New Army Recruit

[doc_brietz]

Hi! I am Blake. I am a SGT in the Army who has big goals and dreams for this new thing I am trying. I am a father of 3 and am currently deployed (for the fourth time). I have decided to start with just the basic guide because I think 30 bucks for a physical trainer is cheaper than a couple hundred. I like how all the warms ups, cool downs, and workouts are laid out for me. I have always been an average guy with average looks who has always weighed the same, did PT at the same standard, never seen his own ABs, and been kinda ho-hum. Being 34 is making this kinda tough, but I think anyone can do this. I will be here for the foreseeable future trying to learn more about what I need to do to meet my physical goals. Since being in the Army is all about the APFT and how you do on it for promotion and schools. I have lofty goals for myself. For those of you who do not know, for now, we have a 3 event timed test. Each test is scored. The minimum passable grade is 180 and the max is 300. I have not scored about a 240 in a little over 8 years. I usually average 65-70 per event. I am not naturally athletic. I weigh about 212 @ 24 percent of so body fat which is right on the line of acceptability. My short term and long term goals are laid out:

Short term - 85 in each event that would be: (based on TC 3-22.20, the army bible for PT)

60 pushups in 2 minutes

63 situps in 2 minutes

15 minute 2 mile

For 255. Shoot, I have never scored a 270, much less a 255!

Right now I am at 50, 50, and 1630, not bad, but not great.

My eventual goal would be that magic, awe inspiring 300. (75 PU, 76 SU, 13:18 2 mile)

I hope that even though I am a very slow sprinter and pretty much a marginal athlete, I can one day get that awesome score (for my age group)

Finally my other goal is to switch to as much a paleo diet as feisable, and to one day be able to walk into work and not have to get taped for being a fatty. Oh, and I want to see my abs one of these days. I think my wife might like that. So, yea, I am a typical baldinging 30 something white guy who is not where he wants to be. Wish me luck. I hope one day to hop into the woot room and scream that I did one of these things!

If you have any questions about the military, being a medic (which I am), kids, or whatever, I am all ears!

[Morrigainz]

Hey, awesome! You definitely have some great goals there!!

Good luck with the running...I know once you get into it, speedwork/intervals and the like can really help you get your time down. Other than that, I don't know much! I've never been able to seriously train for a race, so...yeah.

Welcome to NF!

[brendanwc]

From a brother soldier (SPC/11B), currently deployed as well, welcome to the community SGT!

Your goal is reasonable and with where you're at right now, I think you could definitely get into the 250+ range easily within a month or two, if you're pushing yourself. Let me know if you want help putting together an APFT improvement plan; I am by no means a PT stud, but through my own struggle to rack up points on the PT test I've figured out a few good ways to get my score up there.

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress!

[doc_brietz]

If you read this, I would love some help. Here is the deal:

I am on Rank One of the Body weight workout. I just got done with week one. I can not do a pull up or chin up yet. I weigh about 210. I need to be about 190. The other 3 days are my run days. I started on week 6 (recruit) because beginner (rookie) was too easy. I don't need to walk, yet I don't need 5 or 7 miles just yet.

What sucks is that The rebel run workout (Rebel Level) it is way too many miles for me for now. I honestly do not need to be able to run more than a 5K (about 3.2 miles) for now. I am alternating a 1, 2, and 3 mile run days with the run warm-up and whatever core level (currently 1) post run, then cool down. I obviously do the shorter runs faster. Right now I can do a 16:36 2 mile, a 27 minute 3 mile, and a 7:56 1 mile. My goal is 15 minute 2 mile and a 7 minute mile for now. I will take any help I can get!

I bought the strength and running guides (basic package). Short term Goal is a 250, long term is a 270 then the magical 300.

[CalvinHobbes]

Hey, glad you joined. I actually am thinking of joining the Navy nursing corps...just waiting on August (I think?) for them to even start looking at my application.

When I started training I was totally uninformed about Navy requirements and assumed that I would have to pass my PRT prior to being accepted, so I started training early and became addicted. Paleo helped me drop the weight I needed (only about 10 lbs) and my running was terrible. I started doing sprints twice a week and longer runs about twice a week and in no time I was running 1.5 in 14 minutes (have to run it in 15:30). I haven't run much this past challenge because I've been going to CrossFit and strength training, but I can almost guarantee I'm only getting faster. Not sure if this helps, but I know a few days of sprinting surely helped me, along with dropping the weight.

