The 9 Minute 1.5 Mile Test

[McGuire86]

Can someone who 100% knows the correct facts please clear this up for me.

Does the 9minute 1.5 mile test have to be completed on the selection course prior to basic training or is it done on P - Company.

Thanks.

[mm1306]

You go to adsc, there's a 1.5 mile run test and 9:18 is the time for the paras unless you do well on the upper body in which case it can be upped to 9:40, 9:18 is not as hard as some people think, I am not a natural runner and I found it easy.

[McGuire86]

Ahh ok thanks mate.

When you say unless you do well on the upper body test, what sort of numbers am I looking at and what exercises, thanks again.

[mm1306]

Don't know.

[mm1306]

Serious though if your fitness is average you can get to 9:18 within weeks.

[tom163]

Serious though if your fitness is average you can get to 9:18 within weeks.

That isn't the case for everyone mate, Ive been running every other day for 7 months now and I am no were near that time. I have everything else in the bag like push ups and situps etc but running is not easy for everyone.

Not trying to put you off though Mc.

[plastic]

Tom,

check your PM's.

[McGuire86]

Yeah within weeks is abit unrealistic in my opinion. Took me ages to get mine down to 9 :31. Now it's gone back up to 10 :30 because of the lack of training I did over Christmas, but it's coming back -slowly though.

[Chris Gray]

Try this schedule and it will improve your times -

Tuesday = 2miles @ 75%

Thursday = Run 4 repeats of 800 metres each, with a 400-metre recovery jog after each repeat.

Sunday = 4miles Endurance Run @75%

[plastic]

No disrespect to Chris but I think I'll be able to provide you with a better, simpler method:

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Trg.

Find a football pitch. Stand on the touch line. Sprint to which ever line you wish (edge of box etc). Jog back. Repeat 'til knackered.

IMO THE best form of running there is, but then again I hate running.

If you're feeling particularly sadistic, employ the same principle on a hill.

[1664Kro]

Forget about the friends you have now, Hills are your new best friends

[MonsterMunch]

No disrespect to Chris but I think I'll be able to provide you with a better, simpler method:

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Trg.

Agreed.

Sorry to but in; I'm in the Navy, not the paras. We only have to run 11:13 for our 1.5 mile which is a bit pathetic to be honest.

Anyway, I got down from 9:32 to 8:34 in 2-3 weeks or so by doing the following HIIT program (did it most nights to be honest, just not when I was duty):

Treadmill - 1:30 at jog pace then 30 secs on sprint, for 10minutes
I always had the sprint on 20kmph, and worked the jog up from 12kmph to 15kmph over the weeks

Bike - 45 secs slow, 15 secs sprint for 10mins
Normally only did this on level 5 otherwise I'd have too much lactic in my arse and the rower (next) would be uncomfortable

Rower - 45 secs slow, 15 secs sprint for 10mins
Started doing slow at around 2:10 per 500m, working down to about 1:55... the sprint is anything from 1:30 to 1:45 depending on how bollocks'd I got

Cross Trainer - 10 mins steady pace
Just to bring the heart rate down slowly. Normally stayed at around 12-13kmph

Not saying this will work for everybody, but sure as hell got me feeling alot fitter in a short period of time.

If you want, I jotted down all my times/speeds in my notebook for each day I went, so could PM so you have a reference

Also, if at the ADSC the 1.5 mile is ran in laps (like here, it's 4 laps of our parade ground), then it's good to calculate what lap times you need, always assuming you will be running faster on the first and last lap.