<p>How many days a week do you guys run? Just curious, trying to adapt my running schedule to the norm.</p>
<p>There are many excellent running/work out schedules on the internet, personally I try to run atleast 1.5 miles a day. I am also on the cross country team and we practice 4 times a week Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat and we generally run minimum 3.5 miles plus running up and down all the stairs in our football stadium a couple of times.</p>
<p>some good websites are </p>
<p><a href="http://aquadoc.freeservers.com/fitness.htm%5B/url%5D">http://aquadoc.freeservers.com/fitness.htm</a> This has two 9 week "Navy Seal" type programs. They are very very good I highly recomend them. It focuses on the 4 main physical aspects needed for the academy. Push Ups, Pull ups, sit ups, and running.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.baseops.net/militarybooks/rangerschool.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.baseops.net/militarybooks/rangerschool.html</a> Some excellent information on ranger type training not as comprehensive as the site above</p>
<p><a href="http://www.usmchq.com/usmcresources/bootcamp.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.usmchq.com/usmcresources/bootcamp.htm</a> A very nice thurough 8 week program for USMC, It focuses more on strength training though and weight lifting, which I'm a strong advocate of body weight exercises :)</p>
<p>Well, I'm not in bad physical shape. I maxed out 3 events on the CFA (Pullups, pushups, situps) and ran a 6 minute mile. I'm just more curious if you guys think we should be running 3,4, or 5 days a week. I've been keeping up my lifting routine, I figure I'll end just before June and use the rest of the time for body weight stuff. Anyway, I'm as much concerned about routines for the whole body, more so what people think about how much/ how far we should be running. Appreciate the posts!! :D</p>
<p>im on the cross country team, and i semdom have a day under 6 miles, 6 or 7 days a week. but i'm pretty serious about it and my team is second in the state. I would recomend running 30 minutes at least 4 days a week. 5 would be better. After that you should have no problem with the running.</p>
<p>Edit: I'm Not As Much Concerned***</p>
<p>For most people: Don't run more than every other day. Running everyday can lead to injury, especially if you haven't run regularly before...</p>
<p>I run about 12 miles a week... no more than that.</p>
<p>"For most people: Don't run more than every other day. Running everyday can lead to injury, especially if you haven't run regularly before..."</p>
<p>I agree that you dont want to start out running more than four days a week or so. But as long as you have the right shoes, and you stretch before and after runs there should not be a problem with most people running every day. Just listen to your body, and if it is too worn out or something hurts then take a day or two off. Instead bike or swim, those are both good ways to cross train for running.</p>
<p>P.S. I've been running for about 4 years, and in the summer I regulary run 60 mile weeks. You just have to work up to it.</p>
<p>Well, I am currently running 2-6 miles daily because I am on my track team, although I take sat or sun off. I only started running 3 weeks ago and I'm already at that pace, and I started off at a daily as well. Since starting I have gotten from a 8:30 mile (I was really out of shape) to a 6:00ish mile. That's just 3 weeks! I've found that the hardest part is just getting out and doing it yourself, so that's why I joined the track team, and even more, the distance runners! Trust me, I'm not a natural runner, but it is necessary for me to get into West Point, and so I have enough motivation to do it even when I'm just dying.</p>
<p>Therefore, I suggest a minimum of 2 miles daily (take a break on the weekend, just one day though) and work up to at least 5 miles daily before you get to WP. I would also suggest not taking a break beforehand to do other training. You should train concurrently with running, and not take extensive breaks, max of 2 or 3 days. It's amazing how fast you can lose the stamina you have worked up. Again, do not take too extensive breaks!</p>
<p>Oh, and like lygonair said, as long as you have good shoes (make sure they are RUNNING shoes, not cross-trainers or basketball shoes: I prefer Saucony or Adidas) and you stretch, you should be good. I suggest doing a 5-10 min warmup at an easy pace, then stretching, then do 15-20 min at a distance pace, then go easy for a couple minutes, then kick it up and go 85%-95% of max for 5 min. Do a couple sprints and then cool-down with a 5 min jog. Finally, stretch! and drink lots of water. If you stretch after your workout you can help yourself tremendously for the next day. Trust me, I've NOT stretched before after the workout and regretted it the next day.</p>
<p>I hope this helps anyone who is looking to get serious about running, and obviously I'm not an expert, that's just what works for me. BTW, I have a track meet tomorrow (my first one) and I'm running 4x800, and that's a tough race. Wish me luck!</p>
<p>Good luck on that first track meet. And keep us posted on your progress this season.</p>
<p>good luck on the race. 4x800 is the hardest in track.</p>
