running distances and pace at OCS

[Zilch]

I don't want to make this into a pissing match, but if the most you run is four miles, you should be ok, I think. Marine OCS has the candidates run 3 miles to start out, and that's the shortest distance you run the entire 10 weeks. I don't bring this up to compare the two, really, I just wanted to point out that Marine candidates do it all the time, and they graduate just fine. Well...usually. The big deal is to stretch, stretch, stretch, and, most importantly, arrive in shape. By that, I mean don't overtrain so you're broke when you get there, and don't undertrain so you get injured when you have to push hard all the time to keep up. You'll be alright.

 

[joboy_2.0]

toughen up man. I think you make a good point about being smart in one's physical exertion early on (from my experience in distance running for over 10 years), and am sure others see the logic in what you're saying, but the general mentality is to always give it your best above all other priorities. you may get injured, but you may not. such is the military.

well said. I agree

 

[jamnww]

I'm not intending this as a flame, but take it how you will. It's great you're back, you've definitely been successful at alerting everyone to your presence. One thing I just want to point out. Comments like this seem to pop up in all of your posts. You'll make some random comment and everyone will trounce on you. Then, you will completely change course and agree with the person disagreeing with you or argue with them til the post closes. A part of me is happy I'm graduating late becuase I get the feeling you'd be the guy in class that'd get everyone in trouble, then argue with everyone that what happened wasn't your fault, what you said, what you thought, etc, worsening the situation. Not a flame. Just pace yourself. Write to a pen-pal. Buy a Furby. Anything that you can use as a device to run your posts by before you post will do. Good luck.

Not going to turn this into a huge debate on who is a better candidate or who was thinking what, or who was trying to con the system; just going to make my statement and move on...

firefriendly - great advice, and a very reasoned and professional approach to the situation. Good job and thanks for the contribution. I am not sure you are wrong about him, thankfully its not my place to decide. I will say that it could just be that the kid is tired of getting ganged up on for passing on what he thought was good information and getting caught in a catch 22. If he defends himself then he is attacked over his quality as a Naval Officer Candidate, if he gives in then the same happens... Great, advice, I hope he takes it to heart and does some soul searching, and I also hope that people stop pouncing on his quality and more on the information he puts forth...

theblakeness- I can tell you are a hardcharger and eager to get moving down to OCS but if I may offer a word of advice (from someone who has been there done that), just because you think someone is passing bad gouge, or bad advice...don't go after the individual. You can hammer the guy on giving a bad suggestion when he hasn't been there (then again neither have you) but don't start questioning his quality as a officer...might work ok in the pool before OCS, hell may even work at OCS, but eventually it is going to bite you in the a$$.

joboy- I understand where you are coming from, and it seems like your friend just gave you bad gouge. I even think that you started to realize that during the discussion and that is why you changed sides. Hell I will even commend you for admitting up front that you were just passing what a buddy told you. Other than that though you need to seriously toughen up, not only about not taking things personally (even though he did attack you personally) but if someone challenges you like that how about confronting them, MAKE them prove that they are speaking from experience or from a position that is better than where you are at. There is no reason that someone in the same position you are in should be questioning your quality (thats what the DIs will do at OCS) and certainly no reason he should get away with it...

 

[joboy_2.0]

Not going to turn this into a huge debate on who is a better candidate or who was thinking what, or who was trying to con the system; just going to make my statement and move on...

firefriendly - great advice, and a very reasoned and professional approach to the situation. Good job and thanks for the contribution. I am not sure you are wrong about him, thankfully its not my place to decide. I will say that it could just be that the kid is tired of getting ganged up on for passing on what he thought was good information and getting caught in a catch 22. If he defends himself then he is attacked over his quality as a Naval Officer Candidate, if he gives in then the same happens... Great, advice, I hope he takes it to heart and does some soul searching, and I also hope that people stop pouncing on his quality and more on the information he puts forth...

theblakeness- I can tell you are a hardcharger and eager to get moving down to OCS but if I may offer a word of advice (from someone who has been there done that), just because you think someone is passing bad gouge, or bad advice...don't go after the individual. You can hammer the guy on giving a bad suggestion when he hasn't been there (then again neither have you) but don't start questioning his quality as a officer...might work ok in the pool before OCS, hell may even work at OCS, but eventually it is going to bite you in the a$$.

joboy- I understand where you are coming from, and it seems like your friend just gave you bad gouge. I even think that you started to realize that during the discussion and that is why you changed sides. Hell I will even commend you for admitting up front that you were just passing what a buddy told you. Other than that though you need to seriously toughen up, not only about not taking things personally (even though he did attack you personally) but if someone challenges you like that how about confronting them, MAKE them prove that they are speaking from experience or from a position that is better than where you are at. There is no reason that someone in the same position you are in should be questioning your quality (thats what the DIs will do at OCS) and certainly no reason he should get away with it...

