Rt Session Part 1 (or First Post of 2006)

I failed my IPPT last year, and had to attend Regimental Training (RT). Basically, I have to turn up at an army camp twice a week (Tuesday 6pm and Sunday 8am) to do additional training. Hopefully, through these sessions, I would be fit enough to pass the IPPT.

The first phase of the RT would consist of 8 sessions, twice weekly, and there would be a test on the 8th session. If you pass the test, you will not need to attend any further training. However, if you fail, you would have to attend Phase 2, which is another 12 sessions (thrice weekly – Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). Essentially, if you are still unable to pass at the end of the 20th session, the country gives up on you, i.e. no further training required (the cycle repeats itself though when you fail your next IPPT).

The RTs have turned out to be surprisingly… shall we say relaxed? We register out attendance, then sit around for half an hour waiting for the exercise to start. Usually, the session consists of 10 sets of static exercises, which comprise muscle conditioning in the arm (push-ups), abdominal (sit-ups) and leg (squats) region, followed by chin-ups and of course, the 2.4km run.

Because of the recent mishaps (think there were some service men who collapsed while running and passed away), the trainers have adopted a much softer approach. These are not the PT instructors PTI) from our National Service days (when the criterion for being a PTI is that one must be as sadistic as possible), who took pleasure from torturing us. I still remember people throwing up from all the running we were doing, and the PTIs coming round, kicking at us and screaming, "Are you done vomiting yet, you fucking faggot? Do you want to run a few more rounds? Get up now! Get the fuck up right NOW!" and we would be scrambling up with the puke coming out from out mouth.

The trainers at the RT are remarkably nice and encouraging. They say things like, "Try your best, okay? It’s for your own good." They give you a water break every now and then. If you decide that you don’t feel well, they will ask you to rest. If you don’t feel like running, they will ask you to rest. In fact, they treat us so nice generally that we actually feel bad for not trying hard enough. Each session lasts about 2 hours, and at the end of it, the conducting officer will give us a short briefing on the importance of keeping fit.

Still, it was tiring and wearying having to tell my boss weekly that I have to leave the office early because I was too unfit to defend the country, finishing at 9pm in a camp, waking up early on Sunday mornings and then rushing off to church.