Basic training for seaman is going to test you mentally and physically. Yes, they will most certainly have you run. It is a total mind game. I served over 20 years on active duty in the Army. In addition, completed Army basic training as well as Officer Candidate School. I recently created a resource called the Army ACFT Embrace the Suck 2 mile course. Can it help you on your Navy PFT and assist you in running faster over 1.5 miles?
Yes. In fact, it was designed to help military and civilians run faster from 1.5 miles to the marathon. I have run 9:27 for 2 miles, 14:18 for 5K and 2:19:35 for the marathon. The course was designed to take you from A to Z over every strategy I was taught by 3 of the world's top middle to long distance running coaches. More importantly, to help military members to use leverage and set a new personal best. Remember, the faster you run over 1.5 miles the more competitive you will be in the longer events.
The major tactic with this course is to teach you the best way to improve your body's lactate tolerance. Pace sustainment is the biggest challenge for most military members. So, you have to be patience in your preparation. In addition, smart in the way you pace your event. I saw far too many military members running too fast too soon in their physical fitness tests. The result is they went into oxygen debt and were forced to slow down.
Seaman 1.5 Mile Training Plan
The new Army 2 mile course I created is also a resource for basic training for seaman as well. It consists of 9 modules and 58 video lessons. In addition, concludes with a custom 1.5 mile (Air Force, Navy & Coast Guard), 2 mile (Army) or 3 mile (Marine) training plan built to set you up for success. My top recommendation is for you to first focus on building your aerobic mileage. 3 to 4 weeks is sufficient. The best time frame to prepare optimally for the run portion of your PFT is 16 weeks.
Again, the longer your build up, the better. It takes between 3 to 4 weeks for the body to adapt to any stress load being placed on it. So, you have to allot sufficient time for your body to adapt. No, you may not have say in what type of PT your Navy leadership has you doing in the morning. That being said, you do have control of the running you can do during lunch or after work. We have three choices in this life. We can be average, good or great at what we do.
Never been much of a runner? Well, correct that pre-conceived statement and start running more. Remember, higher mileage isn't always the answer either. How often do you practice each week running at, near or below your goal 1.5 mile run time? Are you running once or twice per week or 4 to 6 times per week? Which of the two would the good or great athlete do? Which of the choices would the average runner do? Easy answer right?
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSEHow Fast Do You Have to Turn Your 1.5-mile in the Navy?
The IFA or initial fitness assessment in Navy lingo is the physical fitness challenge you must be able to achieve in basic training for seaman. The seaman will also need to successfully meet the forearm planks and push ups portions of the test prior to the start of their 1.5 mile run. The focus of this new running course I created is to help military members better handle higher levels of lactic acid build up.
Yes, we all can run easy without much of an effort for a few minutes or miles/kilometers. That being said, the real challenge is when we begin to run fast. The faster we run the more oxygen our muscles and body needs. I highly recommend adding in strides into your weekly training twice per week. You can do 5 to 6, 50-100 meter repetitions. No, the entire stride does not have to be all out. Basic training for seaman, in terms of running preparation, becomes much easier when you train at higher intensities.
Strides are too short to build up any significant amounts of lactic acid. So, you can do these short, acceleration drills on top of your other workouts throughout the week. Strides will help you focus on your form and leg turnover. In addition, you will have spent a few miles at sprint paces over your 16-week 1.5 mile training plan.
Initial Fitness Assessment Scoring
The IFA takes your scores from the 3 events and scorers divide them by 3. The results of that score determines how you do overall on the test. A maximum fitness rating means you need to average 100 points. 90 points will provide an “outstanding” qualification . “Excellent” is 75 points, “good” being 60 points and 45 points will put you in “satisfactory” category.
Males will need to run their 1.5 mile run no less than 12 and half minutes for ages 17 to 19. Females need to run no less than 14 minutes and 45 seconds for the same age category. Of course, the older you are the times are adjusted.
Acceptable 1.5 Mile Run Times
Sailors are allotted an additional 30 seconds on their 1.5 mile time as they move into the next age-groupo bracket. For example, 20 to 24-year old male sailors need to run 13 minutes and 15 seconds. 25 to 29-year old make sailors need to run a minimum of 13 minutes and 45 seconds. Are you 30 years or older? You need to run 14 minutes and 15 seconds.
In comparison, 20 to 24-year old female sailors need to run 15 minutes and 30 seconds for their 1.5 mile run. Women who are 25 to 29 years of age need to run 15 minutes and 45 seconds. Female sailors who fall in the 30 to 34-year old age group need to run their 1.5 mile time in 16 minutes and 15 seconds.
Are you seeking to attend Navy Seal training? If so, the Physical Screening Test is the Navy's PT requirement for entry into Special Warfare preparation. Sailors will be expected to run their 1.5 mile run in 10 minutes or less. Seal trainees also are expected to run their 4-mile run time in under 31 minutes. So, I didn't take creating this course lightly. I know many of you in the military are highly driven individuals. You are seeking excellence. I cover every strategy and tactic I was taught by some of the world's top distance runner and coaches in this course.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSEHow Many Miles a Day Do You Run in Navy Boot Camp?
Military members usually run far more during boot camp than in their regular work week. We did run about 15 to 20 miles a week during Army boot camp. So, you can expect at least that much in basic training for seaman. That being said, after you have completed all of your training your mileage may lessen. Yes, sailors run a lot just like Soldiers. That being said, what percentage of your weekly mileage are you training at or below your goal 1.5 mile run pace?
Are you seeking to run faster in longer distances like the 5k to the marathon? If so, this course will be of assistance to you. In fact, there are some simple changes you can make I discuss in this course that won't require any change to your mileage.
Again, you can work hard or you can work smart. It is a personal choice only you can make. I have over 30 years experience in the sport of middle to long distance running. You are more than welcome to visit the about page if you'd like to know more about my background.
How Can I Improve My 1.5 Mile Run?
The best way to improve your 1.5 mile is be consistent. Nothing can take the place of this. You need to also spend a longer duration of time each week training at your anaerobic threshold. We are running around 85 to 89 percent of our maximum heart rate at this intensity. The key with tempo runs, like speed workouts, is that you get that 1.5 mile goal race pace to feel easier.
Easy running will not produce this physiological effect. Fast running will. In addition, more aggressive running will help you to recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers. The more of these we can recruit via speed workouts and AT runs the more efficient we are going to run. Your form will not break down as quickly either. The reason being is you have spent sufficient time training well below your 1.5 mile goal time.
You should be doing 1, vo2 max workout per week too. We are running between 95 to 100 percent of our max heart rate at this intensity. We are running to fast during these types of effort we can't clear lactic acid faster than it is building up. Why do the best runners make it look so easy? They have trained a higher percentage of their weekly mileage at faster paces. It isn't just because they are Kenyan or Ethiopian. I have outrun world-class Kenyans and Ethiopians before. They are human like you and I. You want to run like them you have to train like they train.
Closing Thoughts
Yes, basic training for seaman will involve a lot of running. So, the time to start getting prepared for it is now. The Army ACFT 2 mile course is not only a perfect fit for Soldiers but also Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsman, Air Force and Space Force personnel as well. Are you a civilian? The training methodologies and tactics I teach in this course can help you get faster too. In fact, this course can help runners run much faster from the 1.5 mile distance to the marathon.
Would you like to stay in touch? If so, make sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I focus on making a minimum of 2 new training and racing videos there each week to help Sailors such as yourself get to the next level in their training and racing. I hope that this post has been helpful. Of course, this is just a brief overview of what you need to be thinking about. The course dots all I's and crosses all T's for military members and civilians seeking excellence with their running.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSE
