1st Pool Day

My first pool day was last Thursday (Feb. 21).  The day began with having to go through the PT In Test again.  Once the 500 swim was completed, the actual "pool day" commenced.  The AST's proceeded to beat me 6 ways from Sunday.  It was brutal.  Looking back at the numbers, it wasn't so as much volume as I was accustomed to doing in the pool.  The big difference was the intensity in which it was done.  The AST's create a completely stressful environment.  Their goal is to make an airman quit within the first 2 weeks of training.  Needless to say, that's exactly what they tried to make me do the first day.  The stats for the day are as follows:

• 32 push-ups (1min)
• 40 sit-ups (1min)
• 3 pull-ups
• 3 chin-ups
• 1.5 mile run (9:20)
• 500m swim (no gear) 
• 4 x 50m sprints (gear)
• 20 flutter kicks (legs hanging over pool w/fins 4 count = 1)
• 4 x 25m underwaters (gear)
• 20 push-ups
• 1 x 50m side stroke w/brick held above water (gear)
• 2 x 25m sprints (gear)
• 100m swim w/brick (dunked intermittently)
• 100m buddy-tow (splashed intermittently)
• 2 mile run back to base (30 push-ups during run w/intermediate sprints)
• 15 push-ups @ base
• stood @ attention for 10 min staring @ flag (instructed to think about why I wanted to be there)

The AST's were yelling in my ear the entire time.  There were only a few instances where they stopped to actually instruct, critique, or explain anything.  I emphasize "few instances".  In 16 years of competitive swimming, this day was by far the most difficult training in the pool that I have ever encountered.  Even though the distances swam fail in comparison to what I've been used to swimming, the intensity was so far above and beyond any practices prior.  In a word, sobering.  I was so beat down and demoralized...I didn't think that I would want to continue.  But by the end of the day I was able to count it a success.  The goal, at this point, is to simply not quit.  This above all else.