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Joe_Cocker wrote:You managed to surprise me with your response; which is actually rather considered and reasoned. So fair play.

Good luck, everyone needs it.

Cheers.

I very strongly doubt all of these reported times by various trainees on the various Forces websites. To be blunt, many people are downright liars.

1.5 miles in 10 minutes = a very accomplished athlete.

It's the same when I was at school doing GCSEs and A-levels - everyone bragging and looking confident straight after the exam (making me worried). Different story when the results came out though.

See you at the selection maybe.

someguy wrote:I very strongly doubt all of these reported times by various trainees on the various Forces websites. To be blunt, many people are downright liars.

1.5 miles in 10 minutes = a very accomplished athlete.

It's the same when I was at school doing GCSEs and A-levels - everyone bragging and looking confident straight after the exam (making me worried). Different story when the results came out though.

See you at the selection maybe.

What are you on? Obviously you can't achieve this level, and therefore think that no-one else can either. You are in for a Hell of a shock if you ever do join the forces.

Times under 8 minutes are not uncommon, and the majority of people run a PFT under 10 minutes.

Lose the attitude, and start training a bit harder.

Regards
T_T

Yes i absolutely agree with that above comment. Im no superman, and i ran a 9.47 PJFT, and put it this way, im no way near athlete standard.

Yes I have a bit of an attitude (and quite rightly you said I can't meet the standard yet) but that doesn't make anyone else's claims any more credible. And I'm training as hard as possible (for me) but progress is slow. I'm following my own training regime because the leaflet the AFCO sent me is a bit unrealistic and unbalanced (i.e. on your first day run 1.5 miles in a quickish time, but do only 7 press-ups afterwards) to say the least. Furthermore it only states the obvious in many places, e.g. re: nutrition advice. If I didn't think I could make the standard I wouldn't have applied at all, but I could have been wrong. So, we'll see.

someguy wrote:Yes I have a bit of an attitude (and quite rightly you said I can't meet the standard yet) but that doesn't make anyone else's claims any more credible. And I'm training as hard as possible (for me) but progress is slow. I'm following my own training regime because the leaflet the AFCO sent me is a bit unrealistic and unbalanced (i.e. on your first day run 1.5 miles in a quickish time, but do only 7 press-ups afterwards) to say the least. Furthermore it only states the obvious in many places, e.g. re: nutrition advice. If I didn't think I could make the standard I wouldn't have applied at all, but I could have been wrong. So, we'll see.

so what you are saying is you know better than experts in their field concerning basic fitness requirments?
well wont the army be glad you have deemed them fit for your glorious application in a word twat learn humility be as fit as you can but with your attitude if you shop up the DS will sack you for being a mouthy tit its easy if you are fit enough to pass the intial tests on aptitude ie the cft then the course is progressive and you will build fitness up from there the aim isnt to be fit for test week at start of course its to build up to it THAT IS WHAT THE WEEKEND MARCHES ARE FOR

and as for the author of this thread i seriously doubt he is at the level of fitness he claims and if he is he will fail from burning out before test week through over training
words of wisdom the psi north in 2003 told the uber fit guys on apptitude to slow the f@#k down as they would waste themselves before test week and as a point of note he was correct all the guys that were getting 6k plus on initial weekends failed (including an EX REG PTI)while the guys that were hitting the mark got thro moral of the story use the course for what it is to build up fitness and nav not by showing how superfit you are

there are a few guys on here current with uksf(R) so why not use them to ask where you should be rather than braging about where you think you are at?
now i have been away for a while so im a bit out on the selection cycle running but i do know that it is not living up to expectations so stand by for more changes

but bear in mind it is not just your fitness and nav being tested it is your whole personality and if the staff find you wanting anywhere you will not pass so do a bit of research and find the attributes the regiment is looking for and only apply if you genuinley feel you posses them
then take heed from those that have gone before then maybe you will have a decent chance of reaching the sabre squadrons