Thanks, I appreciate you breaking this down. I was passed on this gouge from a VERY recent ENS, and if it's bad gouge, it's bad gouge. I was told a lot of OCS is a mindgame and you just need to learn how to play. It didn't sound dishonest or deceiving to do this in any way, but I'm sure I'll learn quickly at OCS if this is the wrong mentality. I only stopped posting because people around here like to attack people personally and not on any merit of what they said.:icon_rage

 

[theblakeness]

theblakeness- I can tell you are a hardcharger and eager to get moving down to OCS but if I may offer a word of advice (from someone who has been there done that), just because you think someone is passing bad gouge, or bad advice...don't go after the individual. You can hammer the guy on giving a bad suggestion when he hasn't been there (then again neither have you) but don't start questioning his quality as a officer...might work ok in the pool before OCS, hell may even work at OCS, but eventually it is going to bite you in the a$$.

Roger. I realize my post came off pretty harsh, I guess I have just been annoyed lately by the quality of some of the posts done by certain individuals. Im cooled off now.:icon_tong . BTW, I have already been to OCS and I do agree that it isnt right to question someones quality there or in the fleet, but one thing they do instill there is integrity and sandbaggin the initial fitness test for whatever motive just seems like a complete lack of integrity too me.

anyway for some friendly advice to joboy..
After rereading some of your posts I notice that the risk of injury is pretty important to you. If I may suggest, make sure you steadily increase the amount of training you do prior to leaving for OCS untill you are at a comparable stage to the type of training that goes on there. Talk to some of those Ensigns you know and find out how intense it gets, because from my experience in Quantico, most of the Candidates that got injured at PT were either not prepared for the intense PT, or overtrained at the last minute before shipping off to prepare themselves.

Good luck, and no hard feelings.

 

[joboy_2.0]

Roger. I realize my post came off pretty harsh, I guess I have just been annoyed lately by the quality of some of the posts done by certain individuals. Im cooled off now.:icon_tong . BTW, I have already been to OCS and I do agree that it isnt right to question someones quality there or in the fleet, but one thing they do instill there is integrity and sandbaggin the initial fitness test for whatever motive just seems like a complete lack of integrity too me.

anyway for some friendly advice to joboy..
After rereading some of your posts I notice that the risk of injury is pretty important to you. If I may suggest, make sure you steadily increase the amount of training you do prior to leaving for OCS untill you are at a comparable stage to the type of training that goes on there. Talk to some of those Ensigns you know and find out how intense it gets, because from my experience in Quantico, most of the Candidates that got injured at PT were either not prepared for the intense PT, or overtrained at the last minute before shipping off to prepare themselves.

Good luck, and no hard feelings.

Roger, wilco

 

[Rearden]

I just graduated from OCS and there is a large perception that improvement is important, but in my time there, I never saw anyone take any teeth to that argument. In reality, it probably has more to do with your DI's mood on the day you do your PRT than anything else, in terms of whether he will take the scores to the utmost seriousness or not really care at all. The requirements for the scores on the three PRT's are laid out specifically in the OCR (and I'm quoting these from memory, so forgive me if I'm off by a bit, but they're in the correct vicinity).
IN: Sat-Low
MID: Sat-Med
OUT: Good-Low

Technically, they're not supposed to roll you unless you fail one of these OBJECTIVE standars that aren't based at all on improvment and there is no place in the OCR where it says that PRT scores must improve while at OCS, if memory serves. As anyone who's been to OCS knows, the rules set out in the OCR can be bent to the particular will of staff members if they want it badly enough.

 

[metro]

Still at OCS with Barnard (C/LTJG), and I have to say the run program here is pretty decent. Decent mileage during some runs, pace is generally just right to keep you pushing yourself, but not fast enough to kill you. I hated running before I got here, and was worried more about that than anything else, PT-wise, and I have never fallen out of a run, even the longest ones, and have shaved about 2 minutes off my In-PFA time. YMMV.

 

[Lonestar155]

This is rediculous advice!! Is this really the quality of Officer Candidates that the Navy is pooling these days?!?!

give 110% at all times. Even if you are at the top of your game when you arrive, if you push yourself hard in PT (like you should) then your gonna see improvement by the time you graduate no matter what. In case you havnt noticed, the Military looks for quality, not necessarily quantity when selecting Officers. OCS is an opportunity for you to look at yourself in the mirror and improve yourself both physically AND mentally. If your gonna try an outsmart the system in the PT department, then me thinks that you might suffer from some moral issues that 13 weeks of OCS isnt gonna fix.

