Physical Fitness

[FlyinRock]

WHAT??? PT and all that bullshit? WE're aviators for crissake! Why should we do PT? yadda yadda yadda
Let me relate a story. Guy gets shot by a guy whacked out on crack. Ends up in the ICU with 7 bullet holes in his back. Doctors say he ain't gonna make it with all the damage. 8 weeks later the guy is shooting in a state combat match where he doesn't even place, but he was a legal participant, bandages and all.
How can that be? GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION IS ALL THAT SAVED HIS ASS. That and a good positive attitude.
I could relate several stories of similar incidents, and if you dig into military archives there are literally thousands of such stories.
It is anathema for many to do PT on any kind of schedule but please believe me, it will make your life so much better. At my age I'd rather take a few minutes more sleep, or go to bed earlier and not do any of the PT bullshit in between but I recognize how critical it can be. Discipline to do it as part of your daily routine has to be considered.
This in part prompted by the JO's fresh out of college and now in some stage of flight training who in their youth don't feel the need to do any PT.
Certainly you are not going to run marathons (unless you go down in indian country), nor are you going to bench press 400# or do 1000 pushups (unless you are so inclined), but at the very least you have to be able to move your ass out of the line of fire and it may involve several days of it?
Its kind of ironic how the military life can put you in harms way. Being physically fit can save your life.
How much more clear can I be on it? Those who know me understand where I am coming from and know I'm not a fitness guru. But I sure as hell am a survivor.
Semper Fi
Rocky

 

[squorch2]

GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION IS ALL THAT SAVED HIS ASS.

That and, you know, the surgeons.

 

[C420sailor]

That and, you know, the surgeons.

I heard that the guy flexed so hard the bullet holes just sealed up.

 

[FlyinRock]

That and, you know, the surgeons.

******************************************
Even they were the ones who said he wasn't going to make it while they were "practicing" medicine? I often joke with surgeon friends about when they are going to stop practicing and do it for real.
Nah, there was more to it than that. I have a close friend who was shot numerous times and survived it after 14 hours of surgeries and he too wasn't supposed to make it. His physical condition (world class cyclist) was a huge factor and his survivor attitude made the difference. There is only so much a doctor can do to repair mechanical damage. The rest is up to the patient.

 

[fastnumber15]

This IS actually true. My sophomore year of ROTC I was in my peak physical condition before going to Field Training. I am now slightly less stupid and slightly more out of shape (damn 6 month wait to active duty)

:story: I stunted sport bikes in college and this particular night I was doing a highchair and got hit by another bike from behind. Woke up 30 minutes later waiting on the ambulance. Shattered shoulder, wrist, and my leg was turned 180 degrees back to me, then rotated 90 degrees downwards. I had 9 breaks in the leg, 2 bones sticking through the front and back, and a piece of my tibia laying next to me.

:short story: Doctor went in to amputate, but said because of my peak physical fitness he could let me ride it out for a few weeks in the hospital and try to save it.....guess that worked as I am leaving to pilot training!!
END OF STORY

 

[FlyinRock]

This IS actually true. My sophomore year of ROTC I was in my peak physical condition before going to Field Training. I am now slightly less stupid and slightly more out of shape (damn 6 month wait to active duty)

:story: I stunted sport bikes in college and this particular night I was doing a highchair and got hit by another bike from behind. Woke up 30 minutes later waiting on the ambulance. Shattered shoulder, wrist, and my leg was turned 180 degrees back to me, then rotated 90 degrees downwards. I had 9 breaks in the leg, 2 bones sticking through the front and back, and a piece of my tibia laying next to me.

:short story: Doctor went in to amputate, but said because of my peak physical fitness he could let me ride it out for a few weeks in the hospital and try to save it.....guess that worked as I am leaving to pilot training!!
END OF STORY

********************************
Wooahhh!!
Damn - good for you. Woww I can only imagine the trauma and recovery.
Damnnnnn I hurt just thinking about it.
Semper Fi
Rocky

 

[fastnumber15]

Thanks....the hardest part was not the 8 month recovery or getting honorably discharged and fighting to get back in.....it was the agonizing wait after my FC1 to see if I got the waiver!!!!! Worst 3 months of waiting ever.

 

[eyes2theskies]

This IS actually true. My sophomore year of ROTC I was in my peak physical condition before going to Field Training. I am now slightly less stupid and slightly more out of shape (damn 6 month wait to active duty)

:story: I stunted sport bikes in college and this particular night I was doing a highchair and got hit by another bike from behind. Woke up 30 minutes later waiting on the ambulance. Shattered shoulder, wrist, and my leg was turned 180 degrees back to me, then rotated 90 degrees downwards. I had 9 breaks in the leg, 2 bones sticking through the front and back, and a piece of my tibia laying next to me.

:short story: Doctor went in to amputate, but said because of my peak physical fitness he could let me ride it out for a few weeks in the hospital and try to save it.....guess that worked as I am leaving to pilot training!!
END OF STORY

Wow. Good for you. Congratulations.
That's an amazing story, thanks for sharing it.

 

[eyes2theskies]

speaking of bike stunts....

