Dreading COT

I am also going to COT in January! You have nothing to worry about with your run times you are running about a which if you are a female under 30 it is 55 points out of 60! That is nothing to worry about! Or if you are male under 30 it is 42 pts, you need a total of 75 points to pass the PT test and cannot fail any component. You should be fine, it sounds like you are in good shape!

Don't worry about COT. I did my 1.5 in like 12:32 the second time and did my 5K in like 31 min.

COT is what you make it. If you have a good flight, then COT will be awesome. If you have a positive attitude about what you are doing, then COT will be good. Those who have the horror stories of COT are those who did not have a good flight or those that did not look on the bright side of things. I would go back to COT in an instant if I could be back with my flight. You will meet some of the greatest people there. You can make the PT fun and if you are really worried about it, you can work out in the evenings if you aren't dead tired.

I will be in the January class also, my biggest fear is the push-ups. I am working out a lot to build some upper body strenght but it is not easy for me. I hope I can pass the PT test.

Hey I am also going to COT in January. I'm excited but also very nervous about it because of PT. I think I can do the push ups and sit ups but concerned about the run. I hate running with a passion that its hard to get myself to do it, but I'm working on it. Yammar it sounds like you in good shape, I would love to run a mile in 9 minutes. I also have fears about being the slow one in the group.

Luvbug I have a question for you. I noticed you stated in previous post that you have NTP in Cincinnati. I am also going there for NTP. How is it so far?

Don't worry too much.

Everyone goes to COT with some fears. Everyone is afraid of not being good enough.

Relax. Everyone brings some strengths and weaknesses (as in everything we do). Play up your strengths and help those who need it and ACCEPT the help of others around you.

COT is only 5 weeks out of your life. Remember that when you get so sucked into it that you forget the real world still exists. Then look across the grass at OTS and see the BOT cadets who are there in harsher environments than you for a grand 12 weeks. Those BOT cadets have their degrees and have to work so much harder than us medical folks to get their butter bars. Be glad you aren't them, we are spoiled! lol

There will be days at COT that you wonder "why did I do this?!" and days that are really cool. Find a positive focus and enjoy it. :)

NTP in Cincinnati. It has its ups and downs. Ha. I will message you my e-mail address and message me there and I can give you some information about it

The 1.5 mile is not really an endurance run...it's almost a sprint. To get better at it, you have to do interval training. At this point it's still doable for Jan, but you'll have to work. Distance running does not really help the mile and a half run time.

As far as push ups and sit ups...

www.hundredpushups.com is what you need for push ups. There is one for sit ups, too. This program WILL work. Even if you never reach the ultimate goal of the program, it will get you well above passing if not maxed out.

The sit ups for score are more about technique than strength or fitness. You have to have your knees bent, your hands across your chest...your elbows have to touch your thigh on ANY POINT between your hips and your knees. When you are doing these for a minute, don't control your decent (burns up ab endurance) and don't come all the way up. Come up high enough to bump your elbows on your legs, drop back down, repeat for 60 sec.

Keep in mind the majority of the points come from the run...you will improve your overall score faster by improving your run time.

If you don't pass your PT test, they give you another chance. If you don't pass it then, you will have a letter that goes to your command when you leave COT. It doesn't drop you. But you will be on a fitness program when you get where you're going.

Help each other! If you get done the run, stay near the track and encourage the other runners! You can't leagally "pace" someone...but you can quasi run with them and encourage them. This is a team. From before you go you need to get that right in your mind. No officer is able to stand alone, and make no mistake that you should be an AF officer first, a specialized professional second.

Good luck! Keep working and you will do awesome!

Hello!! I'm headed to January COT also, just received my orders TODAY! Ohhh, it's real now.

I'm getting married in two weeks and it's taken my focus away from preparing for the PT test and I have all the same concerns as y'all. I despise running and feel like I have a lot of work to do in the next 5 weeks. The push ups and sit ups don't concern me as much but I still need to be doing more than I am.

Anyway, I've asked before but... is there a FB group set up yet for us?! I would love to put faces on names before we get there. I'd be more than happy to start one- I just didn't want to start an extra, separate group!

I don't believe that there is a facebook group for COT 11-02. A group would be great though if you want to start it!!! Is anyone flying to COT? I have to fly and I have to arrive a day early b/c flights land too late to check in during the scheduled time.

It would be great if we have a facebook for COT 11-02. I am still waiting for my orders. I talked to my recruiter and he said I might not get it till January. I need to take care of a lot of things but I need my orders for that.

Good Luck!

Aniko-- send me a friend request on FB! It won't let me start a group without adding a friend to it (unless I'm doing something wrong?! Anybody started a group before?). Search for Katy Batten.

Yay!