<p>With less than 5-1/2 weeks left to prepare for BCT, how is everyone feeling? Prepared? Worried? Sore? Confident? Anxious? All of the above depending on the day???
I would especially like to hear from some “non-runners” that have transformed themselves into runners. How did you do it? I’m taking any and all tips at this point. As you can see, I am not a big runner, but have been running short distances everyday (not many longer than 2 miles) for at least two months now. I have an upcoming 5K race next weekend to compete in to give me a short term goal.
Can’t seem to take my runs regularly into the three mile range because I seem to develop shin splints. Am I doomed? I do have great upper-body strength so I hope that can compensate for my weaknesses at times. How about you cross-country people out there? Any training tips for non-runners?
From what I gather it looks like we’ll be tested on a 600m run, a 1.5 run, and I think a long distance (?). Will we be tested right away at BCT on these?</p>
<p>Traning tips? For shin splints, run on grass. Get some really good shoes. Saucony (sock-a-knee) are great. Ice your legs after practice. It's also better (to me) to run by time, say 30-50 minutes rather than miles. Or by both.</p>
<p>What about running in our boots? I need to break my boots in and wonder if running in them is a good/bad idea. I don't need leg problems at this time. I heard that in basic we will have to run five miles in our boots, is this true? Ouch!</p>
<p>It makes sense that you should break in your boots and also run in them, because you will have to run in them at the academy. However, in my opinion it is better to run in actual running shoes in order to train for endurance. Perhaps you could alternate between the two, running longer distances (or greater times) in the good running shoes. Also consider investing in shoe inserts to cushion your feet. As a five-year veteran of cross-country, I have found inserts to be very useful. But as some people have mentioned in other posts, be careful because these inserts do not always work for some people. As far as shin splints go--they are the body's reaction to suddenly running a lot after never running much at all. After consistent training (and icing) they should go away, but do not count on them to leave soon. I ceased having shin splints after my first season or so of cross-country. Good luck in your training for AFA as I train for Spaatz and the PFT...</p>
<p>By the way, regarding icing for shin splints...I know there are many ways to ice your shins, but a way I like is to put water in a Dixie Cup and freeze it. Then, after it is frozen, tear away the paper and vigorously rub the hard ice on your shins. It seems to be more efficient than using a bag of dripping ice...JMHO.</p>
<p>Just watch out that you don't change your running style AT ALL if you shins are hurting. I did this to try to stay competative for my schools varsity cross country season this year, and ruined the entire season by screwing up other things. If you modify your run or run awkward it's best to stay off it for a week then get back to it. I ended up tearing/injuring so many other things when I changed running styles that i could only run one good race the entire season. It's not worth it!...especially if you want to be at your best for BCT.</p>
<p>I recommend running in your boots to break them in... although in all honesty, there's a pretty good chance you'll end up with blisters in BCT regardless of how much you break them in. I'm not really sure how far you all will be required to run in boots, as I think thing's ahve changed a little in the past 3 years (so I won't speculate). The two runs you will be tested on are the 600 (which is part of the Physical Fitness Test) and the 1.5 mile (for the Aerobic Fitness Test). </p>
<p>You will be given both of these tests in BCT, and although the scores are recorded, they serve more as a baseline than anything else. After BCT, once every semester you will have to do both of the tests. </p>
<p>Concerning shin splints, they suck, and they really do not make BCT enjoyable (as would be expected).</p>
<p>hey airforcetwo</p>
<p>well u guys do as u please...but airforce two do not run in your boots at any cost. also i would invest in a good pair of running shoes and i mean dont just go to any finishline store to buy running shoes. go to an expert, many cities have small local shops dedicated just to runners, go to one of those. the guys there will actually look at ur feet, how u walk, and what ur stride looks like. from there they will recommend the best shoe and inserts to wear. also ur shin splint problem not much u can do about it but hope u get through it. however do take some steps to prevent it from becoming tendonitis. ice them every day before and after runs, stretch a couple times a day even if ur not running, use compression bandages on them while u run. all of these will reduce inflamation and reduce the pain a little bit. if its really bad start popping ibuprofen like tic-tacs, these will help with inflamation. but w/e u do dont just let them take a natural course of action withouth treating them cuz that will cause tendonitis and u wont be walking for a couple weeks, especially since u said ur strong in ur upper body u might be packing some weight which puts more stress on ur shin splints. also run on the grass and increase ur mileage...u should not be running two miles a day and then trying to attempt a 5k. a 5k race with the current training ur doing is near ur "collapse point" as referred to by runners. also since u will be doing 5 mile runs i would suggest to start logging in about 35 miles a week, and u can split that up in a day to ease ur shin splints. for example run 3 in the morning and then maybe another 3 in the afternoon.
