Fribley

I know this has absolutely nothing to do with cycling but i was wondering if any of the clydes that do tri's have any running tips? I have a agility test for a new job possiblilty coming up next week and i have to run a 2 mile in 17:55 i am quite far off that at the moment and pretty much setting my bike aside till i am done with the test and running non-stop till then. So any of the clydes that run have some tips for a fellow clyde? Is this even possible ? i just found out about the physical reqiurements on sat and have been running at least once a day since then, i only have 8 training days left and i am very worried if i will be able to make it....

justin70

I'm just curious how tall you are and how much you weigh. Running for big guys can be hell on the knees and ankles. Icing your joints post run and taking something for inflammation may help with recovery.

What is the job?

Fribley

i am 5'10" and weigh 258 lbs (down 20 lbs since the first of june). I am by no means a runner i have a 29" inseam and have pretty much never ran more then 1 mile in my life. The job is a Corrections officer, which i already am at another county. I applied for this position a while ago and on the online application it said "physical/mental condition consistent with the demends of the job". So saturday i get a letter saying i am invited to a "testing day" and for my age bracket i need to be able to do 40 pushups, 40 situps and a 2 mile run in 17:55. So i have been working pretty hard the last few days and i only have like 7 more days to try to pull this off. i ran 1.2 miles today nonstop so thats a plus. If i hadn't picked up the bike in june i dont think there would be any chance of this happening but now i need to focus on running for the time being and basicly work my ass off and pray.

brewster1972

While I may not be a triathelete (or even much of an athlete) I did do quite a bit of running over the past few years. My advice is to take it slow and easy for the first half of the run and gradually pick up the pace during the second mile. Listen to your body. If you go out too fast you run the risk of blowing up in the last part of the run.

Aim for the 9 to 10 minute mark on the first mile and pour it on for the last half mile (as much as your body can handle).

flip18436572

I went from not being able to run a mile to doing a 5k in less than 30 days, but I am stubborn.

My real world suggestion is to gain no more than 10% in distance each week and take it easy on your body. But, for your particular situation, I would not run for at least two days in advance. That way your muscles are recovered for your "hard" run. Pace yourself for the first mile slower than the second mile, but make sure you have plenty of time to finish.

Also, do some running/jogging before the actual run, so that your body is warmed up and your legs have good blood flow. Don't do a lot, but get warmed up.

sstorkel

Do you have a good pair of running shoes? It's amazing how much more comfortable you'll be with good shoes... Don't know that shoes helped me run any further, but they made runs less painful (during and afterwards) so I was more likely to train.

Caincando1

That's a pretty tall order to fill. In all honestly I can't believe they're expecting that much from anyone. I do a fair bit of running and could do the run, but there is no way I could do 40 pushups. So if you don't pass this, then you can't get the job?

msullivan63

I run a good amount, and am about your size - 5'9 240 without really long legs. I'm slow, so an 18 min 2-mile run would be pushing it for me, but I think part of that is I train for 10+ mile runs and so I care more about endurance than speed.

I would say you should work in some interval training or some speed work a few of those 8 (6 if you rest) days. If you have access to a track, try doing hard runs at 200m or 400m lengths with 2-3x rest time between them. That speed may help your kick at the end. I would say go for 9min the first mile and 4:30 for the first half of the second mile and then try to speed it up to the end. That is an awfully fast pace for new runners though.

lil brown bat

There's a lot of good advice here...not sure any of it is going to help you in your timeframe, unfortunately; if you put yourself on a training plan now, you won't get a benefit in a week's timeframe :-( Probably the best advice for now is about the shoes: you probably can't realistically do much to improve your speed or distance in a week; otoh you can sure as hell mess up your feet, ankles, knees etc. if you run in the wrong shoes.

Do you get a do-over if you miss?

jcwretlind

I am 6' 0" and 220 lbs, was about 250 a year and a half ago. Anyway, when I was training for a marathon last year, and for a similar test (Army), I did a lot of "light-pole" intervals. I live on the top of a 400' hill that climbs about 1 mile. So for my runs, I would warm up down the hills and then to the intervals: Walk 1 light-pole, run moderately for one, and sprint for 2-3 or as many as I could maintain at my fatest pace. I found that this increased my ability to keep a faster pace for the 2 mile run by increasing my VO2 max.

The other thing that was equally important was the rest days before the test. The body has to recover and rebuild the energy stores in the muscles. So for rest days, do 1 very short easy run or even walk -- and eat foods with plenty of complex carbs. Your legs will feel a lot better the day of the test after a rest day or even two. If you don't use the rest day, you might find that your legs (and core) will be fatigued and have nothing left for the test.

As a cyclist, I also train by riding 15-20 miles on a singlespeed, fixed gear (yes with brakes), bike. I fond that these rides work more of my core muscles and the entire leg. Don't overdo it though, or you will have sore knees. I don't sprint on that bike much, but just let the rolling hills where I live provide the challenge.

