Running/Academy Running?????????

[GPOC]

1st off....Running freaking sucks IMO


I presently run 1.5 miles in between 13-14 minutes which will pass me for most depts. Long distance running is gonna be my biggest weakness there is no doubt in my mind on this...I am athletic and can go allday long but running 3-7 miles is gonna be a killer for me.

My question....for the academies is 3-7 miles the usual distances run? Do they/will they routinely fail people out who may be slower then others but don't give up? I would never just stop and quit during a run but may not make it that fast thru either.

Just wondering on how the distance thing works for the academies in general..With that said,I don't envision be in a academy until the first of next year so lots of time to continue my running which I will do.

Thanx..

[PTI]

Here in CA, the distances you run will vary from academy to academy. So will the standards on physical performance. Agency specific academies can impose stricter standards and enforce them as a condition of employment.

[pkagel]

Keep running, never give up. You may be slow, you may get screamed at every run but if you never give up they more than likely aren't going to drop you. I think I got my bigest kudos of the academy when I finished a 440 run (always hard for me, even in HS) and was puking the last 70 yards. The Lt just kept clapping and yellin git sum, git sum, way to go!!! You couldn't wipe the pukey smile off my face

[trpr2b]

1st off....Running freaking sucks IMO


I presently run 1.5 miles in between 13-14 minutes which will pass me for most depts. Long distance running is gonna be my biggest weakness there is no doubt in my mind on this...I am athletic and can go allday long but running 3-7 miles is gonna be a killer for me.

My question....for the academies is 3-7 miles the usual distances run? Do they/will they routinely fail people out who may be slower then others but don't give up? I would never just stop and quit during a run but may not make it that fast thru either.

Just wondering on how the distance thing works for the academies in general..With that said,I don't envision be in a academy until the first of next year so lots of time to continue my running which I will do.

Thanx..

As crazy as it sounds the more you do it the more you will like it. I'm sure if KRJ sees this he will ask some questions but, I'll go ahead and ask a few.

1. How many days a week are you running?
2. How are you running? The same route, running surface, pace, etc.
3. Do you have a good pair of running shoes? I.e. do you know what type of stride you have?
4. When do you run?
5. What does your diet consist of?
6. How much rest are you getting?
7. Are you staying hydrated?

I'm not trying to grill you here, I'm just trying to get more information so that I and others can help.

Real quickly....here is my experience. I started running back at the beginning of February. Running .5 miles non stop at a 8.5 min/mile damn near killed me. By mid May I was up to running 1.5 miles at a 8.5 min/mile pace but still felt starved for oxygen. After answering some of these same questions for KRJ and listening to his advice things have improved dramatically.

I run every other day. I bought better running shoes. I run on different surfaces. I intially slowed my pace down to about a 9.25 min/mile for three miles non-stop. I have greatly improved my cardiovascular fitness over the last 2.5 months. Here are the results:

I am currently running about 4 miles every other day at an 8 min/mile pace. On the day that I do a shorter/faster run I can do the 1.5 mile run in 10.5 minutes! I am no great runner. It may very well be that you are doing the same thing I was doing. Running past your bodies current capabilities.

If you can you need to get a heart rate monitor if you don't already have one. You need to keep you heart rate at around the 85% of max rate. This will help to improve your cardio. If you are only running 1.5 miles a day you are quitting your run just when you body is finally warmed up and ready to go to the next level.

Do a search on some of the other running threads or on the username KRJ. He knows his stuff and has helped me tremendously!

If you will take his advice you will eventually ENJOY running. OH and don't forget to stretch before and after the runs.

Good luck,

TRPR2B

[GPOC]

As crazy as it sounds the more you do it the more you will like it. I'm sure if KRJ sees this he will ask some questions but, I'll go ahead and ask a few.

1. How many days a week are you running?
2. How are you running? The same route, running surface, pace, etc.
3. Do you have a good pair of running shoes? I.e. do you know what type of stride you have?
4. When do you run?
5. What does your diet consist of?
6. How much rest are you getting?
7. Are you staying hydrated?

I'm not trying to grill you here, I'm just trying to get more information so that I and others can help.