<p>Just a few words of advice re: running shoes. I myself am not a runner but I have three boys that are. My 15 year old is a top state placer with a 16:20 5K and a sub 4:30 mile. </p>
<p>If you are not a seasoned runner, find a store that is knowledgeble in running footware. A good shoe for one runner may be the next runner's source for an untimely injury that can nag you for months. Even if you don't run track or XC, ask your high school's track/XC coach for a good shoe source.<br>
Some stores that specialize in running shoes have you try on many different shoes and video your stride and foot rotation. Don't hesitate to tell your sales person that you are preparing for one of the academies. Also let them know what type of surface(s) you plan to train on (track, gravel, blacktop, concrete, trails, grass.....). </p>
<p>Parent's, don't be surprised if you or your runner have to spend +/- $100 on the correct shoe. If cost is a factor, ask if the shoe you want is still available in last years model (sometimes the manufacturers make only minor adjustments as they introduce this season's color). </p>
<p>Think back to when you or your child got to wear your/their NEW sneakers to pre-school. Don't you remember how fast the NEW shoes made you/them run? Do you remember how much higher you/they could jump?<br>
OK...OK... I know I'm rambling. I hope this flashback will make you smile and remember you/they will be leaving home soon. :)</p>
<p>If you do find yourself injured (like myself) or unable to run for whatever reason, try swimming. I try to go 3 times a week (along with a pull-up, push-up, sit-up, and row routine in between) and it has done a lot in maintaining my lung/heart stamina. Its also helped relieve some of the frustration/anxiety of not being able to train in running.
I would concur with the "get the right shoes" advice. Part of my problem is that I just discovered that I have slightly flattened arches, and when that was combined with a screwed up hip it turned into a stress fracture last fall.</p>
<p>envee06: Try running in a pool with a flotation belt. It is an excellent way to keep in running shape if you are unable to run. It is tough to do (mentally and physically) but worth it. I had problems before an ultramarathon a few years back and did much of my training in a pool.</p>
<p>I usually start off with a 5 minute warm up, 15 minutes breaststroke, and then 15 minutes of "water running". Thanks for the advice. :)</p>
<p>The Asics GT-2010 is the best for me. I run long distance, and the shoe offers the support I need (flat feet). I replace them every 600 miles or so (and I've gone through...quite a few pairs). I got them cheap around Christmas time ($53 from Dick's). They're usually around $80-$90, but they're worth it. (Most Asics are decent/excellent.)</p>
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<p>It really depends on the person. Like mo3b said, go find a store that specializes in running shoes. They can test your stride, etc. by putting you on a windmill and figure out what kind of shoe you should get according to your natural arch, foot width, etc. I strongly suggest doing so, it can really save your life (or rather, your feet).</p>
<p>For running shoes, I recommend giving yourself the "wet foot test." Simply wet your foot in a shower, then press it onto a paper bag. If you can see the entire bottom of your foot, you have flat feet. If you see only about half of the middle of your foot, you have a normal arch. If you see less than half of the middle of your foot, you have a high arch. </p>
<p>For flat feet, you should get shoes labeled "motion control."
For normal arched feet, you should get shoes labeled "stability."
For high arched feet, you should get shoes labeled "cushioned."</p>
<p>I went to the minimall and PX on Ft. Bragg and all the running shoes had labels identifying what type of shoe it was. I learned about the "wet foot test" from a pamphlet they had there.</p>
<p>Since I have normal arched feet, I ended up getting the New Balance 857's, which are labeled as stability. So far, I am very pleased with my selection. If your local shoe store doesn't have labels on their shoes, you can go to <a href="http://www.newbalance.com%5B/url%5D">www.newbalance.com</a> and they tell you what type of foot each shoe is made for. For brands of running shoes, I would recommend New Balance or Asics (from personal experience and word of mouth, respectively).</p>
<p>Running is very important; just be sure to purchase a new pair of running shoes approx 1 month prior to USMA - slightly broken in and comfortable. I suggest you consider hiking in those new ACU boots weekly also. My son carrys 40-50 lbs in his back pack and walks/hikes 6+ miles each week. A completely different workout from Xcountry or track running. Now he has totaly new blisters to deal with.</p>
<p>You'll be getting almost all of your blisters from the low-quarters, not the boots. You will RARELY be in ACUs the first 3 weeks. 2nd Detail you'll be in them the whole time, but the boots are so comfortable it shouldn't be that big of a deal. I didn't break in my boots at all beforehand. You'll find that after long rucks, it's the bottoms of your feet that hurt. I'm not really sure why, but they do.</p>
<p>We sent our daughter a bucket load of band-aids (one envelope at a time) those first 3 weeks of the first detail. She complained of the same thing--the low quarters were the worst--boots were no problem at all.</p>