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Class 07-10
April 2010
Socks - I took 16 pair, should have taken a few more. Not a necessity, but they just didn't feel right after hand washing and hanging dry.
Boots - I took three pair. I would recommend taking three. Your feet will get wet nearly every day. I would have one pair in my ruck (packing list), one on my feet, and one in the tent drying from the day before. It was a good rotation for me. Two issued pair and a pair of Danners.
Feet - I know its been hammered before, but its so important. Know what works for you before you go. I'm glad I got blisters a couple of times during my train up for selection, because by the time they showed up at SFAS, I knew how to take care of them and what worked for me. Take your boots and socks off and elevate your feet any time you have down time.
Sandals - Really wish I would have taken a pair of Crocs. Those that did took them to land nav and could let their feet air out while walking to the port-o-jons, etc.
Training for SFAS - A lot of personal preference here, but I'll give what I did. 1) Legs - I ran three times a week and rucked three times a week. I was working my legs hard six days in a row. I incorporated hills in nearly all my workouts. I hammered my legs so they were used to working hard every day. 2) Upper Body - I personally think upper body is important. You'll need strength for rope climbing, obstacles, team week, etc. We had some weak people when it came to team weak, and their lack of physical strength showed. It definitely can slow your team down. Forearm strength is also important 3) Rucking - There is a lot of advice on rucking on this site. My ruck training will look inadequate to most, but it worked for me. I rucked three times a week, twice for three miles, and once a week a six miler. This advice was given to me by a couple of QP's who believe if you go any further than six miles you risk the chance of injury, and you really aren't gaining anything. I stuck with that strategy and it worked for me. I never slowed down in the longer rucks, and never stopped walking during land nav other than at my points or to do a map check. A guy on my team from Ranger Bat trained the same way, and he was a stud. He was good to go on all ruck events as well. But, to each his own.
Stay positive and have fun.
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