As my illness lasted into my 3 rest days prior to prmc I hadnt trained and so didnt know I was physically out of condition.....until the warm up for the 3 miler that is!

As soon as we started those sprints up and down the car park I knew I was in trouble and about 1.5 miles into the run itself I was f*cked to say the least.
In a normal training run, I can do a 3 miler in an average time of 19.5 mins so when I found myself falling away from the group, unable to breath and totally miffed as to what was wrong with me all i can say is I was devestated that I could see my dream kinda going t*ts up.

I finished the run, there was no way I was gonna drop out of it and get on the van but I had failed my PRMC at the first hurdle. Not good
Anyway when we got back to the accomadation I was told that as Id finished the run I could stay on the course to see what its like and get some experience. So I did.
When it came time for gym test 1 i went in with the attitude that maybe the run had been a one off and that if I tried hard i could possibly salvage something and get a place on a PRMDC or a short wait before a new PRMC.
That went right out the window as well when I failed to match any of my scores for the bleep test and upper body strength, I felt gutted as I left the hall.

Anyway, i spent alot of last night thinking hard about what I was going to do. i was staying there to try and impress the training team but in effect I felt like by getting crappy results I was just giving them the impression I was unfit and unprepared for PRMC.
So this morning I made the decision to withdraw myself from the course, because with bottom field and gym test 2 today I dont think id have made a particularly good impression feeling like I do.
I explained this to the members of the team and was told that I dont have to wait the full 6 months until I can try again, just 2/3 until im over this bug and back in shape....although in that time I intend to be 3 times as fit as I was!!

At the end of the day, although im devistated at whats happened after working so hard over the months, I feel like I made the right choice to withdraw and now after experiencing this, have 100 times more determination not to fail again for any reason. I always try to take sometime good away from anything bad that happens and im trying very hard to do the same here.

despite everything I did enjoy my time down at CTC, and the lads on the course were a great bunch. I didnt get to know alot of people but the ones in my room were a good laugh and all have alot of potential, so good luck to them all!

[JCAP3]

Nice one mate, pick yourself up and straight back into it. It's certainly not the end of the world and all the respect in the world to you for taking it so well.

[LostandFound]

As JCAP said, top marks for your positive outlook on it. Of course you are gutted but you have now got extra fire in your belly to make sure you nail it next time round, which I'm sure you will pal

[digitalfreefall]

I also failed the 3 Miler but suffered the humiliation of being picked up by the Spaz wagon with a mile to go.
I wasnt in the best condition to begin with after a brief period of sickness and 1 mile in a truck on the road meant that while the PTI and the first few rows ran on the rest of us had to squeeze through in walking single file and sprint to catch up, I never recovered and was instructed to "get in the f@#k van you waste of space"

In all 10 people failed the 3 miler.

If you have any doubts about your fitness do not attempt the PRMC, I naievely believed that adreneline and determination would see me through, 100% fitness will get you through the course nothing else.

I thoroughly enjoyed my brief stay in CTCRM and will be training 200x harder over the next 6 months, anything else would be an insult to the staff, especially the WO1 whos words of encouragenment during my exit interview lifted my spirits.

2 tips for you all

1: Do not believe that a good time on a treadmill will in any way translate to a good time on the day itself, the PTI said that the vast majority of PRMC fails are due to treadmills giving false impressions of overall fitness.

2: If you are told to fall in for 06:00 you will be there for 05:55, pressups in the rain and freezing cold at 06:00 is not the best start to the day.

Actually it was a good laugh wasnt it PvtDonught

All the best to Chris5818 and Daz who are still on course.

I fully intend to be back down there as soon as I am allowed

[Pvt Doughnut]

Yeh like Digital says, the lorry in the road was a real b*tch! With that in mind Id advise everyone to train some 3 milers with a few sprint bursts of about 200 meters in them. Being at the back of the group, by the time i got past the truck the PTI was nearly out of sight!!

And those early morning press ups because OTHER people were late falling in were actually not too bad LOL.....I saw a few scowls off some of the lads as we all busted out press ups and held them at half way ect, and the offenders were left to stand in the corridoor and watch us

Its all deffinatly served to make my aspirations to join alot stronger, just talking to the Diamonds last night and hearing their stories was REALLY inspiring!

[jamescarr]

I have to disagree with the comment on treadmills, i guess it all comes down to the individual, I have a friend who competes in many running events and does most of the training on a treadmill. I also rate them, on the road i can run 3 miles in 19mins which includes sprinting 3 hills. i struggle to achieve a time under 21 mins on a treadmill and always feel cained, not to mention sick! I find them an excellent way to train, infact most of the training i had done for my prmc was on a treadmill and various other cardio machines in the gym. with a run outdoors every now and again to see if i was making progress.

[digitalfreefall]

"Assume press up position,

Down...... Hold........Up.........Hold........Down......Hold"....and so it goes on.

I have to disagree with the comment on treadmills

A PTI, Cpl and WO1 all said that treadmills are not the best way to train for a PRMC, Its good that you did pass using them but for the vast majority it gives false impressions of fitness.

[JCAP3]

"Assume press up position,

Down...... Hold........Up.........Hold........Down......Hold"....and so it goes on.

Did you get the pleasure of half press-ups too?

[digitalfreefall]

Thankfully not, maybe next time.

[Stinky]

Pvt Doughnut, was it anything like RMAD? I only just got through the running there so if it's any harder, well, I'll need to train harder.

[Pvt Doughnut]

Train hard stinky, its more strict than RMAD was and the days are longer ect so you do need to be able to exceed the levels we were working at in Bristol, if you see what I mean.
Just train as hard as you can at all times and you wont go far wrong mate, at least you know your working to your max!

[ChrisBell]

digitalfreefall what were your scores for 3miles press ups etc prior to attending PRMC?

[digitalfreefall]

digitalfreefall what were your scores for 3miles press ups etc prior to attending PRMC?

My Pbs were

46 press ups
84 sit ups
3 miler T 19mins
3 miler R 21mins
5 pull ups


In the 3 weeks prior to my PRMC I had been doing all my running on a treadmill. My last training session on the Sunday afternoon I ran a 5k in less than 19min, broke my press ups and sit up Pbs.

It was a stupid mistake to stop running on the road.

Ah well, lesson learned.

[euro_andrew]

We had two PTI's from the PRMC team at our RMAD on tuesday, and we did the 3 miler the same way as the PRMC and my god I know how hard it can be!

Good luck for next time mate. how long do you guys have to wait?

[Pvt Doughnut]

Ive got a 3 month wait and Digital has a 6 month wait I believe.