<p>Good thing today was a boot day! My son ran at a metro park thismorning and was "greeted" by a more than friendly dog. The dog took a nip at the ankle but only got a taste of leather.</p>
<p>No inserts in my kid's boots.</p>
<p>momof3boyz- The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. I've also been legitimately attacked by my fair share of dogs while out on runs- rotweilers, pitbulls, you name it. I once had to punch a pitbull in the face and throw a rock at its head to keep it from killing me. Then the owner came out and got mad at me for "hurting it".</p>
<p>I've been running 4 miles in the morning with boots, then anywhere from 4 to 8 miles in the evening with running shoes (both to avoid the mid-day heat). For the first few times out with the boots, it was hard to keep pace, but I've kinda gotten used to them now. To me, instead of the boots feeling really heavy, it now just feels like my running shoes are really light.</p>
<p>For you lady appointees, physical condition is even more important than it is for the guys. You might expect there to be some leniency for the women of a flight in BCT, but this is not the case at all. Being female earns you absolutely no sympathy if you cant keep up physically. In fact, the opposite is more likely to be true. You may actually receive more attention than a guy who struggles. You will be expected to keep up with the guys on everything from pushups to formation runs. Just as for the guys, you will be despised and ostracized by your flight if you fall out of runs or lay on the ground because you can't do another pushup. If this happens, I promise you will be miserable. The Academy is a man's world, and you must keep up. Only on the official test (PFT and AFT) will you be held to a different standard than the guys. </p>
<p>I hope I'm not coming across too starkly, but I think you should know what to expect. All this said, I don't want you to think the culture towards women is bad here. We have high expectations, but these standards also give you the opportunity to be accepted completely as an equal. I've never before related to women the way I do here, just like I might another member of the basketball team. Also, BCT is a very isolated and extreme little world in itself. Once you get out of it, some measure of normalcy returns. You can be a girl again and the guys will become more protective again.</p>
<p>This is of course all based on my own observations. Maybe the other cadets on here can give different perspectives.</p>
<p>holy crap 4 miles in my boots today... we'd better never have to run that far in boots during basic.</p>
<p>We just may...you never know. It's better that you get used to it now, rather than have to do it for the first time there.</p>
<p>I ran in my boots and broke them in and wore them to school. So they better be the right kind of boots for BCT!</p>
<p>As long as you bought them from a DoD-issue supplier and they're DoD-issue boots, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Just so you know, from my searching it is IMPOSSIBLE to buy the DoD-issue boots except at a military base/military supply store.</p>
<p>I had to get mine online because my dad's military base didn't even have them. That was real scary having to guess my boot size when ordering them online.</p>
<p>I went to a surplus store to size them, then ordered online. I have to actually run instead of jog. Running seems harder to me (with boots).</p>
<p>"To me, instead of the boots feeling really heavy, it now just feels like my running shoes are really light." It's starting to feel like that now, but not completely.</p>
<p>You can buy them online from a DoD-supplier IF you have a military ID card. I drove 3 hours to a base. That was fun.</p>
<p>yep having a military ID comes in handy</p>
<p>We'll all have those soon...</p>
<p>Random question about BCT... do they read postcards outloud? They did this in army SF training for my brother, and I wrote him some humiliating messages. I'm scared he's going to get me back huge. It'll be hilarious, but I will get so smoked.</p>
<p>they're not really supposed to any more, but it does happen sometimes</p>
<p>Sorry everyone took the day off from work yesterday
To answer your question yes run with the boots on 4 miles, you need to get used to the heavy weight on your foot i remember thinking the same thing but after awhile it just becomes natural which will help you when you run.
They do read postcards alowed only if you seem suspicous if you absolutly dont want them too you can say give it back or something and they will.
Dont have anyone send you candy because bad things happen.
And as far as the girls go in basic... from a guys perspective who is athletic from playing sports all his life, as long as you try and dont give up... most guys will give you credit, however if you say you cant do it or you quit all respect is lost and sympathy lost. Just remember that. Try the whole thing untill you pass out and you'll get your respect.</p>
<p>Looks like everyone ignored surfnkid. What he said is probably one of the most important things you'll hear on this forum. Just goes to show that people only accept what they want to hear.</p>
<p>I listened...and I'm glad I did.</p>
<p>And about the boots...you can run all you want in them, it won't help out much. Only time you'll run in them is almost always in formation, which is usually painfully slow especially if you have weak links in your flight. They'll break in fine during 1st beast, by the time I got to Jack's they were more comfortable than my sneakers. For now wear them for walking around and maybe hiking but anything else and you're wasting your time.</p>
<p>Well, not really. The boots are considerably heavier than normal running shoes. By wearing them, in addition to breaking them in, you are getting a better workout and building up your leg muscles more.</p>
<p>Not to mention running in them is a great way to break them in, since its more movement.</p>
<p>They are heavy though...glad to know we'll be going slow if we run in them.</p>