Real quickly....here is my experience. I started running back at the beginning of February. Running .5 miles non stop at a 8.5 min/mile damn near killed me. By mid May I was up to running 1.5 miles at a 8.5 min/mile pace but still felt starved for oxygen. After answering some of these same questions for KRJ and listening to his advice things have improved dramatically.

I run every other day. I bought better running shoes. I run on different surfaces. I intially slowed my pace down to about a 9.25 min/mile for three miles non-stop. I have greatly improved my cardiovascular fitness over the last 2.5 months. Here are the results:

I am currently running about 4 miles every other day at an 8 min/mile pace. On the day that I do a shorter/faster run I can do the 1.5 mile run in 10.5 minutes! I am no great runner. It may very well be that you are doing the same thing I was doing. Running past your bodies current capabilities.

If you can you need to get a heart rate monitor if you don't already have one. You need to keep you heart rate at around the 85% of max rate. This will help to improve your cardio. If you are only running 1.5 miles a day you are quitting your run just when you body is finally warmed up and ready to go to the next level.

Do a search on some of the other running threads or on the username KRJ. He knows his stuff and has helped me tremendously!

If you will take his advice you will eventually ENJOY running. OH and don't forget to stretch before and after the runs.

Good luck,

TRPR2B

1. run on Tues and Thurs
2. been doing the treadmill route for now...time is tough for me due to work schedule
3.shoes are good....stride???have no clue
4.have been doing evenings but getting ready to switch to early am 4-5am
5.chicken,fish,meat,salads...I eat pretty healthy
6.avg. 6-7 hours sleep
7. yes

I am doing 1.5 miles now....I admit I slacked off a bit last month,but I'm thinking about just increasing .5 miles per month with the same pace with the first of the year as my goal to be super prepared. I just find running extremely boring,prolly need to get a radio while doing it. When/if I do get winded I don't stop but continue a fast walking pace. I do understand catching a second wind but not trying to over do things.

Thanx for the help.....I definately will not quit a run...that I can guarentee

[pkagel]

The absolute best workout pre-academy IMHO is the Navy SeAL prep workout. Go to my website in the medical section of the files and download it.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CABasicPolice/

[trpr2b]

1. run on Tues and Thurs
2. been doing the treadmill route for now...time is tough for me due to work schedule
3.shoes are good....stride???have no clue
4.have been doing evenings but getting ready to switch to early am 4-5am
5.chicken,fish,meat,salads...I eat pretty healthy
6.avg. 6-7 hours sleep
7. yes

I am doing 1.5 miles now....I admit I slacked off a bit last month,but I'm thinking about just increasing .5 miles per month with the same pace with the first of the year as my goal to be super prepared. I just find running extremely boring,prolly need to get a radio while doing it. When/if I do get winded I don't stop but continue a fast walking pace. I do understand catching a second wind but not trying to over do things.

Thanx for the help.....I definately will not quit a run...that I can guarentee

1. You really need to get at least 3 days a week of good cardio. I would recommend 3 days a week of running but, others my disagree. If you don't run on the third day I would at least cross train. I.e. bike, elliptical, etc. Do that activity while maintaining your heart rate at the 85% or so of max for a good 30 minutes (after you have warmed up).

2. I actually started running on the treadmill back in Feb. and switched to the track about April and then finally switched to the street/sidewalk. The tread mills is the most boring, followed by the track. I like to see the scenery change. I also think there is a huge difference in running on a treadmill vs. true running. There aren't going to be any treadmills in rookie school.

3. I'm a little confused by the third one here. You could have a very good quality running shoe but, if it isn't the type of running shoe you need then you can still be running in the wrong shoe. The treadmill is a lot more forgiving than a real life running surface. You need to go to runnersworld.com and find out what type of stride you have. Neutral, pronate, supinate, etc. This will help you determine whether you need a neutral, motion control or cushion style of shoe. I'm telling you this makes a huge difference. The more you increase your distance the more your shoes are going to tell on you. I.e. shin splints, lower back pain, joint pain, etc.

4. I also started running in the evenings but have since switched to mornings. I like running in the morning better. It's cooler and I find I am more rested. Not so much physically as mentally. Stress is as rough on the body as anything physical that a person does. I think starting a run with a clear head makes the run a lot more enjoyable.