Good luck with the test!

wall

new shoes
lots of caffiene
a boatload of pain pills

and pray its downhill

wibnrml

I was formally a 10K road racer and high school cross country and track coach. I used to average 10 miles running per day. That said. This is my recommendation.
Pacing is key. Since you know that you have to finish less than 18 min. try to split the required time in intervals. Hopefully you will be tested on a 1/4 mile track. If so, break your required time down per lap. That would be 2min 25 sec. Any time over that, you are to slow and need to pick up the pace. If you need, write the splits on a piece of tape and tape it to your wrist.
Remember. No one ever got an award for winning the first 100 yards of a distance race. Start out slow, relaxed and pace yourself. If you are running with a group. LET THE RABBITS RUN! This is your time not theirs. If you are lucky to find someone who is running a similar pace, stick with them, follow behind and let them pull you along. It will be mentally easier on you and help you relax.

You don’t have much time to train before hand, and I would be afraid that any intensive training such as sprints and burst of speed could lead to injury (pulled muscles). Since this trial is important enough to not miss, you need to gradually build up to it by upping your distance daily. Also. Learn to relax your upper body. Keep your hands loose and between the hips and nips, move them forward and back to aid in forward momentum. Breathe easy and in rhythm though the mouth and nose. Relax the chest and shoulders, do not clench the teeth.

If you can, do a one mile trial run maybe 5 days before the test, so you can get an idea where you are at in conditioning and experience. Any questions just reply and I will get back to you.

Good luck and let us know how you did!

StanSeven

I agree there's not much you can do with training over the next few days. Since you made 1.2 miles running so far, my advice is make sure you can complete the distance. Alternate running a couple hundred yards and walking to cover 2.25 miles. Keep that up each day and increase the amount you run while decreasing the walk time. If you get overly tired, take a day off.

Also make sure you shoes are good as caincando1 says.

solveg

And go read the nipple thread if they start to hurt!

10 Wheels

Don't be concerned. If you are still breathing after the run they will hire you.

wibnrml

OH BOY! That's a BIG help!

flip18436572

OK, wear a tight fitting shirt as a base layer, or tape you nipples.

Good enough warning? :-0

10 Wheels

She might know about that than you do.

solveg

Not since my younger days when I went braless a lot. But, for the record, I like the idea of of the spray on bandaid, and plan to try that out next time. The petroleum jelly thing sounds like it would rub off.

wibnrml

Not going there on that one

Fribley

I cant thank everyone enough for the support and suggestions. This has been weighing alot on my mind lately, weather i should even attempt it or not?, can i do it?, is it worth it? These are questions i have been asking myself. Today was the first day that i really got myself to beleive i can do it. Like i said earlier i have NEVER attempted to try to run any distance, i played football and the most we would do was 100 yard sprints my coach didnt beleive in distance running, in gym class we had a weekly 1 mile run which wasnt strict at all and i walked most of it becuase it didnt matter for anything. I have a really good friend that was a cross runner in high school (i graduated 3 years ago for the the HS refernences) and he has been running with me the last 2 days, we snuck into the high school track tonight and did a little work after running about 1.7 miles on a MUP in 15:21. My first attempt at the full 2 miles will be tomorrow night on the track (i assume i will be running on a track for the test which has more spring to it then a MUP). I am also going to take the suggestions on buying new shoes, the two pairs i own one is five years old and the other is two and both are very very well past thier prime. I was told the only way to get an interview was the pass both the reading/writing tests and the physical agility test, so i assume its a one shot type of thing. I am not worried about the reading/writing at all and i think if i train pretty hard i will be able to pull this off. Again thanks for all the advice and tips. I love coming to this forum everyone here is an inspiration.

brewster1972

Spoken like a man who has never experienced the pain of nip rip.

BikEthan

Form can help a lot. I used to have all kinds of problems trying to run but the gym I go to teaches the POSE method of running which has saved my knees. I'd never run further than a mile and the last time I'd done a mile run was in jr. high school. But I went out and did a 5K (@ 3.1 miles) in a little over 24 minutes!!

This is the best article I've found online about it.

https://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/...technique.html

You can also check out youtube and just search for pose running.

Like anything else it may not be for you but it might help you out. Plus if you're running every day for the next week you'll have some good practice time and it may help you quite a bit.

Good luck!

wibnrml

So... Did you pass the test?

Fribley

Unfortunately i didnt. I was only able to do 36 "good form" situps and i needed to do 40. that was the first event and if you didnt pass one they didnt let you continue on with the others. I am still pretty happy with the effort i put into it though, other then bicycling which i just started in june i havent done any real form of exercise since high school and i think just finishing the two mile runs in preperation for it was quite an acomplishment for me. However the tuesday after i took the test i learned of a possible promotion where i currently work which i feel i have about a 90% of getting so i am not really too disappointed i wanted the other job becuase it paid better but i really like where i am at and if i get the promotion i will be doing pretty well.