On a whim today, my colleagues and I decided to participate on a public Cooper’s test this Thursday. The last time I ran any distance was about 20 years and 70 lbs. ago. I am in decent shape, though, thanks to a workout routine I’ve followed for the past several years.
Utterly ignorant of my running ability, and desperate to score at least “average” later this week, I decided to take a little test on my own. So I jogged a measured 1.82 km route around the neighborhood. As expected, I felt the “bite” of unfamiliar strain almost instantly, but proceeded at a steady, slow pace until the end. The clock stopped at 9:55, so in the Cooper’s test, I would have had a good two minutes to continue. I felt like I could have done it, too. This would’ve put me in the upper range of “average” for my age (34) and sex (male). Now I really want to try for the >2300 m, to achieve a “good” rating.
My question is: is it in any way reasonable to take a ~2 km jog on the next two days in an effort to better my score on Thursday? Is there time to actually improve, or will I shoot myself in the leg and hinder my performance on Thursday due to strain and general fatigue? On the last two hundred meters or so today, I felt a bit out of gas, some very slight pain on my side, and my thighs and calves were slightly sore afterwards. Jogging is completely new to me, but in comparison to the weight training sessions I have, not as strenuous on the face of it.
Any suggestions, hints and experiences concerning instant fixes in the vanity running scene are welcome.