5. That does sound pretty healthy but don't overlook the carbs. You need carbs for energy.

6. Sleep sounds OK to me but you are a better judge of that. Are you rested when you wake up or dead, dog tired?

As far as increasing your distance I would recommend that you don't increase your distance by more than 10% every other week. A radio or preferably a CD player or MP3 player will make a huge difference.

I hear what you are saying about there still being time left but let me tell you from experience there isn't any time left. I'm not a cop but I was accepted into a highway patrol about ten years ago. My fitness level was very close to what you are describing. I wasn't the last on the run but I was a heck of a lot closer to the back than the front. It is demoralizing when 2/3 of the class passes you like you are standing still on your 1.5 mile PT assessment run. The bottom line is I didn't stay and complete the school. I didn't think I was physically prepared. The first day alone we double timed the equivalent of about 4 miles and then had our PT assessment with the 1.5 being the last thing we did. At home I had my time down to where I could run the 1.5 in about 11 minutes. By the time we got around to doing the PT assessment run I was so tired that it took me about 14 minutes. If you are truly serious about becoming an LEO you need to train like it. I can tell you this right now, if you go unprepared and quit or get dropped and it really is a dream of yours it will eat a way at you for years. I am going back to finish what I started. I'm in better cardio and physical shape now than I was when I was 22 (I'll be 32 next month).

Take it for what's it's worth you may not "quit a run" but I guarantee you that you do not want to be last. Your instructors and your classmates will want/expect/demand more from you and when/if you graduate your beat partner/fellow officers will want backup that shows up with their A game.

If you really want this dedicate yourself to the cause now. You can do it if you really want it. One of the guys at the front of the run in my patrol school told me that he was a terrible runner. He spent 3 years preparing before he even applied! He wanted to make sure that he didn't fail. When he got to patrol school he was running at about a 6 min/mile pace!

Again, good luck and let me know if there is any way I can help,

TRPR2B

[pkagel]

Heck yea it eats at you. I quit my 1st academy for other reasons but went back last year and put myself through and feel a heck of a lot better now.

I can tell you this right now, if you go unprepared and quit or get dropped and it really is a dream of yours it will eat a way at you for years. I am going back to finish what I started.
TRPR2B

[trpr2b]

Heck yea it eats at you. I quit my 1st academy for other reasons but went back last year and put myself through and feel a heck of a lot better now.

Thanks PK. I'm glad to hear somebody else has done the former and the later.

PS I did sign up on Yahoo and find the information on your "blog page" (I think that's what they call 'em) EXTREMELY helpful.

Cheers,

TRPR2B

[pkagel]

Glad I could be of help. I like to take the park service rules with me in life and leave the place better than I found it, hence I set up the Yahoo group.

[krj]

If you can you need to get a heart rate monitor if you don't already have one. You need to keep you heart rate at around the 85% of max rate. This will help to improve your cardio. TRPR2B

Out of a lot of really good advice given by TRPR2B and the others, I want to pick up on the HR monitor comment. I know lots of people who use them (or HAVE used them in the past), but I personally don't advocate the use of them. What I would rather see, are people learning how to mentally tune into their own physical responses to activity.

What I mean by that: if you're paying attention to what happens to you physically while you're exercising, you start to get to know EXACTLY what your body can and can't do. EG: some people can jump right into a good running pace, some people need 5 minutes of progressively faster walking and running before they can jump into their regular run pace - and some people don't really feel like they're "warmed up" until they reach the 5 mile mark.

Other examples: how much fluid do YOU need to drink before, during and after your run? What kinds of foods can you eat before a run, that don't upset your stomach? Is that pain in your calf an early warning sign of an impending injury, or is it just a sign that you ran too far yesterday and should be taking a day off instead of hitting the road again?

And specifically re: HR monitors - just how fast can you push yourself at specific distances (on specific terrains), given your current fitness and running ability? Are you pushing your run too hard? Are you pushing your run hard enough?

Rather than focusing on the numbers on your monitor, I would rather see people focusing in on their bodies (how they FEEL). I can tell you absolutely (without a HR monitor, and without checking my pulse during a workout), whether or not my HR is too high or too low. I can tell you within a couple of beats per minute (BPM) what my exercise HR is, without actually taking my exercise HR - based simply on how I feel. That knowlege comes from years of pulse checks (and eventual understanding of how my HR and "how I feel" are tied together).

