Improve Endurance

Proof required

Submit your baseline test result: if Cooper Run, the GPS distance in metres covered in 12 minutes, the date, and the app or device used; if 1-mile walk, the time in minutes and seconds, your immediate post-walk heart rate, the date, and how heart rate was measured. Include your 8-week target as a specific number (not a range).

What gets checked

• The baseline test is one of the two specified formats — a generic 'I ran for 20 minutes' does not provide a repeatable measurement that can be compared at M3
• The GPS distance or timed result is produced by a device or app (phone GPS, running watch, treadmill), not estimated by memory — the test method must be identified so the M3 re-test can use the same method
• The 8-week target is a specific improvement on the baseline — '1500m in the Cooper test' when the baseline was 1200m is specific; 'I want to run further' is not; the target must be achievable (10–20% improvement) not aspirational

Common mistakes

• Using different test formats at baseline and re-test — the Cooper Run and 1-mile walk test measure different things and cannot be compared; choose one format and stick with it from M1 through M3
• Setting an 8-week target based on an idealized outcome rather than the 10–20% improvement range — a 50% improvement in 8 weeks is not achievable for most people; an unrealistic target leads to abandoning the outcome at Week 4
• Performing the test after a warmup that includes running — the warm-up should be walking and light movement only; pre-test running inflates the baseline result and makes the M3 comparison invalid

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Confirm the test format used at M1 is clearly named — verifiers will need this to confirm the M3 re-test uses the same format. If neither the Cooper Run nor the 1-mile walk test was used, ask the submitter to repeat with one of the specified formats
• The baseline result should be plausible for someone who has not been training specifically for this — a Cooper Run result between 1000m and 2200m covers the range from very low fitness to moderate fitness for adults; an outlier at either end warrants a question
• The 8-week target should be a realistic 10–20% improvement — if it is more than 25% above the baseline, it will likely not be met, and the M3 comparison will show failure against an unrealistic target rather than genuine improvement

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Proof required

Submit your 8-week cardio training log with at least 24 sessions (3+ per week), each entry showing the date, activity type, duration, and a perceived exertion score (1–10). Name the training programme you followed.

What gets checked

• At least 24 sessions spread across 8 calendar weeks — not 24 sessions in 4 weeks with a 4-week gap; the training must be distributed across the full 8-week period
• Perceived exertion scores show variation across the 8 weeks — sessions rated 8/10 in Week 1 should be rated 6/10 or lower by Week 6 if the same session is repeated; identical scores across 8 weeks suggest the log was not completed contemporaneously
• The named training programme exists and matches the session log — if the programme says three sessions per week and the log shows five, or the programme ends at Week 6 but the log continues, the log does not match the programme

Common mistakes

• Increasing training volume too quickly — the most common cause of missed sessions in endurance training is injury from too much too soon; a 10% weekly increase in volume is the maximum safe rate
• Skipping the perceived exertion log and only recording 'done' — the exertion score is the internal evidence of adaptation; without it, the log cannot show that endurance actually improved across the 8 weeks
• Using interval training from Week 1 without having established a base aerobic capacity — all sessions in Weeks 1–4 should be at a conversational pace; high-intensity intervals are for Weeks 5–8 only if your baseline allows it

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Count the sessions and confirm at least 24 are spread across 8 calendar weeks — clusters of sessions in a short period do not qualify as 8 weeks of structured training
• Check the perceived exertion scores across the 8 weeks. If the same type of session is repeated across weeks (e.g. 30-minute easy run), the score should trend downward as the submitter adapts — flat scores across all 8 weeks are inconsistent with genuine adaptation
• The named programme should be identifiable — ask the submitter to share the URL or name of the programme they followed if it is not already in the submission

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Proof required

Submit (1) your M3 re-test result using the same format as M1 (Cooper Run distance in metres with GPS evidence, or 1-mile walk time and heart rate), taken under the same pre-test conditions; (2) a side-by-side comparison of your M1 baseline and M3 re-test results; (3) a written statement from a named person who observed your training across the 8 weeks, naming what they saw change.

What gets checked

• The re-test uses the same format, same device/app, and the same warm-up protocol as M1 — any difference in conditions makes the comparison uninterpretable
• The M3 result shows a measurable improvement over M1 — even a small improvement (5%) is valid; a re-test result lower than or equal to the M1 baseline does not satisfy this milestone
• The attestation is from someone who was physically present during training sessions, not someone who was told about the training by the submitter

Common mistakes

• Testing under different conditions from M1 — testing the Cooper Run on a treadmill when M1 was outdoors, or testing at a different time of day, can produce results that do not reflect actual endurance change
• Stopping training in the week before the re-test — a peak in training two weeks before the re-test followed by rest (tapering) typically improves performance; stopping abruptly in the final week can reduce performance below Week-8 peak
• Providing an attestation from someone who only heard about the training second-hand — only people who were present during sessions can attest to what changed

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Confirm the test format, device, and course match M1 exactly — any change in measurement method makes the comparison uninterpretable. Ask the submitter to confirm which device and which route or course they used for both tests
• The M3 result must be better than M1. Even a 5% improvement is valid; no improvement or regression means the milestone was not achieved
• Ask the attesting person how many sessions they observed and what specifically changed in the submitter's running or cardio performance. If they cannot describe a specific change, they were not observing closely enough to attest

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