(c)Wear thick socks. The socks you choose are as important as the boots you use; they should allow cushion, they should not allow rubbing and they should wick sweat away from your feet. You want your feet as dry as possible because wetness causes rubbing and it also makes your skin soft and spongy which leads to further degradation.
(d)Practice proper rucksack march/walking techniques.
(e)The weight of your body must be kept directly over feet, and the sole of the boot must be placed flat on the ground by taking small steps at a steady pace.
(f)Step over or around obstacles; never step on them.
(g)When traveling up steep slopes, always traverse them; move in a zig zag pattern rather than straight up.
(h)When descending steep slopes, keep your back straight and knees bent to absorb the shock of each step. Do not lock your knees and maintain sure footing.
(i)Practice walking as fast as you can with a ruck on your back. Do not run with a ruck on during training, it may cause injury.
(j)A good hike pace is accomplished by continuous movement with short breaks; 5 min every 6-8 miles, or every hour in hot weather for example.
(k)You can hike along a road or cross country. Strive for the time goals and keep records. It is recommended that you hike along a road with a training partner and ample water.
(l)Doing squats will strengthen the muscles that you use when you hike. Do squats with and without weight for time and repetition. If you are not able to hike, work your legs with squats. The strength training regimen on the A&S Short Card intentionally works leg muscles to improve leg strength for hiking with a ruck.
(m)If you are not able to hike because of your duty station (on a ship or austere FOB), then do squats with your rucksack; one hundred repetitions, five times or until muscle fatigue. Additionally, use a stair-stepper to build muscle strength and endurance.
(4)Running Events.
(a)Mondays.The runs on Mondays are designed to be done at a comfortable pace. If you cannot carry on a conversation with your training partner, you're running too fast. If you use a heart monitor to measure your level of exertion, you should be running between 65 to 75 percent of maximum.
(b)Speed Work Wednesdays.If you want to run at a fast pace, you need to train at a fast pace at least once a week. Interval training, where you alternate fast running with jogging or walking, is a very effective form of “speed work.” The training schedule begins in Week 1 with a workout of 5 x 400 meters and peaks in Week 9 with 10 x 400 meters. Run the 400s at about the pace you would run in a mile or 1600m race. Walk or jog between each run for about three minutes or until you can max out the 400m run again. Although the best venue for “speed work” of this sort is on a 400-meter track, these workouts can be done on the road or on trails, either by using measured courses or by running
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