I woke up at 6am today after turning in early yesterday night. You may ask me why did I wake up so early on a non-working day. Well, the reason is simple, I needed to attend my IPPT session at 7.30 am sharp!
This is the 2nd IPPT session which I would need to attempt and I need to pass my IPPT by early next year else I will need to do my Remedial Training. Since my birthday this year, I have only attempted one IPPT and the result was FAIL (by a narrow margin!).
Hence one of my goals set early for November this month was to pass my IPPT! I am quite an old man and the idea of keeping fit is always in my mind as I jog regularly but despite this regimen, when I attempted my 1st IPPT, I failed my 2.4 km run though the other static stations were quite a breeze for me. Hence these few weeks, after work on weekdays, I dragged my already tired and lethargic body to go for a speedy run. Though my usual jog is 30 minutes long, for these recent sessions, I limited my jog to 20 min as I trained my speed in running.
Today, after clearing my static stations, around 30 of the attemptees (if there is such a term) and I stepped on the 400 m-long running track. At that time, the sun was already out, baking the jogging tracks to a crispy hot. I was still panting from all the work done at the static stations earlier. After briefing, off we went (or rather RAN)!- all of us needed to clear 6 laps around the 400 m track!
At the start of the 1st lap, my thought was not to over-exert myself: Steady Steady Poon Pi Pi. When I cleared my 1st lap: the time showed: 1 min 50 seconds. As I saw this timing as I continued my 2nd lap, I knew I was safe as my target is under 2 min per lap.
When I cleared my 2nd lap, the timing went: 3:52 and I thought to myself ya I am maintaining my momentum and my goal. Fast forward to 3rd lap: 5:59, I knew- and my body and breathing showed- that my pace turned sluggish. Clearing my 4th lap: 8: 32, by then I knew I am in danger of failing as my running grew slower and slower under the rays of the hot sun. Clearing my 5th lap: it was 10:32! Oh no. I was slow! At this juncture, some of the faster runners have already completed their jogs at or below this timing.
Seeing this 10:32 timing, I knew I must start to CHONG! As I jogged, images of having to take time after work to train (after gaining approval from the boss which seems a bit pai say), having to come for yet more IPPT sessions and sweating it all out if I were to fail this test and the past experiences of spending so many precious weekend afternoon and weekday nights attending Remedial Training and shaving off many hours of my family time flooded my head-I knew that there was only one solution at this point and that was to endure all physcial pain (my body and all organs seemed to give way then) and psychological barriers (my last lap is always beyond 2 minutes) and RAN and RAN!
Finally I crossed the finishing line- 12:35. I knew I have made it. No more IPPT sessions for me till my next birthday window opens (when I need to clear another IPPT within the next 9 months from then) and no need to go for Remedial Training. I AM A FREE (IPPT-FREE) MAN NOW!
Sorry if after reading this post, you thought I have made the IPPT seem so jia luck. To be honest, I must applaud MINDEF for coming out with the IPPT session as it really kind of enforce all NS men to stay fit when the time to press the red button comes! Under the new IPPT guideline, I find it fair that NS men are given 9 months to pass their IPPT.
No more procrastination for me anymore when it comes to IPPT! After my next birthday, I will go and take the IPPT and passes it within the next 2 weeks! I will continue to keep fit and run regularly!
(P.S: In case you wonder why the normally fit Singapore Short Stories failed his running, the reason is simple: he has grown FAT!)
Lets chat on Facebook Lets chat on Twitter Like my Facebook Page Subscribe to my Blog:
Email me: singaporeshortstories@gmail.com
This is the 2nd IPPT session which I would need to attempt and I need to pass my IPPT by early next year else I will need to do my Remedial Training. Since my birthday this year, I have only attempted one IPPT and the result was FAIL (by a narrow margin!).
Hence one of my goals set early for November this month was to pass my IPPT! I am quite an old man and the idea of keeping fit is always in my mind as I jog regularly but despite this regimen, when I attempted my 1st IPPT, I failed my 2.4 km run though the other static stations were quite a breeze for me. Hence these few weeks, after work on weekdays, I dragged my already tired and lethargic body to go for a speedy run. Though my usual jog is 30 minutes long, for these recent sessions, I limited my jog to 20 min as I trained my speed in running.
Today, after clearing my static stations, around 30 of the attemptees (if there is such a term) and I stepped on the 400 m-long running track. At that time, the sun was already out, baking the jogging tracks to a crispy hot. I was still panting from all the work done at the static stations earlier. After briefing, off we went (or rather RAN)!- all of us needed to clear 6 laps around the 400 m track!
At the start of the 1st lap, my thought was not to over-exert myself: Steady Steady Poon Pi Pi. When I cleared my 1st lap: the time showed: 1 min 50 seconds. As I saw this timing as I continued my 2nd lap, I knew I was safe as my target is under 2 min per lap.
When I cleared my 2nd lap, the timing went: 3:52 and I thought to myself ya I am maintaining my momentum and my goal. Fast forward to 3rd lap: 5:59, I knew- and my body and breathing showed- that my pace turned sluggish. Clearing my 4th lap: 8: 32, by then I knew I am in danger of failing as my running grew slower and slower under the rays of the hot sun. Clearing my 5th lap: it was 10:32! Oh no. I was slow! At this juncture, some of the faster runners have already completed their jogs at or below this timing.
Seeing this 10:32 timing, I knew I must start to CHONG! As I jogged, images of having to take time after work to train (after gaining approval from the boss which seems a bit pai say), having to come for yet more IPPT sessions and sweating it all out if I were to fail this test and the past experiences of spending so many precious weekend afternoon and weekday nights attending Remedial Training and shaving off many hours of my family time flooded my head-I knew that there was only one solution at this point and that was to endure all physcial pain (my body and all organs seemed to give way then) and psychological barriers (my last lap is always beyond 2 minutes) and RAN and RAN!
Finally I crossed the finishing line- 12:35. I knew I have made it. No more IPPT sessions for me till my next birthday window opens (when I need to clear another IPPT within the next 9 months from then) and no need to go for Remedial Training. I AM A FREE (IPPT-FREE) MAN NOW!
Sorry if after reading this post, you thought I have made the IPPT seem so jia luck. To be honest, I must applaud MINDEF for coming out with the IPPT session as it really kind of enforce all NS men to stay fit when the time to press the red button comes! Under the new IPPT guideline, I find it fair that NS men are given 9 months to pass their IPPT.
No more procrastination for me anymore when it comes to IPPT! After my next birthday, I will go and take the IPPT and passes it within the next 2 weeks! I will continue to keep fit and run regularly!
(P.S: In case you wonder why the normally fit Singapore Short Stories failed his running, the reason is simple: he has grown FAT!)
Lets chat on Facebook Lets chat on Twitter Like my Facebook Page Subscribe to my Blog:
Email me: singaporeshortstories@gmail.com
