People miss that the 40% washout isn't just about physical fitness, it's about mental discipline under real pressure. The guys who drop usually get weeded out by sleep deprivation and teamwork failures, not just the physical stuff. If you can't keep your head straight when you haven't slept in 48 hours and your buddy is screaming in your face, you don't belong in an AOR. That's a different kind of gatekeeping that you can't fake your way through. It ends up saving lives in the long run.

My weeklies usually just turn into a confession of how many times I forgot to track my water intake! Last Sunday I spent my whole review writing "sorry" notes to future me in the margins. At least now I'm consistent about being inconsistent I guess.

Whoa yeah mineral dust is the main issue not bacteria.