I could use an explanation if one is out there…

[JPH]

I could use a bit of help in the form of an explanation if one is out there…

I have search several terms trying to find this information, and if it is here I have over looked it or have not searched for the right word. Therefore if I am beating something that is already dead I would greatly appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

I have been working out and actively training for well over 4 months, I have been living healthy and changing my lifestyle for over a year with SF as an end goal. Of that 4 months of “actively training” I have been going all out this last 52 days give or take a couple when I don’t work as hard because of test or the like at school.

Over the past week to 10 days I have not just hit a wall, I have “lost” ability in some areas. About 10 days ago, I was in the 80s-90s on all the APFT stuff. I had the two mile run in the can, sit-ups were great and getting better every time I tested myself, and push up were getting better by the day, but still not where I wanted them.

I got a very small head cold, nothing to bad, and then something happened. Lately I am in the 50s to low 70s on my push-ups and sit-ups. Muscle failure, for the push-ups, happens before the two minuets are up, and it makes me mad as hell. So I don’t quite, I just do it again latter in the day and get about the same results. My running is still as good as it ever was and getting better, but I do feel usually tiered lately…

I would normally just keep to myself and work through this, but it looks as if I will be interviewing / meeting the SF recruiter 14 days. If there is anything other than just keep going that someone could recommend then I would do it at the drop of a hat.

Although I admit that what I don’t know would fill volumes, I have been competitive in sports before, and have been in a few hairy places where I started to give up or have other mental blocks get in my way, I know what that feels like for me and I don’t think this is mental. If you think it is call me on it, but it sure doesn’t feel like it…

Additionally I have the prep book and have been working on that workout, although this setback hindered that.

I hope I have provided enough information however I am more than willing to answer any questions anyone may have.

So my question is, are there any aspects that I should be looking at? and, What can I do to get my body going again?

Thank-you for any and all help,
JPH

[x SF med]

You had a cold. Did you get enough rest? Are you hydrating? Try using airborne and taking a couple of days rest, lots of fluids. You need to get the virus out of your system, try that.

[CPTAUSRET]

I am not a Doc, and I am sure someone else will respond with something decidedly more intelligent...But, I would see a doc if it were me, could be something similar to "Mono", could be something else, entirely. A visit to your Doc should answer your questions, get you back on track, and put your mind at rest!


x SF med:

We were posting at the same time, just takes me a lot longer to type than you!

[lksteve]

You had a cold. Did you get enough rest? Are you hydrating? Try using airborne and taking a couple of days rest, lots of fluids. You need to get the virus out of your system, try that.good advice...a little rest never killed anyone...hell, they used to have 8-hour breaks in Ranger School...

just don't get used to it...

[Warrior-Mentor]

Sounds like you may have worn yourself down. Throttle back on the intensity.
Rest is your friend.
Work out + Rest = Training
If you never rest, your body doesn't have a chance to recover and become stronger...

[CDRODA396]

The last two posts hit the nail on the head, rest/recovery is an integral part of any workout routine.

"I have been going all out this last 52 days give or take a couple when I don’t work as hard because of test or the like at school." Thats a long time to go without a rest even if you are alternating light/heavy or easy/hard days.

If you follow the workout in the Get Selected Book, you note that there are plenty of days of rest to allow your body to recover and grow...Good Luck!

[Five-O]

Sounds like you may have worn yourself down. Throttle back on the intensity.
Rest is your friend.
Work out + Rest = Training
If you never rest, your body doesn't have a chance to recover and become stronger...

Exactly on point Sir.
JPH, sounds to me like a classic case of over-training. Over training is a point where your ability to recover from excercise does not keep pace with your conditioning program, ie...the stress you put on your body and you actually get weaker/slower etc. Google "Excercise Tapering" then, sit down with a NLT or an event and do a little backwards planning for that event. Good luck.

http://www.drmirkin.com/

The above site is a good place for many medical issues with particular emphasis on human athletic performance. Dr Gabe is well known in the athlectic world and his research is well respected. HTH.

