Thought I would make a diary as really enjoyed reading them before I did mine.
Tuesday - Long train Journey down meeting up with lads on the way, wasn't too nervous was quite excited to be honest. Arrived at CTC for around 14:30 and was told to unpack and get all the kit we needed, make beds and polish boots as more were still to arrive. Had a basic briefing, bit of admin and scran (food) and it was quite a laid back day. Early to bed every night (light out at 8/9) as you need all the sleep you can get.
Wednesday - We were told to wake up for 05:45 but we set alarms for 05:00 as you need to shower, shave and do admin then scran around 06:15. Like most people say they give you a lot of time before you do any exercise. Remember to be 5mins early to every detail/time the staff give you or you can be punished, our group was pretty good at it but one time were made to do press-ups in our suits in the corridor. You will practise drill also such as how to march, halt, stand to attention and all that which was quite enjoyable and the corporals are all funny. Every time you change clothes you have a shower and yes most of the time they are cold. After this we were in PT rig and had a briefing on the physical assessments to come and the point system. Then straight into gym tests soVO2, press ups, sit ups, pull ups make sure you are training with the beep and form is good as you get stopped if bad. Then scran and ready again for the 3 mile run. when they say fill bottles up fill them right to the top as they check and if not you throw it over your heads. You do a little warm up and then do the first 1.5m as a troop with a pti setting the pace, then your allowed to have a slash ready for best effort back. After this was the swimming test very simple jump in off the board swim a length, a width, a length and dive 3m to pick a brick up, some lads found this hard. Then we had a talk by some Olympic swimmers, we were all knackered and tired at this point the guy on my left fell asleep and I am sure a few others did.
Thursday - This is where the fun begins lads. just the usually wake up shower get in kit then have a big breakfast ready for assault course. Like most things youll do a quick warm up with the pti then on to the confidence test you get told to walk jog sprint across a beam which is a little bit small but fine then jump into a cargo net by punching into it then climb up and get off. A few lads had to do this multiple times and one guys arm after was purple and swollen from it. After this you get shown the assault course 3 parts at a time. The pti will demonstrate then you will do it and so on. After you've gone through it all you do your timed run. After this is bottom field determination test. You get in the pool fully submerged under the monkey bars (which everyone had a wee in) then do bunny hops up hill go back down do it again and again, do loads of crawls, sprints, do carries (go with someone the same weight), more bunny hops, sprints, crawls, burpees, press-ups, pull ups, dips. There's a lot more but just don't think about it just do it and stay near the front, it will end. After this shower scran then on the coach for endurance course. So the Pti will run and everyone follows (be at the front) you go through loads of pools, pitch black tunnels, crawling through mud and stones, hill sprints, burpees, press-ups. You get a banana and drink half way round then straight into it again, lads if people are struggling get behind them and help, one time I was holding a guy up by his shirt running and pushing people feet whilst crawling, keep giving people encouragement but do this all on the low key. We got to a van and the pti said to get changed to dry kit. As soon as we started to unzip our combat jacket we said I am joking off we go again, no idea why but found it hilarious so again did it pays to be a winner when you partner up and race them up a hill if you win you rest, lose and you do it again. You do something called triangle of death thankfully I was in the top 5 so watch everyone run in a triangle and if your not in the next top 5 you go again. It fair to say lads I wee myself 3 times doing this course as your not allowed to go toilet, but *text deleted* its a nice warm. Then fireman carries to the end. You get a biscuit and allowed to drink when back. the coach was let so we had to do push ups singing happy bday to the corporals son, then a few games such as tell a joke if they laugh you don't do more phys. Anyway you get the coach back and at this point you pretty much have passed, one lad didn't even though he completed it all, who I felt sorry for.
