Are you seeking how to run faster over the 1.5 mile distance and surpass your Air Force pt standards? If so, welcome to RunDreamAchieve. I am glad you have made it here. I recently created a running course specifically for Soldiers but also for other service members in other branches. The end goal here is to help our military members as well as civilians run faster from the 1.5 mile distance to the marathon.
The course is called the Army ACFT Embrace the Suck 2 mile course. It is the first running course available online to teach you everything you need to know in order to be successful. I have run 9:27 for 2 miles, 14:18 for 5K and 2:19:35 for the marathon. Of course, those times didn't happen overnight. My goal in creating this course was to help athletes to improve their lactate tolerance. In addition, know the exact strategies and tactics the world's top middle to long distance runners use to get results.
Airman have to deal with similar challenges as Soldiers. We all have to overcome pace sustainment problems when we race. In addition, train smarter in order to handle our goal 1.5 mile, 2 mile, 3 mile (Marines) or 4 mile (Navy Seals) run times. Yes, many of us can hold goal pace for a portion of our physical fitness tests. The challenge is being able to hold it throughout the entire race distance. The goal of this course is to help you surpass your race goals. In addition, to help prepare military members (as well as civilians) to race successfully at distances all the way to the marathon.
What are the Air Force PT Requirements 2022?
Our Air Force personnel need to achieve a score of 60 points on their cardio section of their tests. The Army is the same. Our new ACFT requires Soldiers to run a minimum of 21 minutes for 60 points for 2 miles. Soldiers that are aiming at getting 100 points need to run a time of 13:22 or faster for 2 miles. Airmen need to sustain a score of 75 points across all 3 sections of their test. In addition, meet the minimum score standards for each of the 3 tests in order to pass.
So, you need to be not only physically but mentally fit in order to succeed. Yes, the Air Force PT standards will challenge Airmen. My job is to make that 1.5 mile run you need to get through easier. Easy running through the week isn't going to do it.
The athlete need to be running more but also spending more time training at or below goal race pace. You may not have control of the mandatory PT workouts you need to do each morning. That being said, you do have control of what you do the other hours of your day that will dictate your success.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSEAir Force 1.5 PT Standards
Airman run 1.5 miles for their cardio portion of the Air Force physical fitness test. In addition, our Navy focuses on the same distance. Soldiers focus on 2 miles and the Marine Corps, 3 miles. The same fundamentals apply that I teach in this new course regardless. The end goal is to teach the body to clear lactic acid faster than it is building up.
Easy running will not produce this physiological adaptation. So, you need to stress the energy systems adequately enough. The result will be your goal race pace over 1.5 miles will no longer feel as difficult. More importantly, you will be able to sustain pace longer. My goal with the Army ACFT 2 mile course is to get athletes beyond what they think they are capable of. Remember, the faster you can run the 1.5 mile distance the more competitive you will be over longer distances.
I know there are a lot of Airman out there seeking to run 5Ks, 10Ks and perhaps even the marathon. The Air Force has a great marathon held each year on Wright Patterson AFB. So, training to run faster over 1.5 miles will only make you better prepared over longer distances. I would recommend running a few weeks easy building your foundation. A common mistake I saw with Soldiers is doing sprints and harder runs without first laying a strong foundation of aerobic mileage.
What is the Time Required for the 1.5 Mile Run Test in the Air Force?
The Air Force BMT physical fitness test requires Airman to run 1.5 miles in 9 minutes and 22 seconds in order to get 60 points on the test. Of course, you can run faster but that is the standard. You are basically considered low risk of being in poor cardiovascular fitness if you can run this fast. The goal here is to help you improve on your current 1.5 mile time and make the Air Force pt standards less challenging on you.
9:22 for 1.5 miles is equivalent to a 12:50 2-mile time. You definitely have to watch your pacing in the early stages of this event. Females need to run a time of 10:23 on their 1.5 mile run in order to achieve 60 points. A 10:23 1.5 mile time equates to 14:12 for 2 miles, respectfully.
