Help with running

Im in the military and we have to adhere to physical standards.  We have to be able to run 1.5 miles in a certain amount of time, do a certain amount of push ups and sit ups, and also they measure your tummy.  Im having problems with the run area and I need to be able to run faster in a better time.  I did the mile and a half in about 18 minutes and I need to get that down to about 15.  Any tips?  What should I do to step it up?  I do muay thai, and jui jitsu but I dont know if that will help with my cardio. HEEELLLLPPPP!!!!

I was just in training for the air force and had to get through all those standards and tests.  My time was around 13:30.  You just really have to push yourself and keep running and keep practicing your running.  One of the things we had to do was run for a minute then sprint 30 seconds and repeat that over and over for about 10 min.  That was part of a 40 minute nonstop running session.  Swimming might help too since it's supposed to help your lung capacity.

I got the Nike+ thing to help me track my running.  It's really helpful, you might want to check that out. :) Good luck!

Ah coolness! I just saw your other thread that says your in the air force! That's awesome, I'm in the Guard.

Yea I had to go through the same thing when I entered and I didnt pass the first time because of my body weight.  We didnt have to run though, they must have just added that.  They are really cracking down on fitness which makes sense cus they dont want people in the military that are un fit.  I have heard that interval training was good and thats why I probably need to do.  But if I purchase a treadmill and run for 2 to 3 miles, will there be a difference when I go run on the regular concrete.  I dont know if there will be a difference just because im outside and not on a treadmill.

I hated running and was really worried about passing before I went to training so I ran on a treadmill 3 miles every other day and I think it really helped.  I'd also try to do it on the ground and could do about a mile and would give up.  I definitely think it's easier to run on a treadmill so you could do a little of both.  Work up to ground running in increments.  Or instead of getting a treadmill (since they can be pretty expensive) run on the ground and increase how long you do it every time.  I think the sprint/run thing would really help too.

Yeah the running part is a big deal now.  Every other day we ran and at least every week we'd do a 40 min run of:  "Last trainee up", regular running, running/sprinting...maybe some other variation of running in there too but I don't remember.  On opposite days we did calisthenics.  Then in tech school, 3 days we ran for 30 min along with push ups and sit ups.

I got lazy after I came home and have just started being motivated to start running again because I realized it really isn't so bad when someone's not screaming in your face to go faster haha.

Hi Msisha I'm an athletics coach, coaching adults from beginners (like you) to elite and here's what I suggest.

1) Don't spend money on a treadmill: buy the best running shoes and kit you can afford, and get the shoes fitted at a specialist running shop. This will lessen your chances of getting hurt.

2) Run 3 times a week, or 4 if you can. Every week. Consistency is the key to improvement.

3) Make each of your runs have a different purpose:

a) Endurance run: you are currently running at 12 mins per mile, so go out and run for 20 mins, and add 5 mins each week until you can run for 48 mins (4 miles). If you have to take walk-breaks at first, don't worry, you will improve.

b) Interval run: run 5 mins slow to warm up; then run faster (effort level of 8 on a scale of 1-10) for 1 min; slow for 1 min 10 times and 5 mins to slow down. If you like, find a marker, e.g. a tree or a lamp-post and go back and forth between the markers so you can see if you can get faster.

c) Tempo run: run 5 mins slow to warm up; then run 10 mins at effort level 7; 5 mins warm-down. Add a minute or two to the faster section each week.

4) keep a training diary - it will really motivate you when you see how much you improve over the weeks.

5) If at all possible, find a running buddy to train with.  Or use an ipod with some up-tempo music for the faster bits.

6) And if you find you are not sure if you feel up to a run,  make a bargain with yourself: tell yourself you'll go out and run for 5 mins and if you really still don't feel like running, you can turn for home. Few people do. Getting over the doorstep is the hardest part of any run!

Hope that helps - and good luck. Anyone can run. I'm 52 and I am still running competitvely. It helps to keep you young!

The good thing with running on a treadmill is you can monitor your speed and they can provide more cushion than say running on asphalt or concrete.  Bad thing is you may get dependent on the treadmill to pace yourself and when not running on it you won't know how fast you need to run.  I agree with slow-coach, the best thing would be to get a running buddy to keep each other motivated.  Try to run on grass as it is softer.  Concrete is the worst surface to run on

Good luck

I just got out of the army, and they measured our hips not our butts (for women anyways). One way that HONESTLY helps you run, is sing cadence to yourself. It helps with your breathing ALOT! The only way you can get better with your sit-ups and push-ups is practice practice practice. When my soldiers had trouble with their PT tests, and they failed a certain event (say sit-ups) every-time I would see them I would make them get down and "give me 20". Some may say that is cruel, but it worked.

To add to what slow-coach said I, if you don't need to rerun the 1.5 miles anytime soon I would concentrate on building up the endurance for at least a few weeks prior to adding the tempo and interval training.  In addition I wouldn't have the interval runs or tempo runs exceed 25 to 33 percent of your total runs for any given week.  Think of the endurance runs as the base of a pyramid and the tempo runs as the sides.  In order to develop a higher pyramid (run faster) you need a larger base.

Thanks for all the help everyone I think I have a goal set now.  I also read in an article that if are going to run on a treadmill to increase the intensity to at least 3 or 4 and it will be equivalent to running outside.  I have a very hectic schedule so  purchasing a treadmill might be best because I know when I get home at 1030 pm every night I can hop on it while watching Days of Our Lives.

if you sit in a steam room for 15 minutes a day or so it will increase your lung capacity making it easier to breathe when you run.

Not sure if you run with an ipod, but you can also download podcasts on itunes that have music already set at a specific tempo to run various speeds.  Might be worth looking into to have the music help you set your pace.  Good luck!