Updated list of things to bring?

[banana380]

Either way on the minimalist shoes: make sure you have acclimated your feet/legs to them before you go to OCS... It takes a week or 2 to get used to using more of/a different part of your calf.

FWIW, Vibram makes the soles of a large chunk of the shoe market anyway, minimalist and otherwise. Get ready for the nitpicky attention to detail, especially in aviation

 

[Recovering LSO]

Shit barefoot runners say...

It takes a week or 2 to get used to using more of/a different part of your calf.

= bad gouge. One transitioning to the minimalist fad need to allow for several months with VERY gradual build up.

Army thinks you need two months.

Good gouge.

 

[banana380]

Basically what I got from those articles is YMMV...

Above all, runners shouldn't push themselves to transition more quickly and should immediately stop running if they experience pain.

IMO the Army article definitely erred on the cautious side, then again I ran about a mile when I first got mine and was sore for a week. Different styles/preferences of how to do a new style of workout. After the initial shock, it hasn't been a big deal to run in them.

Basically what I was saying is try them well before OCS, not giving a specific break in period.

 

[Aviation Jones]

I've been running in the same pair of cheap Asics for a few years. They still seem to work fine, but I thought the same thing about the shoes I had before the Asics. BIG difference. The next ~6 months will be filled with running, so I think I shall invest in some new boulder holders.

I read a few websites and did a "wet test" and found that I have neutral to high arches. Most places suggest a "flexible" or "cushioned" shoe. I don't want to go overboard with research, but if anyone has suggestions for a high arch runner please share.

 

[Silhouette]

boulder holders.

...

 

[Aviation Jones]

Stupid term for shoes... I should stop posting after a 24+ hour day, haha.

 

[Silhouette]

Stupid term for shoes... I should stop posting after a 24+ hour day, haha.

Ah...phew! I was only aware of one type of 'boulder holder,' (over the shoulder type) which prompted me to get confused about your avatar and double check your profile (thinking to myself, If you need one of those, I'd say you better be doing a lot of runnin before showing up to OCS) Haha!

 

[Aviation Jones]

Ah...phew! I was only aware of one type of 'boulder holder,' (over the shoulder type) which prompted me to get confused about your avatar and double check your profile (thinking to myself, If you need one of those, I'd say you better be doing a lot of runnin before showing up to OCS) Haha!

Bahaha, holy crap! Had to google the "over the shoulder boulder holder." It appears that maybe I have been mistaken on the phrase for quite some time.

Aaaah, nothing like public humiliation.

 

[Silhouette]

Public? Naw, this is the internet! It isn't even real. And no humiliation intended.

 

[Aviation Jones]

Public? Naw, this is the internet! It isn't even real. And no humiliation intended.

It's all good, none taken. I'm in a great mood today. I took my old Asics for a spin this morning, best 1.5 time I've laid down yet at 10:55.

3 seconds shy of the Excellent performance level for my age. Not spectacular, but a 42 second jump from my last timed run.

 

[Silhouette]

It's all good, none taken. I'm in a great mood today. I took my old Asics for a spin this morning, best 1.5 time I've laid down yet at 10:55.

3 seconds shy of the Excellent performance level for my age. Not spectacular, but a 42 second jump from my last timed run.

Nice! That's a huge drop in time. Sounds like you're going about training the right way. I guess I should time myself on that 1.5 again soon. Did it once during PFT season and I was in the low 11:00 range, but now that I've been running around in boots for the past few months (CFT season), I imagine I've probably gained the amount of time that you lost since your last run, haha.

 

[Aviation Jones]

I had some good advice from another AW member to try out some interval training. 400M at 80% followed by 1 min break, then 20 push-up/20 sit-up. Do that 8X non stop.

I'm in nowhere near that kind of shape, so I started with 100M and mix in a few 200M if possible. That and been running a 2 mile course that winds through some woods with lots of inclines. It helped for sure, I noticed I don't get winded so quickly. Also upped the protein and potassium intake. It's nice to not be sore every time I run now.

In your case, you never know. Running in boots has to be brutal. Maybe it strengthened your legs and a pair of running shoes will feel like air.

 

[Joe_Snow]

Wait a sec... From the OCS website:

Running Shoes:
Please invest in a quality pair of running shoes less than six months old. You will be running 10-12 miles per week, depending on where you are in training. Running is conducted on pavement, so a good pair of shoes is important (recommend 2 pairs). MINIMALIST SHOES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED AT OCS.

I would rather just get a good pair of running shoes and not risk something important getting bagged and secured.

 

[ea6bflyr]

I believe they are referring to the minimalist "toe" shoes...with the newer minimalist non-toe shoes, you can't even tell they are minimalist shoes....

-ea6bflyr

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

I hope they mean the FiveFingers; I was planning on bringing my New Balance Minimus trail shoes I bought a few months ago. Liek ea6bflyr mentioned, they don't look like VFF, but the soles are made by Vibram, and it says "Vibram" in orange letters on the side