and good luck!</p>
<p>o and hey one more thing....dont run in ur boots lol thats just stupid. what u should do is go out on the road and run barefoot. trust me its a lot better and ur feet will adapt and get stronger. ive done it various times and it works.</p>
<p>Disagree with above (almost) completely. 35 miles per week is FAR more than you need to do. You'll never really need to run farther than 3 miles or so at USAFA, though you may do so recreationally. 2-4 miles per day (or 20-40 minutes) is sufficient. DO run in your boots, but not on consecutive days. Take at least one day off from running each week. Do not run barefoot on the road. (I assume that was a joke). Popping ibuprofen like tic-tacs? Are you kidding me? davborrego--get serious or get edited. BTW--I'm a VERY experienced runner with probably faster PRs after I turned 40 than anyone on this forum--except a recruited XC runner (2:45 marathon).</p>
<p>about shin splints--
my dad was a cross country star in high school (his team won state and all that, he had a 4:32 mile), and he's given me a lot of suggestions on shin splints, some of which work better than others. the main one he used to do is thrown a wet towel on the floor and then sit on a chair and scrunch up the towel bit by bit with your toes. you can also do the alphabet with your feet, getting a full range of motion through your ankles. one thing people do to prevent them (i don't know how well it works to get rid of them, though) is crouch down and touch the ground with your hands for balance, then rock your weight back and forth and side to side. anyway, supposedly the towel thing works best. good luck getting ready for the academy!</p>
<p>Here's some hope for all of you. I'm the 50-year old father of a soon-to-be West Point cadet. I'm in reasonably good shape fitness-wise but probably 25 pounds overweight. I ran two half-marathons this past year - with relatively minimal training (20 miles per week) - and I did them both in under two hours. And I agree with Doc France - forget about the 35 miles per week unless you're training for a marathon. Last, be careful about the shoe inserts for cushioning - good running shoes are properly designed and the inserts can throw off your normal gait.</p>
<p>Here's a couple of suggestions.</p>
<p>Top priority is conditioning. Although sore feet are a pain, lack of conditioning will be a killer. Therefore start your conditioning in comfortable good quality running shoes. Don't try to run in your boots right away since it will be harder to keep your conditioning program going if you have sore feet. </p>
<p>First break in the boots walking for several miles rather than running. Once you have some conditioning behind you, you can run in the boots.</p>
<p>Get a running buddy or buddies. You will run much further and frequently with a group and a schedule. </p>
<p>Agree with BigGreen. Don't use inserts unless you have a specific foot problem that needs to be addressed. Invest in some good quality running shoes ($100+) and have them properly fitted at a store that specializes in running shoes - not your shoe carnival salesman.</p>
<p>Finally, if you are allowed to use them, get some liner socks and some good quality,non-cotton running socks. These are essential for both running and walking.</p>
<p>Good advice, Aspen. Sock liners are a very good suggestion--very thin nylon or polypro. I also suggest vaseline between the toes and on known hotspots before you put on the socks. I'll usually slather my toes all up before doing a 14er--hopefully, the weather will be good enough to do my first one of the season next Sunday!</p>
<p>I don't see the reason to worry so much about shin splints. Sometimes I think they're almost psychological. If you do get shin splints, most of the time it's just because you don't run very often. Just tone it down if you do get them. Usually if you have good shoes, and don't have utterly terrible running form, you'll be safe from most injuries. Just be a little careful. Also, I ran in the boots a few miles just once, they're not that bad, and they are pretty comfortable. I wear them just walking around all the time and I never felt that they were uncomfortable. Just hot. </p>
<p>Generally I feel that if you are used to running a good distance, you will not have any problems with blisters or shin splints. If you don't run very often, just take it a little slower at first so you can get adjusted. And if you're really worried about getting hurt go run on a track. It might be boring but it cushions your feet better (if it's a softer track)</p>