WEJO/ROJO...I RAN 100 WHILE IN IRAQ

Well laaddy freakin da!!!

many of us here have run 100mpw over long stretches of time.

so good for you, but what's your point? if you're saying more distance is better than less distance with more quality, then i think you need to provide your PRs and say how more distance helped them improve.

otherwise your post makes absolutely no sense.

finally, you're a soldier. you're not supposed to "want to get fat." that's stupid.

I think anyone who trains/runs is far better of than the rest, no matter if it is high/low mileage or what type of actual work is involved.

What I was responding to is the implication that being in the military, deploying, the stress involved, etc, is an excuse not to run mileage. The author stated he used to run mileage in college and it appeared to me that he implies that being in the military and being deployed was a main cause for the Low Mile/High Intensity program. I read his article - and agreed with some details but - as a plug for his mates' training regime in SC.

On the front page, wejo/rojo state "How To Train While Fighting In Iraq"; and, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I feel like letsrun piggy-backs on this guy's story cause he is a solider ("LetsRun.com, while known as being a high mileage site, very much endorses this low-mileage training plan.")

My post has nothing to do with my performance; my point of my log's details are to show it can be done in Iraq. However, it has everything to do with pigeon-holding any soldiers/professions and stating that a lower mileage approach is better. If this particular soldier/runner benefits from a lower mileage and high intensity type of program than that's excellent - I hope he stays healthy, happy, and improves. Just don't package it as anything other than it is: one person advocating one program.

... "white rocker" while you may not understand what it is to be a runner, I certainly know that you have no idea what it is like to be a soldier ...

was deployed twice wrote:

... "white rocker" while you may not understand what it is to be a runner, I certainly know that you have no idea what it is like to be a soldier ...

A. Get over yourself!

B. Lots of people in lots of high stress situations still find the time to run high mileage (think Kenya over the past year +). Being in the armed forces doesn't make you special.

Finally, who cares if you ran a bunch of high mileage weeks? Anybody can do it anywhere if they really want to. Go out and produce some results, then you can come back here and blab about how you were able to train.

It was never about me, but I'll leave it as it lies, since you guys are thus far making "excellent" retorts ...

... Nothing against you MAJ Stewart ...

... wejo/rojo, just noted for your reference.

was deployed twice, you are right and thank you for posting this. Please ignore these people who have nothing better to do than insult you for no good reason. Clearly the Brojos rushed into endorsing this training plan when you show that high mileage is a possibility. I'm sorry you had to post this in such an ungrateful forum.

Thank you for your service.

I suggest that everyone read the article 1st and then our take of the training plan at the end of the article.

http://www.letsrun.com/2009/runningmilitary0202.php

If you were able to run 100mpw in Iraq, I think that's great but I think that you didn't read what we wrote about the training plan.

To me mileage is just a number. If someone is working from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, I think it would be insane for the to try to run a lot. That is a 15 hour day. For the to run 100 mpw, they would then only have 7 hours to sleep and no personal time.

I'm not saying that others in Iraq can't run a lot. Great for you if you were able to do it. If that is truly the case, I suggest you email the author or email us personally.

I 100% stand behind what I wrote about the article. I'll repost it here.

-Robert

LetsRun.com co-founders Robert and Weldon Johnson are known as being big believers of high mileage training but they both approved of this article as they think high mileage training is totally misunderstood. More important than high mileage is RECOVERY. Recovery is the most important part of running.

For someone who is deployed in Iraq and working from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM to try to run a lot of mileage would be simply stupid. There simply isn't time for it, and undoubtedly, one is already exhausted from the physical and mental demands of working a 15-hour shift. A short run or workout would certainly help one feel well but then one needs to recover both physically and mentally.

Additionally, mileage is very much misunderstood because mileage is often a misleading number. The real thing to think about is how much you are stressing your body. When Robert is coaching at Cornell, he always tells his guys "Look at 70 mile week during the academic year is like an 80-85 mile week in the summer as the stress of school is worth 10-15 miles per week." He can only imagine how many miles per week being deployed in Iraq is equivalent to.

The average elite professional runner who runs 100 miles in a week in their base phase is probably actually running for less than 1:40 per day. Even with stretching and weights, it's hard to see how they could be stressing their body for more than 3 hours per day.

The average military person's work day is way, way longer than that. So don't feel like you aren't training enough or that the elites are more dedicated than you. Within a few minutes, we can provide you with countless examples of former elites who nor are 50 pounds overweight as they can't balance running with a normal job/family stresses - let alone a much more stressful military job.Jaske is able to work obscene work hours and still able to run 120 mile weeks, because she has a plan and makes running a priority.

