Winter. Field training in the woodland.

It was an exhausting day with lots of running and marching. Weather was quite cold and felt like it gave some energy to push forward.

Trekking through hilly area, with snow up to your knees was a challenge. It burns energy very well, I bet crossfiters would love it. Walking through deep snow is hard enough, but doing “fire and movement” maneuvers felt like my last moments on earth.

After some time and some good exercise, we arrived next to a road and got a chance to catch our breath. Squad leader explained that we’re setting up an ambush.

Thought to myself: “Great! We’ll have at least 10 minutes of rest”

Then SL asked who is wearing waterproof shell pants. At that moment I understood I’m in trouble. It meant the ambush will be a lengthy one.

Our squad is positioned parallel to the road and we go prone on the snow.

First 15 minutes were endurable, but afterwards the cold started to kick in. Felt my toes and fingers becoming rock solid. Shortly after, shivering started.

I was carrying an extra mine and me being a smoothbrain thought it would be a good idea to rest my hands on it. This way I lost a lot of warmth.

Tiredness from all the day’s work started to kick in. Eyelids became heavy and I was fighting myself to keep them open. I remembered seeing survival shows where people, who survived extreme cold situations, claimed that all it took to die is to lie down in the snow and fall asleep.

But sleep is my Achilles heel and I succumbed.

Fortunately I did not die. Instead woke up frigid and confused.

I look around and further away see my buddies lying motionless. They look alert, concentrated and are not sleeping. How do they manage? Maybe it’s just me so tired.

Need to warm up or else it’s frostbite. Quickly I wiggle my toes and fingers, do some planks, force myself to shiver extra hard, contract every muscle in the body. This way I warm up a bit.

I’m not able to win this battle. I fall asleep again.

And this way the cycle continued for the upcoming hour:
First a power nap, next a quick look around to see if SL is not breathing down my neck, then a high intensity prone workout and lastly a power nap again.

After what felt an eternity, a loud yell rings in the air: “CONTACT!”

Finally. Suffering comes to an end and I partake in the ambush like a grandpa with frozen and barely mobile joints.

Ambush completed.

After a quick sit-rep from SL, we dust off the snow off our robes and in a single column our squad disappears deep into the woods.