ACFT Calculator | How to Run a Faster 2 Mile

Are you seeking more information about what 2 mile run time you need to run using the acft calculator? If so, welcome to Nutrition Geeks. I am glad you have made it here. I spent over 20 years on active duty in the Army. So, spent many years participating in the older APFT version of the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). I've also run 9:27 for the mile, 14:18 for 5K and 2:19:35 for the marathon. I recently created a new resource for military members called the Army ACFT Embrace the Suck 2 mile course.

My aim was to create a running course to showcase the exact strategies and tactics I used to run professionally. Remember, the faster you can run over 2 miles the more competitive you are going to be in the longer events. You may be preparing for the Army 10 miler or preparing for the Marine Corps marathon. My goal in creating this new 2 mile running course is to get more service members running faster times. In addition, to use leverage and sustain goal race pace longer.

Is 500 a Good Score on the ACFT?

A perfect score on the ACFT is 600. So, you get 100 points in each of the 6 events. The 2 mile run is the last event. So, you have to ensure you are paying attention to doing push ups and strength training to be successful. The Army combat fitness test calculator provides an easy overview of what scores you need to hit. Soldiers seeking to earn 100 points in the 2 mile event will need to run a time of 13:22. My top recommendation is to first focus your attention on building your endurance base.

So, spent 4 weeks running easy, aerobic mileage first. The main reason to do this is to ensure your body is prepared to handle harder, faster anaerobic training. I saw far too many Soldiers having pace sustainment problems during my 20+year army career. It wasn't because they lacked motivation or ability. It simply was that they were not putting in the necessary mileage. More importantly, running fast enough often enough in training.

The world's top middle to long distance runners run around 35 to 40 percent of their weekly mileage at or below anaerobic threshold effort. Of course, the top runners make it look easy. They simply have spent more time training at higher intensities. In addition, have paid close attention to recovery. Remember, the real benefits of your hard training are going to come from the rest period.

ACFT 2 Mile Run Standards Male

As mentioned above, males need to run a time of at least 13:22 (17-21 year olds) in order to earn 100 points. The only way to do this is to train at paces well below 6 minute mile pace in training. You cannot run a time this fast by running once or twice per week. Of course, if you have an enormous amount of genetic talent you may be able to pull it off. That being said, the vast majority of Soldiers need to be running a minimum of 4 and preferably 5 or 6 days a week. The end goal with this new running course I made is to help the athlete improve his or her lactate tolerance. The acft calculator is your starting point to provide the time you need to run in order to get the max amount of points.

Easy running will not produce this physiological effect. Faster running at efforts between 85 to 100% of max heart rate will. The faster we run the more oxygen is required. So, you have to train the body's energy systems adequately in order to get legitimate results. You also need to pace yourself correctly on the ACFT 2MR. I saw far too many Soldiers going out too fast and paying for it in the last few laps of the 2 mile run. So, you won't want to go into oxygen debt and be forced to slow down.

I cover the exact tactics in the new running course on how to sustain goal 2 mile race pace longer. In addition, the fundamentals that far too many military members and civilians are not paying attention to. I am 100% confident that if you follow what I cover in the course you are going to drop substantial time off of your 2 mile run.

ACFT 2 Mile Run Standards Female

Female Soldiers will need to run 15:29 for 2 miles in order to earn 100 points. Of course, this time is for 17-21 year old Soldiers. The ACFT calculator will calculate what time you will need to run based on your age. So, the first step is finding out what time you want to aim for. The new Army ACFT Embrace the Suck 2 mile course concluded with a 16-week training plan. So, you won't have to guess what types of workouts you will need to do.

I have created custom training plans to help military members (and civilians) achieve their fitness goals. The course consists of 9 modules with containing a total of 58 video lessons. I cover the top strategies 3 of the world's top distance running coaches taught me. Also, fundamentals that helped me get accepted into the US Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). My aim is that you mimic the type of training that I was doing so you get similar or better results than I achieved. Also, so that you can bypass the mistakes that far too many military members and civilians are making in training.

ACFT Calculator Promotion Points

Obviously, the higher you score on this test, the better. I know that cardiovascular endurance gives a lot of Soldiers problems. I didn't see a running course online built specifically for military members. So, the goal in creating this new course was to help get Soldiers to the next level in their training and racing. In addition, promoted by scoring higher. Pace sustainment is the biggest hindrance for many military members. Army Regulation 600-8-19 is the resource you want to focus on in determining ACFT promotion points.

Soldiers should be doing 1, vo2 max workout, 1 tempo run and 1 long run each week. That being said, you shouldn't be doing easy, slow long runs every single weekend. Yes, it will build endurance and burn fat. What it won't do is help you race faster over 2 miles. Faster running demands higher levels of oxygen. Also, we accumulate more lactic acid the faster we run. So, in order to teach the body to clear lactic acid effectively you have to train faster than goal pace.

Also, your tempo runs should be extended. We are running at between 85 to 89 percent of our maximum hear rate while running at our anaerobic threshold. What has been the longest tempo run you have done in the past training for the ACFT? 2 miles? 3? I would focus on extending this distance out to around 4 to 5 miles (8km). Of course, you need to first adapt to a 2-3 mile tempo run before moving forward. Yes, it will be difficult at first. Remember, it takes the body between 3 to 4 weeks to adapt to the stresses being placed on it.

ACFT Calculator 2022 & Beyond

The acft calculator listed under the first sub-title of this post is your starting point. Of course, the real planning starts after you decide what score you are aiming at. Again, each Soldier will have their own specific 2 mile run time that they are going for. My main goal with the new Army ACFT 2 mile running course is to teach you what I know. What works best and what will produce the best running results. Remember, the faster you can cover this distance the more confidence you are going to have.

In addition, the faster you will be racing other longer race distances. This course will also help military members in other branches as well. I went as in-depth as I possibly could in creating this resource. I also discuss heart rate monitor training, mental training, specific changes in your equipment that can drop significant time off your current best. I highly recommend investing in a heart rate monitor. I use the Garmin 245 and use it regular to ensure I am not over training.

Below are the heart rate zones you want to focus on at differing intensities. Remember the below listed heart rates are based off an athlete with a maximum heart rate of 170.

• Easy: 65-74% of max HR or around 110-125BPM
• Marathon (moderate effort): 75-84% of max HR or around 127-142BPM
• Threshold: 85-89% of max HR or around 144-149BPM
• Interval: 95-100% of max HR or around 161-170BPM
• Repetition: 105% of max HR or around 178BPM

Closing Thoughts

Make sure you continue to develop your leg speed. So, doing one track workout per week focusing on running well below your goal 2 mile race pace. The goal in running at your vo2 max (95 to 105% of max HR) is to recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers. The more of these you can successfully recruit the more efficient you are going to cover the 2 mile distance. Easy running is vital for success too. You need to be jogging on recovery days to ensure you allot sufficient time to adapt to the hard workouts you will be doing. Again, the acft calculator, shown above in the Army Combat Fitness Test calculator link is your starting point. Now, we need help you sustain goal 2 mile race pace longer.

I see far too many Soldiers running too fast one easy days and too slow on hard days. Again, the new ACFT 2 mile running course will ensure you don't make this same mistake. I'd love to keep in touch with you. Make sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I make weekly training and racing video content there to help runners such as yourself make it to the next level in their fitness. I look forward to interviewing you about your new personal best and how this new course helped you.