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  • Has taken me a year to get back to approaching match fitness due to an injury.

    Did the C25K & joined parkrun (both recommended)

    Now doing well at C210K

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    • Anyone have any suggestions for improving 2.4km run times (and I guess 3.2km runs too)? I'm training for the RDF fitness test but seem to be hitting a block as regards increasing my speed.

      I'm 33 so on the older side but the standards aren't that exacting so age shouldn't be an issue. I'm following the DF fitness programme on the website so I'm running three times a week with a mix of longer (800m, 600m, 400m), shorter (400m, 200m, 100m) intervals and also longer distance running (6.4km at the moment but increasing). I'd love to fit a few more runs in but I'm finding if I push it 4-5 times a week, I'm not giving myself the recovery time. I'm also increasing the metrics above weekly (more intense intervals and longer steady state runs).

      My problem is that after 5-6 weeks, my speed has only increased slightly but I am able to run much further distances despite only doing long distance once a week. I need to get my 2.4km time down to 11m 40s (pitiful) and am currently about 45s off that. At my age and considering the number of days I'm training, I'd be wanting to be approaching 10m 30s.

      I am pushing it, my diet is good and I'm considering implementing hill reps. I'm not naturally fit and didn't play much sport when younger but I had my fitness up high enough for a successful shot at the PDF in 2012. I was also carrying a small bit of weight and have been working to reduce that and am nearly at where I want to be. Still in a calorie deficit but making sure to get plenty of protein in to aid muscle recovery.

      Any suggestions for improving the above beyond the DF plan? I'm sure I'm not the first here who's had to work on the fitness!
      Last edited by Auldsod; 17 April 2018, 17:08.

      Comment


      • Originally posted by Auldsod View Post
        Anyone have any suggestions for improving 2.4km run times (and I guess 3.2km runs too)? I'm training for the RDF fitness test but seem to be hitting a block as regards increasing my speed.

        I'm 33 so on the older side but the standards aren't that exacting so age shouldn't be an issue. I'm following the DF fitness programme on the website so I'm running three times a week with a mix of longer (800m, 600m, 400m), shorter (400m, 200m, 100m) intervals and also longer distance running (6.4km at the moment but increasing). I'd love to fit a few more runs in but I'm finding if I push it 4-5 times a week, I'm not giving myself the recovery time. I'm also increasing the metrics above weekly (more intense intervals and longer steady state runs).

        My problem is that after 5-6 weeks, my speed has only increased slightly but I am able to run much further distances despite only doing long distance once a week. I need to get my 2.4km time down to 11m 40s (pitiful) and am currently about 45s off that. At my age and considering the number of days I'm training, I'd be wanting to be approaching 10m 30s.

        I am pushing it, my diet is good and I'm considering implementing hill reps. I'm not naturally fit and didn't play much sport when younger but I had my fitness up high enough for a successful shot at the PDF in 2012. I was also carrying a small bit of weight and have been working to reduce that and am nearly at where I want to be. Still in a calorie deficit but making sure to get plenty of protein in to aid muscle recovery.

        Any suggestions for improving the above beyond the DF plan? I'm sure I'm not the first here who's had to work on the fitness!
        Hills will make a big difference

        Talking from experience

        Comment


        • head to a steep hill.
          you need a good 200m or so
          start at the bottom and sprint as hard as you can up the hill
          turn and jog down nice and slow
          reach the bottom and turn and repeat.
          continue for 20 minutes - do as many reps as you can
          The first week or two you may only manage 4 or 6 but within weeks you'll manage more sprints in 20 mins as your fitness and speed and recovery time improve
          Its the one thing that I did in 2014 that took my 5k run sub 20 minutes for the first time ever. I ran only 4 times a week max also but was at that point running a min of 6k each time
          I would do a 6 k run on Monday - using lamposts for intervals, sprint for 2 streetlights, jog for 2 - repeat for a good 1 or 2k whilst on the towns ring road.
          On Wednesday jog 2k to the hill and do 20 mins sprints as above then jog 2k home.
          On Friday I would do a 6k jog - nothing fast and some days I skipped the Friday session
          On Saturday I hit a local park with hills in it (ardgillan in county Dublin) and do 2 laps which is about 9k at normal running pace.
          That's how I improved my time then

          Now... i go out maybe twice a week and run 8 - 10k in the evening after work, i hit the gym 3 times a week in the mornings - leg day is a big deal and does a similar job to hill sprints - heavy squats, weighted lunges, deadlifts etc. cant walk up or down a stairs after it. i throw in the odd spin class on a weekday in the evening instead of a run that night.

