Army Selection Deferral ☹️

[pianoteacher]

Thank you so much to everyone who wished me well at my Selection. Unfortunately I fell at the first hurdle so didn't even get as far as the run. My blood pressure in the medical was through the roof and although they tested and tested - they even let me go for a lie down - it couldn't be brought low enough to be acceptable.

I don't have high blood pressure and can only think that very little sleep on the top bunk of a very rickety army bed and the 5:15 rise time this morning caused it to go batty!

I now have to go to my GP to get a 24 hour monitor to prove it's OK then I will be allowed to try again. To say I'm disappointed is a bit of an understatement - I've been waiting 18 months for this opportunity.

I was with a really awesome group of people (even if I was old enough to be most of their mums 🤣) and was very sad not to be able to see it through to the end with them.

Anyway onwards and upwards and good luck to everyone running tomorrow - particularly those doing their first HMs 🏃🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

[Rebounder]

I do feel for you as my BP was so high last month during a routine health check that the nurse wouldn’t let me out of the surgery before seeing a doctor first. It’s still very up and down and I’m meant to be doing a month of monitoring it myself. You, though have more at stake with Army selection. Good luck for next time 👍🏽

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Rebounder]

Thank you! I'm very grateful that I can try again. I've been thinking about people who have had their hearts set on a military career only to find out at Selection that they a condition that means they have to completely rethink their path through life. It does happen and it must be awful x

[Hidden]

Good luck to you next time you go to selection.

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Thank you 😁

[Hidden in reply to pianoteacher]

I did a stint in it years ago, so I wish you well..

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Cool! Do you mind me asking what you were in? x

[Hidden in reply to pianoteacher]

I have sent you a pm.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Aargh! How frustrating for you. I can only imagine your disappointment right now. But at least it's not a closed door. Hang on in there. Great things are worth waiting for right?

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Thanks Linda! I'm going to get on to my doctor first thing tomorrow to try to get things moving as quickly as possible x

[Oldfloss Administrator]

This is a total bummer!!!! NO!

It could have been, and I am no expert, just the total anticipation and stress of the moment..and you can adopt strategies to bring the BP down.

Hopefully your GP will be able to allay any doubts or concerns that they have... HUG hug!

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Floss really appreciate the hug. I was trying to use some yoga relaxation techniques but being told you need to get it down or you'll be going home would have been the worst thing for my blood pressure at the best of times 🤣

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

So sorry to read this - how frustrating after waiting so long! Fingers crossed that all will be well with your 24hr monitoring and you can start to move things forward again. 👍

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

Thanks Sandra xx

[Tbae Metric Marathon]

Sorry for this disappointment.

Hope you get the solution to this glitch from your gp.

Your a star on here Marie.

Every good wish going forward.

👊💥🏃‍♀️🌟👏👏❤️

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Tbae]

Thanks Tbae! xx

[Granspeed]

Oh pffft! So grim for you. 😨 Glad it’s a deferral. And hope your gp has a good answer. I get “white coat syndrome” and mine shoots if if someone takes it, but it’s ok if I do it myself with one of those arm-in-a-hole machines. Could it have been excitement and anticipation? Anyway, lots of sympathy & virtual soothing cups of tea to you and good luck!

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Granspeed]

Thanks for the virtual cups of tea Granspeed. It has happened once before that I can remember just a total bummer it had to happen yesterday. Hoping for a good result from the 24 hour monitor x

[Colinsmith Half Marathon]

So sorry M. Good luck next time around.

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Colinsmith]

Thanks xx

[backintime 10 Miles]

That sucks. I'm sure you'll be fine next time though. Ugh !

Don't beat yourself up though, it's a set back, not a failure. You can sort this out. Chin up !

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to backintime]

Thank you! My regimental band are very keen to have me - I've already technically "Failed" because of my terrible eyesight and they've been very supportive in getting me to this stage so I have every faith that it will get sorted x

[Runsome Marathon]

That’s a real shame, perhaps being nervous on the day may have contributed. hope it all goes well after doctors monitor and you can get your fair shot 😊

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Runsome]

Thanks Runsome! Didn't feel nervous at all but maybe underneath I was. I have a bad shoulder at the moment so thought they might pick up on that (they didn't!) but this was a complete shock. I completely understand why they had to send me straight home though x

[Hillrunner2201 Marathon]

I do sympathise with this. My workplace offers a free health check and both times I went I couldn’t stop feeling anxious and of course my blood pressure shot up. So much that I wasn’t allowed do a fitness test on a stationary bike. A bit ludicrous when I’d been regularly running long distance! I ended up buying a blood pressure monitor for about £20 and found my blood pressure was fine.

