The Training before the Training.

9th November, 2009

I began training with a few PJ trainees from base.  So far there are 4 of us, with more to trickle in further on down the line.  They are some serious dudes, tough and are ready for what Indoc and the Pipeline are gonna dish out.  I will explain our workout routine :

7am Swimming Pool

250m Freestyle warm-up.

1. 10X 25 Meter Underwaters @ 1:30 rest interval.  ( I am not there yet so I'm doing 2:30) Note: I felt like passing out after the 8th set.  It sucked.

2. Treading Water:
    1st set hands up @ 2:00
    2nd set hands up @ 3:00
    3rd set hands up with 4 of us in circular formation, each taking turns passing around a plastic chair @ 3:00
    4th set hands up passing the chair @ 5:00.  But if the chair leg touches the water, we start over.. 
    We started over 2 mins into the set.  completed the 5:00 time frame successfully on the 2nd try.
    Note:  Legs burning with lactic acid.  Felt like cement bricks.

3. Drown Proofing : (this sucked too)
    We simulated hands tied behind back, and legs bound together.  Entered the water.
     5 bobs and on 5th bob, 1 front flip.  ( I freaked out on the 5th bob because I became neutrally bouyant
     and couldn't sink to the bottom for my flip.  I surfaced and tried again.  Couldn't do it.  I was still too
     exhausted from the water treading.  Im going to the pool tomorrow to practice drown proofing.)
     5 bobs and on 5th bob, 1 back flip.
     Travel to danger line and return. (ok)
     5 more bobs, and on 5th bob recover mask from bottom of pool.
     end drown proofing.

4.  Mask and Snorkle recovery :
     Recovered Mask and Snorkle and 10 meters 3X

5.  Buddy Breathing:  ( my favorite!)
     3 sets @ 2:00 intervals.  1st set mild harrassment.  2nd set medium harrassment. 3rd set full  
     harrassment.  Note:  I got bear hugged and squeezed all the air out of me.  That really sucked, it was a
     fight to get my breath back.  I start having trouble when water gets up my nose.  Remember to clear
     your nose once in a while to keep water out.  Once you get water in your lungs.  Its very hard to recover
     without surfacing.  Don't let it happen.

6.  Ten Ups: Pushups at the edge of the pool followed by diving into the water and swimming underwater
     to the danger line, surfacing and sprinting back.  Starting from 1 pushup, dive, sprint back.  2 pushups, 
    dive, sprint back and up until 10 pushups.  It is an exhausting exercise.  We will be doing full 25 meters
    in Indoc.. Don't know how I'm gonna get through that..
7.  Finning:
     100m sprints 3X
     Nothing hard, but hard to do after all the above mentioned.

8.  25 Meter Underwaters 2X for wrap-up.  Did I mention I felt like passing out?

END TRAINING SESSION. Total time 3 hours.  Monday, Wednesday, Friday. 

HOOYAH NEVER QUIT!

Training Notes to Self

8th August, 2009

WATER CONFIDENCE

I worked on base today with Master Chief. I first worked on underwater stroke technique. He told me I basically suck ass and that I need to cut down my stroke count. Right now, I clear the bottom at 12 strokes. He said that if I don't get down to 7 strokes I will never make it past Indoc.

His main emphasis was my legs. They weren't doing anything for me, just kicking in the water. I need to get more push from my frog kick. Right now I am scissor kicking and that's no good.

He said I need to "learn to feel" the water moving around and along side my hands, arms, and feet. I need to learn how to manipulate the water around me to propel myself successfully. Remember that.

Everything in and underwater is done very SLOWLY. You cannot rush or beat your way through water. You cannot beat water, it will always win against you. Efficiency is key and using the least energy possible for the most forward movement or acceleration is what I need to strive for.

Do not focus on "getting to the end of the pool", or "touching that damn wall". Focus on "feeling the water move around you." Don't waste all your energy racing across the bottom because it is NOT a race.




