11 June 2014

The PA Privates 300 Club

Etheridge is giving 110 percent, he says.

We figured, if everyone in our units deployed does that, we'll have 880 percent in total. That oughta count for something!

I could throw around numbers all day.

  • 87: the number of push up that SSG Houston performed on our last diagnostic APFT
  • 73: the number of sit up SGT Barnes need to score 90 points on that event
  • 7.25: the number of laps that make up two miles on a typical Army track 
  • 200: The number of points that MAJ Ence routinely scores on the non-running events

The number that matters the most, though: 300.

That represents the gold standard in Army physical fitness. And it is the score that each of our Soldiers has committed to achieving by the end of the deployment. In my best shape I could never get their. Once I got 293, coming up short on push ups. I've met a handful of Soldi
ers who are in the 300 club. I've met a lot more who got really close.


It's tough. I rmember in Basic training barely being able to get over the 200 mark. Took me eight weeks to purge enough wimpiness from my body. On that final APFT run when I crossed the line at 14:18, Drill Sergeant Robertson yelled, "that's slow, Stowell!" I replied that it was fast. I was wrong.

My goal is to run a 12:00 two-mile by the end of summer. My body hurts from the workouts.

Everybody in the unit has their physical training plan: some are into yoga, a few did cross fit. Everyone runs. SPC Solomon says he climbs wasll, though I've never witnessed it.

But everyone is doing something. A Lot. I'm probablyin my best shape since high school, the last time I had a genuine six pack. (I realized around age 26 that it was never coming back).

We are also documenting our travails in video. So if you want to see some Public Affairs Privates sweat and talk about exercising, stay tuned.

(Army Photo by SFC Marisol Hernandez; Stencil Photo by Me)

3 comments:

  1. Cool, I'm looking forward to the video. I'd also love to join the 300 club, though I'm sure I'm a LONG ways off right now. How do I calculate my score? Is it sit ups, push ups, and 2 mile run, or are there other exercises?

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  2. I'm looking forward to the video, too! Gotta love the APFT!

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