[brendanwc]

Doc,

Sounds like you've got a good plan in place. I'll throw you a pushup/situp improvement plan, that you can incorporate into the Rebel Body Weight work out, and some things that have really helped me out with the run.

PU improvement:

The Rebel Body Weight work out already has you doing 4 sets of push ups, so this is an easy modification. You've put out that your short term goal is 60 pushups in 2 minutes. At a consistent pace, that equates to 15 pushups every 30 seconds. So, do 4 sets, timed for 30 seconds: you are striving to hit at least 15 pushups, but do as many as you can. Do as many full pushups as possible, and when you can't anymore drop to your knees and keep going until the 30 seconds is up. Just don't stop. Once your time is up, take a minute or so of rest, then repeat.

After say, a couple of weeks of doing this, up it to 4 sets of 30 pushups in 1 minute. Again, you're shooting for 30 but do as many as possible, and then drop to your knees and keep going! Don't stop for anything! Take a couple minutes of rest between sets.

After a couple weeks of that, go for at least 2 to 3 sets of 60 pushups in 2 minutes. Same rules apply as above. If you've been honestly pushing yourself in the previous workouts for at least a month, and have been trying to do more than your minimum target, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that you've blown past your original goal of 60.

Push up improvement sucks no matter how you go about it, but I prefer this method for several reasons:

- It teaches you to pace yourself; too many guys will knock out 50 pushups in the first minute, and be so burned out that they can only push a couple more out in the remaining time. I know that I say to keep going and don't stop, but soon you'll learn what it feels like to do a certain number of pushups within a certain time frame, and you can pace yourself accordingly.

- It teaches you to keep going no matter what

- Mentally, it's a lot easier to break it up into smaller sets and work your way up, rather than killing yourself for 2 minutes at a time

Now, let's say that after doing this for a month, you hit your goal of 60 pushups. Now you want to max out and do 80 (just for the sake of this explanation). You can either keep doing 2 minute sets and try and crank out more reps each time, or you can start over with 4x30 second sets, only this time you're going for 20 or more pushups instead of 15. A couple weeks later, up it to 4x1 minute sets, shooting for 40 or more pushups. Etc, etc.

SU Improvement

Same exact principle as the pushups. Divide your target number into 4 sets of 30 seconds, and take it from there exactly as outlined above. Throw them into the end of each body weight work out you do. The planks will help out a lot as well, but nothing improves doing sit ups for time quite like, well, doing sit ups for time.

Running

Keep doing what you're doing with the 1, 2, and 3 mile runs, but I highly suggest throwing in a sprint day once a week. As a couple of previous posters have mentioned, sprinting pretty much kicks ass for bringing times down. I'm utterly convinced that every good sprint day I do knocks at least 10 seconds off my 2-mile time.

There's two ways you can go about this:

30-60s and 60-120s: Sprint for 30 seconds, then walk for 60 seconds. Do this a total of 6-8 times. Really push yourself on the sprints...go all out to the best of your ability. This is definitely the kind of thing where the benefit you receive from it is directly proportional to how hard you push yourself. If you're doing it right, by the time you finish, you will feel the most smoked you have ever felt in your life. 60-120's are the same thing, only you sprint for 60 seconds and walk for 120 seconds instead. I would start with 30-60's and then progress into 60-120's after a few weeks.

A slightly easier, but nearly as effective alternative is this:

Your short term target is a 15 minute 2-mile. That means, on a standard 1/4 mile track, you want to be running 1:50 laps or better. So, do just that. Try and run a lap in that time, then walk a lap. Repeat 6-8 times. Steadily decrease your target time each week. If you're feeling particularly motivated, then start doing 2 laps in about 3:40, walk a lap, and repeat altogether 4 times.

I can not emphasize enough how incredible sprints are for improving your run times.

As said before, other than adding a sprint day in, keep doing what you're doing if you feel it's working for you. For reference, my running plan goes like this:

Monday-Tuesday: 2 mile run at a good pace, one that's not easy, but doesn't kill me either. For me that's about 14:30 to 15.

Wednesday: 60-120's x 8

Thursday-Friday: Same as Monday-Tuesday

Saturday: Long(er) run at an easy pace...at the moment that's 5 miles in the 40 to 41 minute range.

Do what works best for you, the important thing is to do sprints at least once a week, and otherwise do something that is challenging cardio-wise at least 2 or 3 times a week.

