fitfool | Army Physical Fitness Test

Is it a sign of old age that when I had originally written down my target dates, I looked up the wrong age groups because I had forgotten how old I was? I would've passed all three areas if I were in the 32 to 36 age group. But alas, as a member of the 27-31 group, I didn't pass the 2-mile run. I can't really blame my age there...I haven't run since my last PFT update in December when my watch died. I guess I'm really motivated by being able to collect data and if I can't measure it, I can't get myself to brave the cold. But I said I would join in this challenge from

marathoner452 so I got my watch battery replaced and timed a 2-mile run today. The track was covered in 1-2 inches of snow so that slowed me down a bit. And I've lost my endurance too...I had to run/walk it and my lungs burned and my ears hurt from the cold. Enough excuses. The good news is that I did more pushups than I've ever done. Still no sign of defined biceps but at least my muscles seem stronger. And my situps have improved a lot too. The final breakdown?

Two-minutes Situps: 70 situps --> 87 points
Two-minutes Pushups: 42 pushups --> 83 points
Two-mile run: 21:03 --> 55 points (needed 60 to pass)
Total points: 225

I think I'll have to try again in a few weeks so I can pass all 3 sections.

22 to 26 Female: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blfitfem22to26.htm
27 to 31 Female: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blfitfem27to31.htm
32 to 36 Female: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blfitfem32to36.htm

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/l/blfitness.htm

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Go you! I have every confidence that you will pass all sections with flying colors!

Thank you! :)

You're doing very well. I've noticed that cold and snow on the ground tend to cause the run to slow down. I did one off the record in 4" of snow and got a time that was nearly a third again as long as it took at a more reasonable temperature. Extreme heat seems to also have a similar effect. I've also noticed that working out on treadmills isn't the same as running on a track or road and that I have to speed up on the treadmill to get the effect of my normal track pace. I don't know why these are just things I've observed in my workouts. YMMV

Thanks! Yeah, the snow makes the footing slip more and the cold just slows me down. Your running in 4 inches of snow would be like running through barriers the whole way :) For treadmills, I've often heard that you should set the incline to 1-2% to simulate outdoor running. You have to propel yourself forward and also battle wind resistance so the slight incline makes you propel yourself slightly upwards (mimicking the effort of forward movement). One roommate who was an ironman triathlete told me winter running was just maintenance work...laying down a good base to build on for training for the racing season. So he advised just running easy and being careful to not twist any ankles on ice. It was more important that I went running regularly than worrying about what pace I was doing. But I've always slacked pretty badly over the winter months. Just can't stand the cold.

I'll try your suggestion regarding putting some incline on the treadmills. I try to avoid running outdoors in winter up North except in practice for PFTs. Most of the time if where I'm staying has a decent pool, I swim a timed 800 meters or 880 yards during the year. It's easier on the joints and provides a little better overall conditioning than running. I only run because it's part of the job requirements and the timed swim alternate for the PFT is a real bear to hit.
I've found that snow deeper than the four inches I last ran in is a bit like running in sand and gives some really intense quadricep burn as opposed to running any other way. As a means to avoid slipping or other injuries while running on icy surfaces (a situation that has befallen me a few times in Northern states) an acquaintance of mine recommended a thing called Yaktrax which you can find at Sportmart or Sport Chalet for about $25 for the "pro" version. They use little rubber and coiled spring "grippers" that fit over the sole of your shoes.

Slowly, you're motivating me to do ... things. I don't know that my legs can handle the run (chronic stress fractures), so maybe I'll bike/walk/swim? We'll see...

*grin* maybe look up what the Navy does for a swim requirement and use that instead of a run? I've never been all that athletic and getting in touch with my physical side as an adult has been surprisingly satisfying. I can swim but I have no endurance for swimming. When I went to a pond last summer, I'd swim for a minute or two before needing to go rest in shallow water. At some point I might work on being able to swim longer. Such a great workout and no impact on the knees I pound on the rest of the time.

That's a great idea, thanks!

It was 71 degrees here in atlanta today..hehe sorry i had to add that. Good job on the sit ups and pushups. Is that my routine your doing still?

ugh. rub it in. But I don't mind...I'll get that weather soon enough. Your routine just about kills me. I've been doing it about once a week. I can only rotate between sets of 30 situps right into 15 pushups, rest 1 minute, and repeat 3 times. Both my situps and pushups scores went up even with just the few times I've tried your workout.

Your numbers are highly impressive to me!
I want to get out and move my body..I don't work out unless I've guilted myself to climb on the eliptical. I need motivation. You're blog is helping.

Someone from one of the cooking communities pointed me here for a recipe and it looks awesome. So I added you. I hope thats ok?

~Tonia

absolutely (I'm sure you've figured that out by now)

i did. but thanks :)

I didnt look at the linbks before, but I got surfing around looking at other stuff too. Check this one out! http://www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm

You can even buy their workout video! lol

a workout video of Navy Seals? Just what do they expect me to be working out?

Army Physical Fitness Test - good/bad news

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject