2.4km Run

Last week a colleague asked me how to train for the 2.4km IPPT run. I nearly choked on the pen I was nibbling at while staring at the pc. Everybody in the office know that I run a lot. But this guy like most of the others all assume that just because I run, I can do the 2.4km. What they don't realise is that while yes, I run, I do mainly long runs, what in runners speak, we called Long Slow Distance run with the emphasis on the word 'Slow'. So I didn't really have a ready reply for him. 

The last time I ran a actual 2.4km in a test or race was years ago. I have totally no recollections of what sort of timing I got though. I only remember that I managed to clear almost all the IPPT during full time NS and during my reservist phase, I usually pass on the 1st attempt with the $200.00 monetary award. But the actual timing? I really don't know. A further quick check on my runningahead log shows my last 2.4km run was in May 2011 when I clocked 11.27mins. My best was in February 2006 when I clocked 10.35.

So now with an injury behind me and much lower mileage, what sort of time will I be able to do? My curiosity piqued, I decided to go to the track to find out for myself. So after a nice 2km warm up run to the Meridien JC, I went for it. 

I started off at what I thought what a reasonably fast pace at perceived effort of 85 - 90%. But that soon fizzled out and I went slower as each round goes by. A quick glance at my watch at the end of the 3rd round shows I was running under 6 mins for the 3 rounds so I reckoned I will probably finished about 12 minutes. By the 5th round, my legs were protesting and I started on my cough and going to puke routine. There I thought of giving up. What the heck, it wasn't worth all that torture just to satisfy my curiosity.  But with barely 700 metres to go, it was kinda waste to give up so I pushed myself on and finally finished the 2.4km.

Okay I made it. A check on Mindef website shows if I am 29 years and younger in Cat X and Y,  I will have got 3 points. If I was between 30 to 34 years old (Cat Y1), I will have got 4 points and if I was Cat Z and above, it will be 5 points or A grade. Hmmm not too bad for someone bordering on the half a century mark.

Back to the question how to train for the IPPT? Other than run more, run faster - I really have no answer but to refer my colleague to these few websites:

http://www.angelfire.com/mac2/hls2004/ippt_preparation.htm
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/life/ippt7.htm