How to be a better runner by a certain date...?

[jailbreak]

HI im in an academy in which we run everyday Mon through Fri. I have an exam on June 9th in which I am supposed to run 12:29 min for 1.5 miles in order to make it through the pt portion of the academy. I am not a big runner, but our trainer has us running everyday anywhere from 2 to about 3 miles in order to strengthen us for the run. We do a 6 min run everyday, at your own pace, before we start the pt session, then we work out and run some more...very exhausting. Anyway right now i can run 2.75 laps ( 4 laps is a mile) in 6 min. Will I be able to get better by jun 9th for the 12:29 time limit with us running daily, or is this unrealistic? by the way we've been running only 1.5 weeks now and i noticed i run a little better.

Updates

+1 y

My instructor has us running daily like anywhere from 2-3 miles plus pushups, crunches etc. When he has us run we cannot walk or stop, we have to continue to jog at some type of pace. I just need to fix my endurance.

Updates

+1 y

So today we ran for 8 min. i finished 3.25 laps in that time. Do i still have a chance by next month?

[Argus14]

Learn to run efficient. There's many styles out there like Pose and Chi running. Pick one and practice it. You'll learn that running with form is a lot easier than just kicking your legs.

Don't neglect speed training. Sprinting to be specific. Hill runs are great too. On off days jump rope. The act of jumping rope is more similar to running than people think.

When time for the test comes just run as hard as you can. If you're not puking by the end of it you didn't try hard enough.

[jailbreak]

but do you think i would be good by that date?

[Argus14]

If you put in the effort.

[jailbreak]

My instructor has us running daily like anywhere from 2-3 miles plus pushups, crunches etc. When he has us run we cannot walk or stop, we have to continue to jog at some type of pace. He has us doing sprinting for a half mile with intervals throughout the track as well. My problem is breathing and becoming fatigued

[Argus14]

If you're new to it then it's going to take time for your body to adjust. You should be good to go come time for your assessment. Just don't slack off.

[jailbreak]

lol they won't let us slack off. He actually watches us to make sure we never stop to walk

[DanAG]

Your pace is already right on the nose. Your pace is 5.5 laps in 12 minutes, and you need 6 laps in 12.5 minutes. So you need to work on your endurance so you don't hit a wall and slow down.

When it comes to the real thing, don't get over psyched and pace yourself too fast on the first few laps. That'll burn you out and you won't finish. Does anyone call the time after each lap so you know if you're pacing yourself right? If not you'll just have to learn to set your own pace.

[jailbreak]

I didn't do the calculations on that, but its 5.5 laps in 12 and half minutes? Thats pretty good i suppose. I try not to get overpsyched but i get nervous running because of shin splints i have too. I try to pace myself and it is hard because everybody in my academy is from the military with the exception of a few of us. But i didn't notice i was that close

[DanAG]

I just took your 2.75 laps in 6 minutes and doubled it. So that's 5.5 laps in 12 minutes. That leaves 29 seconds for the last 1/2 lap. That's faster than your current pace, but not something you can't overcome in a month. You'll need to shave off 5-6 seconds per lap. Plus allow for some slowing down toward the end.

If you are already pushing the limit, 5-6 seconds per lap can be a lot. But if you work on your style and endurance, you should be able to do it.

I'm far from being an expert in running. But I think you need to work on your style and endurance. You want to run efficiently. That means don't use energy for things that aren't necessary. Like don't tense up for example, and breath right (don't pant). If you tense up your arms and ball your fists, then you are wasting energy.

You're going to need to work on it, but you should be able to make it in a month.

[jailbreak]

Yeah man i hope so. I do have to work on my breathing a bit and i try to loosen up. When we do the morning 6 min run, i dont involve any sprints at all. I just jog at a tolerable pace. I think if i put in a sprint at the end i would make it. But i feel that im getting a little better i remember having trouble running that in 15 min. But once i get my breathing intact and learn how to not panic after a while i think things will work out.

[Anonymous]

Yes you will. You're already pushing yourself and putting in so much work. You're going to be fine by your test daye. Just keep doing what you're doing

[Anonymous]

Try the c25k app. It's meant to help you build up endurance