Stew Smith Fitness News

Last week, I received an email asking if interval training was a good way to improve speed in your military PFT run. The answer is absolutely. “But what exactly is interval training and how do I determine what speed I should train?” the question continued.There are some general formulas that can help you determine where you should be, but I personally like to use the following method of determining interval workout components that include: Distance, Run and Rest Interval, Repetitions, and Time. Each of these components of interval training effect the other as noted below.I do not use a general...

Getting into a running program after an injury or just starting running for the first time ever or many years is very tough. For one, the joints, soft tissues, and bones can all be injured by common “overuse” injuries such as:Shin Splints Very Common Knee tendonitis: Runner's Knee (PFS)ITB SyndromeHeel Injuries (Plantar Fasciitis)Stress FracturesFor more detailed information click the links above to see what Dr. Pribut says about the most common running injuries and how to recover from them at www.drpribut.com Last year after a heavy running program through the winter and sprint (30-40 miles a week) and some uncommon...

Stew, I'm active duty Navy and am planning to run a marathon this November in San Antonio. I was looking at a more all-around fitness plan this time, and would like to use a hybrid of one of your plans along with the intermediate plan from the website. I've found that cross training seriously reduces my running injuries plus helps me lose weight and stay interested! If there's a plan you already have for marathon training, please let me know which one it is. Or, if you could look over my schedule and offer any advice, I'd appreciate it.Also -...

Most of the time, I receive emails from people who are seeking to pass their PFT and just as many who wish to max out their PFT scores for their age group. There are many articles in the archive about the PFT for all services and events so check those out. Every now and then, I get emails from people who are training to run even faster than they already are. These are the runner who are trying to break 5:00- 6:00 mile pace and are usually Marines who want to run faster than 18:00 on the three mile run...

I received several e-mails last week about running faster. A few requested workouts for their two or three mile PFT runs (Army / Marine Corps respectively) and several were runners who compete 5K and 10K races on the weekends. Since all these distances use relatively the same training philosophy - short distance , faster pace - I decided to answer them all with the following track workouts.The Four mile track workout has worked for many military and short distance runners for years. This workout is basically interval training. Interval training means you run at a certain pace for a particular...