jhust
08-04-06, 12:16 AM
Hi all,
I'm new here and have a question, but first, I'll give some background. I am in the DEP, having enthusiastically signed on June 27th and scheduled to ship to San Diego on Aug 28th. I feel like the Marine Corps is where I belong. I feel like I have the personality for it. I was unsatisfied with my civilian job for several years before coming to this realization. I want to do this more than anything, because it is an experience that cannot be bought for any price. And when I get older I want to have something to look back on, and to know that I was a defender of my country. That I did something difficult and important.
For the past 7 years or so I have been sitting behind a desk with no exercise of any kind, but I'm now getting in better shape than I have been in perhaps even since high school. I'm ideal weight for my height (was always thin, but bulking up now a bit), low body fat, decent muscle, can do 7 pullups (hopefully 10 before I ship, barely 3 when I signed) and am pretty good on crunches, but I am lagging near the end of the PT runs we do every week. I think its about 75% breathing problems and about 25% calves/shins burning, but towards the end I just have to break down and walk/run alternating while everyone continues on running. I was never big on running even in school.
At a typical outdoor track I can do a mile and a half in 15 minutes or so (3/4 a lap running, 1/4 walking) but it is pretty difficult for me to keep this pace after about a mile and by the 1.5 mile mark I am completely destroyed. My default pace at the track is an 8 minute mile. Everyone tells me to run slower and pace myself but I just have a hard time forcing myself to slow down. Its like I just dont know how to jog, like I feel that it expends just as much energy as running.
My body is punishing me for not taking care of it since I was 17 or so (I'm 25 now), but I'm committed to changing that. My legs have gone through several growing pains over the past month - runner's knee, sore ankles, shin splints, but they have all healed much quicker than I could have hoped.
I guess I am wondering if the 4 weeks or so that I have left is enough time to avoid PCP and get up to speed. I feel bad shooting for the minimum run on the IST, and also would feel doubly bad to ask my recruiter for more time to get better, since he has a commitment to ship me by then. I would feel horrible being the weak link in the platoon when it comes to running. And would also be disappointed to have to go to PCP to fix it. I've given myself too little time to build up my endurance base, but I won't use that as an excuse.
Everyone says to run every day, and I would if I could. I was thinking of running 4 times a week and cycling the other three for cardio, since I think the little training booklet recommends it. Easier on the feet that way. I don't want to overdo it by running everyday, since I think that is what caused my shin problems that made me not able to run this past week, and I can't afford to lose any more time if that were to happen again. I'm also worried about this kind of injury once in Boot Camp if I am expected to run every single day.
Does anyone have any advice, words of encouragement, or success stories? I appreciate any. Just reading this forum is very motivating. You guys are great.
I'm new here and have a question, but first, I'll give some background. I am in the DEP, having enthusiastically signed on June 27th and scheduled to ship to San Diego on Aug 28th. I feel like the Marine Corps is where I belong. I feel like I have the personality for it. I was unsatisfied with my civilian job for several years before coming to this realization. I want to do this more than anything, because it is an experience that cannot be bought for any price. And when I get older I want to have something to look back on, and to know that I was a defender of my country. That I did something difficult and important.
For the past 7 years or so I have been sitting behind a desk with no exercise of any kind, but I'm now getting in better shape than I have been in perhaps even since high school. I'm ideal weight for my height (was always thin, but bulking up now a bit), low body fat, decent muscle, can do 7 pullups (hopefully 10 before I ship, barely 3 when I signed) and am pretty good on crunches, but I am lagging near the end of the PT runs we do every week. I think its about 75% breathing problems and about 25% calves/shins burning, but towards the end I just have to break down and walk/run alternating while everyone continues on running. I was never big on running even in school.
At a typical outdoor track I can do a mile and a half in 15 minutes or so (3/4 a lap running, 1/4 walking) but it is pretty difficult for me to keep this pace after about a mile and by the 1.5 mile mark I am completely destroyed. My default pace at the track is an 8 minute mile. Everyone tells me to run slower and pace myself but I just have a hard time forcing myself to slow down. Its like I just dont know how to jog, like I feel that it expends just as much energy as running.
My body is punishing me for not taking care of it since I was 17 or so (I'm 25 now), but I'm committed to changing that. My legs have gone through several growing pains over the past month - runner's knee, sore ankles, shin splints, but they have all healed much quicker than I could have hoped.
I guess I am wondering if the 4 weeks or so that I have left is enough time to avoid PCP and get up to speed. I feel bad shooting for the minimum run on the IST, and also would feel doubly bad to ask my recruiter for more time to get better, since he has a commitment to ship me by then. I would feel horrible being the weak link in the platoon when it comes to running. And would also be disappointed to have to go to PCP to fix it. I've given myself too little time to build up my endurance base, but I won't use that as an excuse.
Everyone says to run every day, and I would if I could. I was thinking of running 4 times a week and cycling the other three for cardio, since I think the little training booklet recommends it. Easier on the feet that way. I don't want to overdo it by running everyday, since I think that is what caused my shin problems that made me not able to run this past week, and I can't afford to lose any more time if that were to happen again. I'm also worried about this kind of injury once in Boot Camp if I am expected to run every single day.
Does anyone have any advice, words of encouragement, or success stories? I appreciate any. Just reading this forum is very motivating. You guys are great.