ps hi everyone hope you doing well

From the perspective of someone interested in joining SAS(R) without any previous service or experience it is quite hard to know what is genuine information and what is BS.
There is quite a lot of information on the official website about Selection and Continuation but not any information on joining requirements i.e selection weekend / joining standards.
I've emailed and phoned 23 twice and still haven't received any real information about fitness standards required other than that I would have to complete Phase 1 & 2 training with 4PARA before attempting Selection.
Its hard to know without any previous experience if you are fit enough or not.
There are genuine people out there that don't want to waste anybody's time, which is why I think it would be useful if the entry standards were published.
If you need to run 1.5 miles in 9 minutes whatever to join the PARAS what time should someone applying for selection be aiming at?
Would I be required to have a higher level of fitness then the other recruits that are joining 4PARA?

someguy wrote:I very strongly doubt all of these reported times by various trainees on the various Forces websites. To be blunt, many people are downright liars.

1.5 miles in 10 minutes = a very accomplished athlete.

It's the same when I was at school doing GCSEs and A-levels - everyone bragging and looking confident straight after the exam (making me worried). Different story when the results came out though.

See you at the selection maybe.

Like I said in my previous posts, I don't really care if people believe me or not, I'm not looking for praise or bragging rights. As for you stating "
1.5 miles in 10 minutes = a very accomplished athlete" I think if you cannot acheive that standard then you shouldn't be applying for selection. I spoke with a WO2 on the army website through there live chat section, and he told me that the current 1.5 mile time for the Royal Marines was 9 minutes 18 seconds, and that the UKSF where expected to get this time considerably lower, between 8 minutes, and 8 minutes 30 seconds.

As for burning out during pre-selection, like I said before maybe I will, maybe I won't, but as selection is getting ever closer I've now lowered my training to 3 days per week, gym work, swimming, and some orienteering in order to let my body relax and recover ready for pre-selection training.

As I also stated in previous posts, I never said that I was bright eyed and bushy tailed after training, far from it, I was actually knackered half way through, but I was capable of mentally pushing myself further, which I think is a major factor of passing selection. Like many other sources state, when you rock up to an R.V to get your next coords of the DS you have to look switched on, and the only person that is going to make you carry on and not quit no matter how knackered you are is YOU and only you. The DS aren't there to shout encouragement, you have to get yourself through it. Which brings me back to mental strength, and desire.
No matter how fit you are, selection will still beast you, and unless you have that mental stability to push yourself further than ever, and that burning desire in the pit of your stomach wanting to pass, then you won't pass.

Anyway, that's just my input, everyone trains different, everyone see's selection differently, only YOU know your true fitness, and only YOU know if you have a chance of passing or not. The way I see it is if you come on forums like this and lie about your times, fitness etc... then really the only person you are really lying to is yourself...

Goodluck to anyone attempting selection, and don't forget, "It's better to try and fail than fail to try."

Cheers.

Mikey101 wrote:I've emailed and phoned 23 twice and still haven't received any real information about fitness standards required other than that I would have to complete Phase 1 & 2 training with 4PARA before attempting Selection.

From what you have said there I think it's logical to assume that the appropriate fitness standard required for starting selection would be P Coy standard. This is more than likely why they haven't given you anymore information as by the time you have got through phase 1 & 2 with 4 Para then you should have a very high level of fitness.

Mikey101 wrote:If you need to run 1.5 miles in 9 minutes whatever to join the PARAS what time should someone applying for selection be aiming at?
Would I be required to have a higher level of fitness then the other recruits that are joining 4PARA?

I can't see why you would be expected to have a higher fitness level than the 4 Para requirements as it will be a long time before you attempt anything the other 4 Para recruits won't be doing.

I'm not speaking from first hand knowledge here so I could be wrong, I'm just applying a bit of logic to the response you got from UKSF(R).

It may be a good idea to just concentrate on getting through P Coy first, using it as a a perfect way to get a lot of valuable information and training in order to prepare you for selection.

Having to attend 4 Para first sounds like a great way to filter the guys who have a good chance of passing selection from those who don't really have a chance, plus they'll pick up military skills they wouldn't have had if they'd just started selection from civvy street.