Need help developing a fitness program ( dietary and exercise )

[Blackjack272]

Hi folks!

I'm USMC AD, currently deployed, and have come to a conclusion.

I want to do something a bit different than just serve in a line unit. Where I want to go and what I want to do is of no concern here. The smarter ones here will pick up on this real quick once you read the end goals I state.

The end goal here is to be able to maintain a 6 minute mile pace for 3 miles, a 7 minute mile pace for 6 miles, and to sustain a decent pace for 9 miles. 20+ pullups before and after a workout, the ability to run with a 40-50 pound pack for quite some time, and be able to hit the O Course 6 times with 2 mile runs in between.

Other end goals are to refine my swimming technique ( I can swim... I'm an island boy at heart, love open ocean, but my technique is all jacked up. Currently a CWS2 because they wouldn't let me test for CWS1 ), and gain a greater understanding of how to get fit, and how to achieve and maintain those above standards.

My resources are as follows : we do have a gym, but I hate lifting weights when half the COP is waiting on you. I have miles of flat, open desert at decently low altitudes. We do have a few hills here with solid packed earth. I do have sandbags, and a mainpack and daypack ( ILBE issue. Don't have my old ALICE )

Additionally I have a decent chow hall here with all kinds of food, good and bad. KBR is the shizznit. Unfortunately there is no pool here, and I'll have to wait until I get back to Pendleton to find a MCWIS bubba to help me.

My timeframe is to achieve these standards by December of this year.

My limitations are prior shin splints and a stress fracture ( from hiking in Danner boots oddly enough? ).

Currently I can and do score a first class PFT in the 17-23 age range ( not an old man PFT ), but I want better. I have had high altitude training in Bridgeport CA, and am willing to do some work to get away from the 'check in the box' and 'good enough' attitudes of some of the folks here.

I need a bit of help figuring out something to work my way up to those standards, probably week by week, including what to eat. I don't know too much about the detailed part of fitness, but I do know that this needs to be done gradually and intelligently so I don't break myself and fall back in my program.

So. I got me an IPOD, lots of land and a gun. If you aren't motivated and prepared to discuss intense physical and mental growth...

... THEN GET THE HELL OUTTA THE WAY AND FOLLOW ME.

Educate me, M4C!

S/F

[lallhands]

To get your times down, there is only one real training regimen to recommend, and that is intervals. What you want to do is have a weekly mix of short, medium, and long runs with a day of timed interval training thrown in there. Intervals suck to run, but they really do work.

What you want to be wary of is overtraining. Building up to your goal, you will need to keep a calendar with planned runs and maintain running discipline. Your short run days are just as important as your longer runs.
For interval training, divide your mile goal pace into 1/8-mile, 1/4-mile, 1/2-mile distances. (i.e. 6 minute mile)

Using the goal times, run the following routine sequentially.
- Run 1/2-mile at goal pace (3:00)
- Walk or jog 1/4-mile
- Repeat 3-4 times

- Run 1/4-mile at goal pace (90 seconds)
- Walk or jog 1/8 of a mile
- Repeat 4-6 times

- Run 1/8-mile at goal pace
- Walk or jog 100 m (45 seconds)
- Repeat 4-6 times

Do this workout once a week combined with your longer runs during the week. In a few weeks, you will see your running pace increase and your mile times begin to drop while making your pace easier to maintain.

In the chart below I have laid out a typical marathon training schedule. The I’s are interval training, the T's are tune-ups (explained below) and the R’s are rest days. This schedule assumes that at week 1 you are already conditioned for 4 miles a day of running. In week 12 the distance diminishes as it is prepping you for your main timed event. You can scale this down to a 1/2 marathon easily by cutting the distances in half (But I would not run less than 2 miles in any given running day.



Every month you will need to have a tune-up run, this can be a PFT or a longer run if you like, but it is a timed event used to evaluate your conditioning. Your tune-ups should be roughly half the distance of your overall monthly target (i.e. 5k for a 10k, 10k for a ½ marathon, or a ½ marathon for a marathon). These are meant to test your pacing, mental conditioning, fueling, hydration, and gear in conditions that simulate what you will face in you goal.

Warm up. Do not stretch until you have warmed up for 5-10 minutes with jogging, jumping rope, or on some kind of cardio machine, but do stretch before each workout.

Get a GPS to track your progress on computer. I use a Garmin Forerunner 205 and it tracks my pacing and monthly progress very well. It also has nice lap features for running intervals.

Sleep as much as you can when training. Short afternoon naps (20 minutes or less) are very beneficial to recovery and try and get 8 hours per night if possible.

Test in the same gear you train in. Never break out something brand new for a test; be it a hydration system, shoes, shirt socks, etc! Break in your gear well before any testing.

As far as weight lifting goes, concentrate on upper body. It’s okay to do some lower body training, but running and ruck marching will adequately build those muscles.

Nutritionally speaking, you will burn a ton of carbs when training for this and you will need protein to build your muscles. I’m no doctor, but I do know that most distance runners average around 110 calories per mile with about 75% of those calories coming from carbohydrates. A typical runner can store approximately 1800 calories worth of carbohydrate in their muscles, liver and blood. That amount of carbohydrate will be depleted in about 22 to 23 miles which explains why most marathon runners “hit the wall” at that point in a race.

