Frustration...

So yesterday I just did a couple miles around the lagoon island, which involved a bunch of hills. The problem is never running up the hills, it's always running down. The most efficient way to do it is just to let yourself go, basically windmilling your legs as gravity throws you downward. Unfortunately, this seems to be the fastest way to aggravate my legs. The pounding on the pavement especially when running downhill is what always brings back the pain. It's quite frustrating, seems that no matter how long I'm into the running routine, the first day I actually run some hills, or run at a somewhat fast pace, I end up having to stop halfway through due to the pain.

I guess my new strategy is just to focus on other types of exercise. The elliptical trainers at the RecCen, and the pool, are going to end up being the main focus. Interestingly enough, I stumbled upon a set of physical requirements in the Air Force track I'm headed into that I wasn't aware of before. In order to be a part of a fighter aircrew, I'll have to perform F.A.C.T.. on a regular basis, which stands for the Fighter Aircrew Conditioning Test. Unlike the tests I'll have to pass at OTS, this one solely involves weight training. It's based on a percentage of your weight, so just to overestimate things and make sure I'm in the green area I'll probably end up training as if I was trying to reach the amounts needed if I was 200 lbs. That wouldn't happen since the max in the Air Force is in the 190s, and I plan to be around 180, but better safe than sorry. That means I'll have to lift the following amounts of weight:

Bench Press: 160 lbs
Arm Curl: 70 lbs.
Lat Pulldowns: 140 lbs.
Leg Curls: 100 lbs
Leg Press: 320 lbs.

Those numbers don't look insanely impossible, but apparently its not just maxing at that weight, you must actually perform TEN reps of each exercise in one set. For example I wouldn't have a problem benching 160 lbs, but given the length of time since I was actually weight training, something tells me ten reps might be a problem.

I think the first thing I'm going to do is go pay the 6 bucks or whatever it is to go into that new machine on campus that tells you like a berzillion things about your body composition, including your body fat percentage. That will be quite helpful in determining what the best course of action is for my training routine. The problem with switching over to weight training and make sure I'm in the zones needed in that area, is I'll probably build up muscle and thus gain weight, which could put me too close to the max weight.

Might as well explain the whole deal so the numbers make sense when I talk aboutit in the future. The way they do it at the yearly physical is they initially weigh you to see if you're over the maximum allowable weight for your height. I'm technically 5' 10 1/2' at my shortest during the day, so the max weight for me is 196.5. The "desirable weight" for that height is 175. I'd be satisfied with a muscular 180. I'm currently just over 190 at last check. If you end up over the maximum weight, they do a body fat percentage check. This is so that the very muscular officers who are possibly quite a bit over the maximum weight due to muscle mass aren't affected. The maximum body fat percentage for those under 29 years of age is 20%. If you fail both of the tests (>196.5 lbs and >20% body fat) then basically bad things happen. If that was the case at my initial physical I'd be disqualified completely, if it happens when you're already in you go through various stages of reprimands and eventually demotions and a possible discharge. Basically bad news. The last time I checked my body fat percentage was like 7th grade, and I've changed a bit on both the muscle weight and chunk weight since then.

So theoretically if I find out my body fat is a decent amount under 20%, then I can just focus on keeping in shape on a muscular and cardiovascular level, and not worry so much if I gain muscle and it puts me over the max weight. It's much easier to see progress when it comes to muscular work, and ab work, so motivation wouldn't be an issue, although if I do eventually get in, knowing I'm going to have to do it or go home will be motivation enough. So now you know everything about what I'm trying to do physically. Oh one more thing. GETTING A HAWT BOD FER DA WOMENS WOULDN'T BE TOO SHABBY.

Heh.