Para fitness?

[-Squaddie-]

Hey guys,

Firstly any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Right down to business, Im aiming to join the parachute regiment in a few months time and need to be aiming for a 1.5 mile run time of 9.00, I want to break this and hopefully aim for around the 8.00 mark. I currently run the 1.5 in around 10 minutes.

Basically to give you a background of my fitness, I have been in the TA for 1 year now, can easily complete a 10 mile cft with full weight etc. I can bang out over 100 sit ups in 2 mins easy and can get around 60-70 press ups in two mins, I have been practicing my dead lifts also and can now lift 130 but find my grip weakening towards the 3rd rep. I can easily run 5 miles, however I cant seam to break the 10 minute mark for my 1.5 miler, and I also find that it isn’t my heart or lungs that give way, but my leg muscles first.

For the past 3 months I have spent pretty much everyday in the gym, but only really working on my upper body. I have got a good routine going as I am already lifting some high weights and can even max a few machines at the gym already. However, I haven’t payed as much attention to my lower body as I know that I should have.

Now for the main question, do you guys have any good tips or training techniques for me? How should I train my legs to cope with the stress/pain seaming as I have never really worked on my legs… ever? I have now devised a training schedule which looks like this..

Monday
3 mile run (slow pace)
Gym (Chest, Bicep, Tricep)

Tuesday
3 mile run (slow pace 10kg weight)
Gym (Back, Shoulder)

Evening
Sprint Circuit
100 m Sprint
100 m Sprint
100 m Jog (60% effort)
100 m Sprint
100 m Sprint
100 m Jog (60% effort)

2 minute rest

Repeat 6 times.

Wednesday
Rest

Thursday
3 mile run (slow pace)
Gym (Legs)

Swim (30 mins)

Friday
Gym (Chest, Bicep, Tricep)
8 Mile cft (15kg)

Saturday
Gym (Back, Shoulder)
Swim (30 mins)

Evening
Sprint Circuit
100 m Sprint
100 m Jog (60% effort)
100 m Sprint
100 m Jog (60% effort)
100 m Sprint
100 m Jog (60% effort)

2 minute rest

Repeat 6 times.

Sunday

Rest

Should I incorporate more legs? I also do a bit of hill running every now and then also, is this good? And will I be able to significantly reduce my time within the next two months?

Thank you

[SandyTheGuvnor]

There is no such thing as a 10 mile cft

[tom163]

All I do it crap load of rowing machine pyramids and some Deadlifts.

[bored_stupid]

I have been in the TA for 1 year now, can easily complete a 10 mile cft with full weight etc.

You must be doing something seriously wrong if you're tabbing 10 miles with full kit without working your legs.

[gunner75]

I was always told to get your bft time down stay OUT of the gym! just get out and run more, simple as that. Do more work on speed and endurance, then take a week off and test your bft time. Stay off the weights and just do body weight exercises i.e pressups or pullups. Simple things like losing weight and cutting down on booze can have a dramatic result on your timing as well.

[Leyton1990]

What does tabbing mean?

[gunner75]

Tactical Advance toward Battle.
Basically getting from A to B fast march/run with your house on your back.

[Tab]

It was named after me...... :multi:

[-Squaddie-]

A 10 mile cft is easy, I found myself to be much more able to carry weight over a long distance and at quick speeds better than I can cope with normal running without weight. Personally, I dont understand how people can find cfts/tabs hard.

What I have found, if there is anyone else in my predicament wanting a good solution to a similar problem, that interval training is the best option and minimising the amount of time spent at the gym lifting weight (although I very much enjoy this)

The intervals should be done using a 400m track (if possible) and you simply run one lap at a pace slightly faster than your target 1.5km pace, followed by an untimed recovery jog for the next lap. Work up by adding a single additional 'fast' lap each week, until you are doing 20 laps in total (including the 5 lap warmup). Always warm up first - by running easily for about 5 laps and finish with the last 2 laps jogged slowly to recover. The intervals can be done somewhere in between the warm up and warm down.

[SandyTheGuvnor]

A 10 mile cft is easy, I found myself to be much more able to carry weight over a long distance and at quick speeds better than I can cope with normal running without weight. Personally, I dont understand how people can find cfts/tabs hard.

What I have found, if there is anyone else in my predicament wanting a good solution to a similar problem, that interval training is the best option and minimising the amount of time spent at the gym lifting weight (although I very much enjoy this)

The intervals should be done using a 400m track (if possible) and you simply run one lap at a pace slightly faster than your target 1.5km pace, followed by an untimed recovery jog for the next lap. Work up by adding a single additional 'fast' lap each week, until you are doing 20 laps in total (including the 5 lap warmup). Always warm up first - by running easily for about 5 laps and finish with the last 2 laps jogged slowly to recover. The intervals can be done somewhere in between the warm up and warm down.

As i said before there is no such thing as a 10 mile cft but what do i know

And proper tabbing pace is a lot faster than cft pace

[Paddysprat]

Personally, I dont understand how people can find cfts/tabs hard.

I don't see how someone can find it hard to run 1.5 miles in under 10 minutes (I do actually because I probably couldn't )

Interesting thought though, I might give it a shot this week some time.

[ParaToBe]

What are your 3 miler and 5 miler time. You say you can do a 5 miler easy, if you can do it easy then you are obviously not pushing yourself hard enough! This may be why your not getting under 10mins for the 1.5miler, in fact if your doing a 5miler and finding it easy then either your doing it in your car or as i said you are not pushing yourself at all. Im sure Haile Gebrselassi could bang out a 5miler with ease but if he ran 5 milers taking it easy i doubt it would of got him anywhere where he is now. You need push your self mate the more you push the better you will become. Push. Push. Push. Always put in 100%.
That is just my opinion though i may be completely wrong.

Karl.

[bored_stupid]

A 10 mile cft is easy, I found myself to be much more able to carry weight over a long distance and at quick speeds better than I can cope with normal running without weight. Personally, I dont understand how people can find cfts/tabs hard.

You've obviously just been out for a stroll through the hills when you've been on your "cft"

I found that I was pretty good at tabbing, but that doesn't mean it was ever easy and it's probably the best leg work out you can get.

There's a big difference between walking with weight on and tabbing, it sounds like you've been doing the former rather than the latter!

The key to getting your 1.5 mile time down from 10mins to 9min is with a bit of determination, all you need to do is push yourself that bit more for the entire way round. If you can run 5 miles then you should have the fitness to do it but may be lacking the heart to push on when it gets tough.

[canadianchris]

Maybe you're over training??

I think I am doing that myself. The mind is willing to do as much as possible but sometimes you need to rest up and take days off.

[_Mark_]

A 10 mile cft is easy

The 2miles walk from your house to your t.a centre aren't counted...

Personally, I dont see how people can find cft/tabs hard

If you manage to run 1.5miles in the required time and get to catterick you will understand why. Maybe on your 'walks' you keep the pace down so the picnic doesn't get spoiled.