I see far too many military members (and civilians) running too fast too early in their races. The result is they go into oxygen debt and are forced to slow down. Again, if you follow the tactics and strategies I cover in this course the likelihood of this happening drastically diminishes.
The reason being is you will be following the same fundamentals that the world's top middle to long distance runners follow. In addition, you'll know what workouts to do each week. More importantly, be running at paces that will help to make your goal 1.5 mile run time to feel easier. Longer tempo runs, faster long runs and paying special attention to jogging on easy days is critical.
New Air Force PT Test Scoring Chart
The new Air Force PT test scoring chart shows the exact times you need to run. More importantly, to give you a good estimate of what is considered low and high risk. Again, the reason why I created this 2 mile course is to help military members get faster and gain confidence. The smarter you train and the more conservative you are early on in your event the more motivated you will become. Runners that set new personal best over shorter distances often times seek out new challenges.
I am 100 percent confident that this course can help both our military as well as civilians. I was very fortunate to have been taught by three of the world's top distance running coaches. My coach while running as a professional with the Army World Class Athlete Program was Lisa Rainsberger.
Lisa won the Boston Marathon in 2:34.04 in 1985. She also holds personal bests of 2:28.15 for the marathon. In addition, won the Chicago marathon twice. My collegiate coach, Jack Hazen, was the 2012 USA mens and women's distance head coach for the Olympics. Lastly, I was mentored by Dr. Joe Vigil, a world-renowned exercise physiologist and one of the world's most respect distance running coaches.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRAINING PLANSHow to Run a Faster 1.5 Mile Time
You will be following the exact same strategies and tactics I used to run 9:27 for 2 miles and 2:19:35 for the marathon. The way you get faster is consistent action. There is nothing easy about trying to run 1.5 miles all out. That being said, there is training hard and training smart. Higher mileage isn't always the answer to a faster time. Yes, you definitely need to run more than once or twice per week. I saw this mistake made many times in the Army. The Air Force pt standards are there as a guide to help challenge you. My goal is to ensure you run well below your goal 1.5 mile run time.
Sure, Soldiers do regular PT in the morning just like other branches. What I did see was ruck marching and Soldiers in the gym. What I didn't see enough of was running. Yes, we do run in the Army but once or twice per week is not sufficient. Soldiers, like Airmen, need to focus on consistent running. More importantly, spending a higher percentage of their weekly mileage running at or below goal 1.5 mile (Airmen) or 2 mile (Soldiers) race pace. Again, our goal is to get your 1.5 mile goal race pace to feel easier and more managable.
Supercompensation Theory
The only way to do this is to stress the energy systems of the body adequately. So, running 3 to 6 days a week is more suitable to generate better race times. Remember, the body is about 2 to 3 times weaker after a hard workout. So, you need to be jogging on your recovery days. Supercompensation theory discusses why this important.
You want to continue to get high returns on your time investment. In addition, continue to run at faster paces so that your previous 1.5 mile personal best is no longer a challenge. There are also some tactics I discuss in the course that military members continue to get wrong. You will get it right knowing what to do and what not to do prior to and after your workouts and PT test.
One such change is the equipment you choose to use on your PT test morning. Yes, sometimes making a small change in just one area can help you cut off 15 to 30 seconds off of your run time. In addition, you won't even have to make drastic changes to the way you train in order to do this.
Closing Thoughts
Make sure to keep in touch with me. You can subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new training and racing videos there each week to help military and civilians perform to a higher level. Remember, you need to visualize success as well. The world's top middle to long distance runners know the importance of mental training. We spend most of our time on physical training in the military.
How often do you think about crossing the finish line with your goal time on the clock? Top runners know training the subconscious mind to produce the result they seek is mandatory. My goal with the Army ACFT 2 mile course is to help you, despite being in the Air Force, to run a new personal best.
The course is not focused on the other 5 events of our Army ACFT test. It is 100 percent geared to running and running faster. Make sure to check out our resources here at RunDreamAchieve. I have created training plans, running courses as well as provide personal coaching to athletes from around the world. I look forward to hearing about your new personal best over 1.5 miles, surpass your Air Force pt standards and am certain this course can help you.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSE
