Humbling workout today

Eric • 17th Aug 2006 • Uncategorized

I’d like to start by saying that today, I’m in the best shape of my entire life. There’s no doubt in my mind. That being said, I have two friends trying to get into the FBI and they shared with me the physical fitness test they must pass. Well, I tried it today and I failed miserably. That’s right… I didn’t just not-pass, but failed miserably.

First… sit-ups. While we were doing them incorrectly, I needed 38 to get 1 point – I made it to 34 and earned 0 points, and instantly failed the test (need at least 1 point in each event).

Next was the 300-meter sprint. With a time of 54.3 seconds, I earned another 0 points.

I was pumped about the push-ups, figuring I could do at least 40 and get 3 points… my score: 1 point after doing 30. That 300-meter sprint really takes the life out of you.

Finally, the 1.5 mile run – a short distance for me, yet not even 1/4 of the way around and I cramp up, walking 100 yards to the first 1/4 mile mark and making the decision there to finish the run and not take a DNF. My time was 12:40 and another 0 points.

We didn’t do pull-ups, as they’re not required, and there’s no pull-up bar at the track. Looking at that page, I see I do them incorrectly, too (my grip is too wide).

In the end, final scores were:

• Eric: 1 point
• Andy: 0 points
• Pete: 12 points

(Note: Andy and Pete are not the 2 friends trying to join the FBI… they’re just two sick friends who like to torture themselves for no apparent reason, like myself)

Pete was the only one who passed, and just barely. While I could follow the FBI Training Guidelines, I’m going to stick with my routine and re-test in 2-1/2 weeks. I’ll rest the day before, and try to get 8 hours of sleep the night before (rather than do squats & lunges the day before, and only 6 hours of sleep the night before). I’ll also work on the sit-ups, now that I know the “right” way to do them.