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training and advice for bleep test level 9 x 2 (a week next wednesday
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Hi all, I have got a 20m multi-stage fitness test to do in a week and half. I have to get level 9 carring a weighted vest then a 20-30min rest and level 9 without.
I don't usually do a lot of running, mainly hill walking/mountaineering so thankfully I'm not starting from scratch totally, carido wise. I did my sort of first run in preperation for the test last Wednesday, 2.7 miles with hills in just under 30min then on Thursday I did 0.9 miles with a incline in 7 minutes which was very hard, last night I did 5.2 miles in (probably) just under a hour which I found to be not too bad, I haven't ran that distance in about 4 years. I'm not sure if to rest tonight or try and get to level 9 on the tread mill with a small incline, I'm flapping about it to be honest, hence the post!
I know I haven't got much time but I'm not sure what to do, how to eat or anything.
I'm 20 and weigh 92kg ish 5' 10 in height
Should I run tonight?
I've been dieting, eating mainly meat and fruit, is this a good idea or should I be eating carbs?
and what do you recomend eating/drinking before/morning of the test and half way through?
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Comments
Whatever you eat and drink on the morning of the test is something that you should try in advance so that your stomach can cope with it. For example, you probably want to make sure you've eaten breakfast about 2 hours prior to the test to ensure digestion so you odn't get stomach cramps. Your general diet won't make much, if any difference as you're only doing a 40mins of running in total - you definitely don't need to carbo-load or anything like that. However, a low-carb diet isn't really recommended for running, though I'm sure some people survive on it and RW have posted different articles over the years saying that you can run on a low-carb diet! Confusing! You don't need to eat mountains of pasta or anything, but some carb intake is necessary because that's the natural fuel source for runners. I'd just drink water between the test; it's not taxing enough in length to deplete your carbohydrate stores so I wouldn't bother with a sports drink or anything like that. After it's over I'd probably eat a banana and have a glass of milk.
As to whether to train tonight - haven't got a clue! Sorry! I have no idea how the training you're doing relates to the beep test either, as I was under the impression that the beep test was a shuttle run between cones on the flat yet you're training on hills? I'd have done a series of shorter sprints and less hills, though they do help to build strength. If you're going to try and do the test on a treadmill tonight it may help your confidence though I doubt anything you do now will impact your fitness all that much.
I've not done a beep test but I've done a VO2max test which (I think!) is what the beep test will give you but without having to hook yourself up to a gas exchange monitor. For that I didn't do any specific training or eating I just ran for as long as I could until I came off the back of the treaddie (it speeds up every minute). I don't know if level 9 is hard or easy as I'm not familiar with the different levels but your 5 mile time is about 10mins slower than mine and my VO2 max is 34 units, but as I say, I don't know how to convert beep test levels into VO2max units to give you an indication of if you're likely to get to level 9.
Good luck and make sure you rest well the day or two before the test. Sorry if I haven't been massively helpful; perhaps someone else will come along and advise.
Beep test? Well, you're going to make precious little difference to your level of cardio fitness in a week and a half. You should concentrate on the things you've probably done little of, just to get neurologically prepped for them. Those things are decelerating, and turning around. You should be using agility drills, like footballers do. Say cones 3m apart and skip sideways between them touching down on them with opposite hands each side. Three cones 5m apart, in a straight line, accelerate to the first then stop after the second as soon as possible. Bring the third cone in to where you stopped and try to beat it. Squats, deadlifts and lunges might also give you a breath of advantage come the day. Basically though, with a week and a half to go, there's not a huge amount to offer. Diet, won't make a difference in that sort of time - any non-negligible weight loss would be more debilitating than helpful. Eat well but early on the day, otherwise you might throw it up. Rinse your mouth out with a sports drink in between tests.