Royal Navy Career

[Louis [CA]]

So I am now 15 and 11 months (old enough to start my application) and I wish to follow in my Grandads footsteps as a naval officer.

I'm not really the sporty type and i need to pass the following fitness test:
2.4Km / 1.5 M in under 11 Mins 13 Seconds - My maths has failed me, at what mph would i need to set the treadmill at to achieve around 11 mins??

The fitness PDF is found HERE

Thanks anyone that may know

EDIT: My maths just unfailed me! It will take 8.18 mph, so a bit higher on the safe side would be good! Any advise for fitness of what is found in that PDF?

[Cola]

That is do-able, and is not a particularly difficult challenge to overcome. You just gotta start running though, as that won't be do-able just 'out-of-the-box' with no training.

For comparison, I did a cooper test last year (12 mins of running, as long as possible). I did 2.1kms, after 2 months of running training and a bad knee injury.

[Paul]

As you arent sporty, you havent got an condition. I'd say, ask yourself if you really want this, put other things aside to achive it, and put everything in it you got. Mostly doing sports as a career, it means you have to stay fit untill your retire. If you arent that sporty, is this where you want to start ?

Im sure there are more people with allot more knowledge about building up muscles and getting a fit and nice condition to achieve what you want. All I would like to say to you is that it isn't the threadmill wich is going to make your way towards your goal. Working out on a threadmill is a handy solution if the weather isnt that great. I know threadmills nowadays can put up in hights and all other features. However, you need to train on actual grounds, difirent grounds, work on speed and strength to be able to endure and keep up the pace. The actual pace you have to have during the test will be 13.1 kmh average. You could keep up that pace, but maybe not the whole 2.4 km. In the test it will be having a few parts where you start great, have a great feeling because you have trained towards this, then you seem to keep up the pace, after this its gets harder and the end will be near, once you pulled everything you got you will be nearly there to achieve your goal, your motivation needs to be mentaly raised in order to stay on that pace.

Your body and diet.
This part of what I know is totally personal. Everyone is difirent, everyone has another type and pace of muscle/condition growth. Herefore you need professional help.

It sounds like im guiding you through a marathon. Im actually simply telling you the basics you need to perform a condition like that, and ofcourse, keep it like that. This will probally not be the only test you will get, there will be more for sure. Seek around for others who are willing to the same or have done the same in the past, see what the requirements are, keep it simple, share your thoughts with your parents or those who take care for you. This just to help out and have a good sight on what you are doing and with some other choises. You have probally allready thought through what you want with you life and why, keep in mind that how ever you plan your road, sometimes obsticals can ruin your route and you have to either turn around or chose another path.

Your now 15, nearly 16. You can start, but dont get suprised when they will tell you to wait untill your fully grown ( 18 ) Thats how it works in the netherlands atleast.

It's up to you what to do with this information. I'd be intrested as soon as you've done that test, what your results will be, how your progress was towards your goal and how you feel at that moment when youve reached what you wanted.


Personally, for my size and weight, I could run quite quickly and keep a nice pace (12 min running as far as I can, 2.3km) With a weekly once or twice in the week running condition. This test will be reacheble, the rest is mentioned for the rest of your career.
I'll see..

~Paul.

[Louis [CA]]

Thanks very much Guys! Great advice! Looks like someone will be getting off their fat arse and running!! (I'm not fat I'm 50kg) not that fatness is bad or anything

[Dowpy]

Good luck!

[Louis [CA]]

Thanks Dowpy!

Just some more info if interested: I wish to become a warfare officer / weapons engineer officer. I want to spend my life seeing the world and protecting my nations interests and I guess the pay / benefits sound good!!

[Sinoco]

I just started running recently. I can't really describe the feeling but it is amazing when you become able to run farther and farther without stopping (my goals atm are to do with distance, not times). I had a friend introduce me to running one morning because we were both bored and now I try to do it every weekend. I run at the beach and the relaxation that you feel is just amazing. Head down, music on, and go. It was really hard for me to start, but you should, it is well worth it.

[Lcee]

(2013-11-18 21:28)Louis Wrote:  So I am now 15 and 11 months (old enough to start my application) and I wish to follow in my Grandads footsteps as a naval officer.

I'm not really the sporty type and i need to pass the following fitness test:
2.4Km / 1.5 M in under 11 Mins 13 Seconds - My maths has failed me, at what mph would i need to set the treadmill at to achieve around 11 mins??

