What is going on with run time?

Crispy129 · Post by **Crispy129** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 10:18 pm

I played baseball and football most of life, so I'm used to sprinting. I started having to do more distance running when I got to college and started doing Army ROTC. I've managed to slowly get 2 mile run time down over about 3 years, but it has always seemed like I had to work 10 times as hard as everyone else. Most of friends who did track and soccer in high school can drink all the time and eat junk food, barely working out on their own, and they smoke me on the runs. At this time last year I had 2 mile run time down around 13:15-13:20 on a good day. Then Christmas came around, and I still watched what I ate and ran 3-5 miles about 5-6 times while I was home for about 3 weeks. When I got back to school, I wanted to get push ups back where they were and mainly did strength training, thinking that just running at PT would maintain run time. A few weeks into school I was over a minute slower on 2 mile time, and I STILL have not completely recovered. Right now I'm around a 13:50-14:15 2 mile time. Why am I not getting run time down faster? How can everyone else run way less than me and eat worse food and still keep their run times way lower than mine? It's beginning to get frustrating.

I mainly do long distance runs when I run on own and use the elliptical for off days for about an hour. I'm more careful than most people about what I eat. diet normally consists of beef stew, different soups, pasta with meatballs, tuna and crackers, nutrigrain bars, coffee, frosted flakes, and plain tortilla chips for a small snack. I take a serving of whey protein (mixed in 1% milk) 1 or 2 times a day, NO Explode when I do strength training or speed/sprint training, and Accelerade before and after endurance training. I take the Onesource daily vitamins, glucosamin chondroitin, ginko biloba, and vitamin B and C supplements daily or almost daily.

goals are to get 2 mile time below 13:00, get up to 90+ push ups in 2 minutes, burn off more fat (lower abs and love handles are stubborn), and get better at running long distances (6 miles or greater) with a 30-60lb back pack. Are there any suggestions for how I should change workout/ diet to achieve goals? I'm certainly no expert on most of this stuff. Please let me know if you need anything clarified, I tried to be detailed.

LongShot1972 · Post by **LongShot1972** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:55 pm

This is from a Military site that I visit. Maybe this can help you out some.

APFT Improvement

Push-up and sit-up improvement-

Find the maximum number of repetitions, that you are able to perform in one minute for push-ups and sit-ups. Do this once a week. Once you find your max, subtract ten. Three times a week perform that number of repetitions for three sets with one-minute rest in between sets. Example: your max set is 40 push-ups/sit-ups. Subtract ten. You would do three sets of 30 with a minute rest in-between sets for a total of 90 repetitions. After a week, find your max again for one minute. This is your new starting point.

2-mile run improvement-

Interval training- Start with a known quarter mile distance (most Posts and schools have a quarter mile track) with a w/stop watch. Divide the time you want to run one mile in by four. This will be your target work/fast lap pace. The interval will be one work/fast lap to one slow lap. Example: your target is a six-minute mile, this divided by four would be 1 Â½ minutes. Your work/fast lap pace would be 1 Â½ minutes. Therefore, the workout would be one work/fast quarter-mile lap with one slow recovery lap. Do this for a total of four work/fast quarter-mile laps and four rest laps. On the slow lap, itâ€™s alright to walk but try to do a slow jog. Once you can consistently stay at your target lap pace decrease the distance on your rest lap. Continue this over a period of time until your running at least one mile at youâ€™re target pace.

The APFT is a crucial event for success at Green Platoon. Do a diagnostic APFT and do these workouts for a month then do another APFT. You will see an improvement.

SarahPT · Post by **SarahPT** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:23 pm

Part of it I'm sure is gentics. Some people, like me, are natural runners, while other people just aren't. Are you doing specific workout to improve your VO2 Max and lactate threshold? Working on both will be important for you.

Crispy129 · Post by **Crispy129** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 7:03 pm

Thanks, I'll try those workouts. As far as I know we're not doing anything specific to improve VO2 max and lactate threshold. What are some good workouts to improve them? Thanks for the help.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:03 pm

the ebst way is to either do the same distance in less time or more distance in the same time

LongShot1972 · Post by **LongShot1972** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:15 am

I take it your shooting for a 290 to 300 on the APFT. What are you trying for? 18x option or RIP. If your going Combat Arms or even Airborn, Include Pullups in your work out. They require it. Also get your swimming going for RIP or SF Selection.

Just remember for the Strength part, Army is more Muscle Memory more than anything.

Maybe see you around in a couple of years. Thinking about going back in through Warrior Transition Course. Got to get run back up to par after 14 years off

If I do... then I will call you "Sir"...lol.

Crispy129 · Post by **Crispy129** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:49 am

I'm hoping for combat arms. I really want to go SF once I'm able to, but that's no guarantee, all I can do is prepare the best I can and turn in packet. top 4 branch choices are Infantry, Corps of Engineers (hoping for combat engineer), Armor, and Field Artillery. I'm probably going to Airborne in January.

Right now goal is to max the run or better, and to be able to do well over max in push ups, 90 or more. Right now I can do 100-115 sit ups and I'm usually right at maxing push ups.

vamp · Post by **vamp** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:14 pm

Hi, you said earlier that you are running then on your off days you do the elyptical. Perhaps your off days should be strickly anaerobic or rest and you would have better recovery and thus show better times? Also, you are eating calorie rich foods, so do some calculations and check your intake, perhaps its low although it is probably higher than what you think.

Best of luck!

LongShot1972 · Post by **LongShot1972** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:50 am

vamp wrote:Hi, you said earlier that you are running then on your off days you do the elyptical. Perhaps your off days should be strickly anaerobic or rest and you would have better recovery and thus show better times? Also, you are eating calorie rich foods, so do some calculations and check your intake, perhaps its low although it is probably higher than what you think.

Best of luck!

Nice catch. Yea, do your run training every other day. Shoot for 2 a day run training if you want but you need at least a 1 day break in between. Try doing a long slow run in the morn. then the Interval training in the eve. The next Run day switch it up or 2 long slows or 2 Intervals or even Bike/ Elips. Keep your legs guessing. Do not look at your times for score right now. Just do it.

A month later, do nothing for 2 solid days. No PU or SU or Running. Do light Carb Loading. Now run for time. You should see a nice improvment.

vamp · Post by **vamp** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:07 pm

Thanks Longshot, that's why these forums can be so benificial, each of us sees and thinks differently thus we can offer differing advice.

Cheers