 

[Bevo16]

I was also in a pretty nasty motorcycle crash when I was in college. One of 2 stupid things about it on my part was the time that I was out on the road (0130ish) and I was headed north on I-35 just past downtown Austin (the other stupid thing will be pretty obvious later).

For those who have never been there, Austin is home to the country's finest night life, great resturants, hot women, and the worst stretch of interstate in the lower 48. The genius engineers who designed that patch of interstate have it split into two levels for about 3 miles. There are two upper level lanes that go straight through, and two lower level lanes that contain all of the exits. The problem is that when they designed it, the upper level lanes (express) split off from the right side of the road (where slow, exiting traffic normally goes). This just makes traffic worse, because for the half mile (which often become 5 miles) of space before the split, all of the express traffic is moving to the right so they can go fast, and all of the slow traffic who wants to get off the interstate is trying to fight across 4 lanes so they will be able to make their exit that is 3 miles down the road.

Anywho..

It was 0130ish and there is very little traffic, but there is a broken down car in the V shaped median right at the split, and I am doing the speed limit +5 in what is going to be the left upper level lane. I get off the throttle just a hair as I pass the broken down car, and just as I pass it, I get slammed into by a truck that is probably going 100mph. Remember I am (or was) on a motorcycle. The truck drove under me, I bounced off his windshield, and clip his tailgate with my thigh on the way down. I remember thinking that I needed to roll, because skidding on concrete is bad. I basically tucked myself into a ball and protected my head with my hands (because 21 year old Texans are immortal and don't need to wear helmets..or jackets..or gloves). I rolled about 200 feet down the upper deck of the interstate, stright down the middle of the lane that I was in. 5 feet to the right and I get chewed up the guard rail. 5 feet to the left and I am getting hit by traffic in the other lane. The 18 wheeler that was behind the truck that hit me stopped about 15 feet from turning me into hamburger, and there was thick white smoke from him locking up his tires. The drunk SOB that hit me stopped, staggered up to me and said in his f'd up stoner voice "Dude, I can believe you are alive." I had looked down at the ground to see a big red stain on the ground and thought that my head had come open. I run my hands over my head, no blood. My neck, no blood. All over my body, no blood. WTF is that red shit?? Oh, it's the tail light from my bike and it looks like blood. Turns out your vision is a little blurry when you skip 200 feet down an interstate (just take my word for it).

The PPE that I had for this ordeal consisted of of a long sleeve Polo shirt, blue jeans, and Dr. Martins. I was bruised all to hell, had a small cut on a finger, a dime size scrape on a knee, elbow and wrist. No broken bones, and I walked away. I also won concert tickets on KVET the next day. Why I didn't buy a lottery ticket, I don't know.

This ties in because I was in really damn good physical shape at the time. This was my first semester of college, and I was getting ready to try out for the football team in the spring semester. I had been lifting weights 4 days a week and running sprints until my legs locked up. I was only about 170 pounds, but had pretty good strength for that size. If I had not been strong enough to stay tucked into a ball, I would have broken both arms and probably everything in my wrists and hands from flailing around.

Oh, and I have a bad-ass guardian angel.

 

[JSF_Dreamer]

I heard that the guy flexed so hard the bullet holes just sealed up.

and he goes by the name of Chuck Norris!!!

 

[FlyinRock]

Even Chuck Norris still works out on a daily basis and look at how old he is! Got some early pics with him some 30 years ago.
Main point here is as we get older its harder and harder to maintain a good physical condition. Too easy to let it go and call it old age etc etc.
I feel lots of aches and pains from my nefarious younger days when I thought I was bullet proof and indestructible. Now I creak and groan in the morning and limp a few steps while my legs/feet tell me its time to go back to work. My fingers ache more each day reminding me of the breaks sprains and other injuries. My back seems to be slower than the rest of my body and certainly much slower than my brain as I try to stand upright and look like a Marine. My wife often tells me I take it to extremes and to recognize I'm not the young stud I think I am. I'm quick to tell her the bullets still left in me have gathered to settle in the extremes of my lower spinal area, ergo, lead in my ass.
However, my young son refuses to believe I'm not his personal plaything and will grab, wrestle and cajole me into playing on the floor with him. How can I refuse such requests?
At the same time and seriously, I am very much aware that I could be called on to exercise some feats of strength or endurance with something as simple and unexpected as a car crash, or motorcycle crash. Plane crashes or helicopters are in the equation as well.
Perhaps I'm just an old fool who has too much time on his hands to think of such things or try to remind or counsel the younger generation. But, isn't that what us older warriors are supposed to do?
Semper Fi
Rocky

 

[PropAddict]

I have no personal story of being saved by my Herculean strength. I think I'm glad I don't, from the sounds of this thread.

BUT that doesn't stop me from working out. You just never know when you might need it.

If for no other reason, regular cardio can do wonders for your performance in the bedroom.:icon_smil

 

[Bevo16]

If for no other reason, regular cardio can do wonders for your performance in the bedroom.:icon_smil

PropAddict shows his awesome bedroom enhancing workout:

 

[JSF_Dreamer]

Plus, if you're in college like me... there are some very nice perks* about going to your college gym to work out...