Oh man..fitness test on friday lol

[s0ccer_princess]

At my school every term we do this thing called the "bleep test" or "Multistage Fitness Test" if we wish to be formal :P.

Anyway, this Friday- i.e. the day after tomorrow, I have it again. I love sports but I have rather short legs so am not the fastest of runners. Basically, althetics is NOT my thing. Anyway, this test is kind of hard- as most of you who have done it will hopefully know. It involves two cones being placed 20 metres apart and candidates having to move continuously between them.

But it's slightly more complicated- you should aim to leave one cone at the "beep" and arrive at the other on the next beep. Then the beeps get closer together, leading from a brisk walk eventually to a run. Even the most fit people on it feel ill afterwards. Quite a few people feel faint, a rare few do actually faint and some are sick.

I'm so worried. Last time I did it I felt very sick that morning and I got in a total state because I felt like I was about to be sick right before. Partly general nausea, partly fear. Now this one is after Christmas- after we've all eaten so much and done no exercise :P . I'm so worried. An the worst part?

We're doing it right after lunch.

I am sorry to ask so much of you guys, but I'm not sure what I should eat beforehand and how to prevent getting ill.

[babygap5]

I wouldn't eat to much since it's right after lunch. I hated those physical fitness tests I had to do. We had a similar one with the cones. We also had to run like a 1/2 mile around the track and I think there might have even been push ups and sit ups involved. I wish you luck.

[s0ccer_princess]

Thank-you

I am so panicked about this- it's our GCSE unit and I really want to do well but a big part of the test is mental apparently. You make the decision "can I not go on?". And because of emet, the slightest nauseous sensation and I start to plan my exit hehe.

If there was zero chance I'd get ill I wouldn't mind so much at all and I would push myself. Feeling faint I can deal with, it's perfectly normal after strenuous exercise for you to feel a bit light headed. Just every year my friend gets ill in it and I have really vivid memories of patting her on the back while she was ill.Edited by: s0ccer_princess

[crimgoddess]

Generally, if I eat before working out I try to keep it simple- banana and a peanut butter sandwich. Some milk, or water. Just dont overdo it- but make sure you eat something, or else you are more likely to pass out, or even feel nauseous due to hunger. Your body is going to need some fuel.


It being after Xmas may make it a bit harder because of the lack of physical activity during this time period- but just pace yourself and dont overdo it. Dont push yourself if you start to feel ill or winded- its not the Olympics, you dont have to be a martyr


Are you able to have a water bottle on your person? I find that taking sips from that when I am doing strenuous physical activity helps calm me, and settle my stomach. Man, I SUCKED at those standardized physical tests- I think I brought my entire class' average down when I was in highschool. I'm good at certain sports, but DAMN.


Goodluck


*amber*

[s0ccer_princess]

Thanks! Annoyingly I don't think we're allowed a drink, grr.

I was thinking something along those lines- a roll maybe and plenty of water. I have to eat lunch, because even on a normal day if I skip any meals I feel ill. I'm trying to find a balance between eating too little obviously- not having enough energy to go on which will probably make me feel even worse- because I won't be able to respire aerobically, insteadrunning on ATP and building up a ton of lactic acid- which they say is what can cause stitches and sickness in exercise- and eating too much, meaning a lot is being moved about in my body, and when the oxygen is diverted away from the gut in exercise, that's when thethe body tries to eject the contents of the stomach by reflex.

I alwaysheard that before aerobic activity- i.e. days before, you should start eating carbohydrates to give you energy. Should I do that tomorrow, or the lunch before too? I know they give you energy, but for the meal before they might be a bit heavy.

I wonder if there's anything I can do in the way of mental motivation? BecauseI think it's the mental barrier which will stop me most of all.

[nickr8]

ok im a weight lifter and a full contact fighter not to mention and emetand here is what id tell u to do. i would start eating some carbs probably throught the whole day on thursday eat some complex carbs like whole grain pastas and some cerial. also i would say take your vitamins in the morning with a bowl of cerial and maybe some toast. around lunch time eat soemthing light on your stomach yet something to give you energy like fruit. plus its high is glucose (a natural sugar) to help fuel you. also i would say if you could drink some propel or gatoraide for lunch to get your electrolytes. if ya can sip some water before and after your run and then drink some more gateoraide after you run. like i said earlier when i started trainign for full contact fighting it was a bear. trust me youll be fine you may be a little winded but im sure its nothing you cant handle. another thing is everyone tells me to "squat till you p*" i would like to think i have enough control over myself to not do that. but iv been trainign off and on alot lately and trust me youll be ok.

[lmfao]

Urgh I HATE that bleep test! HATE IT!!! [img]smileys/smilies_07.gif[/img]


Wen I do it I can only get about 20 at the very max before I feel like I'm going to collapse. It's horrible. You should probably eat something though because thenyou'll have more energy.

[suze]

What on earth has happened to schools these day? They sound more like boot camps! I agree with all the advice here, but hell, why push everyone to the limit? As a parent, if my kid got sick from being physically pushed by the teachers I'd be in there cracking skulls! This is akin to child abuse, I'm sorry!

[s0ccer_princess]

Thanks Nick- I always eat cereal with sunflower seedsfor breakfast, so I'll have that tomorrow. I'll probably then get myself a cheese roll or sandwich for lunch and I already asked for pasta for dinner tomorrow. On Friday I'll have cereal again for breakfast and maybe a plain bread roll and an apple, or a fruit salad might be good. Fruits are a great idea, because while carbs are good for energy, they are somtimes a bit heavy and take a bit of breaking down.Thanks again!

Lmfao- So do I! It doesn't even test it that accurately really, because of the great variation in motivation in everyone. We also do it in front of 75 people, where half of us go at once which makes it kind of hard. A score of20 isn't bad at all though, well done!Edited by: s0ccer_princess

[s0ccer_princess]

What on earth has happened to schools these day? They sound more like boot camps! I agree with all the advice here, but hell, why push everyone to the limit? As a parent, if my kid got sick from being physically pushed by the teachers I'd be in there cracking skulls! This is akin to child abuse, I'm sorry!

I agree with you here, while physical testing is important, I much prefer other alternativemaximal tests, which are just as valid,where YOU set the pace. The thing with the bleep test is that the speed is constantly increasing and there will come a point where you drop out. I preferred the Cooper Test/the 12 minute run where you have 12 minutes to cover as much distance as possible, whether you walk, jog or run. I did 2km without stopping runningwhich I was quite proud of considering I'm not really a runner :P

The idea of a personal fitness plan is that you improve by setting your own goals, but I don't see what this test will prove apart from essentially how long I can last mentally.

[lmfao]

Thanks Nick- I always eat cereal with sunflower seedsfor breakfast, so I'll have that tomorrow. I'll probably then get myself a cheese roll or sandwich for lunch and I already asked for pasta for dinner tomorrow. On Friday I'll have cereal again for breakfast and maybe a plain bread roll and an apple, or a fruit salad might be good. Fruits are a great idea, because while carbs are good for energy, they are somtimes a bit heavy and take a bit of breaking down.Thanks again!

Lmfao- So do I! It doesn't even test it that accurately really, because of the great variation in motivation in everyone. We also do it in front of 75 people, where half of us go at once which makes it kind of hard. A score of20 isn't bad at all though, well done!

So do we! We have to do it in front of the rest of the class, it's not that much people ut it's still embarrasing. I always get idiots shouting out comments at me to try and wind me up. 20 is quite bad for me becasue the distance we have to run is really small, most people get about 40 at least.

[s0ccer_princess]

Thanks Nick- I always eat cereal with sunflower seedsfor breakfast, so I'll have that tomorrow. I'll probably then get myself a cheese roll or sandwich for lunch and I already asked for pasta for dinner tomorrow. On Friday I'll have cereal again for breakfast and maybe a plain bread roll and an apple, or a fruit salad might be good. Fruits are a great idea, because while carbs are good for energy, they are somtimes a bit heavy and take a bit of breaking down.Thanks again!

Lmfao- So do I! It doesn't even test it that accurately really, because of the great variation in motivation in everyone. We also do it in front of 75 people, where half of us go at once which makes it kind of hard. A score of20 isn't bad at all though, well done!

So do we! We have to do it in front of the rest of the class, it's not that much people ut it's still embarrasing. I always get idiots shouting out comments at me to try and wind me up. 20 is quite bad for me becasue the distance we have to run is really small, most people get about 40 at least.

Augh! It's so humiliating isn't it!

We measure ours in levels (I think it's five shuttle runs to a level?), so I'm not entirely sure of the average amount of shuttle runs, but 20 still sounds like an achievement!

[suze]

I don't get it princess, why are they so important? I mean, if someone scores badly, what does the school do? Do they put them on individual fitness plans/diets etc? Or do they just log the scores and do nothing? Or tell kids they need to improve but then not provide the support to help them achieve those goals? It just seems fundamentally wrong to me, and humiliating especially if perhaps you're not fit or perhaps are overweight.


I agree that it would be better to set a limit and see how far you get in the time, but to make kids run until they drop, it's not right. I was lucky, at school I was very sporty and very fit. I was a swimmer, trained morning and night, and so had a high aerobic capacity and stamina. I could have coped with these tests but looking back there were many kids for whom this would have been an awful experience. Also, are there any other types of test? There were kids at my school who were perhaps a bit too heavy to run, but put them in a pool and they could swim all day.


Sorry to go on, but what exactly are the objectives of these tests?


p.s. you really don't have to answer if I'm ranting!!!

[nickr8]

hey no problem. i do agreee with all of you though that they shouldnt force you to do something like this ir really is not right to do unless you voulneteer

[s0ccer_princess]

I don't get it princess, why are they so important? I mean, if someone scores badly, what does the school do? Do they put them on individual fitness plans/diets etc? Or do they just log the scores and do nothing? Or tell kids they need to improve but then not provide the support to help them achieve those goals? It just seems fundamentally wrong to me, and humiliating especially if perhaps you're not fit or perhaps are overweight.


I agree that it would be better to set a limit and see how far you get in the time, but to make kids run until they drop, it's not right. I was lucky, at school I was very sporty and very fit. I was a swimmer, trained morning and night, and so had a high aerobic capacity and stamina. I could have coped with these tests but looking back there were many kids for whom this would have been an awful experience. Also, are there any other types of test? There were kids at my school who were perhaps a bit too heavy to run, but put them in a pool and they could swim all day.


Sorry to go on, but what exactly are the objectives of these tests?


p.s. you really don't have to answer if I'm ranting!!!

No, you're exactly right. I put a lot of pressure on myself anyway, because I want to go into PE as a career- and this one activity goes towards our GCSE exam which is really important.

Mostly people fear doing badly because my school is um, a tad competitive. It's an all girls' school and you have to do the whole entrance test.. which produces a group of very competitive individuals lol. If you do badly, yeah we get shouted at. We get called lazy, unfit insolent..etc.

It also is physically uncomfortable. A fair few people get sick, the majority get a bit dizzy, some faint and there was also a rather daunting sotry in the local paper about a girl at a school very nearby who died of a cardiac arrest while doing the running. Nobody really enjoys it, simply because it does take a lot out of you as opposed to running at a constant pace or even circuit training.

I don't agree with it, and lots of sports coaches have cut it out of programmes too, claiming it to be an unreliable method of testing.