The fitness PDF is found HERE

Thanks anyone that may know

EDIT: My maths just unfailed me! It will take 8.18 mph, so a bit higher on the safe side would be good! Any advise for fitness of what is found in that PDF?

Hey Louis,

When I was 18, I passed my 4-week trial for the marine in the Netherlands. Unfortunately I could apply when I was 21 or over, I didn't go for it.
A simple running test is not the challenge that is on your path, here is a list of points that I have experienced in my 4-week trial that you may get issues with because you didn't know it.


Mental strength
You must reminder that your supervisors are bully's, they will make fun of you, act like they HATE you, yell at you, insult you, do everything to see you fall. This is a test, but it is a very hard test. You don't have time every day to let people know how you've been, cellphones are taken. 2-3 hours PER week is what you get to relax, have a drink and call home. The rest of the time, they will tell you, you don't need that phone. Make sure you will show confidence and no emotions of home-sick, painful insults or anything they will say or do. - Again, this is my experience, I don't know how your country will do this.

Condition
You got a 2.4km running test comming up, that is a warm-up test if you get in. They will test you on running with packed bags (20-35kg), see how far you will go in the fields, keep you awake for insanely long amounts.

Muscular strength
You must be able to do push-ups, sit-ups, self defence classes, place you in push-up stand (but not doing pushups) for 15 minutes straight if something went wrong. And they wont feel sorry for you, goes for the self defence class aswell.

Discipline
You HAVE TO ORGANIZE your closet EXACTLY like the instructions say, if you don't do that, or didnt put everything neat in your closet, they will 'clean ship' which means they will pull everything out and you must put it in PERFECTLY again. (Meanwhile your crew/peleton will be in push-up stand untill you are done) You must make up your bed when you leave the room aswell, or the same goes for your bed. Sleep is what you get at home, if they wake you up at 5.55am, you will stand dressed in the hall way at 6.00am, if not there is a punishment awaiting. And there are many, many more of these traps on discipline.

Eating pattern
EVERYTIME you get time to eat, make sure you will eat ALOT, including the morning which alot of people are not hungry yet and skip breakfast. If you do that, I wish you good luck in surviving till lunchtime. Eat healthy (which you have no choice of) and eat a lot. If you keep that up, you will gain muscles aswell in your trial period.

Will power
Last but not least, the power of will. Not everything can be done with muscular strength, mental strength or condition, sometimes you must have the will to continue, to push your limits to a higher level. Sometimes your buddy will be close to giving up, help him trough no matter what it will cost because they will do the same for you.

I'm pretty sure I did forgot to mention a few points, but as far as I can remember I or my team had the most struggles with these points. Keep those things in mind. If you WANT something, you will get there.

Good luck Louis, I hope my experience will help you out at some point!

[Blade3562]

I was going to the United States Merchant Marine Academy until I suffered a massive chest injury. I have wanted to fly navy carrier aircraft my entire life. Sadly I can't anymore.

Military reqs for physical training is very easy. Even with a little conditioning you'll be fine. I'd recommend running 3 miles(or as close as possible) every other day. Then on the in between days do situps/pushups/lifting. You'll be in your best physical condition of your life!

[Luke.]

Hey man, don't really know you but seems like you have got your head screwed on straight and know what you are heading for I wish you the best of luck

[Louis [CA]]

Thanks guys for all the advice and well wishing! I am going to start going to the gym lol!!! And I will be booking a slot in the Royal Navy careers office in the next few weeks! - I will keep you posted on how I'm doing etc... Got compulsory college until I am 18 or so but I can do the tests ready for basic training as soon as I finish college

[Tom]

basically just go for regular runs in the morning, eat plenty of porridge in the morning will give you a good energy boost, always give your body's its needs for training so before training get some carbs in you and after you have trained get some protein in you
i did a similar run to you when i was 15, 400m astro circuit and had 12 minute timer to do as many laps as i could to compete for cross county, ended up doing 7 and just under a half lap which is 3200m equaling just shy of 2 miles with out pushing to hard, causally jog and sprints

[[TC] Special]

Just hope you dont end up on the submarines bahaha

[Alex]

I'm in the RAF and the entry fitness test was pretty much the same for running standards. Have you gotta do anything more like sit ups and push ups?