In conclusion, you're already on the right track to slaying an APFT, just try throwing in the pushups, situps, and sprints and I know you'll be good to go. Sometimes I'm not the best at articulating or explaining things, so if clarification is needed on anything don't hesitate to ask. Final tip: a great thing to do for yourself is take a practice APFT once a month...find a buddy who will "grade" you and treat it like a real test. Once you start seeing your scores improve across the board, you'll get super motivated and before you know it, you'll be hitting 300 or better.

Good luck and let me know how it's going for you. How long before you take your next APFT?

[doc_brietz]

Doc,

Sounds like you've got a good plan in place. I'll throw you a pushup/situp improvement plan, that you can incorporate into the Rebel Body Weight work out, and some things that have really helped me out with the run.

PU improvement:

The Rebel Body Weight work out already has you doing 4 sets of push ups, so this is an easy modification. You've put out that your short term goal is 60 pushups in 2 minutes. At a consistent pace, that equates to 15 pushups every 30 seconds. So, do 4 sets, timed for 30 seconds: you are striving to hit at least 15 pushups, but do as many as you can. Do as many full pushups as possible, and when you can't anymore drop to your knees and keep going until the 30 seconds is up. Just don't stop. Once your time is up, take a minute or so of rest, then repeat.

After say, a couple of weeks of doing this, up it to 4 sets of 30 pushups in 1 minute. Again, you're shooting for 30 but do as many as possible, and then drop to your knees and keep going! Don't stop for anything! Take a couple minutes of rest between sets.

After a couple weeks of that, go for at least 2 to 3 sets of 60 pushups in 2 minutes. Same rules apply as above. If you've been honestly pushing yourself in the previous workouts for at least a month, and have been trying to do more than your minimum target, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that you've blown past your original goal of 60.

Push up improvement sucks no matter how you go about it, but I prefer this method for several reasons:

- It teaches you to pace yourself; too many guys will knock out 50 pushups in the first minute, and be so burned out that they can only push a couple more out in the remaining time. I know that I say to keep going and don't stop, but soon you'll learn what it feels like to do a certain number of pushups within a certain time frame, and you can pace yourself accordingly.

- It teaches you to keep going no matter what

- Mentally, it's a lot easier to break it up into smaller sets and work your way up, rather than killing yourself for 2 minutes at a time

Now, let's say that after doing this for a month, you hit your goal of 60 pushups. Now you want to max out and do 80 (just for the sake of this explanation). You can either keep doing 2 minute sets and try and crank out more reps each time, or you can start over with 4x30 second sets, only this time you're going for 20 or more pushups instead of 15. A couple weeks later, up it to 4x1 minute sets, shooting for 40 or more pushups. Etc, etc.

SU Improvement

Same exact principle as the pushups. Divide your target number into 4 sets of 30 seconds, and take it from there exactly as outlined above. Throw them into the end of each body weight work out you do. The planks will help out a lot as well, but nothing improves doing sit ups for time quite like, well, doing sit ups for time.

Running

Keep doing what you're doing with the 1, 2, and 3 mile runs, but I highly suggest throwing in a sprint day once a week. As a couple of previous posters have mentioned, sprinting pretty much kicks ass for bringing times down. I'm utterly convinced that every good sprint day I do knocks at least 10 seconds off my 2-mile time.

There's two ways you can go about this:

30-60s and 60-120s: Sprint for 30 seconds, then walk for 60 seconds. Do this a total of 6-8 times. Really push yourself on the sprints...go all out to the best of your ability. This is definitely the kind of thing where the benefit you receive from it is directly proportional to how hard you push yourself. If you're doing it right, by the time you finish, you will feel the most smoked you have ever felt in your life. 60-120's are the same thing, only you sprint for 60 seconds and walk for 120 seconds instead. I would start with 30-60's and then progress into 60-120's after a few weeks.

A slightly easier, but nearly as effective alternative is this:

Your short term target is a 15 minute 2-mile. That means, on a standard 1/4 mile track, you want to be running 1:50 laps or better. So, do just that. Try and run a lap in that time, then walk a lap. Repeat 6-8 times. Steadily decrease your target time each week. If you're feeling particularly motivated, then start doing 2 laps in about 3:40, walk a lap, and repeat altogether 4 times.

I can not emphasize enough how incredible sprints are for improving your run times.

As said before, other than adding a sprint day in, keep doing what you're doing if you feel it's working for you. For reference, my running plan goes like this:

Monday-Tuesday: 2 mile run at a good pace, one that's not easy, but doesn't kill me either. For me that's about 14:30 to 15.