Im hoping some of those were surges?

It really depends on your job while deployed. When I was in Djibouti, I essentially worked 15 hour days and managed about 70 mpw. I'd try to be in bed by about 10 each night and up by 4:30 or so. Run for an hour or slightly more. At work by 6:30. Sometimes sneak in 30-45 minutes of more running just before eating dinner. On Fridays and Sundays there was no morning routine so I was able to do longer runs and get a little more sleep.

I had a very stable schedule while on the camp and not traveling. Other folks had very unstable schedules that had them out in the field for long stretches. When I've been deployed on ships, it's much harder to get a lot of running in because of treadmill availability. I was happy to get 30mpw in at sea.

was deployed twice wrote:

... "white rocker" while you may not understand what it is to be a runner, I certainly know that you have no idea what it is like to be a soldier ...

i am not that great, but i have run 14:15 for 5k (track) and a 2:30 marathon. are you more of a runner?

your post still makes no sense.

ps. if you had the time and energy to run that much while you were deployed, you don't know what it is to really be a soldier either.

This post gives me hope. I'm in the best shape I've been in since college and I'm about to deploy to Iraq for 12 months. I pretty much planned on starting over once I got back and haven't been looking forward to the deployment. How good are the facilities? What's the heat and humidity like? I've been to Jordan, but I'm not sure what I'll face in Iraq.

DOUCHE chiiiiillllll

white rocker wrote:

i am not that great, but i have run 14:15 for 5k (track) and a 2:30 marathon. are you more of a runner?

your post still makes no sense.

What good is a shameless brag thread if you don't talk about your improvement in times? People love the big mileage numbers around here, but also hate Dean Karnazes. Times matter.

Also, you can get a lot more attention by understanding basic internet etiquette. Posting in all caps and making sure to include the sacred "100" and "IRAQ" in the title has people hating you before they even click on your retarded thread. But do consider a career in early morning infomercials if you are good-looking.

Finally, the last thing people want to hear about your deployment to Iraq is how many miles you ran in a way too small circle or on a treadmill. War stories, your political thoughts, stories and anecdotes about the friends you made, military jokes, etc. need to be worked in to keep people from nodding off. Running is a horribly boring subject. Do your enjoy listening to your buddies talk about their World of Warcraft pwnage? Prolly bores you to death and seems like a pathetic waste of time.

And no, I would not have the balls to talk to you like that in person. But that's why we love letsrun, right?

About to Deploy:

To answer your questions...depending on your job/location will determine the facilities/time to train. My first 9 months I was in Baghdad on Victory Base Complex and the roads were decent/plenty of lakes to run around. No track, but we had a loop around a lake marked in 400 meter intervals; so you could do intervalss. There were races every weekend; on the downside we experienced a lot of IDF which adds a whole new element to your training. Then I moved to COB Speicher for the remainder of my time; and there was a 400 meter track/an 11 mile loop run....more boring but no IDF. However; if you end up on a JSS/Patrol Base all you may have is a treadmill at best...so it all depends. Furthermore; if you travel a lot you can end up being stuck for days awaiting trans. Best of luck. Russ

Thanks for the response Russ. I haven't been looking forward to the deployment and the thought of not being able to run was hampering my motivation even more. So, in a sense, this news has been the highlight of my day. I'm in combat service support and I don't envision myself traveling a whole lot (but you never know). Hopefully, I can find some time to get the miles in and come back somewhat fit. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what my options are when I get over there. Thanks again.

I didn't realize it but the WSJ did a nice piece on Major Stewart's running in Iraq. It can be accessed here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121605268291551295.html

Additionally, there is a thread on the WSJ site here:

http://forums.wsj.com/viewtopic.php?t=3314

white rocker wrote:

ps. if you had the time and energy to run that much while you were deployed, you don't know what it is to really be a soldier either.

woah there, easy kid.

About to Deploy,

No problem. The worst part of it all is the deployment prep time and hanging out in Kuwait. And you guys should only be there 12 months; which for whatever reason is way easier to handle mentally than 15 months. If you need help setting up some races etc.; email me and I can help you with sponsors etc. Russ

PS Suggest you take extra running shoes; or stockpile models you like so people can mail them to you. Running Warehouse and Road Runner Sports ship to APO and stuff showed up within 2 weeks. Also; when I was in Bagdad it was like NYC and I was able to run in civvie running gear...so depending on where you go. And take cold weather stuff as in the winter if u run early in the morning it can be below freezing.