Air Force PT
By Cadet Lucas
My head aches as my eyes bitterly open to my alarm clock staring me in the face displaying the time: 5:30a.m. Time for Air Force physical training at 6:30a.m. I quickly get off my bed and rush into the shower; my time of departure is always six o’clock sharp. Other cadets have called me crazy for showering before PT, but it always wakes me up, I like to feel awake before I start running. After my shower I throw on my uniform for physical training, they are a pair of blue, fairly short shorts, and a grey t-shirt adorning the Air Force symbol on the back. It is the best feeling in the world to be wearing anything that has the Air Force symbol on it.
Once I am ready in my physical training gear I head into the kitchen where I get my standard “before PT” meal, which consists of a single piece of toast with sugar poured over the top, my stomach wouldn’t handle anything else. After snarfing down the toast I quickly exit my apartment and hop into my car for the drive over to Lied Rec.
I check in quickly at the front desk and glance at the time: 6:17a.m., late, by Air Force standards. I make a mental note to leave earlier next PT session so I can be on time. I see some of my fellow cadets and we talk for the remaining thirteen minutes. PT starts promptly at 6:30a.m. with the words from our PFO (Physical Fitness Officer) Mr. Lucas, “Air Force! Two laps!”. Merely warm-up laps.
The workout today is calisthenics, like push-ups, sit-ups, leg lifts, diamond push-ups, and wide arm push-ups, followed by two fast paced one mile runs, and topped off with a twenty-minute personal run. To be honest all of it sucks, I’m not going to hide that fact, but after you’re done you look at the clock and realize its only 7:30a.m. You
realize that most people aren’t even up at this time, but you are an exception, more than an exception, you are a representation of hard work.
That feeling I get at 7:30a.m. is an emotion I cannot put into words. The closest word that comes to mind is accomplished. This is especially when I can look at my fellow cadets and say I worked hard alongside with them and that we overcame yet another challenge in our AFROTC careers that has made us all the stronger.
Finally, at the end of it all I head back to my apartment and make myself some “Eggs Tebben” a famous breakfast casserole recipe from our fearless POC leader Mr. Tebben. I look at the clock once more: 8:00a.m., and then I relax for two hours before I head off to class, the perfect start to my day.