For All who suck at running

[LuDog]

Heres a program that i found and ive been using for a few weeks and it has helped me Alot!. I hope it helps others here who have trouble running.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

[benw2200]

The best piece of general advice I have to give is one that I found out from experience:

Run...REGULARLY. A month ago, I ran a 10:40 mile and a half. Nothing to brag about, but it works for me. My shipdate got moved so I slacked on the running.. so at the most recent pool fuction a month later, I ran a 13:10. Granted, I was dehydrated and had about 4 hours of sleep the night before, but that's my own damn fault and that's no ****ing excuse for that kind of time.

So even if it's just a mile or so, try not to go more than 3 days without running, even if it's a slow-paced easy day. This definitely applies to ME as much as everyone.

[LuDog]

Yeah i try to run Every other morning about 2 miles

[LeDave]

lol man i suck at running really bad, today during PT today, we were running back to the recruit station becuase PT was done, i collapsed after running 3/4th of a half mile (the time it takes to get back to the station from the park). and one of the poolies had to carry me back while all the cars was passing by staring, but it doesn't matter lol, but a little embarassing but oh well. a lot of the poolies there were telling me to get up, get up, i can make it, i can do it and stuff. PT was a lot better than i thought it'd be but at the same time a lot harder than i thought due to the training they do

[Hologram]

Yeah, even in the first few runs if you're doing them regularly you should see a dramatic improvement.

I ran my very first 3 miles in 29 and some odd seconds, and no more than a week later, after running a total of 4 times, I shaved that time to 25:11. Still a bad time, but shaving a good 4 minutes off of a run that quickly is pretty notable. So once again, start running, and start running regularly. Why stop at a mile and a half? If you can beat the min. time for the IST (I believe 13:30), why not start pushing yourself until you get to 3 miles? And why even stop there?

[SirRoundSound]

I don't live near a track, and I'm terrible at estimating distances, so all of my attempts to run were always met with catastrophic failure, because I found that I was running until exhaustion and then stopping and walking home, not having any clue how far I've run or how far I should continue to run.

But I do live near an Elementary School, and I do know (from Gym Class way back when) that the entire perimeter of the school's baseball field is a quarter of a mile. So a few weeks ago, I started out by running around the entire field's quarter-of-a-mile perimeter, and then walking one side of the square-shaped perimeter, and then running, and alternating running and walking until I've traveled one mile. Of course my times were always abysmal, but being able to tell how far I've traveled and how much farther I need to push myself really helped me to go beyond my preconceived limits. Rather than running as fast and far as I could, I was able to set my goals and pace myself. I am now running a full mile every other day in about nine minutes, on average, and I continue to shave off minutes every week.

So if the problem is that you are running with no goals or regulation other than becoming exhausted and going home, then try to adapt distances you know and use them as goals to push and pace yourself accordingly.

[gobuffs10]

One of the girls I work with does cross country and when I asked her, she told me weight training on my legs and doing sprints will help a lot. Thought I'd throw that out there. I ****ing suck at running, horribly.

[Phantom Blooper]

Don't SUCK when you run.......BREATHE or you will HYPERVENTILATE!

[SgtQuattlebaumJ]

For all those who are worried about their run times...

Once you get in, those 29 min and 25 mins run times will only carry you through to your SOI school. Once you get to the Fleet you'll be required to run at times close to 18 min for 3 mi. Any time more than that, you'll be looked at as being weak with lack of heart. You dont want that. That was the case for me. For Dep training, boot camp, and ITB I was running sub 25 and 27. Soon as I got to the Fleet in 3/2, all that came to a halt. I found myself being forced to run everyday and even weekends. The point is, try if can, to change up your running routine. Do interval runs where you run a steady pace for a while, pick an object at a distance of 1-200 meters ahead, SPRINT to it, slow down once you reach it and do it all over again. Since I've been doing this, my run time for 3 mi shaved down to 19- 20 min, with more room for improvement. Also try running through parks, trails, high tension powerline trails, just to have scenery to concentrate on rather than focusing on it sucks to be running....

[Rains]

I have a hard tiem keeping myself motivated to run every other day as I should. My average 1 Mile time is 9 minutes and 30 seconds though.

[mdlangley]

Also try running through parks, trails, high tension powerline trails, just to have scenery to concentrate on rather than focusing on it sucks to be running....

Some great advice for new runners. I HATE running on a track. I will be thinking about something and forget how many times I've been around and then I get aggravated...it just doesn't work for me.

SirRoundSound, you might try driving to the school you live by to see how far it is and run there and back to your house. Or if you really don't know if you can stay motivated enough to run all the way there and back, you can have someone drive you a certain mileage away from your home and just drop you off. Just make sure they know to come looking for you if you don't show up in a reasonable amount of time. And take lots of water too. Hydration bladders at Wal-Mart are reasonably priced and probably weigh about 7 pounds when full of water. I use one just so I don't have to carry a bottle when I run and maybe so it will help me get used to a pack. It also can help you remember to drink water (if that is a problem for some people) because the more you drink the less weight is on your back. Just some thoughts.

--Michael

[Rains]

Ive been told that I should drink water dureing my jog, but I have also been told not to do this. So I just dont drink water dureing the jog, I drink it before and after. Should I be drinking it dureing the run?

[LuDog]

Nah, i drink a little then do my run then i drink alot after, never during

[Rains]

Ok.
Good, I dont liek the idea of drinking water while running.

[Hologram]

Also keep in mind that the first mile is the hardest. After that your body gets into a kind of rhythm and you just need to make sure that keep breathing. As for estimating distances, I just used the ruler tool on Google Earth to figure out a path to the gym that would take 3 miles. That way, I run to the gym, do the rest of my PFT, then begin endurance training my pull ups and crunches with the fun little weight machines they have there and I'll do a few sets of back extensions.