In the stillness of the morning the 13 of us awoke. Many still shaken by the events of yesterday. Its just tuesday... friday seems like an eternity away
Junwei and Atlas was hit the worst, suffering from extreme lowerbody ache, but at least Junwei still had the fire. Atlas was living by the seconds. He looks distraught; staring into space most of the time. We took turns to talk to him but one can sense the hopelessness. Yogi had a slight fever, but he looks fine. Marcus is suffering from quite severe knee abrasions. Most of us has some form of abrasions, blisters and muscle aches.
I'm surprisingly ok. Nothing of the sort. Still good to go. Thank God. Breakfast was there when we woke up. After that we just waited.
Waiting sucks i tell you. The apprehension and trepidation during the waiting time is by far the worst feeling you can get. I'd rather the instructors come kick our butt than having to spend my time waiting and feeling stressed.
Soon they come, with their loud hailers, whistles and punishments. Turn us out dude. Come give it to me. I'll take whatever you dish out. After awhile it gets mind numbing. Although I can't say I like it.
The first activity of the day was pool evolution. Water jump, combat divesting of the sbo, combat swim, thread water with long 4 and boots and weights.
The water confidence jump was scary when they demonstrated it. The guy was blindfolded and had his hands and legs bound. He had to jump down and then repeatedly resurface for air. I couldn't do that!! So that was a scary wait for my turn to more or less drown and die. Would I give up, no! But what would I do then... I don't know... there must be at least 20 different methods that went through my mind.. none of them I knew could work for sure....hah!
But when I arrived at the scene, they bounded me and blindfolded me... of course I was scared but then when i was pushed to the edge, the instructors removed my bounds. Although I had my blindfold on and that was easy. 
The next thing that was difficult was the thread water part. You know I practised and practised and it still feels tiring. At least I could hold myself up... but that was it. I couldn't motivate others or do any other extra stuff. this is one part I definitely need to work on.
But the pool evolution was easy on the fitness. No one was pushed at all. It was more about water confidence. And no one had any big problems.
We went back for lunch. Another waiting period. Another turnout and the afternoon evolution began. Endless run.
We were taken into some remote place. Which I recognised as somewhere near changi airport. Our SBOs were returned to us, complete with 8 dummy mags which weighs about 1 kg each and we were to run in them. The only condition is we are to stay in between two instructors, the front one being the rabbit and the back instrutor being the tortise. I looked at the instructors leading the run and I thought to myself I could beat them. In fact this is what goes through my mind most of the time during most evolutions.
The eventual distance are unknown to us. But I had a sense that its about 5km. Anyway the instructors started out very fast. Boom! they just went. Its all good I thought to myself I'd catch you eventually. I did. I overtook the tortise but unfortunately the rabbit just looks furthur and furthur away. I so want to catch him but without the eventual distance in mind, I didn't dare to go for it. I just stayed way ahead of the tortise, in the safe zone and kept it status quo.
The running route was scenic enough. Reminiscence of the green grassy plains of Taiwan. I was feeling fine. It felt like a breezy relaxed run at times. And it had to end sometime. Like i said it felt like about 5km. I was the first one to arrive, about 50m behind the rabbit. I can see right behind me about 100m is Jensen, who had the tortise close on his heels... I actually don't believe what I was seeing. There are 13 of us... and only 2 of us is in the safe zone! That means 11 of us is going to fail!
Luckily Yogi and Heng Yang made it just in time before the tortise. It was a mad sprint towards the end but the tortise slowed down a bit just for them to make it.
"Winners secure and losers pay!" I hear it so often. Thats very much the unofficial motto of most elite units of the world. The 4 of us who came in before the tortise was told to sit down one side without talking. The rest of our mates, we can hear from a distance, they were subjected to countless push ups, sit ups, flutter kicks, chasing the rabbit, and other static exercises which must feel like hell now after exhausting themselves during the run.
After what seems like an eternity of ragging, the 'losers' were told to stand up and they began to run backwards towards the start line. Once again they were told the rules are the same. Keep in the safe zone to secure!
This is the concept of endless run. Either you make it or you keep running back and forth. Or you could choose the easy way out; ring the bell. I don't want to subject myself to the mental hell. I trained like HELL before I came. So I made it first try; no hell for me. There are people who vomitted, fainted and gave up after 3 or 2 or even during the 1st run. Then there are those who can't run but have a mind of steel. I've heard of people who completed 5 re-tries of this shindig and still didn't make it in the safe zone. But they passed eventually because they are willing to push right into their barrier of death.
Either way, all 13 of us made it by the third try. But you can see the devastation it had. Kevin and Shemiah were limping, their knees busted. Junwei and Atlas can't feel their legs anymore, Marcus' abrasion got so bad the white flesh beneath the skin is starting to show.
Me, I feel alright. God's love is immense. His protection is wonderful. Its incredible to think back now but I feel I could go for another round. Friends said I over prepared. Maybe, and I'm glad I was.
Dinner was waiting for us when we arrived back in camp. The strange thing is no matter how hard the evolution was, all the pain is forgotten once we reached back our safe haven. Relief and laughter resumes. The respite is brief but it keeps us sane.
As the night wears on, our fear builds again. What are they going to do next? The cycle repeats. And we had ou
Around what must be 10pm at night (wild guess). We were turned out for our next activity:- endless fast march. Same concept and attire as the endless run during the day. But this time instead of running we had to fast march.
We formed up two columns bhind the tortise. With the shorter legs slow marchers (Marcus and Eugene) in front. And round and round we went. It must be at least 5km. But we didn't stop. We just kept going. I was fine. Walking in a competition walker kind of gait. I'm no stranger to small striding fast walking kind of long runs. So I was ok. I still had it to shout and encourage and pull my friends along.
Many however are suffering from what I suspect is a well planned series of activities aimed at destroying our lower body mobility. First the endless PT with countless lunges, squats; then the endless run and now the endless march. Shemiah already didn't fall in during the initial turnout; his knees couldn't take it anymore.
Shemiah was a trooper from another special unit (ADF) in SAF. He was a skilled swimmer and was in his school life saving team. But like I said, sometimes luck is just not on your side.
His buddy Kevin is also suffering from knee injuries sustained from endless run in the afternoon. Kevin is also from ADF and was a former club football player. He has very good stamina but the injury is slowing him down. He joined in the initial march but was laggin very far behind. After awhile I don't see him no more.
But the most dramatic moment came for me when Jun Wei felled out. We were trying hard to catch up and I can hear groans around me. Jun Wei was starting to limp and scramble. He was slated in front because of his height but he started to fall back gradually. We tried to push one another and him especiall because we are a team. Its very encouraging when the support is genuine and you know this other guy is going out on a limb because he is suffering too... with you.
Jun Wei scrambled and scrambled and shouted until he could do no more and his body started to tilt rightwards in a very straight and rigid way. Its almost like he wants to move but his legs are moving faster than his body and they couldn't catch up and he just crashed into the ground right in front of my eyes!!! It was a slow motion "NOOOooooo" moment. I shouted "JunWei!!!" I wanted to stop and grab him up but the instructors shouted at us to carry on.
At that moment I know he's done... my morale dropped as I felt that I've left my comrade behind. I felt so bad.
In the end we stopped. With stragglers. Yogi and Selwyn were laggin behind by a lot but at least they complete it.
We were told that we were screw up nd given some ragging. At last we loaded up the tonner for the ride back to our quarters. Thank God...
Or is it? Donw there the instructors chewed us for our lack of fighting spirit and told us to lead back up again!! Unbelievable!!!! I thought we were safe. But it was inconsequential to me I still have loads to give. God was strong with me. I was strong. But when we were leaving Selwyn just sat there without moving. I shouted at him to come but he just looked away. He's gone; I still remember one week ago during our preparation phase, he said to me, "If I ever want to give up, just slap me ok?" I could have, but it wouldn't have made a difference.
We went back for another several rounds and they had to stop sometime. Junwei and Yogi joined back. Towards the end Heng Yang was walking sideways in a jelly like manner already. I had to pull him back.
Jun wei and Yogi was suffering from the brink of physical exhaustion. I got chided for asking ice for them. Should have known better. These guys are professionals, they know what they are doing.
In any case, we are back into our bunk finally. Having our night snacks, and licking our wounds. Morale was low. The day ended with Shemiah, Kevin, Atlas, Selwyn falling out.
We are finally down to single digit... nine.