Wednesday: 60-120's x 8

Thursday-Friday: Same as Monday-Tuesday

Saturday: Long(er) run at an easy pace...at the moment that's 5 miles in the 40 to 41 minute range.

Do what works best for you, the important thing is to do sprints at least once a week, and otherwise do something that is challenging cardio-wise at least 2 or 3 times a week.

In conclusion, you're already on the right track to slaying an APFT, just try throwing in the pushups, situps, and sprints and I know you'll be good to go. Sometimes I'm not the best at articulating or explaining things, so if clarification is needed on anything don't hesitate to ask. Final tip: a great thing to do for yourself is take a practice APFT once a month...find a buddy who will "grade" you and treat it like a real test. Once you start seeing your scores improve across the board, you'll get super motivated and before you know it, you'll be hitting 300 or better.

Good luck and let me know how it's going for you. How long before you take your next APFT?

Ok, here is what it sounds like I will do:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday:

1) Add or change PU's, since the B workout on rank one does not have pushups, to where I do them for at least 30 seconds at a time, with a 2 minute break in between (unless I do them for circuit as described in the guide) Change 2 will be droping to my knees and keeping going if needed until time. No problem. During day one, my total pushup total was 63 for all 4 sets. I will simply not count the half-pushups, but I will do them anyway. So, you are saying 4x30 seconds, then after a little bit, 4x1 minute, then 3x2 minutes? I am not sure whether to focus on time, max reps, or both. I think I need to stick with max reps, but I will try and include a time constraint. I do not want to make this difficult to track and write down or too confusing. I want to keep it simple. If I am fresh, I can do 30 pushups non stop and nickle and dime my way to 50. I want to be able to do 60 just like that 30 I can do.

2) Add situps, as no where in the program do I do these. This will increase my total workout time, but very few excersizes will fix a sit up problem besides more sit ups. I will also do 4 sets of 30 seconds whether I do a curciut that day or not. 2 minutes in between. Same standard as PT test. Doing this along with rank 1 A and B workouts is going to smoke the hell out of me. So be it.

Tue-Thur-Sat:

3) Completely change the Recuit guide by focusing on no more than 3 miles, while throwing in sprints on one day. Ok. So it can be Tuesday 2 miles for time, thursday sprints, saturday 3 miles at a good decent pace. Sound right?

Here are my constraints. I am on a small FOB. My workout time has to be between 0800-1000. This means no breakfast. No biggie, as I have bought "muscle milk" as a suppliment which one drink (2 scoops) is 300 or so calories. Since my dietary goals are about 2400 calories a day to lose weight, no biggie. Eating before working out sometimes makes me feel bad. I have adjusted to this by timing my meals. Sometimes, I get a sandwich right after working out if I need it. That bread is usually all I allow myself. I count everything but do not write it down yet.

I have lost 10 lbs this past month just by working out and eating right. I am still working on that first legit pull-up/chin-up. Inverted on a smith bar for the win!

ALSO, the track we have takes 28 laps for to miles. Doing the math, a 7 minute mile would require a 30 second lap. I can not currently do 14 laps at a 30 second clip. I have done all my work on a tread mill so far. It is easy on the joints because it gives a little. I know that you have to deduct time from a treadmill to surface because of friction and surface.

Question: since I already do the running warm up, (which is different) the standard cool down, and the core 1 workout (I will start core 2 after 10 weeks) you are saying, for example:

day 1 - 2 miles for time, day 2 30-60's, eventually building up to 60-120's, and day 3 - 3 miles at a decent pace (like 9 minutes or maybe a little faster) How long should I do these 30-60's? I may have to do these 30-60's on a treadmill because of many constraints we face. Is this cool?

Lastly, my record APFT is 1 March unless mission gets in the way or the weather sucks. It has been raining for almost 4 days straight here in Kandahar. I will post my results here. Trying to do paleo here sucks. Not only that, my wife is a type 2 diabettic and is straight up conviced that me not eating grains, starches, and beans is the devil. I have cut out so much though. I quit drinking soda and juice. I quit smoking, but I still dip occationally. I still eat yougurt and drink milk. I eat more fruits and veggies. I just do not have the full array of options here. Some days I have to cheat. I eat when I am hungry, though. I stay below my 2400-2500 per day. I have decided that I need to do this for me. I think about everything I eat and drink now instead of just doing whatever the heck I want like I used to.

