I haven't worked out in over a year.

On Jan 11th, I have to take a physical fitness test. It consists of:

Body Composition: 26% (I'm at 27%... yes, I know, I should be working out.)
Bechpress: 175 lbs. (easily done)
Legpress: 335 lbs. (easily done)
Reach .5" past my toes (working on streching)
Situps: 35 in 1 minute (done)
Pushups: 24 reps in a row (done)
1.5 mile run: 12:53 (having a big problem doing this.) I can sprint for short distances, but any type of distance running, I suck.

Any idea on how to get faster and increase my cardio in less than 30 days?

Last time I worked out (over a year ago), I was able to bench 295 lbs, legpress over 810 lbs but running still not something I did a lot.

Thanks,
Hardwarz

Why the 30 day limit?

you can improve on everything, however if you rush and start off too hard it will be too much of a shock and you'll end up lifting less.

Take it slow, start off running 1-2times a week and weight training 1-2times a week.
after 2 weeks and you feel fine bump it up a day.

Remember that you have been off for a while and you need to get back in to it slowly.

why dont you tell us what equipment you have and what sort of workout you would like to do and we will take it from there.

Timelimit is due to having to take a physical fitness test on Jan 11.

I have a pass at the local gym. They have everything from a pool, sauna, treadmills, elipiticals, free weights & plate weight machines.

For the past 2 days, what I've been doing, is getting on the treadmill. I've been starting slow, 3 minutes @ 3mph and then moving to 4mph @ 15minutes, then a cool down of 2min @3mph. At this point, my tibialis anterior are achy, as is my knees. I put neopren knee brace on to keep my knees warm. Calf, quads and everything else is going great.

Doing the math, I need to get to 7.5mph @ 12 minutes.

Thanks,
Hardwarz

For the first 2 days, I walked. 4 mph @ 15 minutes (warmup not included in these times)

I took 2 days off (because I couldn't make it to the gym Fri & Sat)

Today I did a combination of walking and running to get 1.5mi in 18:30.

Legs aren't sore. I just get winded fast. Today's workout, I figured I needed to reach the distance, since I know I can go 15 minutes constant.

Today's workout went something like this on the treadmill:

4mph - 0 miles - 0:00 minutes
5mph
4mph
5.5mph
6mph
3mph
7mph
3mph
8mph - 1.5 miles - 18.30 minutes.

I ended the 1.5 miles at 8mph for the last .10 of a mile. Heck, I know I can do up to 10mph for short sprints, but that doesn't help me on distance and my recovery time between sprints could be up to 2 minutes.

I've cut down on cola (one 20 cola in the past day, split into 3 different meals.) As far as fast food, I don't have a choice a lot of the time. I'm on jobsites and there's no decent place to eat when you're very low on cash. I have been trying to say away from things like mayo though.

Thanks for the help.
Hardwarz

Before I became a good runner, the best time to set running goals was right during the run! Listen to your body, but also realize that it might hurt to really push yourself, but it will get you where you gotta be. With that said, when I was running, as long as I was feeling good, which I was most the time, I'd plan it out in my head while running, saying to myself "its at 6 mph now at .88 miles, as soon as it hits 1.00, im turning it up to 7 mph, then at 1.20, up to 8 mph, and at 1.40 up to 9 mph for the last tenth of a mile...

I'd feel like death sometimes, but I improved at a high rate. Now, I've gotten better, and 4-6 miles at 7.5 mph is the norm if I'm doing cardio, and not HIIT...

When I was at 8mph, I checked my heart rate, it was at 177. That's probably not good, is it? lol

I'm 34, weigh 197 lbs and according to my scale, I'm at 27% body fat.

I'm going to keep at it. I have to. I'll listen to my body and it really has been getting easier. Just want to make sure I get the 1.5 miles done in the alloted 12:53. Since I've never been a runner, it's hard getting a feel for it.

Thanks
Hardwaz

Hi there. I'm a similar age and size and used to run a lot before I let myself go - however I'm back into getting fit now. As an ex-runner I would recommend investing in some good running shoes - buy them from a specialist shop that will fit the right shoes for your feet. I'd also forget about the treadmill and start running outdoors. There are few reasons for this:

1. You probably aren't sitting your test on a treadmill
2. You need to learn to control your own speed. I'd actually guess that you'd be quicker on the road than the same distance on the treadmill.
3. You need to match your test conditions - wind resistance, uneven running surfaces, etc...

It also might be good to break up your training routine - one day run for 0.6 miles, the next 1.0 miles the next 0.8 miles, 1.2 miles the next, etc.

When traininig for a marathon, runners never run more than the 26.2 miles in their build up, but they do vary their training as I've mentioned above.

You're right, the test isn't on a treadmill. I just figured the treadmill would be a good way to track my time and distance.

The test is in the Kent State University field house. Last time I took the test, it was a dry heat in there that burned my throat.

I think that for the next week, I'll stick to the treadmill to get my speed up, then go on a track and get my time down.

Thanks for the advice.

Hardwarz