running advice, IST/PFT

FULLMETALJACKET

FULLMETALJACKET

MilForum Bad Apple
well, 2 Months till i head to the Island.

as of now my IST scores are:

Pull ups 10-13 (20 max)
Situps 100-120 (100 max)
Runt time 13:00ish

I can run all day in formation, it's just when i get on my own or a timed run i start slowing down, any advice???:bang:
 
Set yourself markers. If you can drive a vehicle mark off 1/2 mile intervals and set yourself a time limit to reach those intervals. This is how I run my PFT. We have 1/2 mile markers. It is much easier to maintain a steady pace that way. Other than that perhaps you just need to focus on running as fast as you can as long as you can until you throw up then running.

My DIs used to say if you ain't spewing out you ain't putting out.
 
Look into the Armstrong workout for pullups. Our battalion started the drill team and Marine Options on it at the beginning of the semester and every single one of the male MOs are maxing their pullups now. Good job on the situps, kill!

The run is slow as you already know - minimum 1.5 mile time for an 18-year-old in the Navy (Marines don't do a 1.5; you'll run 3 for the PFT) is a 12:30. The only way to improve your run time is to run. Skip the 1.5 altogether and start training for your 3-mile - if you can run that at max pace (18:00) you can run a 1.5-mile in no time.

Mark out a fairly-flat 3-mile course, and run it three or four times a week. First week, run your usual pace. Second week, try to cut 15 to 30 seconds off. Continue as needed.

The Naval Academy sent me a distance running plan a couple summers ago when I was still thinking about selling them my soul (thank God I didn't)...I'll see if I can dig it up.

Just to give you some kind of background on this - when I got to my unit I ran a 10:30 1.5 mile. After a year of training (and I've been off PT for 6 weeks for drill) I run a 9:30. The slower you run, the easier it is to improve. You'll be fine as long as you train.
 
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3 miles in 12 minutes? Can't be done. 12 minutes is more like an average 3 kilometer run.

I used to be a distance runner back in my days so let me tell you how we did it.
Basically set your course a longer distance than what you will be expected to run (so make it more than 3 miles) and you run it at a slower pace than the max... run at around a 70%. Keep at it until you get better at it. Then increase your pace to an 80%... and so on.
Then try running your 3 mile. You will fly.

And eh... don't spew too much, at least not on the practices. You're going to lose form and that's going to get you injured and while you recover, you'll undo everything you worked real hard for.
 
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the_13th_redneck said:
3 mile run in 18 is pretty hard to do but I only ran in 100 degrees + weather with a hundred percent humidity.
Click to expand...

Sgt., you left out the part about it being up a mountain while barefoot and carrying a tank on your back... :wink:

What I recommend is rather than run just 3 miles, do like 4-8. Go for long distances at a moderate pace improves your form and endurance. Then after you do those for a while, shorten the distance and add speed workouts in the middle. Run to a hill, sprint up it, run down and repeat.

Really though dont count on running in formation to improve you, you only run as fast as the slowest guy. Unless you want to be in the bottom 10%, dont use that as your PT. Consider it a comradarie booster.

As said earlier, the best way to improve is to just run. Less time in forums, more PT.
 
Oh, and if you run in formation, TRY your best to be in the front. The guys running in the front have it easier... for one you don't have to worry about kicking the feet of the guy in front of you (sometimes becomes an issue if you or the guy in the front get real tired), also you get good fresh air, instead of smelling sweat and breathing air heated by a bunch of sweaty dudes. Also, dealing with stragglers doesn't become an issue.
I remember at MOS school, we had to go to an Army one because of our MOS, us Marine guys volunteered to carry all the heavy equipment and volunteered to be at the front. Turned out it's so much better to be at the front that it means carrying a bit more, it was actually worth it.

Yeah, formation running is horrible for improving your time. It's just something to get your engine on and humming.
Hill workouts are good, but it's not a very good measure of time. Also, DO NOT run down hill. The amount of pressure that you put on your knees by doing that can be a short cut to a knee injury. I remember back in my cross country days, we'd actually somewhat slow down on the downhills... which we compensated by going full blast uphill.
Just make sure you're doing things consistently.
 
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Not to mention if it's a Monday and your not in the front, you have to smell the other dudes beer farts and dodge chunks as they love to toss cookies.
 
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