I only wish I had a 10 week excel spreadsheet to write down the run workouts like I do for the strength ones. Anyone have ideas for this? Nothing on the 4 run plans has a space for notation.

wish me luck!

[doc_brietz]

I have thought about it and I am all for trying pushups and situps for time in increments of 30, 1 minute, and 2 minutes progressively. What about the other styles of pushups that are in the guide like pike, close hand, headstand, etc. What should be made of these? I made a slight reformat to the excel spreadsheet included to add sit-ups. That is an easy fix.

I am working on some sort of Run Idea that allows me to get faster but not run too much. An average of over 5 miles a week seems like a lot. Maybe I am just a wuss, IDK.

[brendanwc]

Ok, here is what it sounds like I will do:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday:

1) Add or change PU's, since the B workout on rank one does not have pushups, to where I do them for at least 30 seconds at a time, with a 2 minute break in between (unless I do them for circuit as described in the guide) Change 2 will be droping to my knees and keeping going if needed until time. No problem. During day one, my total pushup total was 63 for all 4 sets. I will simply not count the half-pushups, but I will do them anyway. So, you are saying 4x30 seconds, then after a little bit, 4x1 minute, then 3x2 minutes? I am not sure whether to focus on time, max reps, or both. I think I need to stick with max reps, but I will try and include a time constraint. I do not want to make this difficult to track and write down or too confusing. I want to keep it simple. If I am fresh, I can do 30 pushups non stop and nickle and dime my way to 50. I want to be able to do 60 just like that 30 I can do.

2) Add situps, as no where in the program do I do these. This will increase my total workout time, but very few excersizes will fix a sit up problem besides more sit ups. I will also do 4 sets of 30 seconds whether I do a curciut that day or not. 2 minutes in between. Same standard as PT test. Doing this along with rank 1 A and B workouts is going to smoke the hell out of me. So be it.

Tue-Thur-Sat:

3) Completely change the Recuit guide by focusing on no more than 3 miles, while throwing in sprints on one day. Ok. So it can be Tuesday 2 miles for time, thursday sprints, saturday 3 miles at a good decent pace. Sound right?

Yes, this sounds like a very solid plan. For the pushups, what I suggest is just *A* way to do it, not *THE* way to do it (as 1st Army is so fond of saying). Try it out and see how it works for you, and adjust as necessary. The important thing is finding something that will improve your pushups, while, at the same time, is something you're going to stick with and that you're motivated to do.

Another fun thing to do that I forgot to mention earlier is pushup/ab supersets. For example:

5 rounds of:

5 wide pushups

5 crunches

5 normal pushups

5 flutterkicks

5 close pushups

5 sit ups

Try and get through all 5 rounds without resting, but do take a break if you need to, especially the first couple of times you try. Those numbers may look small, but think about it...that's 75 pushups and 75 abs by the time you're done. Substitute the ab exercises for different ones if you like, and increase the total number of rounds or reps per exercise weekly, if you feel up to it. This is a good way to mix it up and keep things interesting. For instance, you could do all timed sets one week, then supersets the next, and alternate. Or, you can alternate every workout (ie, timed sets for Session A, supersets for Session .

Once again, these are just ideas. As long as you're doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING that consistently challenges you, you will make progress. However, in my experience (admittedly limited, I am just a SPC after all), nothing will improve your ability to do push ups and situps for time as well as practicing doing pushups and situps for time.

I have lost 10 lbs this past month just by working out and eating right. I am still working on that first legit pull-up/chin-up. Inverted on a smith bar for the win!

That's awesome! Keep it up and use that to stay motivated; as long as you stick with what you're doing, you will continue to see great progress like that. Inverted rows on smith bars are outstanding for working up to a pull up bar, and I like the Body Weight Brigade's progression from chin ups into pull ups. Stick with it and don't get discouraged; your first real, perfect form, dead hang chin up/pull up is the hardest. Once you can do at least one, it's all gravy from there.

ALSO, the track we have takes 28 laps for to miles. Doing the math, a 7 minute mile would require a 30 second lap. I can not currently do 14 laps at a 30 second clip. I have done all my work on a tread mill so far. It is easy on the joints because it gives a little. I know that you have to deduct time from a treadmill to surface because of friction and surface.

Question: since I already do the running warm up, (which is different) the standard cool down, and the core 1 workout (I will start core 2 after 10 weeks) you are saying, for example:

day 1 - 2 miles for time, day 2 30-60's, eventually building up to 60-120's, and day 3 - 3 miles at a decent pace (like 9 minutes or maybe a little faster) How long should I do these 30-60's? I may have to do these 30-60's on a treadmill because of many constraints we face. Is this cool?

