SAN DIEGO -- Recruits of Company C, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, took part in the first of many physical training sessions, quarter-mile sprints, aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego April 16.
“We’re basically introducing (recruits) to physical training and getting them used to it, building them up,” explained Sgt. Dustin Martin, drill instructor, Platoon 1041, Co. C, 1st RTBn. “Like everything in recruit training, you start out at the bottom and build yourself to the top.”
Based on their initial strength test run times, recruits were broken up into three groups: slow, medium and fast. Drill instructors helped pace the recruits during each quarter-mile sprint. A short break was incorporated between each sprint and during this time drill instructors made sure all recruits were accounted for and physically capable of running another repetition.
“Some recruits struggle with this because a lot of them really didn’t work out before coming to training; they’re bodies are still getting used to everything,” explained Martin, a 26-year-old Watertown, N.Y. native.
Sweat drenched and exhausted, recruits were ordered to line up to sprint another quarter mile. As they sprinted toward their next destination, recruits learned what levels their strength and endurance were at.
“Sprints help us because they can improve our run times for our final physical fitness test,” said Recruit Jeremiah Wine, Plt.1041, Co. C, 1st RTBn. “But overall, I think this helps us build up our mental strength too.”
Wine, an 18-year-old Chicago native, believed that mental and physical strength go hand-in-hand.
“In order to push yourself physically, your mind has to be strong to push through the fatigue,” said Wine. “You can’t give up just because you’re tired.”
Wine, along with many of his fellow recruits, hopes to improve his run time through this PT session and future sessions that Co. C will endure during their next 12-weeks aboard the depot.
According to Martin, recruits will see an overall improvement in their physical strength and endurance near the end of Phase One.
“As they become stronger in training, they’re motivation will go up which will help them with other events in recruit training,” said Martin.
Although extremely fatigued, recruits of Co. C were able to complete their work-out. However, this session is only one among many recruits will go through during the remainder of recruit training. Over the course of the next few months, they will be expected to continually improve their physical fitness for events such as hikes, the combat fitness test and the Crucible.