Friday - wake up to ache and pains you've never felt before have scran then you just have a briefing with the pti about fitness and medical staff etc clean the accommodation, just nothing special on this day apart from getting your certificates then back on the train round 12:30
Tips
Tuesday - Long train Journey down meeting up with lads on the way, wasn't too nervous was quite excited to be honest. Arrived at CTC for around 14:30 and was told to unpack and get all the kit we needed, make beds and polish boots as more were still to arrive. Had a basic briefing, bit of admin and scran (food) and it was quite a laid back day. Early to bed every night (light out at 8/9) as you need all the sleep you can get.
Wednesday - We were told to wake up for 05:45 but we set alarms for 05:00 as you need to shower, shave and do admin then scran around 06:15. Like most people say they give you a lot of time before you do any exercise. Remember to be 5mins early to every detail/time the staff give you or you can be punished, our group was pretty good at it but one time were made to do press-ups in our suits in the corridor. You will practise drill also such as how to march, halt, stand to attention and all that which was quite enjoyable and the corporals are all funny. Every time you change clothes you have a shower and yes most of the time they are cold. After this we were in PT rig and had a briefing on the physical assessments to come and the point system. Then straight into gym tests soVO2, press ups, sit ups, pull ups make sure you are training with the beep and form is good as you get stopped if bad. Then scran and ready again for the 3 mile run. when they say fill bottles up fill them right to the top as they check and if not you throw it over your heads. You do a little warm up and then do the first 1.5m as a troop with a pti setting the pace, then your allowed to have a slash ready for best effort back. After this was the swimming test very simple jump in off the board swim a length, a width, a length and dive 3m to pick a brick up, some lads found this hard. Then we had a talk by some Olympic swimmers, we were all knackered and tired at this point the guy on my left fell asleep and I am sure a few others did.
Thursday - This is where the fun begins lads. just the usually wake up shower get in kit then have a big breakfast ready for assault course. Like most things youll do a quick warm up with the pti then on to the confidence test you get told to walk jog sprint across a beam which is a little bit small but fine then jump into a cargo net by punching into it then climb up and get off. A few lads had to do this multiple times and one guys arm after was purple and swollen from it. After this you get shown the assault course 3 parts at a time. The pti will demonstrate then you will do it and so on. After you've gone through it all you do your timed run. After this is bottom field determination test. You get in the pool fully submerged under the monkey bars (which everyone had a wee in) then do bunny hops up hill go back down do it again and again, do loads of crawls, sprints, do carries (go with someone the same weight), more bunny hops, sprints, crawls, burpees, press-ups, pull ups, dips. There's a lot more but just don't think about it just do it and stay near the front, it will end. After this shower scran then on the coach for endurance course. So the Pti will run and everyone follows (be at the front) you go through loads of pools, pitch black tunnels, crawling through mud and stones, hill sprints, burpees, press-ups. You get a banana and drink half way round then straight into it again, lads if people are struggling get behind them and help, one time I was holding a guy up by his shirt running and pushing people feet whilst crawling, keep giving people encouragement but do this all on the low key. We got to a van and the pti said to get changed to dry kit. As soon as we started to unzip our combat jacket we said I am joking off we go again, no idea why but found it hilarious so again did it pays to be a winner when you partner up and race them up a hill if you win you rest, lose and you do it again. You do something called triangle of death thankfully I was in the top 5 so watch everyone run in a triangle and if your not in the next top 5 you go again. It fair to say lads I wee myself 3 times doing this course as your not allowed to go toilet, but *text deleted* its a nice warm. Then fireman carries to the end. You get a biscuit and allowed to drink when back. the coach was let so we had to do push ups singing happy bday to the corporals son, then a few games such as tell a joke if they laugh you don't do more phys. Anyway you get the coach back and at this point you pretty much have passed, one lad didn't even though he completed it all, who I felt sorry for.
Friday - wake up to ache and pains you've never felt before have scran then you just have a briefing with the pti about fitness and medical staff etc clean the accommodation, just nothing special on this day apart from getting your certificates then back on the train round 12:30
Tips
- 5 mins early to detail
- don't fidget in the gym or you get phys
- Listen to every detail you get given
- Be first in showers
- Stretch everyday
- eat loads
- Help one another
- Take plasters for when your boots rub against you and take some food too
