Seeking Advice

[Elguapo]

It depends on what you want more, doesn't it? Is it worth the risk?

Being an athlete (collegiate) especially a sprinter is only going to help your cause. But you're not going to be graded on the 100m Hurdles, are you? 2 miler, 5 miler... Endurance.


If you don't get injured, it would probably make more sense to stay in track. Like I said though, is the risk worth it to you?

[Ranger Bill]

Certainly, college level track requires all our effort, and sprinters seem to suffer more pulled and torn muscle injuries to due an all-out short term effort. But you know that through personal experience. I don't know the healing time you have required in the past, but it seems to me that if you were to ship in August and were injured in May, that there would be adequate time for you to recover.

It also seems to me you are prone to pulling your hamstrings and I am assuming this has happend on the same leg each time. Chances are each time you have done so, you have created more damage which means it is more likely it will happen again. Since your goal after graduation is to become an Army Ranger and not a world-class sprinter, I suggest you focus on acheiving your goal. And that would mean avoiding injuries and preparing for a 12-minute two mile run and a 5-mile run in less than 40 minutes. It would mean training to get 80-plus situps and pushups in two minutes and doing a dozen or so dead hang pullups.

[Ranger Bill]

You have a plan, now make work the plan and make it work.

[merlyn]

I have run so fast, that I have entered into a parallel universe.
Do you have any thoughts, as to why you have pulled your
hamstring 3 times? What training for sprinters does your
track program offer? Being a former member of an NCAA
thrack & field team; perhaps we could compare notes. I don't
see any reason why you should not be able to compete and
be ready for your military training.

[K.Ingraham]

Assessing risk is going to have to be part of your lifestyle beginning now if you want to follow our path. Ranger lifestyle is risky, sometimes very much so. This is your first test to see if you can live with that stress.

FWIW, when I was running and rucking, I found that I was injured much less after I started strength training as well. Training for a specific task is less important than overall fitness. Infantrymen (of whatever MOS in whatever unit) need excellent overall fitness. Carrying heavy loads over any kind of terrain, digging holes, loading your platoon's gear up onto the back of a truck, kicking in doors or gaining entry into second story windows or running down stairwells from the roof wearing 65 pounds of gear. Getting to the roof or the mountaintop. Low crawling to your wounded buddy, applying first aid and dragging him back. You get the picture.

Finish school, voice of experience here, I'm about to get a BA after a 25 years of "next semester I'm going back" but life and career was always presenting "something" that made it "next semester". You are in your stride and have the right plan. Use the time wisely.

[Minime724]

If you want to work on you ass muscles i would reccomend doing squats with a weight you are comfortable with. Sqauts are a great work out for your ass. I used to do a lot of weight training and i even entered into a couple competitions when i was a bit younger and had more time to work out religiously.

[merlyn]

Pat89,
Since you have access to this website, perhaps you should
check out Military Athlete. You could scale the exercises
to fit your personal needs. Also, what kind of track work
are you doing? Please let me know if there is
anything more I could help you with.