..just the .02 cents of a Marine Officer Candidate :watching3

Right on the money baby! Even though I dont think Joyboy meant what he said, but great Marine mentality!

 

[joboy_2.0]

I just graduated from OCS and there is a large perception that improvement is important, but in my time there, I never saw anyone take any teeth to that argument. In reality, it probably has more to do with your DI's mood on the day you do your PRT than anything else, in terms of whether he will take the scores to the utmost seriousness or not really care at all. The requirements for the scores on the three PRT's are laid out specifically in the OCR (and I'm quoting these from memory, so forgive me if I'm off by a bit, but they're in the correct vicinity).
IN: Sat-Low
MID: Sat-Med
OUT: Good-Low

Technically, they're not supposed to roll you unless you fail one of these OBJECTIVE standars that aren't based at all on improvment and there is no place in the OCR where it says that PRT scores must improve while at OCS, if memory serves. As anyone who's been to OCS knows, the rules set out in the OCR can be bent to the particular will of staff members if they want it badly enough.

If that is the case, then my gouge was dead wrong, and I can agree to do a balls-out run when you get there. I just know that I'm prone to having a bad running day sometimes and if improvement is a BIG deal to the class team members and I had a bad day on the out PRT, then I'd want to ensure that I "improved" hence my comment, but if this is true, then I can agree.

 

[badger16]

Roger. I realize my post came off pretty harsh, I guess I have just been annoyed lately by the quality of some of the posts done by certain individuals. Im cooled off now.:icon_tong . BTW, I have already been to OCS and I do agree that it isnt right to question someones quality there or in the fleet, but one thing they do instill there is integrity and sandbaggin the initial fitness test for whatever motive just seems like a complete lack of integrity too me.

anyway for some friendly advice to joboy..
After rereading some of your posts I notice that the risk of injury is pretty important to you. If I may suggest, make sure you steadily increase the amount of training you do prior to leaving for OCS untill you are at a comparable stage to the type of training that goes on there. Talk to some of those Ensigns you know and find out how intense it gets, because from my experience in Quantico, most of the Candidates that got injured at PT were either not prepared for the intense PT, or overtrained at the last minute before shipping off to prepare themselves.

Good luck, and no hard feelings.

sorry to quote the whole thing but i don't know how to just do line quotes...but if i was you I would try and train to a level above what you will be looking at in OCS...at least with running...that way when you have to run 3 miles...it will be like oh well 3 miles...i'm used to 5 everyday...and trust me if you can get into a standard rutine it is not that bad...the biggest thing and a lot of the guys who have gone through OCS seem to really be stressing this is do it slow...don't just start 3 weeks before you go. try 3-4 months....I run marathons so i feel i can give some info at least on the running portion...because when i start my training its not 12 miles runs right away. A majority of the runs are 3-4 miles to build a base...so if you start at 2miles 4 times a week and work up to 4-5 miles 5-6 times a weeks you should be in great shape...and if you are really worried about the running check out the runners world website...they have great stretchs and running programs to get you into shape...s%@t sorry for the long post guys.

Good luck man.

 

[jamnww]

Roger. I realize my post came off pretty harsh, ...BTW, I have already been to OCS ...there is integrity and sandbaggin the initial fitness test for whatever motive just seems like a complete lack of integrity too me.

Nothing wrong with that mentality, and keep questioning people on their motives...as an officer you will be expected to keep everyone honest and doing the right thing. Keep training, I am sure you will have a lot of fun at TBS

but no seriously, enjoy your time as much as you can and try not to get too frustrated with things...I was the same way, so I know how you feel...

 

[Ironnads]

OCS is all about gaming the game. Get used to the phrase, "Pays to be a winner, sucks to be a loser". The standards are so high that no one can accomplish them alone. Your classmates are your only allies. In order to succeed you all need to be on the same page and win at ALL COST. Be prepared to sell your soul to the devil. You will see what I'm talking about when you get there and it will prepare you for the day to day B.S. you're going to have to deal with in the fleet.

 

[metro]

Yeah, not sure where he's going with that one either, Barn.

 

[IRfly]

OCS Running

Give it your all, every time.

You'll see when you get there that a large amount of attention is devoted to keeping people healthy (punches to the SKY!, anyone?).

Given the circumstances of OCS, your mid-PRT will almost definitely be better than your in-PRT. You will have been training intensely, losing weight, and be less stressed when you do the mid. If you're already running an 8:30, though, then no one expects you to shave off the same two minutes that the guy running 13:30 is going to. Improve on your pushups and situps.

You'll sit down with the devil at the end of your first week, one on one, and negotiate the price for your soul. I would advise you to have a lawyer present and strongly emphasize your ability to perform several exotic sexual favors in order to up your value.