A training distance runner should be consuming a diet that is composed of between 65% and 70% carbohydrates. A typical runner's training diet is one that is around 65% carbohydrates – 25% protein – 10% fat. Of course all carbs are not created equally, you will want to focus on complex carbs that have a lower Glycemic Index or GI. These carbs tend to keep your blood glucose level and give you a steady supply of energy. You will be able to maintain your training runs for longer periods of time if your blood glucose is stable.

Below is a partial list of the GI of some common foods. This list uses glucose as the standard and has a rating of 100. The lower the number the better when selecting your carbs.

Breads
• White bread 96
• Waffle 76
• Donut 76
• Whole wheat bread 75
• Bread stuffing 74
• Kaiser rolls 73
• Bagel, white 72
• Melba toast 70
• Tortilla, corn 70
• Rye bread 65
• Whole wheat pita 58
• Pumpernickel bread 49

Cereals
• Puffed Rice 90
• Rice Chex 89
• Crispix 87
• Corn Flakes 84
• Corn Chex 83
• Rice Krispies 82
• Grapenut Flakes 80
• Cocoapops 77
• Cheerios 74
• Shredded Wheat 69
• Puffed Wheat 67
• Grapenuts 67
• Museli 66
• Life 66
• Cream of Wheat 66
• Bran Chex 58
• Oatmeal 55
• Special K 54
• All Bran 42

Crackers/Cookies
• Vanilla Wafers 77
• Rice Cakes 77
• Water Crackers 72
• Golden Grahams 71
• Stoned Wheat Thins 67
• Shortbread 64

Dairy
• Ice Cream 61
• Pizza cheese 60
• Ice Cream – low fat 50
• Milk – skim 32
• Yogurt – with sugar 33
• Yogurt – no sugar 14

Fruits
• Watermelon 72
• Dried fruit 70
• Pineapple 66
• Cantaloupe 65
• Blueberry 59
• Orange juice 57
• Mango 55
• Fruit cocktail 55
• Banana 53
• Kiwi 52
• Orange 43
• Grapes 43
• Pear 35
• Apple 35
• Strawberry 32
• Grapefruit 25
• Plum 25
• Cherries 23

Grains
• Rice – instant 88
• Millet 71
• Rice – white/not instant 70
• Cornmeal 68
• Rye flour 65
• Couscous 65
• Bran 60
• Buckwheat 54
• Bulgur 48
• Spirali, durum 43
• Barley, pearled 25

Legumes
• Fava beans 80
• Baked beans – canned 68
• Romano beans 46
• Black eyed peas 42
• Chick peas 33
• Split peas 32
• Lima beans – frozen 32
• Butter beans 31
• Black beans 30
• Lentils 29
• Beans – dried 29
• Kidney beans 27
• Soybeans 18

Pasta
• Brown rice pasta 92
• Refined pasta 65
• Gnocchi 65
• Whole grain – thick 45
• Angel hair 45
• Star Pastina 38
• Whole grain spaghetti 37
• Vermicelli 35

Vegetables
• Parsnips 97
• Potato – baked 85
• Potato – instant 83
• Pumpkin 75
• French fries 75
• Potato – fresh – mashed 73
• Rutabaga 72
• Carrot 71
• Beets 64
• New Potato 62
• Sweet corn 55
• Sweet potato 54
• Yam 51
• Tomato 38
• Green vegetables low
• Bean sprouts low
• Cauliflower low
• Eggplant low
• Peppers low
• Squash low
• Onions low
• Water chestnuts low

Miscellaneous
• Tofu frozen dessert 115
• Maltose 105
• Glucose 100
• Rice cake 82
• Jelly beans 80
• Pretzels 80
• Honey 73
• Corn chips 73
• Soft drink 70
• Angel food 67
• Sucrose 65
• Hamburger bun 61
• Sponge cake 54
• Chocolate 49
• Instant noodles 47
• Fructose 23

I hope this helps you in your training.

Good luck pal.

[Blackjack272]

Wow, outstanding. That's exactly what I'm looking for.

Two questions remain though -

1st - What happened to the chart? Can't see it anymore.

2nd - Where would running with weight fit into this?

Thanks again!

S/F

[WS6]

I would not run with weight personally. Especially if I had all these medical problems you outlined.

I am honestly not sure what to do for a 7-minute 6-mile goal. That is up there with dedicated long-distance runners. I would say that you need to decide what kind of body you want to build. You seem to want the cake and to consume it as well. To run a 7-minute mile, for 6 miles, is pretty extreme. To do this reliably you will not have a whole lot of body mass going for you, if you do, impact injury like you already sustained will own you. The best I could recommend is interval/HIIT training, but after hurting myself doing HIIT in new-balance running shoes, I honestly think that running flat out sucks. I don't do it anymore except 1 or 2 miles at a time. Maybe once a week.

