finished the sofprep programs?

Here’s your recommended training plan in the 14-days leading up to day 1 of Special Forces Selection.

14-DAY DELOAD → BARRIER TEST EXECUTION PLAN

NOTE:

AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS PLAN, THE BARRIER TEST/SFAP/SFET IS BEING CONDUCTED DURING THE FIRST 3-DAYS OF SF SELECTION.
THE FOLLOWING BASELINES ARE STILL MINIMUM STANDARD - Ruck: 20 km @ selection load | Run baseline: 3.2 km in 15:30Barrier Test: Day 14
we are not making any recommendations for hot/cold therapy [sauna or cold-plunge etc.] as part of this plan, however we have made suggestions as to when to cease these protocols if this is part of your training regime.
commence this plan after the completion of the battle actual deload week [3-weeks prior to selection start].

PLAN INTENT

prioritises three things in order:

Structural readiness — feet, hips, lower back absorbing 20 km under load without breakdown
Pacing discipline — even effort over 20 km is a skill, not just fitness
System confidence — footwear, pack, nutrition, hydration all validated before start day

The run sessions in this plan are maintenance only. The ruck sessions are the work.

WEEK 1 — UNLOAD + EARLY SHARPEN (Days 1–7)

Intent: Clear fatigue, maintain structural integrity, prime for Day 7 rehearsal Volume: ~70% Days 1–2 → ~60% Days 3–5 → full ruck rehearsal Day 7

Day 1 | 70% volume — maintenance

A. Easy Run: 30 min (nasal, RPE 4–5 — well within your capacity at this fitness level)

B. Strength (70% volume):

Back-squat 3 × 5 @ working load
Pull-ups 3 × submax

C. Mobility + feet maintenance

Day 2 | 70% volume — load-bearing pattern

A. Load-Bearing Circuit (E2 × 20 min):

Farmers carry 40 m (heavy)
Push-ups × 15
Step-ups × 10/leg (pack)

B. Easy Run: 20 min

Day 3 | 60% volume — aerobic rhythm

A. Interval Run — 5 × 800 m:

Target pace: 4:30–4:45/km per rep (comfortably inside your 4:50 base pace)
Full recovery between reps
This is rhythm work, not a fitness test

B. Core activation:

Dead bugs 3 × 10
Hollow holds 3 × 20 sec
Pallof press 2 × 12/side

Day 4 | Active recovery

A. Walk 30–45 min B. Full mobility — priority: hip flexors, glutes, calves (the structural chain that fails on a 20 km ruck) C. Soft tissue D. Sauna optional

Day 5 | 60% volume — ruck specificity primer

A. Ruck:

Distance: 12 km (60% of test distance)
Load: selection standard
Pace: 5:00–5:20/km — deliberately conservative, not a time trial
This session is structural priming, not a performance check

B. Feet care post-ruck (non-negotiable):

Full inspection, dry, treat any hotspots
Note exact locations of any friction points — this is data for Day 7

At 20 km test distance, a 12 km mid-week ruck is the correct primer. Long enough to stress the structural chain, short enough to clear by Day 7.

Day 6 | Active flush — post-ruck recovery

A. Easy Run: 20 min (nasal only, RPE 4 — flush the legs)

B. Trunk maintenance (2 rounds — not a training session):

Sandbag shoulder × 8/side
Bear crawl 20 m
Hanging knee raises × 12
Front carry 40 m

C. Extended mobility: hip flexors, calves, feet (30 min minimum)

Day 7 | FULL RUCK REHEARSAL — 20 km

A. Ruck:

Distance: 20 km (full test distance)
Load: selection standard
Pace target: 5:00–5:10/km — even effort, not chasing the front
Total time target: 1:40–1:42 if pace holds

Execution focus — rehearse everything:

Pacing: Start at 5:10/km for the first 3 km regardless of how good you feel. Rucking too hot early on 20 km is the most common failure mode. Settle into 5:00–5:05 from km 4 onwards if legs are tracking well.

Nutrition: Eat at km 7 and km 14. Whatever you plan to use on test day, use it now. No new products.

Hydration: Drink before you're thirsty. Set a timing cue — every 20 min minimum.

Feet: Note every hotspot location and the kilometre at which it appeared. This is your blister map for test day taping.

Pack: Confirm fit under full fatigue — does anything shift, rub, or compress at km 15+?

