Training for the Army, HELP

[JaredPQuinn]

Quick question, I just started training for the Army's basic training however, I am TERRIBLE at running! My endurance is pathetic but I was wondering if any experienced runners on here could give me a ballpark figure in regards to how long it will take, realistically, for me to meet the Army's Physical Fitness Test requirements for the 2 mile run.

I tested yesterday and did the 2 miles in 25:10 (about a 12:30 mile) however I was all over the treadmill, going up and down in speed.

Today, with a moderate to high level of effort, I was able to stick with 4.5 mph for the entire 2 mile run however, that raised my time to about 26:40.

I have been terribly discouraged by my results and fear it will take an extremely long time to minimally qualify under the APFT's standards, which at my age is 17:54. My goal is 2 miles in 17 minutes.

Anyone have any idea how long it might take for me to accomplish this lofty goal? Granted it will all depend on many factors, such as diet and exercise but maybe someone could venture a guess assuming a decent diet along with a strenuous workout? Maybe even suggest one however I am planning on following Stew Smith's boot camp work out guide, from stewsmith.com, which has a section on preparing for the 2 mile test. Thanks!

 

[Aetom]

I would recommend a Cross Country workout.

For the next 6 weeks, do this:

Monday - Long run. Go as far as you possibly can. I mean 5+ miles at least. This will deplete your glycogen levels so you can replenish them for the week ahead. Eat something with lots of carbs afterwards, but don't overdo it.

Tuesday - 1 Mile PPM. Which stands for Pace Per Mile. You will run 1 mile as fast as you possibly can. AS FAST AS YOU CAN. Record the time.

Wednesday - CT. Which stands for Critical Threshold. This is a recovery day. Run 2 miles at a moderate, comfortable pace.

Thursday - 1 Mile PPM again. AS FAST AS YOU CAN. Record the time.

Friday - 2 mile CT.

Saturday - If you feel up to it, do another CT. 2-3 miles.

Do this for 2 weeks.

Then on your 3rd week, increase your PPMs to 1 Mile on Tuesday and 2 Miles on Thursday. Increase your CT to 3 miles.

Do that for 2 weeks.

For the last 2 weeks, you will do a 2 mile PPM on Tuesday and a 3 mile PPM on Thursday. Increase your CT to 4 miles. By now, your Monday long run should be anywhere from 6-10 miles.

Remember, YOUR MONDAY LONG RUN IS IMPORTANT!! DON'T BLOW IT OFF! IT WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOUR ENDURANCE!! You do NOT have to go fast. The main objective here is to get your body to the point where it must completely deplete it's glycogen levels.

What happens is that when you shock your body with a long run, it's like "Wow. If I'm going to be doing this, I need to store more energy for later." When this happens, it allows you to tap into that new "big gas tank" of energy when you're running. This will allow you to do 2 things: Either run faster at a shorter distance, or run longer at a slower pace.

For a 2 mile, all out run for the Army, your body will love you for all that extra glycogen.

I'm serious. Don't just blow this off. I was in Cross Country and we did this all season. My best mile was like 5:50. Then again, I'm more of a lifter than a runner (still ran varsity..so THERE), but I digress.

If you stick to it for 6 weeks, you'll be amazed by how much time you will trim off your 2 mile.

 

[JaredPQuinn]

Aetom,

Thanks a lot buddy. There's a lot of interesting stuff I had no idea about in your post. I will definitely heed your advice. Any idea how much time an average person would shave off their run with your proposed workout? I know of course there are a TON of factors but just curious as to a ball park figure...

 

[Aetom]

Well for my 5K time (3 miles) I started at around 22 minutes and got it down to about 19:40.

Definitely nothing to brag about, but just the fact that I trimmed off over 2 minutes is good news to me.

For you, I would say if you're working on your mileage, you'll do fine.

When I started, I could barely do a 2 mile PPM.
After Cross Country, I could run 6 and a decent clip.

It might not speed up your time directly, but it will really build your endurance.

 

[blindside]

umm the training plan looks solid but if you haven't done anything near that (only exercising twice a week for example) then you could injure yourself as your body wouldn't be able to take the sudden increase. Otherwise looks solid.