Raf fitness test
Hi i have my fitness test on the 27th of april however i am really struggling with the running, i cant even do more than a minute at 10km/h
And i have to do 2.4k in 13 and half minutes, can anyone please help me on how i can run faster? Im running flat out at 10km/h and it kills me
And i have to do 2.4k in 13 and half minutes, can anyone please help me on how i can run faster? Im running flat out at 10km/h and it kills me
Run three times a week. Try to sprint the up hills and take it steady on the downhills. If you've got a bike get some cycling (5 miles +) and some swimming done to build up your endurance without stressing your joints.
You've only got about 6 weeks and I'm assuming you've got to run on a 2% incline too so to be honest the chance of you improving enough to pass are slim. I don't mean to sound negative but you may want to postpone until a later date.
You've only got about 6 weeks and I'm assuming you've got to run on a 2% incline too so to be honest the chance of you improving enough to pass are slim. I don't mean to sound negative but you may want to postpone until a later date.
Go out a 2-3 mile run three times a week (include intervals, sprints, hill runs) and you will notice a big difference in a couple of weeks. Practice the 20m bleep test through the RAF website app and see what score you get - that will set a good benchmark and its also great for building stamina.
The first bit is the hardest. I remember the first time I tried to do a run.... It was about 2.7km in a big loop around a lake and I had to keep walking because I could only manage a few minutes of jogging. I did the same route 2 or 3 times a week and by the second week I could do it in 1 go. Then I just got faster each time. I find running on a treadmill much harder, so I ran outside for a good 6 months and have only recently started going on the treadmill.
I suggest getting good trainers. I bought some from sports direct and my ankles and hips hurt loads. I bit the bullet and bought some really really good ones for £105 (ouch!!!!) and straight away my running improved and I started enjoying running. I've had them for nearly a year and they're still in nearly new condition and that's being used 3 times a week and sometimes on a muddy trail!
I suggest getting good trainers. I bought some from sports direct and my ankles and hips hurt loads. I bit the bullet and bought some really really good ones for £105 (ouch!!!!) and straight away my running improved and I started enjoying running. I've had them for nearly a year and they're still in nearly new condition and that's being used 3 times a week and sometimes on a muddy trail!
To improve your fitness levels you have to push your cardiovascular system, this is what makes you feel like you are dying from lack of oxygen and your muscles are killing (oxygen transportation system in basic terms). Best way I found to do this is train at least 3-4 times a week, obviously your test is on a treadmill; so train as much as possible on one.
First of all lets do some maths, you need to be running at a minimum of 11 km/h to scrape the bottom of the barrel, this is a risk. I would say an ideal slowest speed would be 12 km/h this should give you a nice finishing time of just over 12 minutes ish. Plenty of time to recover if not all goes to plan.
When I was training I did a timed run at the begging of every week to act as a compass of improvement. The the rest of my training days I would do mainly high intensity training, as this is really what the test is. Best thing to do to improve quickly is interval training, very quick runs for roughly a minute, then give you self 30-60 secs recovery at moderate/recovery pace (Try and avoid cheating on this recovery time as it will only dampen your improvement). Continue to do this as many times as possible, preferably around 15 - 20 mins worth of running each session.
Also at least one session a week for muscles strengthening, (swimming and cycling are great for this) you'll be surprised how much this helps. Remember if you train harder you'll find the test easier, realistically when training you want to be pushing past that 12km/h, mainly seeking 13-14km/h (closer to what males have to run, as this will also make Halton easier if you pass).
Incline as a minimum of level 1.0 on a treadmill must in training, preferably more (do no use on the weekly timed run, as it will effect you run and it is not present on your actual test). This will increase muscle strength, and fitness level. But it also is great for keeping away shin splints what are very common in treadmill work.
NorthFace
First of all lets do some maths, you need to be running at a minimum of 11 km/h to scrape the bottom of the barrel, this is a risk. I would say an ideal slowest speed would be 12 km/h this should give you a nice finishing time of just over 12 minutes ish. Plenty of time to recover if not all goes to plan.
When I was training I did a timed run at the begging of every week to act as a compass of improvement. The the rest of my training days I would do mainly high intensity training, as this is really what the test is. Best thing to do to improve quickly is interval training, very quick runs for roughly a minute, then give you self 30-60 secs recovery at moderate/recovery pace (Try and avoid cheating on this recovery time as it will only dampen your improvement). Continue to do this as many times as possible, preferably around 15 - 20 mins worth of running each session.
Also at least one session a week for muscles strengthening, (swimming and cycling are great for this) you'll be surprised how much this helps. Remember if you train harder you'll find the test easier, realistically when training you want to be pushing past that 12km/h, mainly seeking 13-14km/h (closer to what males have to run, as this will also make Halton easier if you pass).
Incline as a minimum of level 1.0 on a treadmill must in training, preferably more (do no use on the weekly timed run, as it will effect you run and it is not present on your actual test). This will increase muscle strength, and fitness level. But it also is great for keeping away shin splints what are very common in treadmill work.
NorthFace
My opinion is just one of many here but I hope it helps somehow!.
I started on 10kmh and kept doing interval running every minute, differing from 10-11kmh. Did that for a few days then bumped it up by .5, so then it was 10.5-11.5. Once I did that and I was able to comfortably run on 12.5kmh. I ran on 12.5kmh from start to finish to see if I can do it without slowing down or stopping. Then I made up my own plan of running! May not be efficient but:
0-5.30 minutes: 12.5kmh
5.30-7.30 minutes: 13kmh
7.30-9.15 minutes: 13.5kmh
9.15-10 minutes: 14kmh
10 minutes+: just go all out with what you have left until the end (I finished on 16.5kmh and did my run in 10.58 minutes on my fitness test yesterday).
Slow start yes but it's just building your self into the hard work instead of going flat out starting and getting tired a few minutes in. Hope this helps
I started on 10kmh and kept doing interval running every minute, differing from 10-11kmh. Did that for a few days then bumped it up by .5, so then it was 10.5-11.5. Once I did that and I was able to comfortably run on 12.5kmh. I ran on 12.5kmh from start to finish to see if I can do it without slowing down or stopping. Then I made up my own plan of running! May not be efficient but:
0-5.30 minutes: 12.5kmh
5.30-7.30 minutes: 13kmh
7.30-9.15 minutes: 13.5kmh
9.15-10 minutes: 14kmh
10 minutes+: just go all out with what you have left until the end (I finished on 16.5kmh and did my run in 10.58 minutes on my fitness test yesterday).
Slow start yes but it's just building your self into the hard work instead of going flat out starting and getting tired a few minutes in. Hope this helps
my daughter is currently running on a treadmill at 9.5 and covering 2.0km in 13 mins. However she has hit a 'wall' now and is really downbeat! What would you advise she does to cover the remaining 0.4km!!! She is currently running 3 times a week on a treadmill, once a week swimming and other days in the gym doing upper body and lower body workouts. She should be submitting her application in July when she has finished uni. Hoping she will have enough weeks left now to complete the run time.
Up her speed or her distance at first. I would say speed first if it's treadmill. Put it to 10kmph for 2k. The 2.4k in 13m23 is a minimum. My view was that the moment I hit that minimum I would apply, so make that her goal. Find a 2.4-2.5k ish route locally and get her to run it as fast as she can at a steady pace. When I started I started on a 3k route that I couldn't finish in 1 go. Within 2 months I was at RAF minimum pace. I find it more difficult on a treadmill!
Original post by peroxide4
Up her speed or her distance at first. I would say speed first if it's treadmill. Put it to 10kmph for 2k. The 2.4k in 13m23 is a minimum. My view was that the moment I hit that minimum I would apply, so make that her goal. Find a 2.4-2.5k ish route locally and get her to run it as fast as she can at a steady pace. When I started I started on a 3k route that I couldn't finish in 1 go. Within 2 months I was at RAF minimum pace. I find it more difficult on a treadmill!
Hi there. Now the evenings have pullled out, she will be road running for part of the week and back in the gym for the remainder. She is also swimming and doing upper and lower body work in the gym. She has registered her interest but hasnt sent off the application. That will be done in July I would presume once she has finished her university course. Thank you for your advice.
Original post by Skyler4694221
Hi i have my fitness test on the 27th of april however i am really struggling with the running, i cant even do more than a minute at 10km/h
And i have to do 2.4k in 13 and half minutes, can anyone please help me on how i can run faster? Im running flat out at 10km/h and it kills me
And i have to do 2.4k in 13 and half minutes, can anyone please help me on how i can run faster? Im running flat out at 10km/h and it kills me
All good advice on training techniques. But if you're a novice runner, and want to improve quickly, the single best thing you could do is to join a local running club.
Getting out and running with others will make a huge difference. By running in company you'll find it easier to cover longer distances and that your pace will naturally increase as you keep up with the pack.
Original post by Joanne1995
my daughter is currently running on a treadmill at 9.5 and covering 2.0km in 13 mins. However she has hit a 'wall' now and is really downbeat! What would you advise she does to cover the remaining 0.4km!!! She is currently running 3 times a week on a treadmill, once a week swimming and other days in the gym doing upper body and lower body workouts. She should be submitting her application in July when she has finished uni. Hoping she will have enough weeks left now to complete the run time.
Hello Joanne,
It sounds like your daughter is concentrating on the test distance too much and has hit a bit of a plateau. To improve, she needs to start mixing up her running training to run longer and shorter distances at varying speeds. 2.4km is chosen as a test distance because it provides a balance between testing the aerobic and the anaerobic systems. Your daughter's training needs to work both of those systems.
