PT Question

[taprack2]

I am scheduled to take the PT in a little over two months. I am running the 1.5 with no time to spare. In fact, I may be a little short of the time. I'm training daily. Here is my question. Do I have enough time to shave off 2 minutes from my run time? I have read numerous threads concerning fitness. Any additional info. would be much appreciated.

[Shush]

Yes you do. Interval training will have you shave 1 minute off in about 2-3 weeks if done right. 2 months? not a problem if you keep pushing yourself.

[taprack2]

Yes you do. Interval training will have you shave 1 minute off in about 2-3 weeks if done right. 2 months? not a problem if you keep pushing yourself.

Thank you for the encouragement. Forgive my ignorance, but will you explain what interval training is? I am fairly new to the running terminology.

[SwollasaurusRex]

Assuming you are like most people dropping ten-twenty pounds would also help tremendously. I hardly did any running but improved my run time quite a bit by dropping some extra weight.

[Shush]

I just noticed you are from AL. I grew up not far from Athens.

Here is what you do. Go out on the road, and sprint as hard and fast as you can from 1 power pole to the next. Then, lightly jog to the next. Then - Sprint to the next. Lightly jog to the next. Do this until you puke. Then turn around and go back. (wind sprints)

Do this every other day. On Saturday, take a nice leisurely run. Don't get overly ambitious and run on rest days. You need a day between for your muscles to figure out what the crap you just did to them.

If you just run and try to increase your time, its very very slow, because you are constantly trying to improve my improving pace. Your pace will improve naturally when you improve your cardio health as well as your anaerobic health. If you can run 1.5 miles, your aerobic health is already ok - its your anaerobic health that needs to improve. This is where your body learns to take in enough air, process it, and pump it out where its needed. Your muscles will grow naturally at their own pace as well, but the focus is on the heart health. You will also notice that your core becomes sore and tight. Usually when a person sprints, they naturally get into a straight back position and will naturally breathe a certain way that works your abs and obliques. This is great, because core strength is essential to good anaerobic health.

If you have a rain day and can't do your sprints, google burpees and do those. Do them until you puke. It will take about 2 of them. LOL



And as far as interval training -- its not necessarily a running term. Its used to describe any sort of training where you max out something, then go to the minimum, then back to the maximum. Its a method to quickly fatigue whatever you are working on, because growth doesn't happen until a muscle group or system is pushed beyond its normal capability.

[Shush]

I forgot to mention -- make sure you warm up and stretch before you begin, or you will hurt yourself. Most people that are going to run just go out and start running. Stretch EVERYTHING and do a few sets of jumping jacks to get your heart rate up a little before starting off.

[Gradient Shift]

http://forums.officer.com/t194815/

[taprack2]

It's good to hear from someone from Sweet Home. That is a load of great information. I'll incorporate that into my training. Here's one more question. When doing thes sprints, what should the overall distance (miles) of the run be if I'm training for a 1.5 mile PT? Thanks, to all respondents.

[Shush]

It's good to hear from someone from Sweet Home. That is a load of great information. I'll incorporate that into my training. Here's one more question. When doing thes sprints, what should the overall distance (miles) of the run be if I'm training for a 1.5 mile PT? Thanks, to all respondents.

Stop worrying about your distance right now and time. That will come. When doing these sprints, you do them until you can't. You have to exhaust your body. You can't have the "ok, I've gone my 1.5, now I am done" mindset. You have to just push yourself further and further. You can increase your time and distance by running the same 1.5 miles a day or every other day, but it will take FOREVER. When you push yourself to the limit, your limit will increase DAILY. I promise you - if you ignore the distance and the time and just push yourself as hard as you possibly can for 2 weeks, when you do your 1.5 2 weeks from now - you will have shaved at least a minute off. Cardio and anaerobic health is the quickest to gain, easiest to lose, and the most crucial to what we do.

And I am serious, if at the end you don't at least feel like you want to puke, you haven't pushed hard enough. After you do it a few times, that feeling will pass, but the first few times - yeah, you should puke. lol

[taprack2]

Awesome. Thanks for answering all the questions.

[CharlesInCharge23]

I just noticed you are from AL. I grew up not far from Athens.

Here is what you do. Go out on the road, and sprint as hard and fast as you can from 1 power pole to the next. Then, lightly jog to the next. Then - Sprint to the next. Lightly jog to the next. Do this until you puke. Then turn around and go back. (wind sprints)

Do this every other day. On Saturday, take a nice leisurely run. Don't get overly ambitious and run on rest days. You need a day between for your muscles to figure out what the crap you just did to them.

If you just run and try to increase your time, its very very slow, because you are constantly trying to improve my improving pace. Your pace will improve naturally when you improve your cardio health as well as your anaerobic health. If you can run 1.5 miles, your aerobic health is already ok - its your anaerobic health that needs to improve. This is where your body learns to take in enough air, process it, and pump it out where its needed. Your muscles will grow naturally at their own pace as well, but the focus is on the heart health. You will also notice that your core becomes sore and tight. Usually when a person sprints, they naturally get into a straight back position and will naturally breathe a certain way that works your abs and obliques. This is great, because core strength is essential to good anaerobic health.

If you have a rain day and can't do your sprints, google burpees and do those. Do them until you puke. It will take about 2 of them. LOL



And as far as interval training -- its not necessarily a running term. Its used to describe any sort of training where you max out something, then go to the minimum, then back to the maximum. Its a method to quickly fatigue whatever you are working on, because growth doesn't happen until a muscle group or system is pushed beyond its normal capability.

I've been working on getting ready for the academy since about april, starting the end of this month. got my 1.5 down to a good time, had a minor injury that kept me from training for two weeks (was shocked how much that set me back) so i've been working on getting back up and these tips will definitely going to help! Thanks!