I'm Making Progress!!

Well, after getting nagged by my mom I thought I would update everyone! There isn't much going on other than lots and lots of PT.

Sergeant Carroll, Me, and two other recruits ran on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday it was so muggy, that when it finally started to rain it felt great! We ran for 3 miles on Tuesday. I was going run on Wednesday with a girl that just finished training but she needed to postpone and take her truck to the shop and I never heard back from her. I failed to do anything on Wednesday but Thursday was another running session with Sergeant Carroll. We ran for 4 miles on Thursday. It was miserable outside!!! When we run we go in intervals; obviously he has us run as far as possible and then he pushes up even farther but when we get to the point where we need help he has us walk, jog, run, sprint, over and over and over again until we get to the end point! His strategies really work and help when running on my own. We didn't get to do push-ups or sit-ups on either day (Tuesday because it was raining and Thursday because Sergeant had a doctor's appointment); but did have us to squats, lunges, sprints, and run backwards (all things that hurt and make you extremely sore the next day), he also makes sure we stretch really really well after a run because it improves flexibility which is turn helps with running! Yesterday night was the Relay for Life in Nixa. I walked a mile with my mom but then I jogged 4 miles!! I usually have a pretty hard time pushing myself when I run by myself but I used the same strategy that Sergeant Carroll uses when we run together. I would run as far as possible without stopping and when I wanted to stop I would push myself to another point on the track when I needed to stop I would slow down slowly (its better on the body rather than just stopping and start walking) and walk 20 steps, then I would start jogging again until I wanted to stop and then push myself and make myself run farther and harder with sprints and then repeating the entire process. It got me through the entire 4 miles and after I was done I felt like I was going be sick which means I got a good work-out and means that I pushed myself. I need to work on my time but my running has improved a ton!!! Sit-Ups and Push-Ups are still my worst enemies. I can do sit-ups just not in proper form and push-ups well they still have a lot to be desired. I'm going continue to work on them daily! In the morning I do strength exercises for my core and upper body and then in the evening I do pyramids (Push-Ups and Sit-Ups starting at 50 and going down in number until I reach 0). I have two weeks to pass my next PT test and I will pass it if it kills me!!!

Yesterday afternoon I went to drop off my transcripts for one of my promotions. My recruiter wasn't there but Sergeant Combs was (who was one of the recruiters that helped talk me into going active duty rather then reserves). He was asking about all my future soldier training stuff and I said I was done I just needed to pass the PT test to get the promotion. He completely busted my bubble!!! The test you have to take to get the promotion is a 2-2-2 it isn't that hard and it is the test that you take to graduate basic. He told me that there are only a handful of people that can actually pass the test; well I've been struggling with PT because I wasn't in-shape when I enlisted but my recruiter has been working with me really hard. Sergeant Carroll who is absolutely amazing told me he would do his part but I needed to do my part and if I did then I would be able to pass the test! I want it and I will get it but it definitely made me frustrated!!

Other than working on PT and continuing to study up on all my orders, ranks, and other general military information nothing exciting has been happening!! I'll write more soon.

Heather