Geeze, 28 laps? I'd hate to do any sort of distance running on that, it would get tedious REAL quick. I like to do 8 rounds of 30-60's, which takes a total of 11 minutes. You can do them on the treadmill, but I don't think it is as effective as doing them on a track. It's still far better than nothing at all though. For the treadmill, I would recommend doing the second interval method; try and hit your target pace for 0.25 miles, then lower the speed to a brisk walk/light jog for 0.25 miles, and repeat until you've done 2 miles on the treadmill. Make sense?

Your cardio plan is good. I like to run every day, but I love running and that's just me. 3 times a week is perfect for getting great results without burning yourself out.

Lastly, my record APFT is 1 March unless mission gets in the way or the weather sucks. It has been raining for almost 4 days straight here in Kandahar. I will post my results here. Trying to do paleo here sucks. Not only that, my wife is a type 2 diabettic and is straight up conviced that me not eating grains, starches, and beans is the devil. I have cut out so much though. I quit drinking soda and juice. I quit smoking, but I still dip occationally. I still eat yougurt and drink milk. I eat more fruits and veggies. I just do not have the full array of options here. Some days I have to cheat. I eat when I am hungry, though. I stay below my 2400-2500 per day. I have decided that I need to do this for me. I think about everything I eat and drink now instead of just doing whatever the heck I want like I used to.

I only wish I had a 10 week excel spreadsheet to write down the run workouts like I do for the strength ones. Anyone have ideas for this? Nothing on the 4 run plans has a space for notation.

wish me luck!

Hah, I feel you on the rain...I'm just a little ways north of you (Uruzgan), weather has been out of control for the last couple of weeks. Anyway, sounds like everything is falling into place and you're doing really well, at least given the circumstances. My personal goal is to actually gain some mass, and trying to eat a lot AND eat clean out here is a nightmare. Still, do the best you can, and educate yourself and lay the foundation for your diet here, so that when you do get home, you can really dial it in. I'm not very good with Excel, or else I'd offer to help you make a spreadsheet. I just record my workouts in Notepad most of the time.

I have thought about it and I am all for trying pushups and situps for time in increments of 30, 1 minute, and 2 minutes progressively. What about the other styles of pushups that are in the guide like pike, close hand, headstand, etc. What should be made of these? I made a slight reformat to the excel spreadsheet included to add sit-ups. That is an easy fix.

I am working on some sort of Run Idea that allows me to get faster but not run too much. An average of over 5 miles a week seems like a lot. Maybe I am just a wuss, IDK.

The other pushups that the Body Weight Brigade has you eventually progress to are great, particularly for building strength. That said, I would not do them at the expense of your regular push up improvement. Do them as prescribed in the workout IF you can throw them in, but I'd say your primary focus should be on working on doing regular pushups for time. Once you hit your max goal, then definitely aim to take it to the next level with the harder variations.

If you're not keen on distance running, then work on the interval/sprint stuff more; you can do it twice a week if you want to. If the only thing you do is sprints, you'll get faster, no problem. The main reason I advocate a longer running day is that it serves as a gut check, and mentally it gives you confidence. This is the thought process I have: if all you ever do is 2 mile runs, then you will get better at 2 mile runs. However, that will be the farthest you've trained to run, and anything further than that will, on some level, seem more difficult that it should be. On the other hand, if you can 3 or 4 miles at a good pace, and then you go to take an APFT, you can tell yourself "Wait, you mean I ONLY have to run 2 miles? That's it? Too easy!" Suddenly, it seems a whole lot easier. Does that make sense? That's just me though, and I have the benefit of a decent 1/3 mile track at my FOB....if I had to run 5 miles on your track or on a treadmill, I'd most likely die of boredom far before I finished. I would advise you to keep doing what you're doing: timed 2-mile on Tuesday, interval work on the treadmill for your sprint day on Thursday (although I encourage you to takek it to the track if possible), and a 3 mile on Saturday. That gives you a blend of speed work, endurance work, and the timed run gives you a good idea of where you're at.

Good luck with that APFT....I imagine that with even just the short time you've been training, and the good amount of weight you've lost, you should see some real improvement. I hope all of this has at least helped you somewhat as well. Let me know how it goes!

[doc_brietz]

I am going to take this to private messages. I am sure people are tired of reading of my escapades :-)