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Originally Posted by jon448
Sir,
My problem is neither speed nor weakness, its more of an endurance problem. My 2 mile run time is about 13:30 but once I'm beyond around 3 and a half miles I just die, I have a feeling it's just a need to get more mileage in.I have the same problem with rucking, once I'm beyond 6 or 7 miles I just hit a wall.
That's why I would consider it my weak point. I was asking the question from an endurance perspective, ie would it help my endurance more to lift then run because of the energy expended lifting qould make the run harder, or does it make more sense to run then lift a little later.
I still have at least a year before I plan on shipping out so there's plenty of time to rectify the situation. Thanks for the advice on the spilt workouts, I'll try those until classes start and see how they help.
Jon
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Let's see. A 13:30 run means you can run 6:45 minute miles for two miles. Not too bad overall, but most people have the potential to run much faster than that.
Your question is about endurance. If you can run 6:45 miles for two miles, you should be able to run 4-6 miles at an "airborne shuffle" which is the pace of many group formation runs. This pace can vary but is usuallly somewhere between 8-9 min miles. I've seen people still drunk from the night before survive these "strolls" on many occasions.
I'm guessing you are trying to maintain your 2 mile pace while running 3.5 miles when you say you die. If this is the case, your body is most likely relying heavily on anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism to supply the working muscles with the fuel they need to contract, which is adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
ATP fuels all muscle contractions, whether it's blinking your eye or running 10 miles. Runners with better aerobic (with oxygen) power have to rely less on anaerobic metabolism, since they can supply more of their energy needs from the aerobic system.
Some signs your body is relying heavily on anaerobic metabolism are: Increased, heavy breathing, decreased coordination, decreased mental awareness, and eventually, an abrupt decrease in athletic performance.
Our body's energy production takes place in a complex biochemical process know as the krebs cycle/citric acid cycle/tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA).
The body thrives on oxygen. At rest, easy walking, etc., we are almost purely "aerobic." When exercise pace/intensity increases, working muscles will require more freshly oxygenated blood than the left ventricle of the heart can pump. The body compensates for this deficiency through anaerobic metabolism, which means the muscles will get the ATP they need to vigorously contract, but there will be a price to pay.
If there is insufficient oxygen in the working muscle cells (e.g. fast running pace), lactic acid will be formed from a process called "anaerobic glycolysis." When lactic acid degrades and spills into the bloodstream it's called "lactate." Lactate and lactic acid are acidic which lowers the Ph of your blood.
The aerobic system is like making enough money to cover all your expenses. You have no debt. However, if you "spend" more than you make, in this case, too high a running pace, you must "borrow" to cover the debt. You will borrow ATP from the anaerobic system and the penalty for this loan is increased acidosis which ensures your effort will be relatively short lived.
The Ph of human blood at rest is slightly alkaline, having a Ph around 7.35-7.40 or so. Note that the Ph scale goes from 0-14, with 7 being neutral (distilled water). Higher numbers indicate "alkalinity" which is a property associated with "bases." Lower numbers indicate "acidity" which is associated with acids.
Muscle cells function under a very narrow Ph range. When this range is exceeded (too much acid/low Ph), they stop contracting as forcefully, and eventually slow down dramatically. Reduced blood Ph is always associated with substantial performance decreases.
The liver is tasked with metabolizing lactate. Excessive blood lactate levels from intense activity can cause some people to feel sick and actually vomit. Normally, this most often occurs in people not accustomed to intense physical activity, another reason to always stay in shape.
Increasing aerobic power will allow you to run faster while keeping your blood "cleaner" (less lactate). This will allow for a faster, longer run. A less fit individual might be able to hold the same fast pace, but would be forced to quit before the run could be completed due to too much acidosis.
Increasing aerobic power usually means doing some type of interval work. There are many programs and ideas out there on how to do it. Something like 3-6 repetitions of 1 mile efforts at a fast pace (5-6 minute miles) with slow walking for 5-20 minutes or so in between reps to recover would work real well if you could do it. Recovery times vary considerably. Take as much time as you need to ensure the next, quality effort. Focus on holding a consistent speed over the entire distance. At most, you'll only have to suffer for 5 or 6 minutes on each rep, right??? Not too bad if you think about it...
Individuals need to get a feel for how much exercise "dosing" they can handle. Don't be a hero and get yourself hurt unecessarily by doing too much too soon. Athletic success requires the "long term" approach. Think of fitness as something that improves on a yearly basis, as long as you do the work.
Consistency and dedication are required for athletic success.
Speedwork should be done once or twice a week. Don't overdo the speedwork. The other days, you should run longer/slower, or short and easy. Take at least 1 or 2 days off completely each week. Don't be a slave to your program either. If you need an extra day or two or three to recover, make sure you take them, since full recovery will make your intense sessions most productive.
Experimentation with any training program is always required.
For the rucks, you say you get tired after 6-7 miles. Assuming you could maintain a pace around 4 miles per hour, 6-7 miles would put you at or beyond 1.5 hours, which is about how long most people can exercise with some intensity before they exhaust their stores of muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate). After muscle glycogen stores are depleted, performance drops substantially as well.
Make sure you are eating enough carbohydrates in general and maybe eat something with carbs/sugar in it while you are rucking. Low-carb diets are the worst thing an athlete or soldier can do if they want to be alert and have energy for intense, prolonged work.
Something to check into, perhaps.
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