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Fieldcraft USMC 0311 ???

mike1128

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
May 10, 2008
197
0
Mississippi
Hello all,

I'm 21 and have been thinking about joining the Corps for awhile now and would like to go 0311/Infantry. I've had my doubts and worrys though about how I will perform being 5'3" 130lbs and flatfooted. Also I wonder how I will be accepted and if any of you have any exercises I could do to specifically make me stronger in the areas I would need to be in infantry. Would this be done by humping a pack? How much weight should I train with in the pack and how far should I be walking?

I currently work around Air Force personnel and no offense to anyone in the military but these specific people I work around just don't seem to care. And seems like most go there for the money. I view the Corps as people who want to be there to serve and are gung ho about their Corps. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I also tend to take things very personal, will this be a downfall in joining?

I do not want to let anyone down if I do join and that is also another fear of mine as I do not know how I would react in a combat zone. If you guys have any comments please let me know. Thanks again.

Mike

 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

If you want to be a Marine,you might as well go in the infantry. 0311 grunt, theres no better place to start!
You should run your ass off,and improve your 3 mile run time,sit ups,and pull ups. Youre young and youll get plenty of physical training in boot camp,no worries. When i enlisted at age 18, my buddy enlisted also and he weighed 90lbs and scared shitless.On the plane to San Diego there was a salty Navy Sailor sitting next to us and he told him he wouldnt make it thru boot camp.He did,he was put on double rations,got to eat double chow to gain weight.He made it thru.only he chose to go in as admin.
Youre 130lbs,you shouldnt have any issues if weight is your only concern.
Do your 4 yrs in the grunts,youll never forget it.If you like it the Corps is for you.
Good luck.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I was 128 when I went to M.C.R.D. P.I.

Can you run? Swim? pull ups and sit ups ,,will come in time.
Better check about being flat footed though.

WTF take it personal??? GROW SOME,,,words can't hurt you
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I'm struggleing on the running, but I have been working on it. I've been scuba certified but I'm positive combat diving is totally different. I can swim but haven't taken a CWS or whatever they call the swimming calssification. And wow 90lbs thats crazy. I'm just concered about how 120lbs would hold me back as compared to someone 170 or so, and also being 5'3" my steps are not as long as more of an average size guy, so I'd hate to be the one always falling behind.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

There is no better job in the Corps than infantry(except maybe 8154). That being said, it aint no cakewalk. To get ready, run....alot. Do lots of pullups and squats and lunges. Stay hidrated, motivated, and dedicated.....its gonna suck but if you push through you will love it. Knock the chip off your shoulder...taking things personal will make you termonal Lance for sure, along with lots of "un-pleasantness". My best buddy is 5'4" 130 and he can hump better than most of them. Size has nothing to do with it....its all heart. If you want to hump a pack.....65-70lbs is a good weight. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Thanks for all your help and positive feed back. I've been humping a 64 lbs pack but can go only 3 -4 miles as the blisters start coming. I'm goin to try and find some moleskin or some athletic tape and try that next and see how I do.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

From personal observation: Everyone suffers, but the smaller guys seem to get though it better than the big brutes.
Blisters are better Prevented than treated. Use moleskin, and wear a doble sock system: thin socks that don't slip, and a thicker heavy pair to do the rubbing on the shoe. Learn to save your feet, and you will finish ANY march.
Learn to sleep at a moments notice, and to awaken on the same terms, learn to eat ANYTHING. wether you like it or not, eat every single thing on the plate. That aint food, it is energy, and muscle.
Good luck.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

when i was a geiger tiger in ITB there were tons of little dudes that did fine. they were almost like a little ankle biter dog that don't know he is little. you will be fine just stay focused and determined and don't be a pussy.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

yep, there are plenty of you shorties in the corps. lots of them seem to end up under Smokey's on PI... if you feel like its something you want to do, nothing else will satisfy you. DO IT!
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I won't lie to you, the grunts is a blue collar and physical job. If you don't have some physicality, you're at a disadvantage.

That said, you can still excel. I've seen tons of small / average guys do better than the giants...it's all about tenacity and heart.

I was 5'10 and 135 lbs soaking wet going into Parris Island, graduated 155lbs and became a mortarman...humping an 81 baseplate tends to put some meat on you too. Now 180 seems like a distant memory...

The bigger question is do you react to being really physically uncomfortable as an enjoyable challenge? If the answer is yes, become an 03. You'll be challenged plenty.

Oh, one more thing. Gotta develop some thick skin. Not being able to take some shit is going to make you a target for a shit storm of harrassment.

Good luck and GET SOME.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Thats exactly how I feel. I can turn away from it for awhile but something always draws me back to it. I feel I'll regret it later on if I don't but I know this is selfish but I don't want to regret it if I do. I just hate talking with the recruiter as he seems to feed me the bullshit I don't want to hear because I know what I want to do.
I think I want it because people will look at me different and it will build my confidence and also if I go to the police dept. I'll have the experience and be able to react to a situation. Also the independence of it. I would like to get into a STA platoon, but I know this is difficult and if I can be a Marine and a Grunt and get nothing but positive from that I will be greatful. I appreciate all of your comments and I take them to heart, not just looking by them.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

5'3"? Hell, Wil would look up to make eye contact.

Go and get some. I dont know too many that ever regret it.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I got rid of my flat feet by doing alot of calf excersise at the gym. Built up my claves and got arches at the same time.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I thing the only thing you'd regret is not giving it a try...it's hard work though, there will be times you wonder what you got yourself into but in the end it's great. If you choose to move on in four years you'll have earned the title and membership in the fraternity. By the way I was 6'1" and weighed 131 when I graduated boot camp in 1990, I then went to SOI (infantry) after two broken femurs as a kid. I ended up going back in in 2001 and did it all over again...if you want it do it.

Semper Fi
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Damn. Don't believe the hype. At 21 years of age you will excel. Two a day football practices and any single wrestling practice was harder than boot camp. I cannot believe the hype continues. Unless, of course, the part about men screaming questions in your face faster than you can answer affects you. Size means nothing in the Corps. You either keep up or you don't. If everyone else is 9 feet tall and outdistances you they will see your heart for trying to keep up and carry you if the time comes. Your question goes to all, but all cannot answer. My best men had no measure to them but their heart and leadership skills. Eventually, this was almost everyone.

I am em-bare-assed to answer your question in some ways because parts of this forum, like society, for the most part, is hubris. Let the Marines and Soldiers raise their hand and answer. People buy and shoot rifles today as is part of their AMERICAN heritage but do not assume that this means that they heard the same calling you do...and answered.

After WWII, almost every man in a community had served in some way. Not so today.

Some here will find my comments offensive. Blame me.

Size means nothing. Heed the calling....
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Rem,

As cliché as it may sound there is a lot of truth in the saying “It is not the size of the dog in the fight it is the size of the fight in the dog that matters.”

No other service will you find such rich history steeped in tradition and honor. Friendships made there will bridge the abyss of time and the memories and experiences will mold who you are but only if you make the conscious effort to see it through to the best of your ability and then some. I enjoyed the Marine Corps and not a day goes by that I do not think about it. I have made life long friends that I am closer to than my own brother. The cold, wet, hungry, and tired that is just the icing on the cake because it makes everything else that much sweeter. I am 6’-4” 252 in my prime in the Marine Corps and was at a disadvantage as all my Marines would always tell me how they would use me as cover and if I ever did go down they would leave me and take my gear as I was way to large to be toting around. If I had to pick the best 12 Marines I have ever served with 10 out of the 12 would not go over 5’-8” and more than 160lbs and half of them probably less than 5’-5”. Pound for pound some of the toughest SOB’s in the world, hump like pack mules, run like deer, and fight like pissed off badgers. If you let size deter you then you have already set yourself up for failure. Physical prowess and intellect are certainly valued in the Corps but heart is what makes the great Marines. Learn your craft and become a journeyman warrior then take that knowledge and skill, and be a leader of men whether a Pfc. or the Sgt Major of the Marine Corps that is your responsibility. Do not dishonor the Marine Corps by being a piece of whale excrement if you do join give it all you have plus some. You are the only limiting factor to your success. Now with all this being said get the fuck off the computer get out there and PT and make it happen.

