Training Issues

1 teaspoon a day or less if your diet is salty already

Yeah, too much salt. I'll give it a try and see!

You need to train more, my man. I suggest you to cycle everyday, somewhat high intensity to improve your cardio and heal your shin splints. Run on grass, if possible, and cycle on rest days

Any recommendation on training length? 30 min, hour? etc.

>And that’s even after sucking down 2 PowerGels (with some water) prior to the run

For a run of that distance in that time a relatively healthy normal young adult should be able to just up and do it from cold.

If you really are that desperate for advice then take some caffiene (100-200mg is all you need) about 20-30 minutes before your run which is about the time needed before it hits your system and it is demonstrably shown to enhance performance.

Make sure your limbs are nice and warmed up and don't forget to take several deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling quickly, just to warm up your lung muscles and diaphragm - an often neglected pre-workout warm-up.

I'll take any advice I can get. I'll give it a shot.

At least 30 minutes, but push a little harder If you can. The good thing about the bike is that you'll improve endurance without the impact, which is giving you shin splints.

Done deal. My plan is to run 3 times a week and bike on the off days. At least 30 minutes - labor intensive.

Good Luck user. Also, look into reverse calf raises to strenghten your shins.

The real advice is to be in proper shape before trying to enter the fire academy.

Why are you taking medicine for shin splints instead of working on your gait?

Your pace time is completely wrong. I don't know why you mentioned it. You think you're between 9:30-10:30 but your actual pace is 11:51 per mile.

The ACTUAL basics you forgot to mention is what kind of training have you done up to this point for this? Then, once given what training you've done so far we can point out what mistakes you're making in your training that you can fix to improve.

1.5 miles in 16 minutes should be easy to do. Either your training or your health is fucked somewhere if you can't do it (and are actually training for it).

I'm too lazy to read the thread, but the best way to git gud with short distance running like that is sprints.
We do 60/120's in the army.
It helps massively for the 2 mile run.

I legit thought I was. The run is literally the only thing holding me back.

Because they flare up on every run. At this point, I'm trying to push through by any means.

Training:
1.5 Mile runs 3x a week - Off days consist of biking and walking. This regiment has occurred for the last 2 months. The month prior I did an extreme cutting diet coupled with 30 min of treadmill or 1 hour of elliptical to be less of a fat body.

Listen man, you're preaching. I'm trying to figure this thing out so I can get on with life. Could lack of carbs be the killer?

I'll give it a shot. I've got 2 1/2 weeks - I'll try damn near anything at this point.

I don't know if you're still here but I'm going to respond as if you are.

I had shin splints when I started running and they were because my gait was poor. You need to fix the way you run. Shin splints are going to make you run worse and are even worse for your wellbeing. Taking medicine is like buying bandaids so you can keep cutting yourself. Work on your gait dude.

Next, if you're doing "extreme" cutting as you describe it that can hurt your progress. You may want to slow down. You should also run more than 1.5 miles or do sprints. Not changing up your routine is equivalent to going to the gym and lifting the same exact weight forever. You're not going to make much progress that way (if any).

Still here.

Don't get me wrong, I try different running strides and paces - I just havent found the right one yet. And with the test being so close, I figured I could always work on it after I get past the test.

I've stopped the cutting, and am experimenting with different sources of carbs to see if that will impact my lack of energy throughout the run.

I didn't run today or take any NSAIDs as I am hella sore. But I did bike for 30 minutes and brisk walk for 30. I agree with you, I'll need to drag out my milage on the running. I've got 2 1/2 weeks. Lets get it done.

take Cardarine 20 mg a day, your cardio will explode

>Cardarine 20

Sounds good - but it also sounds like it would pop on a drug test. Probably not the best choice going in.

As a long time runner and career firefighter I have just the one piece of advice. Please dont become a firefighter. If you cant muster the strength to pass that basic test your are clearly not cut out for the job. You simply wont manage when youre actually asked to do something difficult on the job. Seriously man, this isn't the career for you.

Man if you can run 1.5miles in under 15min you are no way in any kind of "shape"

Quit worrying about your electrolytes and water and worry about...actually training.

Most people who are in shape can run that distance under 15min while hungover and running on no sleep.

Run 15-20miles a week for a month and you'll get under 15min easily

No way. I will break bone if its necessary to achieve this goal and I will continue to build my athletic foundation. I have worked too long and too hard to get this far just to turn around now. While I have the utmost respect for your current position - I will not deter nor will I give up.

Unless you're going to compete at the fucking olympic games or at the Tour de france don't worry about getting tested for that

I gotcha - Guess I've got some work to do in a short amount of time.

While i understand and appreciate you're determined you have already failed the test TWICE. So you won't "break bone" otherwise you'd have nailed it the second time round. I know you won't take my original advice try this - RUN MORE, RUN OFTEN. The test is nothing compared to the job man. You should attempt to shit it in, not scrape in.

I'll take that latter advice. I will run. Every day or should I take a day of recovery in between? You've seen it and done it - what say you?

As for this second attempt - I literally ran out of energy. I can't explain it. I had so much at the start of the push-ups and sit-ups, and even sitting in the line up for the run. Half way through it was like I was running on fumes. Absolutely no energy.

Run every second day. A few miles at a slower pace. On the other days work on your dragging, carrying shit etc.

That's the wrong way to look at it. Gait is not some new lift you try at the gym. It's how you run every time. You need to work on how you run sooner rather than later. All you have to do is look into what you're doing wrong and focus on running in a proper way. Or look into if your shoes are bad (my shoes were bad AND I had a poor gait when I started running). Don't leave it to later. Do it now.

The equivalent to not fixing this problem is like me going to the gym and squatting with poor form saying (I'll fix it later). The longer I take to fix my form the worse my progress will be. I'm just wasting time if I don't fix it.

As for running, when I first started running a couple years ago I did 3x a week (did Couch to 5k plan). When I started running again this summer I just ran every other day. When I started the summer the most I had ever run in one session was maybe 3.5 miles. I started running at the start of this summer and after 3 weeks I was able to do 10 miles with a pace of 9:40 or so.

I don't know if I was special but I feel like running is very similar to lifting in that you can make huge noob gains if you have a decent routine, eat right, and work hard. Your gains have been way too slow. You're doing one of these poorly. The fact that you are getting shin splints every time shows you're fucking up in that area and need to fix it. The fact that you were extreme cutting before means you might not be eating well enough now. Then you just need to work on your program.