[JPH]

Gentlemen thank-you for the fast response, I will take today and Saturday off from upper body work and I will postpone my running until Saturday night. I will also run (walk slowly…lol) by the school’s clinic or work and get someone to draw up a full set of labs to see if there might be a bug suppressed in my system somewhere.

I will report back as soon and I know something or see a change.

Again thanks,
JPH

[matt13b]

I had similiar issues when I was suffering mono my first year in the Army. Whatch who and what your kissing!

[JPH]

Ok I just had a set of labs ran and talked to an MD… my Lymphocyte count was between 37% and 39.4% depending on which test you look at and 40, as it was explained to me, is the very high end of the “normal” range. Dr. said that with all my other numbers taken in to count, I am on the down hill side of fighting a viruses.

MONO came back negative. WBC is ok and the list goes on.

I won’t pick up any shift with the hospital this weekend, and I got someone to cove for me at my desk job. Mix that with H2O, food, and rest and I hope to be back on track for SF in 2-4 days.

Still a bit worried about having to perform for someone in 13 days, but I guess there isn’t anything I can do about that…

Again thanks for the words of advice, and as a note to anyone who finds this thread later down the line. If you are healthy, and trying your best, and then one day something just doesn’t feel right, Rangering through it, if other options are there, may not be the best thing ever. Because I thought I was just being a pansy two weeks ago, I am now losing training days when they are even more important!!!

Thanks again,
James

[x SF med]

JPH and all you other Sluggos-

Listen to your bodies. Follow the Major's advice in the book - it builds rest into the TRAINING - notice the word - you will be tested in SFAS; these are different things.

You should:
Warm up
Train to near failure
Cool Down

Repeat the above for different areas - strength, endurance, sustained strength - and different muscle groups - work over your entire body over a 3-5 day period.

then Rest/Recovery - as important as the training - don't be fooled that because you are switching bodyparts/muscle groups/ types of exercise during the training phase there is rest/recovery involved. Recovery should be a minimum of 24 full hours, 36-48 if possible every couple of weeks.

If you have a cold/virus - slow down your training slightly, and make sure to allow longer recovery periods.

Just my .02 - but why do I feel that this has been covered, recovered, buried, dug up, and then covered some more.....

[Razor]

...I am now losing training days when they are even more important!!!

Read 5-0's post again, and focus on the part about tapering. You're two weeks out from testing and you're concerned you're not training hard enough? Fitness tests aren't something you can cram in preparation; if you've done the foundation work like you've described, you should be fine, so long as you continue to do some exercise between now and test day.

[hunteran]

How much sleep are you getting? When I don't get enough sleep I hit the wall and it usually takes about a week of good sleep. Try and get more sleep, that usually does the trick for me.

[FearMonkey]

Just to re-iterate what everyone has said, this is what happened to me:

Airborne School PT Test - 290
SOPC PT Test - 280
SFAS PT Test - 270
SOPC II Test - 250

I did all four of those school back-to-back with no downtime, and it was frustrating as hell because I didn't realize why my scores were dropping when I was training so hard. I had a month downtime between SOPC II and PLDC/BNCOC and when I got to PLDC/BNCOC after a month of light PT...

PLDC/BNCOC PT Test - 300

My body was just run down, beat up, and was begging for rest. So, not to beat a dead horse, but it sounds like you're experiencing the same thing that happened to me.

But remember, at SFAS... screw what your body is telling you. You'll always have time to recover when it's all said and done.

[Warrior-Mentor]

You da man. Kick arse avatar!

[x SF med]

My previous post was for conditioning / training for SOPC/SFAS. In the courses, there is nothing but the goal. On a mission there is nothing but the goal. But if you wear yourself out, rather than condition yourself, prior to any of these - you are a liability, not an asset.