7 days between this rehearsal and the test is the optimal buffer for a 20 km ruck. Enough to fully absorb structural fatigue, address any equipment issues, and arrive sharp.

WEEK 2 — SHARPEN → TAPER (Days 8–14)

Intent: Peak expression, zero fatigue carryover Volume: ~40% → minimal → zero

Day 8 | Quality run — pace pattern retention

A. Structured Run: 28 min total

8 min easy warm-up (RPE 4)
4 × 3 min @ 4:30–4:40/km (well within 4:50 base — this should feel controlled, not hard)
Full recovery jog between efforts
5 min easy cool-down

B. Bodyweight circuit (E2 × 10 min):

Pull-ups
Push-ups
Air squats

At 15:30 for 3.2 km, 4:30–4:40/km for 3 min efforts will feel comfortable. That is correct — you are not training fitness here, you are keeping the neuromuscular pattern from going stale across a 14-day taper.

Day 9 | Active recovery

A. Walk 30 min B. Full mobility — hip flexors, glutes, calves, feet C. Soft tissue D. Sauna (last high-value window — use it)

Day 10 | Short sharp stimulus

A. Run: 20 min total

10 min easy
5 min @ 4:30/km
5 min easy

B. Bodyweight movement only — no load

Day 11 | Movement + carb ramp begins

A. Movement session: 20 min

Crawls, carries, mobility
No intensity, no load

Nutrition from today: increase carbohydrate intake. Additive to current total — do not reduce fat or drop total calories. Athletes deload and unconsciously under-eat. At 20 km test distance, arriving glycogen-depleted is a significant performance liability.

Day 12 | Last sauna — hydration now takes over

A. Light movement: 15 min

Walk and mobility only

Final sauna today. No exceptions from here. At 20 km under load, even mild dehydration on test morning compounds quickly into a performance and medical risk.

Hydration from today: increase water intake. Urine should be pale yellow by end of day.

Nutrition: carb increase continues.

Day 13 | Full rest — prep and rehearse

A. Rest

B. Pack prep:

Weigh pack to confirm selection load
Re-tape or pre-tape feet using your Day 7 blister map
Lay out all nutrition and hydration for test day
Confirm footwear system — no last-minute changes

C. Mental rehearsal (10–15 min, eyes closed): Walk the full 20 km in your head. The first 3 km where you hold yourself back. The km 7 nutrition hit. The halfway mark gut check. The km 14 feed. The last 4 km where the legs are heavy and you lean forward and drive. The finish. Walk through it twice if you need to.

D. Objective readiness check — morning of Day 13: Take resting HR. If more than 5 bpm above personal baseline — sleep and hydration need immediate attention today.

Day 14 — EVE OF TEST

A. Light movement only: 10–15 min

Walk, light mobility
Zero intensity

Final checks:

Pack weight confirmed
Feet pre-taped (your blister map from Day 7)
Test-day nutrition and hydration loaded and ready
Morning meal planned — eat what you have trained on
Sleep target: 8–9 hrs minimum — get horizontal early

KEY CONTROLS

Running

All easy runs well within capacity at 15:30/3.2 km — do not let ego push the pace
Day 8 intervals at 4:30–4:40/km — controlled, not hard
No maximal run efforts at any point in the plan

Ruck pacing

Day 5: 5:00–5:20/km (conservative primer)
Day 7: 5:00–5:10/km (full rehearsal — even effort)
Test Day: execute the pacing plan from Day 7 that worked

Strength

Exits the plan after Day 2
Maintain load, cut volume, no grinding reps

Recovery

Sleep: 8–9 hrs minimum — non-negotiable
Cold exposure: 2–3 × per week through Day 13
Sauna: 2–3 × per week — hard cutoff Day 12
Daily feet maintenance: inspection, drying, treatment

Nutrition

Total caloric intake maintained across all 14 days
Carb increase Days 11–13: additive
Test morning meal: known food, known timing, no experiments
Hydration elevated from Day 11 — urine colour is your check

SUCCESS MARKERS — BY DAY 14

Legs feel light, not heavy
No residual soreness
Breathing feels controlled and easy at ruck pace
Full pacing plan confirmed from Day 7 rehearsal
Blister map complete — feet pre-taped for test
Pack weight, nutrition, and hydration plan locked
Resting HR within 5 bpm of baseline (Day 13 morning check)
Mentally calm — the rehearsal is done, the plan is known