          Either way you need to shred those calves and quads on the hills and if you can, in the gym on alternative weeks. One more alternative is to get shuttles in on a playing field, 30 seconds of sprinting between cones about 20m apart followed by 1 minute recovery (adjust times to suit fitness) and continue this for 20 minutes. not just straight line, but zig zag etc - plenty of vids on youtube to help too.
          Last edited by morpheus; 19 April 2018, 09:59.
          "He is an enemy officer taken in battle and entitled to fair treatment."
          "No, sir. He's a sergeant, and they don't deserve no respect at all, sir. I should know. They're cunning and artful, if they're any good. I wouldn't mind if he was an officer, sir. But sergeants are clever."

          Comment


          • Originally posted by DeV View Post
            Delighted!!!

            Grade 3 in push ups
            Grade 2 in sit ups (although should have done better)
            Grade 2 in 2 miles
            So grade 2 overall

            Grade 3 in 10km
            Moved into 3rd age bracket in 2016

            Didn’t get to do ITs in 2016 due to AF14C Admin vortex

            2018
            Push ups - grade 4 (my weakest part) was 1 off grade 3 in the end but the last 1 I did was all in
            Sit ups - grade 1 - could have done more but saving myself
            3.2km - grade 4 - a minute off grade 3 - haven’t done enough training but we were on the gravel track with 4-5 corners so that makes a difference too (even if it is on the flat)

            Grade 3 overall


            10km - grade 3 - about 2 mins off grade 3 - could have done better


            As an aside, never liked having all the weight on my back for part 3, so used the BV as much as possible:
            Small weights in ammo pouches - map to grid due to being over weight
            A 2.3 kg weight backed by a towel in each large pouch
            Wet gear and 6 litres of water in backpack

            Then not included in the 14kg 2 litres in the Camelback
            Last edited by DeV; 19 April 2018, 13:28.

            Comment


            • I’m doing the 100 push ups app at the mo. It is making a difference

              Comment


              • Never liked carrying water ... theres fluid dynamics at play, the water moves within itself causing a lateral pull as your hips rotate your back left and right which slightly off balances you on the run on each side and can tire you out. dumbbell plates in the backpack, taped together and plenty of padding around them, backpack cinched up as tightly as i can get it and water bottle or 2 to consume - separate from the weight obviously - added in the lid or the vest.
                "He is an enemy officer taken in battle and entitled to fair treatment."
                "No, sir. He's a sergeant, and they don't deserve no respect at all, sir. I should know. They're cunning and artful, if they're any good. I wouldn't mind if he was an officer, sir. But sergeants are clever."

                Comment


                • Originally posted by morpheus View Post
                  Never liked carrying water ... theres fluid dynamics at play, the water moves within itself causing a lateral pull as your hips rotate your back left and right which slightly off balances you on the run on each side and can tire you out. dumbbell plates in the backpack, taped together and plenty of padding around them, backpack cinched up as tightly as i can get it and water bottle or 2 to consume - separate from the weight obviously - added in the lid or the vest.
                  The only loose water was in the camelback

                  Comment


                  • Half fill a 2L plastic bottle with water, then fill the bottle with play sand. Tamp it every so often so the sand settles. It weighs about 5k from memory (but it’s about 25 years sunce I did it!). I also filled square 5L bottles. Basically, you can do it to any shape/size you want, and if the bottle is full, it’s solid.
                    'He died who loved to live,' they'll say,
                    'Unselfishly so we might have today!'
                    Like hell! He fought because he had to fight;
                    He died that's all. It was his unlucky night.
                    http://www.salamanderoasis.org/poems...nnis/luck.html

                    Comment


                    • Buy 1.5kg bags of Lidl flour (20p-ish UK money).

                      Wrap them in sniper tape.

                      Will last for ages...I keep a day sack with 15kgs of Lidls finest in it for practice tabbing.

                      Don't use the self-raising though.
                      'History is a vast early warning system'. Norman Cousins

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by spider View Post
                        Buy 1.5kg bags of Lidl flour (20p-ish UK money).

                        Wrap them in sniper tape.

                        Will last for ages...I keep a day sack with 15kgs of Lidls finest in it for practice tabbing.

                        Don't use the self-raising though.
                        Wouldn’t the self-raising be better for going up hills?
                        'He died who loved to live,' they'll say,
                        'Unselfishly so we might have today!'
                        Like hell! He fought because he had to fight;
                        He died that's all. It was his unlucky night.
                        http://www.salamanderoasis.org/poems...nnis/luck.html

                        Comment


                        • The best advice that I can give is

                          "Eat less, exercise more".

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                          • Your priority is not to suffer a injury

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by Flamingo View Post
                              Wouldn’t the self-raising be better for going up hills?
                              A little packet of yeast is handy for the oul hills
                              'History is a vast early warning system'. Norman Cousins

                              Comment


                              • Thanks for all the suggestions lads. I was away from my account for the last few days so didn't a chance to read until now!

                                I may have some responses myself yet!

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