Passed my IPPT with a silver at Maju Camp yesterday. Despite able to get a silver, it was my worst result to date, with 3 points (C) scored for standing board jump and 2.4km run with 21 points total. It was like Oh my Gosh, 11:14 for 2.4km? that was like more than 1 minute since I ran last year, this result is just merely 16 seconds more for the next level of incentive pass, looks like my hectic schedule these days are really eating into my fitness program, considering that I had not been running as often.
Despite that, this year will be my last year taking my IPPT under CAT X (Category X) or also known as the under 24 age group. I will be in CAT Y next year, with the IPPT standards set whee bit easier for both passing and silver and Gold as well!
Was around school earlier in the day, as in still yesterday, with one of the SP videography staff, Mr Stanley beforehand who is doing a video shoot for the upcoming SP graduation ceremony. I was one of the chosen ones to be featured in it, so it was very much a whole afternoon of filming on the blue screen studio together with some shots all round campus such as my project word area and the pool side gym.
Managed to catch up on some casual chatting with the gym auntie (since I was there) as well as my project center TSO, Mr Suhaimi, before heading down to Maju for my 5pm IPPT. Spent the rest of the evening in my Cousin’s home who wanted to meet up do do up this e-commerce website, his parents gave me a lift home thereafter. It was a busy day, yesterday, no wonder I was “spent” by IPPT time in the evening!
Today is a well deserved rest day besides having some body aches here and there having not properly cooled down from the IPPT, on top of having to help my mum with some major grocery shopping later.
Hi Shaun,long time no see here.Can I just check with you how’s the 2.4km route like at Maju?I’m would be taking ippt there next Wed.Any advice that you can give me?
Hey claudio, yup long time! haha
Good choice, Maju is one of the best IPPT routes for 2.4km.
Route wise it consist of 3 clockwise rounds round the company line, which surrounds the main parade square (starting point), is this your first time in Maju? The PTI there will brief every group on the route with a map for every detail running. Its kinda straightforward by just keep turning right most of the time.
Even if you really do not know the route, a tip is not to start first as each 2.4km run is made out of 10 over details dispatched in 10sec intervals, staying by the back or last few details will allow you to have the previous details serve as “scouts” so you can follow and overtake the trail of runners in front of you to familarise the 1st lap.
Terrain is relatively flat, so just keep your pace constant and maybe speed up if you feel lacking, except the ending part where there is an upward slope after the gym (you will be told where it is in the brief as there is a water cooler there) towards a football field which you might want to speed up beforehand or conserve energy so you can go up the slope a steady pace, after that it will be a short downslope when you can open up towards the cookhouse and lap gantry.
Timings are all recorded electronically, its like a champion chip which tracks your lap time and tells you how many laps left. Only it’s attached to your bib which you have to pin on which can get quite heavy actually, it’s something like the 2006 Sheares bridge AHM bibs with the RFID tags.
Generally you will be running with lots of older reservist people who may not be as fit as you, unless you have a pacer (i.e running with a friend who is taking the test as well) a tip is not to follow or pace others as you will be tempted to do so- which will mess up your timing and pace (most people I usually see there are all running for pass). The best is to keep your own timings with your own watch and pace yourself based on your target timings divided by three (being 3 laps), speed up when overtaking and keep your constant pace based on your desired target speed.
You can wear running computers and footpods, but you cannot carry and listen to ipods/music when running.
I think thats all I have, oh yes one last thing, being the SAF, there are medic, rovers and water points stationed on the course as well.
Do keep me updated on what you get for it!
Hmmm… perhaps you should take again. You can’t be satisfied with Silver, rite? 😯
hey virgil, haha yea, but at least its better than a pass!
My birthday was last march, so my window yup, is open to the next. I can use the rest of the year to try to gold! 😀
You should! 🙂
Thanks for your advice! Will keep you update of my results!
Hi Shaun,I’m here to inform you of my IPPT results.Once again in my life,i screwed up at the SBJ station,which has been my weakest station to date.Despite requesting the PTI to give me another shot at the station,I still couldn’t break the 216 mark.After the 4 static stations,I was kinda of demoralised,cos I know I can’t even get a silver.Haiz.Nevertheless,I still make the effort to achieve a good result in my 2.4km run.
Regarding the running route,it is much smoother than I have expected.Except for the upslope beside the football field which was quite irritating but was helped by the downslope towards the finishing line.Frankly speaking,despite doing well in my 2.4km run,I wasn’t really satisfied with the timing,as I was aiming for a much faster time.
After the IPPT,sat down and have a short chat with my friends,and we discussed whether SBJ is really necessary in IPPT? As I have read on the IPPT booklet,it says that SBJ is to judge whether a soldier can jump over obstacles.But the fact is,where on earth would any soldier jump over obstacles with his both legs at the same time like the way we did in SBJ ?
Hopefully next time,when i turn to Cat Y in May,I can do better in my SBJ !
Overall,Maju camp is quite a good place to take IPPT.
By the way,the following are my results for the IPPT :
Pull Up : 12 (5 points)
Sit Up : 43 (5 points)
SBJ : 216 (2 points) : (
Shuttle Run : 9.8 secs (5 points)
2.4km Run : 9.17 min (5 points)
Result : 22 points – Pass With Incentive
One more thing,does SBJ really justify whether a person is fit or not?
ah crap, your results are almost perfect, but once you get even your SBJ at 225, you only can get a silver unless you bump it up to 234 and above for gold ($400).
I do not think that SBJ is a true test of one’s fitness but as said in their IPPT handbook: “it is a station to test the explosive power of the underbody”, so technically it’s a test only for your legs (2.4km is cardio and muscle endurance test, not strength).
I always have a feeling that runners generally, I know fare quite badly in SBJ, well not because of the fact that we “run until we forgot to jump”, but I think it’s a station which requires more of technique (70% contribution factor) than strength (30% contribution factor), and we often underlook training for it. Most runners like yourself able to run sub 10mins already have the required muscular strength, so you should focus more on the technique. You only need to train specific muscle groups by duckwalking and stair hopping only if you want the additional edge for 280-300cm, that is what my coach told me before, otherwise most of us can hit 240cm easily with what we already have- only with the proper technique again.
But of course saying can’t really tel you much of technique, do not know if you’ve seen this video before (mind the crappy music), but here is a good one you can use to improve your technique:
Note the arm and leg positions, esp with “throwing your body forward” after your leap.
I went for my ippt last week at Bedok camp II and i did every stations and managed to get 19 points in total which is a FAIL.. I was so disappointed.. I’m under Cat-X..
Sit up: 41 – 5points..
Sbj: 212 – 1point..
Chin up: 12 – 5points..
Shuttle run: 10.3s – 4points..
2.4km: 10.43mins – 4points..
I was just wondering if anyone knows how many points is needed exactly to get a pass..?? Thank you.. :)))