Rockport Walk

[Geordie4Ever]

After injuring my ankle in KAF, I have now been diagnosed as having arthritus in the ankle (Not going to the docs straight away and waiting until i got back to the UK to get it sorted). The docs in their wisdom has said i must now do the Rockport Walk (RW). Now, I play representative sport and played until recently in a top civvie league and kept myself fairly fit. I turned up to the RW and asked the PTI what its all about and what I need to do to pass. It was as if I had just asked for the secret passcode for the crown jewels. He was either being very secretive as the RW is part of the RAF reduction package or he just didn't know the answer.So off I went on my RW, now I thought I was doing well when I passed 3 people on the way. There I was thining "Well at least I won't be last". At the end we went and did the press ups and sit ups with which there were no dramas at all (Light blue for sit-ups) not bad for a 44 year old i thought. Oh how wrong I was, the PTI stated that all but one of us had failed. I looked around and there was really only one person who i would have said was really unfit in the group.I later did a bit of snooping and I have found that there is a high fail rate for the RW. After more research I have come to 2 conclusions. Either the RW is being used to get rid of the required amount of personnel on the cheap or the info being input is wrong. Now, I have a theory that has not yet been tested and I would like to know if anyone else has had this happen to them. Right at the start when you input your personal information you are asked for your weight. This is in Kg's, I am reliably informed that the formula on the spreadsheet used by the PTI's is in Lbs. Now this would make for huge discrepencies and probably explain the high fail rate for RW especially from people who are physically fit to pass the MSFT however, due to an injury are not allowed to take it.

 

[techie_tubby]

It's all something to do with your heart rate I think. There's a lassie on ISL who is as fit as a butchers dog. Runs marathons, Sqn charity PT events, 30+miles a week she's training and she knackered her knee. Same situation was told to do the RW test but she failed because her pulse rate was too low. How that can be a fail I don't know, doesn't that mean that you are very fit?

 

[Gord]

It's all something to do with your heart rate I think. There's a lassie on ISL who is as fit as a butchers dog. Runs marathons, Sqn charity PT events, 30+miles a week she's training and she knackered her knee. Same situation was told to do the RW test but she failed because her pulse rate was too low. How that can be a fail I don't know, doesn't that mean that you are very fit?

Not necessarily, there could be contributing factors that lead to a low pulse rate. I doubt however that she is like me and on med's for high blood pressure and the like which will lower your pulse rate (mine averages 58 bpm) if she is capable of competing in the activities you mentioned but simply going by pulse rate as a standard of fitness is not an accurate means of testing anything other than your bloody pulse rate and to fail someone because of a low pulse rate is just as stupid. She should insist on a complete medical assessment and work up, which includes a hell of a lot more than simply taking part in some wankers idea of what will sort out the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Craig855s]

tubby you must be mistaken, I dont know how the RAF class the pass and fail criteria but a lower heartrate only increases your score (and i think that is your VO2Max, so I imagine she would have reached light blue, or "superior" according to the calculator ive just used online.

 

[Craig855s]

Im tempted to go and walk the 400m track just to see what i would score myself on this online calculator ive found, see where i sit on that compared to the bleep test

 

[Stevienics]

Does anyone know if you have to do this thing when you hit 55?

It's a bit insulting to say the least.

 

[Studley dangerfcuk]

I have arthritis in my knee's and it was only found after I failed the bleep test several times (through extreme pain and having to pull up). After 18 months of physio and finally scans on my knee's they decided to put me on the RW.
Now I know I'm not as fit as a butchers dog by a long way but I have always passed it, feck knows how but it's always light blue. I have a theory on how and why but I cant back it up with numbers. I have seen really fit people fail and they cant understand it neither can I.

Studley

 

[KingGuin]

I did both shuttle and rockport walk last year. Whilst I managed Light Blue in both the RW was more challenging than I anticipated. There is no hidden agenda in regard to the calculation, simply weight, gender, heart-rate and time. However I understand there may some confusion in regard to the formula used to calculate results; one for under 40, one for over 40. P Prune has a great thread and VO2 Max rates et al there.

 

[PraiseBacon]

Of course it could be argued that is the forces really cared about people living healthy lifestyles, they would adopt this approach:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/doctors-say-looking-busty-women-1107578

Could save a fortune on gyms and PTI's etc.

But back in the world where more traditional measures of fitness are used - the reality is that there isn't a one size fits all approach to this, different body types ( ie builds) are better or lesser suited to different tests.

I recall the 1.5 mile run, some found it easy, I always found it hard to get within the time - although could happily pass the alternate 5 miles in 40 minutes test (my running pace was a just under an 8 minute mile plod - i.e. just under a 12 min BFT, but I could keep going at the same pace steadily for over 10 miles. I also found the bike test easy - which lead to some interesting conversions with the mirror techs about whether I was fit or not..

The solution, for me, was for about a month before the test to go out and run above my preferred pace until I could pass it - then take the test.

Beep tests I was OK with when an enlightened PTI set it up as a triangle (I believe that is how it is supposed t be done anyway) - as 2 lines I struggled (but passed) due to the stop start nature.

Point being - there is no perfect test that is fair to all. Whatever the test is, some some will have an advantage and some will be disadvantaged - the key will be training to / for the test you are presented with...

The when you become a civvy, you can wave bye-bye to fitness tests and watch your waist expand - as happens to most of us ;-)

 

[rest have risen above me]

I've had to do the RW test for a couple of years as my knees are shot. Never had an issue. I am definitely no sport billy an could never be described as svelte. In the past two years I've only seen one person fail.