To me, it sounds like you want to be a runner, forget functional strength above normal levels pretty much. At the level you will need to attain to do this running, you will look like a long-distance runner and function like one. Period. Muscle cannot live without being consumed in the environment you will be forming in your body. If this is what you want, then I suggest what the previuous poster did, intervals, working slowly up to your goal. Drop all extra body weight to help. Less you weight and less muscle-mass you have, the better off you are. Think Greyhound or Whippit.

[ballistic]

See Run Less, Run Faster for a scientifically proven method of improving your running speed. It works. As others have said, intervals and HIIT are the way to increase your speed.

The key feature is the "3 plus 2" program, which each week consists of:

-3 quality runs, including track repeats, the tempo run, and the long run, which are designed to work together to improve endurance, lactate-threshold running pace, and leg speed.

-2 aerobic cross-training workouts, such as swimming, rowing, or pedaling a stationary bike, which are designed to improve endurance while helping to avoid burnout.

You could incorporate the running into a program like P90X, it's no BS. It has a complete exercise and nutrition guide which spells out day to day what you need to do and eat. This program will increase peak athletic performance and functional strength, if you follow it, period. The Plyometrics routine will be especially helpful for your fitness goals. For equipment, all you need is a heart rate monitor (which you'll need for the running program mentioned above), a pull-up bar and a set of dumbells.

[Blackjack272]

You've got a point.

Here's the issue. I'm eyeballing a few other units in the Marine Corps with extremely high physical fitness standards. From all accounts I've heard, the majority of what they do is swimming, running, and running with packs, armor, etc. extended distances.

I can't necessarily forgo upper body strength, nor can I sacrifice everything to achieve insane distance running ability. However, the end goal here is to be able to do pack runs like when I was outside of the military.

I know there needs to be a balance. I don't know how to find it without destroying this body.

S/F

[lallhands]

Wow, outstanding. That's exactly what I'm looking for.

Two questions remain though -

1st - What happened to the chart? Can't see it anymore.
S/F

1st chart was same as the 2nd, only uglier because it was unformatted text. The new chart replaced it. If you can't see it any longer I can send it to you via email if you like.

2nd - Where would running with weight fit into this?
S/F

I have to agree with WS6 on this, especially with your injury history. Weights may be something you incorporate later in your un-times shorter routines once you have healed up adequately, but not until your body is fully healed.

Also, you need to get a good pair of running shoes fitted to your body's running stlye as soon as you can. It makes a very big difference to go to a running store and have a professional evaluate your run and suggest a shoe that matches your stability needs. This does not cost any more, but will make a huge difference.

Additionally, for your long workouts (>10K) you may want to carry some fuel in addition to your hydration. I like to use Gu Sports Gel for longer workouts.

[Hawkeye]

.......

[BravoCompanyUSA]

My limitations are prior shin splints and a stress fracture ( from hiking in Danner boots oddly enough? ).

Whatever type of regiment you choose, take whatever precautions you can to not further injure this area.
I was a PT stud, but lost that battle very badly and was sent home. Not sure what advise I can even give you. The advise I received (20 yrs ago) was to "stay off it", which really isn't very helpful to an 0311. Find out if there are some better precautions in 2009 in an effort to achieve your goal and stay healthy.

S/F
Paul

[WS6]

All I can say is that I don't know about you and running currently.

Shin splints and stress fractures point to underlying problems:

Shoe-fit
Running technique
nutrition/rest/work-out balance being off

Like suggested, you NEED! to heal up and correct the above (possible) deficiencies before you undertake this. I have a friend who ran. I mean he RAN. Guy was always a runner. Has done a marathon, and at one point lost 60# in less than a year. Running. He was single-digit body fat, barely benching his 140# body weight for 1 rep. He still could not run at the level you are shooting for.

All of these helpful posts are...helpful. THey are good. The information is solid. However, I feel that your goal is not realistic given the other requirements for your body that you have outlined. What you are telling us is that you want a car that runs the 1/4 mile in 8 seconds, pulls a party-barge, and seats 8 while lapping the Nuhrimburge in record-time.

You need to decide if you want to have good long-distance running ability and good strength, or if you want LOTS of strength, with minimal long-distance ability, or vice versa. Muscle-mass is a distance-runner's enemy just as much as fat is. It is extra, worthless weight. Pecs, back, arms, all worthless to a LD runner. They atrophy. Here is an illustration of the body-type and mass distributon you will end up with if you achieve your running goals:



This is more what I think you are after:



See the difference? The sprinter is about explosion. Power. Force. The endurance runner is all about minimal consumption of oxygen required to fuel minimal amount of muscle necessary to travel "X" distance at "X" speed. Pecs, back, arms, anything else not used for locomotion is just a waste of oxygen. It atrophies.

That marathon runner may run me into the ground in a mile or so, but when he catches me, I am going to break him in half. That sprinter...well whether he caught me in 10 feet or 20, I would not be happy about it.

Perhapse I am jaded, but every time I catch myself working out, hand to hand combat superiority or survivalism or function enhancement is the goal. Why else would I modify my body beyond what is considered "healthy" except to become more durable or useful in any environment? That marathon runner is not someone I want watching my back in any circumstance that doesn't involve "Run for help man!"