For the aerobic system, she needs to start running longer distances than 2.0km. There's no need to run fast for these runs; slow and steady is ideal. Build up the distance steadily until she's running for up to an hour at a go.
For the anaerobic system, the simplest workout is a tempo run. Warm up thoroughly, then run hard for 20 minutes. The effort should be at a level where she can just about talk - but not in full sentences. At the end of 20 minutes, she should fell that she could perhaps keep going for a few more minutes, but not much longer.
As practice for the test itself, stop trying to run the full distance, and break it into intervals that are manageable. For example, try running 800m at test pace, then take 2 minutes rest. Repeat this three times. Then increase the number of intervals until your daughter is running twice the test distance. When this is achievable, reduce the amount of rest to one minute and reduce the number of intervals etc.
If you want a structured programme, have a look at the Runners World website and try their 10km schedule. They are very good, easy to follow, and free! By the way, targeting a 5km or 10km race is a much better training target than repeatedly running the test itself. Running 2km fast is not a great training method for running 2.4km fast! Mo Farrah will rarely run 5km or 10km flat out in training - longer, slower runs and short fast intervals are likely to be the order of the day.
The swimming and gym work is excellent to balance the demands of running. Joining a running club will accelerate her progress.
Kind Regards,
A
Original post by Andy1973
Hello Joanne,
It sounds like your daughter is concentrating on the test distance too much and has hit a bit of a plateau. To improve, she needs to start mixing up her running training to run longer and shorter distances at varying speeds. 2.4km is chosen as a test distance because it provides a balance between testing the aerobic and the anaerobic systems. Your daughter's training needs to work both of those systems.
For the aerobic system, she needs to start running longer distances than 2.0km. There's no need to run fast for these runs; slow and steady is ideal. Build up the distance steadily until she's running for up to an hour at a go.
For the anaerobic system, the simplest workout is a tempo run. Warm up thoroughly, then run hard for 20 minutes. The effort should be at a level where she can just about talk - but not in full sentences. At the end of 20 minutes, she should fell that she could perhaps keep going for a few more minutes, but not much longer.
As practice for the test itself, stop trying to run the full distance, and break it into intervals that are manageable. For example, try running 800m at test pace, then take 2 minutes rest. Repeat this three times. Then increase the number of intervals until your daughter is running twice the test distance. When this is achievable, reduce the amount of rest to one minute and reduce the number of intervals etc.
If you want a structured programme, have a look at the Runners World website and try their 10km schedule. They are very good, easy to follow, and free! By the way, targeting a 5km or 10km race is a much better training target than repeatedly running the test itself. Running 2km fast is not a great training method for running 2.4km fast! Mo Farrah will rarely run 5km or 10km flat out in training - longer, slower runs and short fast intervals are likely to be the order of the day.
The swimming and gym work is excellent to balance the demands of running. Joining a running club will accelerate her progress.
Kind Regards,
A
It sounds like your daughter is concentrating on the test distance too much and has hit a bit of a plateau. To improve, she needs to start mixing up her running training to run longer and shorter distances at varying speeds. 2.4km is chosen as a test distance because it provides a balance between testing the aerobic and the anaerobic systems. Your daughter's training needs to work both of those systems.
For the aerobic system, she needs to start running longer distances than 2.0km. There's no need to run fast for these runs; slow and steady is ideal. Build up the distance steadily until she's running for up to an hour at a go.
For the anaerobic system, the simplest workout is a tempo run. Warm up thoroughly, then run hard for 20 minutes. The effort should be at a level where she can just about talk - but not in full sentences. At the end of 20 minutes, she should fell that she could perhaps keep going for a few more minutes, but not much longer.
As practice for the test itself, stop trying to run the full distance, and break it into intervals that are manageable. For example, try running 800m at test pace, then take 2 minutes rest. Repeat this three times. Then increase the number of intervals until your daughter is running twice the test distance. When this is achievable, reduce the amount of rest to one minute and reduce the number of intervals etc.
If you want a structured programme, have a look at the Runners World website and try their 10km schedule. They are very good, easy to follow, and free! By the way, targeting a 5km or 10km race is a much better training target than repeatedly running the test itself. Running 2km fast is not a great training method for running 2.4km fast! Mo Farrah will rarely run 5km or 10km flat out in training - longer, slower runs and short fast intervals are likely to be the order of the day.
The swimming and gym work is excellent to balance the demands of running. Joining a running club will accelerate her progress.
Kind Regards,
A
How lovely for you to reply and in such detail. We still have a couple of months before she submits her application and hopefully in that time,her run will improve. There is a local running club and hopefully she will join and run outdoors a bit more.
I will message you again if I need more information xxx
brilliant!!! i might get her to do some spinning classes!!!
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