03 only way to go everything else is support, plus you get to shoot shit and blow stuff up.

Semper Fi,

Danel Jenkins
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rem_.308</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> being 5'3" 130lbs ...

Would this be done by humping a pack? How much weight should I train with in the pack and how far should I be walking?


</div></div>

I used to have a similar build to you, and let me offer some caution about jumping right in with a heavy pack. You can cause excessive wear on your hips, spine and knees. Of course run, run, run because cardio is the heart of everything. And do body weight exercises so that you can max out on the pushups and pullups. But to prepare yourself for carrying a heavy pack, I would get involved in a serious weight lifting regimen so that you have the structure to carry the heavy pack, before you actually start training with it. I jumped right in training with a 65 pound pack myself, hiking up and down mountains, etc, for training. It was not the right approach, for me at least.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I agree with Arch.

If you have the desire go for it. YOU are the only one who can answer the question on if you have what it takes.

If you truly have the desire and don't see if you measure up you will always wonder if you could have done it.

Go to the recruiting station, throw open the hatch and say "I wanna go 03 INFANTRY dammit!!"

I went in as a soft rolly-poly weakling. I think I did OK for myself.
wink.gif
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Size means nothing. Heed the calling....</div></div>

What Arch said.

The guy who owns this board served as a Marine Scout/Sniper. His driver's license says he's 5' 0". I think his driver's license is a bit optimistic, myself.

But he's got heart - and guts. And that's what it takes no matter how tall you are.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

i was 17 and 137#. 5-10 though. run, run, run. and learn to ignore pain. that is all there is to it. its ok your feet are flat. that will save you the trouble of getting flat feet humping and running in boots.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Go for it, being a Marine will give you a lifetime of memories and will open doors no matter what you do when you get out. Buy good orthodic arch supports, custom made for your feet, not the cheesy ones.

Semper Fi
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

"Buy good orthodic arch supports, custom made for your feet, not the cheesy ones. "

this is good advice. i dont know about every battalion or command but mine all loved running in boots and full gear. so good orthotics would have saved my feet, neck, back, knees and whatever else is in line there.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

People that know know that the things you are concerned about are fun and the things that you don't yet know about... well... not so much.

Like standing firewatch and never seeing a fire.
Like getting on line to pick up butts when you don't smoke.
Like waiting for the word to get passed on a Friday afternoon.
The word is that there is no word. Stand by for further word.
Like staging at the fieldhouse prior to deployment...12 hours before the buses come. Every dang time.

Listen to the voice young man. And God Bless...
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Everyone thank you for your comments and tips. It's more than I have expected and I will start running more and doing the body weight training and lay off the pack for awhile. I'll also look into the arch supports.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Arch,,it's

Stand by
to stand by
For further word
on a probable maybe
That probably
won't happen
wink.gif



And floats,,and Guard duty,,mess duty.feild day....COLORS!!!!


So run hard for a mile everyday for a week,,get as close to 6 mins as possible.
Add a mile per week.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Just listen to what has been said, you are 21, thats when I joined...look at it this way...at least you can get out and drink while the rest of the turds are stuck on base....

Just do it...you will not regret it.....I miss it every day, and wonder what the guys are doing everyday....I was closer to some of them more than my own family....

It will change you in ways you may not recognize, your family and friends will though, it will be for the better and it will be hard work....but is anything good easy? The best things in life are always hard and EVERYTHING in life after the Corps seems so ridiculously easy...you will hear people around you whine about how stressed this and this is so hard....and no kidding you will think to yourself, what the hell...this is easy....alot of people around you will think you are super human by the way you can deal with multiple things at once...

Trust me...it will change you for life and for the better...Ill tell ya what...if you saw a group of guys walking down the road you could pick out the Marine in a heart beat...well...civilians notice the same thing...they may not know what it is but you WILL stick out from a crowd, be it the confidence, the discipline, or the commanding presence...

As far as the size...I went in at 6'-2" and 145lbs...by graduation I was 175 and by the end of SOI 210, granted I was a bit chubby, I decided to hell with this and hit the gym, at my best shape I made it to about 230lbs benching 350 pounds and a bunch of other crazy exercises.

But remember HEART is what matters ten fold over brawn.....follow your calling....Man up....

And Arch you crack me up I actually had to look up:
Web definitions for hubris
overbearing pride or presumption



 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

There is a reason for the saying " The Few, the Proud , tha Marines " It is NOT for everyone !! The thcik skin thing is a must.......... if you don't have one get one. It is really all about attitude. If you are down right deterimined to make it , and I mean dead set on it, you'll do fine. If you want to be a grunt , go for it. Ever heard of hurry up and wait ? Grunts are all about that. Being that I was 0311, and later 0849 believe me there is alot of that. If you smoke, quit ! Running ?? there will be more of that than you can possibly imagine. With and without pack. Once you have faced the challenge you will be in the best shape of your life. With the globable situtation being what it is, being a grunt you will diffenently be deployed. Most likely to Afganistan, as they are building up forces there. Most of us that are Marines , or any other branch for that matter can tell you stories about our experience until you are bored to tears. It is what you make it.......... Go in with a winnign attitude and a staed fast beliefe in yourself and it will be a great experience that you wil neither forget or regret. Let us know what you decide. Good luck !

Mike
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: longrange****</div><div class="ubbcode-body">....and EVERYTHING in life after the Corps seems so ridiculously easy...you will hear people around you whine about how stressed this and this is so hard....and no kidding you will think to yourself, what the hell...this is easy..</div></div>

That's actually pretty funny. Rarely do I get stressed about anything and I think it drives my wife mad. I realized somewhere in the middle of boot to control the things I could and not worry about what I couldn't.

If you earn the title, you will be branded as "cocky" for the rest of your life because regular people don't know how to accept that kind of confidence.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I laughed too. I feel like I have been on leave since I retired. But then I have been laughing a long time. It's very healthy you know. I was graduated from HS on a Sunday and was at PISC Tuesday night. It did not matter if you could not walk a mile. By the time comes for your initial PFT you will be in good condition. Once, a drill instructor was trying to teach us to count off while snapping our heads properly. The thing is that he could not both teach it and demonstrate it at the same time. So, he would do it wrong and then the recruits would do it wrong in the same manner. My brain was very small even then but I quickly figured out what was wrong. The more he tried to show and got it wrong himself, the more frustrated he became, and the more frustrated he became the funnier it got. Finally, I could not take it any longer and laughed as hard as i could. Rest assured that I paid dearly for several days. I laugh still. At OCS, the PT instructor could not pronounce S and T together. Instead he replaced the T with a K so that stretch sounded like this: and skreeeeetch. I kept it inside for about 30 seconds and then couldn't take it anymore. The Sgt Instructors were all over me. "Do you find something funny, candidate?" "Yes, Sgt Instructor." Odd, this lesson that you get beaten if you speak the truth.

More recently I sat at a table in a smoky old poolroom in Florida and had a 3-hour discussion with a half dozen other Marine scout snipers about our best #2 stories, which in more plain language means incidents where we had to take a crap. I laughed so hard that my sides hurt in the morning and I thought I had cracked several ribs. Several times people stopped playing pool to try to see why we were hacking up lungs and launching organs across the room as we literally laughed at a very dangerous level. We ignored them in the same way we ignored every other setting we have been in and practiced the age old art of storytelling.

The truth is that if I could go all the way back and start over, I would do it again pretty much the same way.

Listen to the voice son. Why do missionaries go abroad, policemen patrol the neighborhood, firemen run into burning houses to save a child? First, there was a calling...
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Let me tell you something. GO and Join. If you don't for what ever reason it will haunt you for the rest of your life. I have on and off for the last 13 years been trying to get the Army or Marine's to grant me a Medical waiver to get in. The most emotionally devastating day in my life was the day in high school when The Commander of the local Marine Corps. recruiting station called me down out of class to tell me that they had received my medical file and that they could not accept me.

The worst is you fail or you find out you don't have what it takes. Never trying will make you always question the measure of your self against those that have gone and headed the call.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shaggyback</div><div class="ubbcode-body">5'3"? Hell, Wil would look up to make eye contact.

Go and get some. I dont know too many that ever regret it. </div></div>

Piss on you monkey boy...lol

It's all in your heart & in your head bro... If you can do it in your heart & in your mind... the body will follow...

Reach down grab a hold... palm up... feel that? Those are your balls..

-Wil
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Hey Rem, I'm also going to be joining as infantry in the coming months, time to get me some as well >:]


The actual reason I'm joining is, I know what you Marines really mean when you say you heard the calling. for me, the thought of other men dieing without me being there, good men like me who answer the call and are now in harms way, is getting hard to deal as the days move on, so nothing left to do now but go get some. I don't see how any "man" in the country can perform his day to day tasks knowing there are men dieing in foreign lands, bleeding for each other, because it eats me up!

I have no worries about making it through boot camp at all, granted I also don't have any abnormalities with the things I'm going to spend most of my time on (other then the sack), but I'd rather be my size of 5'8 130 then anything much larger, like platypus said "Pound for pound some of the toughest SOB’s in the world, hump like pack mules, run like deer, and fight like pissed off badgers." so I'm not going in with any disadvantages, and I plan to come out as one of these fabled "tough SOB's" >:D.


If I'm this excited now I cant wait until the damn crucible, that's going to be a freakin blast.


apparently, when we're first deployed, there's a good chance the first bit of action we will see is our bradleys getting the shit blown out of em by IEDs, apparently grunt work has changed quite a bit..

so the better you are at intel work, the faster you get to raid the place they're making the bombs at..

vets correct me if i'm wrong I want to know what i'm getting into, not that it matters i'd jump into the bowels of hell if called upon to do it, and I got no problems driving down the road waiting to get blown up... i'll smile while I do it.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Tex, old guys feel it as well.

Boot camp will teach you a few things, but in the end it is what you teach yourself that matters. You will be frozen in place a lot. Let your mind use this time to absorb...and ponder...
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Do NOT plan to fail.

I never enlisted, largely b/c I thought my big mouth would kill my career. Later in college I toyed with Army ROTC (only other choice was AF) and got my *ss handed to me by a light Colonel shorter than me with a serious Napoleon complex.

I *was* also very correct in my criticisms of the FACILITIES for part of the program. Pardon me for wanting to put pressure on the school's administration to finish the job they had started.

On the other hand, go also with the confidence that if you wash out, you do so with honor and after having given it your best shot. That would be a learning experience and anyone in such a position is best served by taking full responsibility, not being ashamed, and cherishing every positive attribute of character gained from the experience.

Take confidence, though. IME, the people who worry reasonably about whether they can make it do so because they recognize the difficulty and CARE enough about the task and the unit to actually succeed. Add to that being humble and teachable enough to ASK about the concerns are not only predictors of success, but facilitators of success, too. The good info given in this thread by our comrades here is preparing you to do better than you would have on your own. There's a valuable lesson about loyalty in these pages. When the whole world don't give a spit about you or your mission, YOU and WE *will* care, and that will make all the difference.

Later and best wishes.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I think that all who have earned the title "United States Marine" will agree it is an elite club. I think one like was said before. We get this mind set that failure is not an option. It has also been said that if you think something is impossible "get the Hell out of the way & let somebody do it". Most of the time it is a Marine at the head of that line. Another thing that has helped my over the years, when you find another Marine you have almost always found someone you can trust to help you out. The other Marines on this Forum are my brothers & just need to ask for help & you will see plenty of capable Marines come to their aid. Once you have earned the title "United States Marine" no one can ever take it away from you.
Semper Fi
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 95LTZ</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Another thing that has helped my over the years, when you find another Marine you have almost always found someone you can trust to help you out. The other Marines on this Forum are my brothers & just need to ask for help & you will see plenty of capable Marines come to their aid. Once you have earned the title "United States Marine" no one can ever take it away from you.
Semper Fi</div></div>

You got that right....once a Marine always a Marine...we help our own...it doesnt matter if you dont know them or if you dont like them. When they need help you move....period...thats just the way it is. It doesnt matter if you are in a bar and there are 20 guys that want to beat a Marines ass....there had better be 2 against 20...

