Fitness test- feel like this is impossible.

[AngeloMysterioso]

I’ve applied for a role as a whole time firefighter, got through the first two rounds of assessment and was sent a day for my bleep test. From the day of the email to the day I have to do it was 3 weeks- now it’s a week and a half. I’ve had practice runs but can’t seem to get past level 6 and I need to get to 8.8. I’m 39, I have three children and I work until 2 a.m. four nights a week, so my spare time not spent working or looking after my children is spent sleeping, and even then I’m not getting anywhere near enough sleep and I’m permanently exhausted. I simply don't have the time for loads of training, going to the gym etc. I don’t know how on earth I’m ever going to manage to reach that level, when doing any training means depriving myself of sleep which I need so badly. Do I just give up and accept that it won’t happen? I’m so unhappy with my life as it is now and was really keen on this, but I just don’t see how I’m going to get there.

8.8 is a high level. If you can’t commit to training to get to that level then it’s obviously not the job for you. If you wanted the job you would put the work in.

You’re not going to reach that level from a 5 in 1.5 weeks, you’re just not.

You need to spend probably closer to 6-8 weeks doing 2-3 solid training sessions each week to make that kind of improvement.

Well done on getting to this stage. I would ask if you can have a later test as you are not available on the date they sent. But anything from mid July onwards is ok.

Then I would book a session with a PT and do everything they said.

Give yourself the best chance of changing your life. Good luck.

The blunt answer is you’re not going to get there in a week and a half.

If this really is your dream, take a big step back and focus on your fitness for a while, then reapply.

If I was doing a 9-5 job then putting the work in wouldn’t be a problem, but I don’t have evenings or lunch breaks I can spend running or at the gym. Monday to Friday I have at least one child at home during the day, my husband gets home from work, I start work, finish at 2 a.m, usually awake til about 3, up at half 7. It’s not that I can’t be arsed or am not committed enough- I simply do not have the time. Just going for runs at weekends won’t be enough.

I did ask, because the dates they sent are actually when I’m meant to be away with my family for half term. They said if I can’t make those dates I have to withdraw my application entirely.

Then maybe you need to accept it’s not something you can do at this stage in your life.

Could you try to postpone the date and hire a treadmill for a few weeks? Work out how long you have to run for to reach 8.8 (in minutes) and just run for that length of time, as hard/fast as you can, every day? Presumably it not a lot of minutes so wouldn't take much time.

To make this kind of improvement you need really a minimum of 2-3 sessions a week, for 6-8 weeks, minimum.

How old are the children? Any buggy age so you could start training with them?

It’s too late for now, you can’t work a miracle in 10 days, but you could start improving your fitness now so that next time you are ready.

I think you need to accept you won’t be ready and rethink how you’d train for it at a later date.

Sometimes you just aren't at the stage in life where you can do certain things.

I want to run a marathon but over the last couple of months it's dawned on me that I can't commit to the training or if I can it just isn't realistic with the age my kids are because whilst they are old enough to be semi self sufficient they are too young to be left alone and still need some hands on parenting and after several long runs in a row, today I'm solo parenting and low on patience, it's just not possible to do whilst giving my husband a life of his own.

So that's been put on the back burner for a bit until things are a little less full on. I hated having to pull out due to an ongoing injury that is taking its time to get better but actually it's for the best.

If you can't commit to the training you can't commit to the job, it's annoying but it's not forever.

I can’t postpone it. I asked as the dates are all in half term and we’re supposed to be going away. They said if I can’t do those dates I have to withdraw.

So withdraw, work on your fitness for six months and apply again?

It’s not that I can’t commit to the job. It’s the job I have now that is stopping me being able to train. Any time I spend training I’m taking away from sleeping, and I’m only averaging about 4 hours a day as it is. I feel completely trapped.

As a PP said, can you take a buggy to the park and train with that? I would forget the bleep training and go for long gentle runs.

You might be surprised at what adrenaline will do on the day, I’ve had some crazy PBs on race days that I can’t get near in regular training.

It sounds like your current set-up is the issue. Why are you only getting four hours sleep?

Give it a go. You're not going to pass at the moment and you know it, but turn up and try on the day. Adrenaline does strange things.

Before you run, have a short run, a short break then do the bleep test. Helped me no end.

However this is training I would have expected you to be doing for weeks by now.

Will DH pick up some slack for you for ten days so you can run it twice a day every day? Run it at 2am when you finish and before bed? I was in the gym at 2am after work when I was applying to be a police officer, it's not that unusual.

What's in place for your current commitments if you are successful?

DH works in London three days a week, on those days he gets home from work around 7pm and I start at 8. I could run after work I guess, although there is only one tiny stretch of road in my village that has street lights so would just be going back and forth along there! The nearest 24 hour gym is a half hour drive away.
If I’m successful, we’ve got a fantastic childminder who is prepared to be flexible with days & times, and my parents in law live a few miles away and have 2 of the 3 overnight one night a week already so would just keep doing that but alternate depending on which days/nights I’d be working.

I work til 2am, I’m usually awake til at least 3, I’m up at around 7 with the DC.

I'm not surprised you're so tired. That schedule is awful and not healthy. What time do you start work?

Monday 8-2, Tuesday 6-2, Wednesday 8-2, Thursday off (I have a hobby I do on Thursday nights which is physical so do get some exercise) Friday 8-2. I’m not unfit- I can lift and carry heavy weights, I can run long distances- I’ve done three half marathons in the last 5 years.

Well, yes, back and forth would be the idea! Mark out the distance and put the bleep test recording on headphones... No need for a gym tbh! Do what you can from home.

Can you park a child in a buggy and run to and fro with them watching / you running away and towards them? The test to 8.8 is 9min 16s, would they be able to sit there that long once a day? It might be funny for them at least - make it a game!

Honestly, every time you have a 20min window, get out and do a 10min run. As many times a day or night as you can beat.

Hi OP,
I had this vague memory of Michael Mosley demonstrating the idea of extreme level effort exercising for only 1-2 minutes.

This makes a lot of sense to me as someone who was quite into running. If I were doing a long training run it would be at a steady pace. If you were going to the gym for an hour a lot of that hour would be at a steady pace with bursts of effort. Now if someone told you to exercise for only 1 minute or two minutes your self imposed level of effort is off the scale.

This video suggests 3 bursts of 20 seconds plus gentle warm up.

So can you find 10 minutes once or twice a day to basically do 3 sprints up your road plus a little gentle jog warm up and cool down? How about between when your husband gets in and you start work if you are ready to walk out the door when he gets home? You don't need to worry about work out gear or shower on top of your normal routine as long as you have comfy clothes and good trainers.

I would suggest if possible doing these sprints at least once a day.

Make sure you are eating enough protein for the muscle repair afterwards.

Don't do any training for 3 or 4 days before the test (scary hey but by then it is likely to reduce performance).

Get more sleep in any way possible especially especially nearer the test e.g. you said you would have been on holiday so hopefully you and your partner have annual leave so can get a few proper nights rests.

Eat enough calories each day and plenty of carbs the day before the test. Now is not the time to diet - your performance will be reduced.

Caffeine is known to improve performance so if you tolerate caffeine ok sip a coke or even a caffeine drink shortly before your test.

Good luck. I don't know if you can do it but you can certainly try and see how close you can get.

Good luck!

Edit link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QDFLbEbDUDE

Thing is, you can say you don't have the time all you want. But if you can't train then this isn't really the path for you OP.

I also read that stretching before a run reduces performance so for your warm up don't do stretches.