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Hi!

Just wondered if any of you guys have any tips about rest periods before my POC on 2nd June.

Do you advise a week off training, just packing in the carbs?
or just keep training right up until the date?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Uncle_Sam

Rest the day before, that's it.
(Although a week off or a week continued will make no difference.)

Just finished my POC and it was the hardest test of my life....bone breaking difficulty.....pun intended.

There is no set amount of time that could be definitely recommended... I’ve herd rough estimates that it takes 48 hours for muscles to repair (very rough because obviously not every muscle is the same, legs in my opinion would need more rest that say forearms or Calves), but this said peoples recovery will vary greatly depending on past training, natural recovery rate ,recovery methods used, diet etc

Basically I’d give find out you’re self how much YOU need, some might get away with training right up until the day others might need a week off.

What ever you do in the last 10 days or so back off (taper) don't keep trying to improve as you will only hinder you’re self.

Some people react well to Carb loading, others get bloated and feel crappy, might be something worth trying out before hand to see how it makes you feel.

I would recommend upping the calories (across the board) in the days lead up to and the day you start you’re POC. Basically more protein will aid recovery making sure you’re full ready to face the challenge, more carbohydrates will give you plenty of energy and same with fats.

Everybody different basically there is no set limit.

Might be a bit far but you could always look into a sport massage or the like to help the day before? Failing that a nice long relax in the bath or sauna (if you did this I’d be sure to drink tons s of water as hydration is crucial also.) to relive some tension and help you focus.

Stokey

P.S. a few early nights wont do you any harm either

I would probably do 'active rest' up to a week before.that is,low intensity training like light jogging,walking,swimming etc and if you still want to train other CV/circuits/weights then cut the intensity and sets right down just to keep your body ticking over so you dont lose fitness/muscle strength and endurance as much as you would if you just sat on your arse for a week(you can probably do this for the last 2 days).Then again it depends how you've trained prior to that,as conventional training wisdom,(roughly) tells you that if you train consistently at a good intensity for 4-6 weeks then resting for a whole week is a good thing.There's also the point that even if you actually lose a bit of fitness prior to POC or RT,you'll soon regain it in the first few weeks of training anyway.

Okay.
cheers for the info.
Just quickly, lil_dinger_bell how did you break you leg, or do I not want to know until i'm back.

Thanks again

Sorry to hear about your limb Ding's.
Still,there's next time
You in the UK or have you gone home?
If the former give me a hoy and I'll buy you a beer.

Uncle_Sam wrote:Hi!

Just wondered if any of you guys have any tips about rest periods before my POC on 2nd June.

Do you advise a week off training, just packing in the carbs?
or just keep training right up until the date?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Uncle_Sam

Have a week off. Your basic fitness will not suffer plus it will give you time to square away the other stuff you will need such as Corp History and how you would rule the world if you were in charge.

Artisst

Thanks Wholley, I wish I were so I could take you up on that offer. I came home a bit early due to the inability of going for the AIB.

My broken dreams, and leg for that matter, all begun before I arrived at Lymptstone. I had a bad ankle from over doing my training (like a fool, running 6-7 days a week) and I had all my flights/POC/AIB booked for 3 weeks from then. I took those weeks off of running and started swimming, biking, and rowing. Upon arrival I took many a painkiller to mask the irritating pain but by the end of the endurance course I had buggered it so bad that it broke.

It was the endurance course that finished me off because the whole thing is done at 100% effort over varying terrain (which means rocks, tree roots, mud clumps, holes, patches of water etc). I rolled it a couple of times during the course of the course and I believe that's what gave it the eventual break.

PM with any questions becuase I assume my POC would be the most recent and up to date of all the info on this glorious site.

The first day is easy, just work hard for high numbers, and dont fidget whilst in the sanctity of the gymnasium.

Day two is, as the name black Tuesday states, a bleak and black time of existence...try hard, try not to be in the back of the pack or last (while crawling, or doing your burpees, pushups etc), speak up when doing group things like army crawling a telegraph poll up a hill. (things like "common guys, on the count of three" - and be the one counting it out...also try hard on the firemans carry it counts for a lot.

And the endurance course; dont be in the back of the pack, wihle running or crawling, and finish the run back with the group.

Good luck

If you want i'll PM you a mini diary...or I may write a bigger one myself one of these boring days of sitting around with my leg raised.

dings

Sam,

Personally I took 5 days off before my POC because I felt I needed the time for rest and I knew my fitness would neither suffer or improve in that time.
POC is no picnic, and you need to be 100% at the start because you'll be heading into minus figures at the end.

Ding,

Hate to give you a "told you so" but I did say I thought you were overdoing it with training.
Bloody good effort for getting through everything with a broken leg, hope it will just fuel the fire for success. PM incoming.

All the best Sam, and I expect neither Ding nor I would mind answering any questions about POC.
My only rule in the exchange of information is you keep us all informed of your progress.

Brows

Okay.

Sounds like everyone is pretty much saying rest a little before. Think i could probably do with hotting up on the Corps history anyway.

Thanks for the advice and the well wishes.

Will let you know how i get on.

Uncle_Sam

Hahaha, Yes Brows you did tell me so, I was waiting for someone to say that because, as your memory reminded you, I was trianing 7 days a week leading up to my POC, and you did tell me I was an idiot (in nicer terms of course).

But your right I know have a fire up my ass, know what to expect, and will hopefully heal up and crack on.

Oh, and Uncle Sam, I don't know about you but when I trained I did long runs at about a 8 minute clip. Yes this is a good way to get fit but the POC is ALOT of sprinting....so I suggest fartek I think it is called (interval training)

Yeh, i do fartlek training once a week on the shingle beach near me.
How long is 'a long run' at 8 minute miles lil_dinger_bell??

Thanks for all the support (and advice).

Uncle_Sam

Sam, I usually did 5 miles at that clip but graduated to just under 7 before I left. Not all of the miles were at that clip mind you, but by the end it was divided into 8 minute miles.

(so the first was 8.5, the second 8, the third 7.5, the fourth 8, the fifth 7.5 the sixth 8.5 ...or even a 9 and then a 6....hopefully you understand what I mean)

Hi Dings, I had a look for this site after chatting to you at the bar at CTC, where I was giving you a bit of advice for your upcomming AIB. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to use it. I remember you saying you were concerned about your age, will you get a chance to have another stab at the whole thing? Gareth

Gunny Gareth,

I do remember, and yes it's a damn shame I couldn't go through but it was an excellent learning experience. I have been recommended for an age-waiver and my re-application will begin upon the decision from the recruitng board.

Until then I'm just going to heal up and re trian....I have a lot of time to train, and by doing a POC I know a little bit more of what type of trianing I need to partake on.

Thanks for the advice, hopefully I will put it into good use next time around. Good luck on the rest of your weeks....have you guys done your commando tests yet? And how was the three week course you guys were dreading?

talk to you later Gun

Ding