Just remember that if you ever get into my Marine Corps.

Another thing.......you will find yourself referring to it as "MY Marine Corps" why? Because you are proud as hell to have the title...you are proud of what the Corps stands for and those before you as well as after you....it is your family.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

You guys have any tips about running on pavement and how to prevent knee injurys? Lots of lunges or what?
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Run on dirt when you can....pavement is MUCH better than concrete.....And dont push yourself to injury....use a GOOD set of running shoes...dont be running in boots...Youll have to do enough of that latter...and remember TAKE CARE OF YOUR KNEES AND BACK...dont be stupid...you will pay for it latter trust me, Im going to pay for it for the rest of my life because I was stupid....

Lunges are hard on your knees...just FYI....The marine Corps can handle someone thats not in shape....they cant handle an injury...
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Respectfully, I disagree with the no running in boots. Something about running in boots that mentally gets to some people. That, and when you lace up your go-fasters it'll feel like you're flying.

But IF you do, run on a sandy beach or through a trail in the woods. Don't do a boots & utes run on hardball (concrete or asphalt).

ALWAYS stretch yourself out before and after.

Agree about taking care of youself. Push yourself and harden your body...but do it smart!

Can you swim?

 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

If you do run on pavement, your body can and will adjust itself to the punishment.

# 1, go to a decent running store and have someone watch your gait. They should be looking for pronation (ankles rolling in or out). They'll recommend a shoe for your particular gait.

I used to get shin splints and aching joints, and this made all the difference early in my running career for me.

If they don't know what you're talking about, don't buy any shoes from them.

The other key is to give your body time to adjust to the activity, and don't overdo it early.

Work your way up with LSD runs (long, slow, distance).

How much are you running now?
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

I'm starting to run once or twice a week ( i know it should be more) but giving my self time to adjust to running on the pavement. I'm not active in sports, but I'm not a fat body. I usually run slow or walk and do sprints and take as short of time as I can with the walking. The bridge I sometimes run on is 3.6 miles both ways and this seems better as there aren't and sharp curves like on the track that I runm, but at a certain part in the bridge its just so steep I think it would be damaging on the knees to run everyday.
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Since I wrote my reply I have managed to break my foot, due to some silly drunken mayhem.


Doc says I wont have any long term problems, just gotta lay back so..


Upper body work for now :[
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: former0302</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Respectfully, I disagree with the no running in boots. Something about running in boots that mentally gets to some people. That, and when you lace up your go-fasters it'll feel like you're flying.

But IF you do, run on a sandy beach or through a trail in the woods. Don't do a boots & utes run on hardball (concrete or asphalt).

ALWAYS stretch yourself out before and after.

Agree about taking care of youself. Push yourself and harden your body...but do it smart!

Can you swim?

</div></div>

No disrespect at all.....just remember....I thought that boots & Utes runs would make me harder too....all it did was give me shin splints from HELL and help destroy my knees....but then again I ran in issue Jungles....they were the only boots I found REALLY comfy....

Does it really help if you jack yourself up, putting yourself out of commission for a spell? I ran constantly....in boots...and with a HEAVY ruck on...what did I get in the long run? Shins that feel like a cheese grater...and very little cartilage in BOTH knees....my knees are PERMANENTLY SCREWED...

YMMV....but I think its foolish....at least at the level I did it and the boots I used....running with the weight I did...Nowadays cardio is limited to a bicycle or a pool....

(My personal .02 take it for what its worth.)
 
Re: USMC 0311 ???

Never had shin splints or bad knees,Let me take that back one knee is screwed due to the Corps but thats a hole other story.The frist mile used to kill me but after I passed that I could run all day at a good pace.We would run from Mainside up into the hills at the Stumps when I would get back I felt great,a true feeling of a runners high.

As the other guys have said a good stretch is the key.

Who remembers the Gas Mask runs,holy shit everyone would be smoked after that.

Push your mind and your body,because the Corps will.

Semper Fi!!!!

One more thing,push yourself on the humps because you don't want to be that guy with the tube and the I.V. up his ass.

Pain is weakness leaving the body!!!!!