Former Army Ranger running

Running Fast Is Simpler Than You Think

ByDave

There are 3 components:

  1. Endurance
  2. Body Composition
  3. Health

If you have all three in check, you’ll become a great runner. It’s just a matter of time.

1) Endurance:

I have multiple videos on the channel and also on the website about this, so I’ll keep it short.

Weekly Schedule:

1 Interval Session

  • 5min warm up, 6 x 600m @ 2 mile goal pace, 5min cooldown

1 Threshold/Tempo Session

  • 10min warm up, 30min at a moderately hard effort, 10min cooldown

1 Zone 2 (Long and slow session)

  • ex: 60 minutes with HR under 150

This will work for 95% who want to reach competitive run times. Once you begin to plateau on this template, a dedicated base-building phase or additional work may be necessary.

2) Body Composition:

There is a reason why you don’t see 250lb guys with big bellies running 6 minute miles. It’s because every extra pound they’re carrying is adding about 2 seconds to their mile time.

What this means is that their endurance actually could be good. They’re just too fat to exhibit those gains.

Work to maintain a relatively lean body composition of around 15%.

3) Health:

I don’t care how fit or great of a runner you are. If you come down with stress fractures or IT band syndrome, you can’t run. Staying healthy is key.

Also, a new video on my favorite exercises and a sample routine to bulletproof yourself for selection will go live tomorrow morning. Stay tuned!

I'm a coach with a passion for helping athletes dominate the toughest selection courses in the world. Over the years, I've trained well over 100 athletes for Special Operations selection courses, including SFAS, RASP, Air Force A&S, BORTAC, SWAT, and MARSOC A&S. My mission is to bridge the gap between traditional performance training and the unique demands of tactical and military athletes.

I got my start coaching hybrid athletes, blending strength, endurance, and hypertrophy training to achieve peak performance. As I worked with more tactical and military athletes, I realized there was a need for a specialized approach tailored to the grueling physical and mental challenges of SOF selections. This realization drove me to focus on prepping SOF candidates for success, combining cutting-edge research, proven training methodologies, and real-world experience.

Whether you're preparing for selection, seeking to level up your fitness, or simply curious about what it takes to thrive in these elite environments, I hope you'll find the information I share helpful.