BUDDY BREATHING

This is my weakness. I MUST learn to get past this weakness or I will not get past Indoc. Chief instructed me that you MUST learn to breath through the snorkel "while there is water still in the tube". There is ALWAYS some water in the tube. So do not get EXCITED and inhale too hard, or you WILL be sucking in water into your lungs. "Once you get water in your lungs, it's over man. You're done." DO NOT let water get in your lungs.

Therefore, take shallow light breaths. Never let more than HALF of your breath out. You always want to keep half or more of your breath in so you can remain afloat.

Remember to hollow your back like dead man's float while buddy breathing. It will keep you in good position.

RELAX. You MUST learn to RELAX while buddy breathing. This is your BIGGEST PROBLEM. The thought of "Not knowing" when or where your next breath will be is the scariest part of this exercise. This exercise is meant to wigg you out. Today, I wigged out. Big time. I was fine until Chief flooded my mask with water, then I couldn't see shit. I started breathing faster and he capped my snorkel. On the next breath my snorkel dipped under water and I sucked in a lung full and choked hard. I popped and ended the exercise.

I tried again, same thing. I wigged out when my mask became flooded and couldn't see anything. The sense of tunnel vision and claustrophobia kicked in and freaked me out. I popped to the surface for air. This is something that I MUST overcome. Or I will never make it through the course.

SUMMARY

Remember, take shallow breaths. Exhale only half of your breath, inhale slowly. There is always some water in the tube.

Rule of thumb: Take 2 breaths, then hold the 3rd. Chances are you will get splashed or capped then.

If you have to, wait for the perfect and uninterrupted opportunity to take that breath. If you think about it, "You're only holding your breath for 20 seconds or less!" Chief said. "Then you get a breath!" "Whats the big F&$king deal man?" Very true.

It's all psychological. All in your head. Don't start folding into a vagina out there. Stick it out and become a real man under that pressure.

Once you can get past the fear of buddy breathing and become comfortable with under waters, then "You will be able to deal with just about anything we will throw at you in the pipeline." Chief says.

Well F#$kin A man. I know what I need to do. so DO IT.

11th September, 2009

Today I had one of the greatest pool sessions to date. This is what I did:

1. 25 meter underwaters 7X @ 2:30 rest (starting from underwater).

2. 20 meter mask and snorkle retrieval 3X @ 2:30 rest (starting after retrieval).

3. Practiced "Frog Kick" with mask and snorkle. This is to help with my underwaters. The Chief

told me that all of your propulsion comes from the kick. Remember to "feel" the water moving around your feet and arms. I frog kick about 10 laps or until my legs are burning.

4. Tread water for 2:10 hands up, then tread until 9:00 and put hands up again for the last 1:00 for total of 10 minutes. Next time lets up this to 2:30 and put hands up again at 8:00.

5. Buddy breathing by myself. I start in the deep end of the pool, take off my mask and pass the snorkle back and fourth all the while egg beating to the other side of the pool. I try to pass up every 2nd breath.

This workout takes roughly an hour. I am pretty tired afterwards, but feeling great.

That Others May Live ( This is the Beginning!)

I have been living in Japan for the past 3 years and have recently returned home. My contract with the company I had been working for ended, and I decided it was time to do the job I've always dreamed of doing : Pararescue.

The 1st time I saw a "PJ" ( Pararescue Jumper) was in the movie "Perfect Storm". In 1991 a Halloween Nor'Easter storm hit the North East American coastline while a fishing crew on a boat called "Andrea Gail" were out to sea fishing for Swordfish. The crew found themselves lost and became trapped in the middle of the storm, 575 miles out to sea. A rescue mission was launched from the New York Air National Guards 106th Rescue Wing. 2 PJs were assigned to the rescue: TSgt. Alden "Rick" Smith and TSgt. John Spillane. The rescue chopper crew who flew in a HH-60 Pave Low helicopter consisted of : Maj. David Ruvola, Capt. Graham Buschor, and SSgt. Jimmy Mioli.

