Shuttle Rug

dwb · December 21, 2007, 08:53:31 PM

No, that's not a typo.

Being in the Northeast, we can't do an outdoor mile run in the winter, so we shuttle run.

One of the problems I've had with the shuttle run is finding an appropriate flooring surface to use. Buffed floors are a disaster; no one can pass the test because the cadets slide five feet when they try to pick up the blocks.

My idea is to acquire a strip of that thin berber carpeting you see in offices. It'd be, oh, 34 feet long (30 feet for the run plus a couple extra feet on each side) and wide enough for one person to run at a time.

I think a 34 ft. length of carpet would be heavy enough to prevent it from slipping while the cadet runs on it, but light enough to roll up and be stored, even if it's a two-person job to roll/unroll.

Just throwing some ideas out there. We don't have a lot of carpeted surfaces in our meeting location, and none that are over 30 feet long.

Any other ideas for the shuttle run?

Capt M. Sherrod · December 21, 2007, 09:01:31 PM

That's an interesting idea. I hadn't thought about that before.

SamFranklin · December 21, 2007, 09:13:38 PM

I bet that's a good idea.

Keep in mind that carpet comes in 12' and 15' wide rolls, in most instances, so you're unlikely to find something 30+ feet long -- it'll require piecing together.

If you go to a small, mom and pop type carpet store, they'll have remnants that might suit your needs. Tell them who you are and you might get the remnants for free.

dwb · December 21, 2007, 09:26:18 PM

Quote from: magoo on December 21, 2007, 09:13:38 PMIf you go to a small, mom and pop type carpet store, they'll have remnants that might suit your needs. Tell them who you are and you might get the remnants for free.

Ooh, good idea. Thanks for the tip.

Stonewall · December 21, 2007, 10:05:42 PM

You're awesome Major Dan...

Best idea I've seen in a long time. Hats off to you. ™ that SOB and make some money bro.

I get 10% for suggestiong the marketing idea.

Major Lord · December 21, 2007, 10:41:15 PM

If you start turning in 8 second shuttle run times, we are going to want steroid tests for your cadets! Darn good idea though!

Major Lord

Al Sayre · December 22, 2007, 02:28:50 AM

You might also want to tack on a little of that non-skid backing at the ends just for good measure... You know the stuff they sell as drawer liner and for holding down pieces on the router bench, cost about $2.00 for a piece 5 ft x 18", and when pressure is applied it doesn't move...

Matt · December 22, 2007, 03:02:02 AM

Quote from: Major Lord on December 21, 2007, 10:41:15 PM
[...]we are going to want steroid tests for your cadets![...]

Great another report to Congress...

Nathan · December 22, 2007, 07:34:20 PM

This is actually something that sounds like what I've been looking for.

We are at an Army armory, and find that right around inspection time, the drill floor is polished, and all other times, it's dusty. Either way, we have a hard time doing the shuttle run, especially when we only typically have cadets doing it during inclement whether when the concrete parking lot is out of commission.

I'm wondering if they have any of that rubbery material they use for tracks just rolled up into sheets. If it's like that on both sides, then it would grip the runner's feet as easily as it would the floor, and should keep it from slipping.

capchiro · January 04, 2008, 06:25:35 PM

Most of the home improvement stores have black rubber nonskid type runners that are about 30-36 inches wide and it is sold by the running foot, so you could easily purchase 34-36 feet of it. If you do this, please give us a report back and let us know how it works. Another quick question, where is everyone getting their 2x2x4 inch blocks? You really can't cut them out of a 2x4 due to the actual wood size being less than 2x4. Thanks,

Capt M. Sherrod · January 04, 2008, 06:37:50 PM

We just had our CPFT last night, and I used two dry-erase erasers. The Pamphlet actually says to use erasers OR 2x2x4 blocks. It worked quite well.

dwb · January 04, 2008, 07:12:17 PM

Quote from: capchiro on January 04, 2008, 06:25:35 PMMost of the home improvement stores have black rubber nonskid type runners that are about 30-36 inches wide and it is sold by the running foot

That's a great idea. Maybe I'll hit Lowe's this weekend to see what I can find.

Fifinella · January 05, 2008, 04:32:08 AM

The low tech solution is just to run it barefoot on the existing surface.

(When the Americans wanted to write in space, they spent lots of money inventing a pen that could write in zero G. The Russians just used pencils.)

Eeyore · January 05, 2008, 04:38:08 AM

Barefoot doesn't provide very much support when making quick changes in direction as is done in a shuttle run.

You also could have lots of fun fungi transferring between all the cadinks feet.

dwb · January 07, 2008, 01:21:48 PM

Quote from: Fifinella on January 05, 2008, 04:32:08 AMThe low tech solution is just to run it barefoot on the existing surface.

I'm not sure that's such a good idea, either. Wouldn't the rapid change in direction be bad on the skin? Seems like you'd have the opposite problem of stopping too quickly and losing one's balance.

Quote from: Fifinella on January 05, 2008, 04:32:08 AM(When the Americans wanted to write in space, they spent lots of money inventing a pen that could write in zero G. The Russians just used pencils.)

Humorous, but an urban legend. Lead and wood shavings from a sharpened pencil could float into the instrumentation and mess it up. Besides, Fisher had already invented the pen, NASA didn't commission him to design it.