My personal opinion (just my opinion), is that if a HR monitor is used it be used only for a short period of time. But that over time it should be left on the kitchen counter when you go out for your runs. Once the HR monitor is left at home, you'll be forced to "tune in" to your physical self (as opposed to focusing on the mechanical device strapped to your body!) - taking your HR manually if you need to know the number, focusing on form, focusing on how you feel/how long your warm-ups need to be/how long and fast you can run that day/when you need to take an extra day off to rest/how the air temperature affects your run/how much you need to drink/what foods you can and can't eat before and after a run etc. etc.

Re: adequate preparation for the academy
I received a PM a couple of months ago from a lady who was getting ready for her agility test. She had been exercising off and on for a few months, and had to complete the 1.5 mile run in 16 minutes. She was doing it in 20 minutes, and wanted to know what she could do to shave 4 minutes off her time prior to the test - which was 9 days away.

There are no surprises when it comes to agility/fitness testing standards - they're out there and posted for everyone to see. If this career is important to someone, then the standard is what they have to meet. Work and prepare for it, because it will NOT happen magically by itself.

[krj]

I just want to add a couple more thoughts to what I posted above:

I'm not advocating that everyone throw away their HR monitors - and I really believe that "if it 'ain't broke, don't fix it", so if you're using one and happy with your progress, then absolutely fine.

I've just known too many people who were slaves to their monitors, instead of using them as a tool.

I also strongly believe, that over the long term people who exercise would be better served by learning through first hand experience how their individual bodies respond to the stresses placed on them during physical activity. That only comes about as a result of "doing" (by personal experience) - not just blindly responding to what numbers on a monitor say.

And frankly, if you're running regularly over the course of weeks, months and years, it doesn't matter a whole lot if your HR on any given day is 150 or 156 or 145.............I'll be quiet now.

[trpr2b]

I just want to add a couple more thoughts to what I posted above:

I'm not advocating that everyone throw away their HR monitors - and I really believe that "if it 'ain't broke, don't fix it", so if you're using one and happy with your progress, then absolutely fine.

I've just known too many people who were slaves to their monitors, instead of using them as a tool.

I also strongly believe, that over the long term people who exercise would be better served by learning through first hand experience how their individual bodies respond to the stresses placed on them during physical activity. That only comes about as a result of "doing" (by personal experience) - not just blindly responding to what numbers on a monitor say.

And frankly, if you're running regularly over the course of weeks, months and years, it doesn't matter a whole lot if your HR on any given day is 150 or 156 or 145.............I'll be quiet now.

KRJ,

Definitely no offense taken here. As I said in the posts above you have helped me tremendously and I thank you. I had to laugh when you said leave the heart rate monitor on the kitchen counter. That is exactly where mine is right now, by the cordless phone on the kitchen counter. I actually strap my heart monitor on about every other week. I have been using as one of the indicators of how my cardiovascular health is/isn't improving. I think my heart rate at the same running pace is down by about 10 bpm over the last month.

As far as it magically happening on it's on, brother isn't that the truth. I guess it's like anything else. If you didn't have to work and sacrifice for something it wouldn't mean very much. The other thing is, if it was easy (insert your heart's desires here) then everybody would be doing it.

Take care,

TRPR2B

[Chiller]

Thanx everyone.....did some shoe research and concluded what I presently have was not nearly enough. I went and purchased 2 pairs of the proper running shoes today and will start on those tomm. to see if that helps...


Will let you know but I never realized there was such a huge difference in shoes.

Thanx Trooper for turning on the light for me

[trpr2b]

Thanx everyone.....did some shoe research and concluded what I presently have was not nearly enough. I went and purchased 2 pairs of the proper running shoes today and will start on those tomm. to see if that helps...


Will let you know but I never realized there was such a huge difference in shoes.

Thanx Trooper for turning on the light for me

Good luck chiller. Go out and get the Navy Seals Running Cadence CD. It's great for setting tempo. Like the Cd says....fire up, motivate, dedicate, GRADUATE. You can do it. All it takes is heart.

One more saying I saw on a shirt the other day I thought was pretty fitting for anyone that has our aspirations....It's not how good you are, it's how bad you want it.


So true. So true.