Delaying my PJFT?

[Connor!]

Right, help please... my PJFT is coming up in two weeks and I don't know if I'm going to be ready or not... So as a worst case scenario that I'm not, my question is...

it has to be completed within 28 days of your medical.. So if I ring explain the situation and say I need to put it back to a later date so I'm ready for it will this result in my having to retake my medical?
Likewise if I fail will I have to retake my medical because it's not a pass in the 28 days?

I know a few of you lads have put it back so it's a question for you I guess, and ninja of course.

Thanks in advance..

 

[Robbie5]

I think you can only put it back if you have an injury. What are you going to say when your CA asks why you aren't ready? If you take it and fail its 8 weeks wait but if you finish the return in under 11 mins I think to wait goes down to a month.

 

[Connor!]

Right thanks... Well I would have said that the app process has been ALOT quicker than I thought and I had been told, not having to take the recruit test took a month of my app process and therefore a month of training and I only went into the AFCO to say I wanted to go for the royal marines less than a month ago and I'm already at PJFT so therefore I don't think I've had sufficient time to train even though I have been training hard 5-6 times a week.

Obviously I like the fact I'm getting through the process as quick as possible.. Who wouldn't but it does have an effect on the readiness for each test as like this I have had far less time to train than I thought/ need/other people have had.

I just think that delaying would be better than failing?

 

[JamieC]

Can you not ask to re-book it for a later date that's still within the 28 days?

 

[Connor!]

Can you not ask to re-book it for a later date that's still within the 28 days?

It's like 2 days before the 28 days mate, I still have 2 weeks to train for it, just getting info for the last option which would be delaying

 

[alfaholic]

I know how you feel I applied being 'reasonably fit' and before you know it you have to do the PJFT and you can't pass a mock 2 weeks before.

I never passed a mock before my test just didn't give up on the day and thought to myself '8 week wait' over and over again in my head while I was running.

I'd say 99% of the time when someone tells an afco they are injured they are just not ready and haven't trained hard enough. Your afco will know this and more than likely question your commitment. I would just go for it and tell yourself your not coming off that treadmill unless you pass or pass out.

No-one has ever died on a treadmill...

 

[Connor!]

I know how you feel I applied being 'reasonably fit' and before you know it you have to do the PJFT and you can't pass a mock 2 weeks before.

I never passed a mock before my test just didn't give up on the day and thought to myself '8 week wait' over and over again in my head while I was running.

I'd say 99% of the time when someone tells an afco they are injured they are just not ready and haven't trained hard enough. Your afco will know this and more than likely question your commitment. I would just go for it and tell yourself your not coming off that treadmill unless you pass or pass out.

No-one has ever died on a treadmill...

Yeah I'm going to try my hardest... At the minute I get to around 4 minutes and I'm completely gone.... I like to think I have good determination and this delaying it's just the very last option thanks for the advice

 

[alfaholic]

try doing either 6 x 400, 4 x 600 or 3 x 800m at the level required (14.4 minimum I think) with say 30 secs rest inbetween . (each of them add up to 2.4km incase you hadn't noticed)
see if you can do this and eventually take out the rest periods when you feel like you can. This gets you used to running at the pace required at the distance required just broken up a bit, as opposed to wrapping after 4 mins.
Hope that helps and makes sense.

 

[Robbie5]

Right thanks... Well I would have said that the app process has been ALOT quicker than I thought and I had been told, not having to take the recruit test took a month of my app process and therefore a month of training and I only went into the AFCO to say I wanted to go for the royal marines less than a month ago and I'm already at PJFT so therefore I don't think I've had sufficient time to train even though I have been training hard 5-6 times a week.

Obviously I like the fact I'm getting through the process as quick as possible.. Who wouldn't but it does have an effect on the readiness for each test as like this I have had far less time to train than I thought/ need/other people have had.

I just think that delaying would be better than failing?

You didn't have to take the recruit test??

 

[AndyBrookes1995]

Dont worry about it mate. I was getting 12.01 and 10.19 8 days before my PJFT. I had my PJFT on Sunday and on the thursday, 3 days before I had my PJFT I done a 12.13 and then only 6.03 on 14.5 all the way and I was dead, legs were killing, found it hard to breath, proper dead! I passed on sunday with 12.13 and 9.50 and went down to the gym today and just done a 12.13 and 9.38 so dont worry about it.

You've got 2 weeks to get your self ready for it and even if your not ready for it you just got to think when you start that 1.5 mile return 'I'm not getting of this treadmill'. What got me though was just thinking about going home and telling my parents that I failed and how dissapointed I would be sat down in the changing rooms. Its only your mind telling you that you cant do it.

If I was you I would just do a lot of mock runs and if you get to 4 minutes on the return and its hurting then just lower the speed, its better to finish and do 11 minutes of running that to only doing 4. Even if you get a 10.50 return on your mock just go back down the gym in a couple of days and just try and beat it.

Good luck mate, I am sure you will do fine, just think about how badly you want it.

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Right thanks... Well I would have said that the app process has been ALOT quicker than I thought and I had been told, not having to take the recruit test took a month of my app process and therefore a month of training and I only went into the AFCO to say I wanted to go for the royal marines less than a month ago and I'm already at PJFT so therefore I don't think I've had sufficient time to train even though I have been training hard 5-6 times a week.

Obviously I like the fact I'm getting through the process as quick as possible.. Who wouldn't but it does have an effect on the readiness for each test as like this I have had far less time to train than I thought/ need/other people have had.

I just think that delaying would be better than failing?

04/02/2012:

Yeah I'm already training 6 days a week and have been for the past month

Assuming the training has not been entirely CV orientated for the last 3 months, then it maybe worth binning the gym & focusing on runs, swims & cycles, hill-sprints & interval training - a training partner is very much recommended..

The average applicant should be capable of passing a PJFT within 8 weeks from scratch - if they are sufficiently motivated

Contact your AFCO well before the 28 days have elapsed otherwise it'll class as a first fail.

Good luck.

 

[Connor!]

I didn't have to do the recruit test because i have already done it when going for naval officer about a year ago and I had sufficient points to go for RM without a retake.

And thanks for the advice I am going to train hard and see where I am at, delaying is last option!

And thanks ninja... So I couldn't phone with a couple of days to go then? It would just count as a fail? And yeah I didn't actually concentrate on RM fitness before it was just general fitness that most people do plus football and doing sport on my college course made 6 days training, training properly now though!

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

It's always best to be upfront with your AFCO from the outset.

If you've left it until a couple of days before the 28 days elapse, it may well count as a fail, but it's worth the call as an extension maybe granted. Besides, if you're lucky it may not be me that picks up the telephone.

 

[Connor!]

Right okay ninja thanks, I just don't want to phone now as I I'm going to push for the next 2 weeks to go for it. And if I do get an extension will i have to retake my medical because it's out of the 28 days or not?

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

If over age 18, the medical remains valid.

 

[Connor!]

I'm only 16, that's annoying.. Thanks ninja for al the advice as always