3 Runs The Tactical Athlete Needs To Dominate The 2 Mile - Part 1 of 4

Jun 24
6 min read

Two Soldiers running the 2 mile PT test. 3 Runs The Tactical Athlete Needs To Dominate The 2 Mile

The iconic Garmin beep at the start of your time trial. You've trained for this. First quarter mile and the legs feel good, pace feels right, confidence is high. Strides later the doubt starts to creep in. The lower back is tightening, legs are not turning over, and you feel like you’re hyperventilating. Plus, the mental math in your head of the finish time is not looking good. Redlined too soon and there was nowhere else to go but down.

This is how most time trial journeys go for tactical athletes, and why I want to build a roadmap with this four part series. We're going to cover the conditioning, the strength, the nutrition, the lifestyle, and then put it all together into one system. But that means you need to do the work.

I have yet to coach a tactical athlete who doesn't want to improve their run times. If they don't want to, they know they need to (Or would drastically improve all aspects of performance if they did). So let's get into it.

Understanding RPE - Your Most Important Training Tool

Before we get into the three runs you need to understand one thing: rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Like anything worth doing, this is something that needs to be practiced. This RPE scale is subjective in nature, but that's not a bad thing. It will help us auto-regulate, and adjust our training paces to our readiness. That skill will serve you much better than any HR formula for zones, percentages, or pace charts.

Here's what each RPE level actually feels like:

RPE 1 - You're alive

RPE 4-6: Easy (traditionally known as zone 2)

Conversational. You could hold a ~12 word sentence without gasping. Occasional nasal breathing. Your capacity (maybe not legs) could do this for hours. Somewhat comfortable. Controlled. Sustainable.

RPE 6-8: Moderate

You could talk but you'd rather not. You could hold this pace for another 10-15 minutes if you had to. Controlled urgency. Not a sprint. Not a jog.

RPE 8.5-9: Hard / Repeats

A couple words max. You're working. Uncomfortable but somewhat sustainable. There's more in the tank, but not much. We are going hard, but pacing is still required. Earn your rest periods, while trying to keep negative splits.

RPE 9.5-10: End of Time Trials

Four letter expletives. Send it. This is test day. This is the final 400m. Everything you have. Nothing held back. Save 10 for testing, not training.

The athlete who knows, practices, and applies these levels will PR. Realize that consistently overshooting RPE's won't get better results. It will destroy your recovery and set back the rest of the training week.

The Common Problems With Running Tactics

Here are the three common ways tactical athletes sabotage their own run times:

1 - You're Stuck In Zone 2

Zone 2 is important. But problems arise when that's all you focus on. Most athletes find a formula, lock in their HR range, and then become neurotic about staying inside it. The problem is you end up leaving performance on the table because you're not practicing the actual skill of running. Zone ranges don't turn on and off. They're all on - just to different magnitudes.

This relatively easy work improves your base and teaches your body how to be efficient. That's valuable. There is no shame in walking to stay at an “easy” conversational pace, as long as it's an intentional decision, and not the watches. These runs are not a time to prove you have the ability to run the entire time. We know you can. It's more about staying disciplined and actually practicing the skill. Even if you occasionally drift into the dreaded “zone 3”.

2 - You're Running Everything At RPE 10

The last 400m of a time trial is where RPE 10 lives. That's testing. Not training. The athlete who runs everything at a 10 has too much pride and ego to have staying power. Overuse injuries come out of nowhere. Pacing is non-existent. And they end up running the same "fast" paces for years, that's if they make it that long.

Not only does this athlete dig a recovery hole every session, they're selling each session short. You're training your body to slow down because you can't sustain the desired pace. Again, overshooting won't get better results. Time trials will continue to start strong and end in an embarrassing shuffle. Plus, daily RPE 10 runs will drastically increase the chances of injuries.

3 - You're Not Clocking Any Miles

Running programs purchased. New shoes on the sidelines. Tech completely dialed in. Zero miles logged. This is the person obsessing over cadence, breathing patterns, and form videos. I'm not saying execute without a strategy, but realize you cannot plan your way to a PR without the miles. Your body is smarter than you give it credit for. It will figure out the pacing, cadence, and form... with practice!

If you want to earn PR’s, running can’t come as an afterthought. Many claim that they are working on their run, and only sneaking in a mile before or after a strength training session. That is the extent of their work. Technically you are checking the box. But, simply checking the box will not get you to your desired PR.

All three of these problems will either drive you insane, crush you, or keep you at the starting line. Let's get into the fix.

3 Runs The Tactical Athlete Needs To Dominate The 2 Mile

Stop obsessing about HR zones, mileage targets, and cadence metrics. Break it down into three types of runs - easy, moderate, and hard. For the 2 mile, the goal is to hit or work towards each type of run at least once per week. The volume of each will vary depending on where you're starting. There's no single standard solution, but the framework can work for everyone. Think of easy, moderate, and hard as three conditioning categories. There's always room for creativity within each one - the examples are starting points not rules.

Run #1 - Easy Runs

Conversational pace. RPE 4-6.

Don't be attached to the pace on your watch. There is no easy run pace competition. It doesn't matter. Just focus on one thing: If we were having a conversation during your easy run would you be able to respond without gasping for air? (~12 word sentence). If yes, you’re around the right intensity. If not, you should pull it back. Remember: This is the foundation that everything else is built on. Take it serious.

Beginner: 2-4x 15-20 minute sessions per week. Slow weekly increase.

Intermediate: 2-4x 30+ minute sessions per week.

Advanced: 1-2x 45+ minute sessions per week. Bias toward runs 2 and 3.

Pro tip: Realize easy does not mean effortless. Anything worth doing takes effort. Easy is relative to your RPE scale and your other runs.

Run #2 - Hard Runs

Speed work. RPE 8.5-9. We are going hard here - but pacing is still required. Think negative splits on repeats. Earn your rest period. And when time is up, execute. This is where you not only build your capacity, you train your legs to turnover.

Examples:

4 x 400m - rest 1:1

8 x 30 seconds - rest 2-3:00

Run #3 - Moderate Runs

Pacing practice. RPE 6-8. This is where you move toward your goal pace. Controlled. Honest. Deliberate. Moderate is supposed to be uncomfortable. Not crushing, but uncomfortable. RPE 6-8 means you could talk but you'd rather not. You could hold this pace for another 10-15 minutes if you had to, but you wouldn't enjoy it. These are the priority runs where your time trials are won or lost.

Examples:

3 x 5 minutes - rest 2:00

2 x 8 minutes - rest 2:00

1 x 10 minutes at moderate pace

Debriefing each run type

I like to gamify the runs. Challenge yourself and “run blind” (ie. wear a watch and or chest strap, but don't have access to the data during the runs). Run on feel and train your internal monitor.

Debrief with data:

Easy - What distance did you cover? What was your avg hr? Did you beat previous easy runs? How was the RPE?

Moderate / hard - what were the splits? Were they negative splits? Did you practice pacing or come out too hot?

You either win or learn. If your run didn't go well? Another one will be coming up. That's how you actually gain wisdom and skills to improve your run time.

How The Three Runs Work Together

Easy builds the base.

Hard builds the engine.

Moderate teaches you to race.

These are the 3 runs the tactical athlete needs to dominate the 2 mile. Miss one and the system is ineffienct. Train all three and the 2 mile becomes yours.

Don't overcomplicate it. Just keep moving.