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Hillrunner2201]

Thanks Hillrunner! That's exactly how I feel - I didn't get my chance to show them what I can do. Some people did the throw, the lift and the computer tests before the medical but unfortunately I was one of the first in for the medical x

[Ripcurlrana71 Half Marathon 10 Miles]

Oh no Marie. 😢 Thats 💩 after the fabulous running you’ve achieved!! Fingers crossed you get back in there and get your place which is so deserved. 🤞🤞🤞 xx

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Ripcurlrana71]

Thank you! I've been waiting for so long - I really was very upset, I did cry quite a bit. You're just a number when you're there and the staff do not address you by name but I must say everyone was very kind xx

[Fatgirlslim19]

Oh no! That must be such a disappointment! I'm glad they have only deferred you so you get another chance though. Hopefully it'll readore accurately next time. Good luck!

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Fatgirlslim19]

Thanks! Technically I would have failed the whole thing due to my eyesight anyway but that is hopefully being sorted with a waiver. I was quite a shock to fail on something I didn't know (and still don't think) I have. Confident it can be sorted and as you say it's only a deferral x

[Fatgirlslim19 in reply to pianoteacher]

Fingers crossed you get it sorted soon!

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Oh no pianoteacher, I am so sorry as I know how much this means to you. The trouble with blood pressure measurement is the more they try , the more anxious you become and the higher the reading. I have a home monitor and the reading can be affected just by talking or having had a hot drink before. Long slow breathing helps. A 24 hr monitor will be much better.

Good luck to you and I do hope you don’t have to wait another 18 months. 🤗

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks Dexy! Looking at the results that's pretty much exactly what happened - the more times she tried the worse it got! Hopefully it can be sorted ASAP x

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

What rotten luck, I am so sorry 😢 Best wishes xxxxxxxxx

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Thanks Abi! xx

[Decker Ultramarathon]

I’m so sorry PT. It’s got to be so frustrating when its something out of your control like this. Hopefully you and your GP can work out some ways to manage it so you can give it another shot.

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Decker]

Thanks Decker! Very frustrating to go all that way and it be over before it's even started but onwards now to getting it sorted x

[Ang33333]

Happened to me when I went to have my wisdom teeth out. Took hours to get a normal reading.....

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Ang33333]

They made us take our watches off just after breakfast but I can see from the stats I do have that my heart rate was higher than normal yesterday. If I can prove with the monitor its normally fine I think they'll give me some leeyway when I go back x

[limberlou Half Marathon]

Oh I am sorry!! But I remember seeing your posts when my daughter and I started running as she was going in for her army selection. She has just said it’s quite a common thing and usually gets overturned after you retry.

She was told no because of an ongoing bad back ( which doesn’t exist!!). Apparently as she went to the dr with a bad back after a fall at gymnastics about 15 years ago, BUT didn’t go back to tell the dr that her back was better so it’s stayed in her record. Who the hell goes back to tell drs they are better???

Anyway her dr has written her a letter to say her back has been better for years and that she IS fit. So now she needs to get that sent off and start her running up again ( she stopped when she was upset at being turned down.

Good luck for when you reapply 🤞

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to limberlou]

Thank Lou! The medical is a nightmare - there's a girl in my band who still can't go to Selection because of a sporting injury from when she was a teenager. Good Luck to your daughter xx

[Tasha99 Marathon]

Oh no what a disaster! How weird that your blood pressure was like that?! Fingers crossed you can get it all sorted eventually, Marie 🤞🏽

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Tasha99]

Thanks Tasha! I'm convinced it was because we had to get up so bloody early! It was only about 10am when I saw the doctor but it felt like the middle of the afternoon - I think my body was very confused. Plus I was pissed off I had to miss Kipchoge 🤣

I'm going to acclimatise myself next time by altering to Army time for a week before - lights out 22:00 hours ☹️

[Tasha99 Marathon in reply to pianoteacher]

I almost missed parkrun for kipchoge 🤣

[Marvo69]

Tea, hugs and sympathy - you'll get back there and smash it. xxxx

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Marvo69]

Thank you 🤗xx