A brave and fearless rescue attempt was made to save the fishing crew of the Andrea Gail however the HH-60 burned all of its fuel and could not re-fuel in time from the C-130 "King Bird" due to the intensity of the storm. The rescue crew decided to ditch the chopper as close to the Andrea Gail as possible. During this ditch, TSgt. Alden "Rick" Smith would become lost at sea. While the surviving 3 airmen were picked up by the US Coast Guard Cutter "Tamaroa".

At the time, I didnt know that the PJs existed or that they were a special group of trained Airmen whos only mission is rescue. I was amazed that there were men willing to go out into an insane situation like that, risking their own lives and attempting to bring people back alive. I had to become one of them.

I began researching everything I could on "Pararescue" and "PJ". I found a very good book called. "That Others May Live" by SmSergeant Jack Brehm. This book did it for me, and I was completely positive I wanted to become a PJ one day, it was calling me.

However my family and my brain told me to pursue other avenues, to find a job that wasn't dangerous and something I enjoyed doing. So I went to college and got my Digital Media Degree and worked in tv News for a bit. Working as a News Editor I learned that I liked politics and world news, but also learned that my political views were conservative, and I also hated sitting on my ass all day.

I yearned for adventure, so I signed up for the PeaceCorps. I was accepted and set to work in the Carribean for 2 years. My job would be community development of some sort, it was clear as mud. I was weeks away from departure when I wrote PC a letter and asked them to change my job to something media related, a newspaper or possibly tv station if there was one.

I received a letter from them a week later and it stated that I no longer had a position in the Peace Corps, they were sorry and decided to terminate my application. Whopee. It didnt exactly break my heart that I wasn't going into the "Peace Corps", but I really wanted to get out and see the world.

So I found a Japanese English teaching company called "NOVA Group". They recruited and hired foreign teachers to live and teach in Japan. All that was required was a BA degree and I had that. So I was hired and moved to Japan. To make a long story short the company went bankrupt and I was 2 months without pay so I had to quickly find another job to remain in Japan. I was lucky enough to fall back on my Media background and found a News Editing job with Bloomberg News. Back in News again. I worked there for a year, my contract ended and that was that. I tried hard to stay out in Japan for as long as I could, because my Fiance is Japanese. So I found myself working at an Investment company as a foreign currency salesman. That was an experience that sucked and I wont go into it. I decided it was time to come home and do the dew.

During the last year in Japan I began to train for the USAF Pararescue PAST test. The PAST test is the initial Physical Ability Stamina Test required for entrance into Pararescue training. You must past this test in order to apply for the PJ program. I trained as hard as I could and as much as I could for this test. I am glad to say I passed it. Here are my scores:

PULL-UPS : 17 (minimum 6, time limit 2 mins.)

SIT-UPS : 69 (minimum 45, time limit 2 mins.)

PUSH-UPS : 72 (minimum 45, time limit 2 mins.)

FLUTTER KICKS : 72 (minimum 45, time limit 2 mins.)

1.5 MILE RUN : 09:58 ( maximum allowable time, 10:45)

500 METER SURFACE SWIM : 11:30 (maximum allowable time, 14 mins.)

25 METER UNDERWATER SWIM, X2 : PASSED ( Surfacing at any time is a fail)

After passing my test I began the process of taking the ASVAB and getting my Class III Flight physical. Paperwork and more paperwork. I finished the entire process a few days ago and have been sworn into the 304th Rescue Squadron, here in Portland. I will be going to Boot Camp on February 2nd, 2010. After graduation I will attend the Pararescue Indoctrination course at Lackland AFB on April 12th, 2010.

I have begun my journey to becomming a USAF Pararescueman. This is my blog to tell my story, of the training, hardships, and challenges on the road ahead of me. And hopefully one day I can provide insight to those willing to step foward to become a PJ and live the life as well. That Others May Live. Hooyah.