Well, we’re back at it. It’s time to do a night time Run ‘N Gun.
The last time I ran the Twilight Run ‘N Gun was in October 2018, 4 and a half years ago! Man, a lot has changed in that time, but something that hasn’t changed is that I’m still fat & lazy. To that end, I’m going to (read: attempting to) follow an exercise plan put together by fellow gunblogger Matt over at Everyday Marksman. He’s going to run his first firearms biathlon this spring and he’s letting us join him in preparing for it. Considering how long it’s been since I’ve done a biathlon, and how out of shape I usually am, I figured that following along at home would help me out. I guess we’ll see if it does, or if I can even stick to someone else’s plan at all.
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Background
I haven’t done a Run ‘n Gun in 4.5 years. I haven’t competed since early 2020, and even then it was the first time competing since Desert Brutality 2019. Covid really put a damper on everyone’s competition plans for 2020, but I let my career and personal laziness keep me away. This might be the longest non-competing streak since I first pulled a trigger on the clock.
Preparation
So, there’s three places in which I need to make sure I’m ready: Guns, Gear, and Fitness.
Guns
I’m going to assume that my guns & accessories are good to go, just need to confirm zeros and dry fire more. I have let my dry fire slack off tremendously in the last 18-24 months, so I’m now making myself do at least 10 minutes twice a week. I plan on keep that 10×2/week going indefinitely, but for now I’m going to focus on the upcoming run ‘n gun. I’ll be making heavy use of my Coolfire Trainer [full review here]
That dry fire regimine includes my AR. I’m going to be dry practicing with my AR in different firing positions, working on getting stable, and making sure I know the trigger. Maybe some reloads here & there, but primarily slow and deliberate dry firing.
Gear
This is an area where I needed to address.
I’ve had a battle belt from Blue Alpha for well over a year and never even put a holster on it! I got it mostly set up about a week ago, but it still needs at least one more pouch. Maybe two. I’m going to write up a post about it before too long, so I won’t go into too much detail here.
I’m also working on getting new shoes. The ones I wore to the last two run ‘n guns fell apart about 2 years ago and I haven’t replaced them yet. I do have something on order but they’re still weeks out. They should get in about a month ahead of the event, though so I’m not terribly worried.
Not sure about shirt & pants. Probably going to make that decision the day-of.
I also need new ear pro. If any of you Dear Readers have any suggestions besides Howard Leights (always a good option IMO), let me know. I’ve needed a pair for a good while now.
Finally, I’m also looking for a retention holster. I’ve made due with a normal open top holster + Velcro (it works, don’t @ me), so that’s always an option. Once again, if you know of something that will fit an M&P w/ TLR-7 drop a comment below.
Fitness
Fellow blogger Matt at Everyday Marksman is doing a run & gun soon and was kind enough to develop and distribute an 8-week Tactical Biathlon Training Program. So far I’m 3 weeks in and have failed to stick to it, but I haven’t given up yet. Matt is very knowledgeable in this area, and his program is an butt-kicker.
My first run n gun saw me finish 13 of 22 on the run, and 18 of 25 on the second run n gun. Whether I followed Matt’s plan enough to make a difference will be evidenced by the results come the night of the run. If I crack the top 50%, I’ll consider that an acceptable improvement.
My current lack of cardio is likely to be my biggest likely issue. The run n gun shouldn’t require a ton of strength and the load I’ll be carrying isn’t terribly heavy (carrying toddlers at the zoo is decent training). I am most concerned about my ability to sustain any pace faster than a walk for a mile or more at a time, and then recover fast enough to shoot a stage well. I will basically be going a kilometer (that’s 1,100 yards in the real world) at as fast a pace as I dare. Looked at another way, it means that my weighted 5k run will have a rest built into every 1,000 meters. Maybe I should practice doing 1,200 yard fast-jogs with a short ~60 second rest? That should mimic the event fairly closely. Maybe I’ll make my own training program next time around incorporating this technique…
Conclusion
I need to discipline myself in regards to physical training, need to plan ahead my gear purchases to I’m not bumming gear off dudes, and get my dryfire squared away. To quote a good friend and fellow competitor, “Overconfident & Underprepared“
Stay confident, and we’ll see you next Friday.
-S_S
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Pro-Gun Millennial 
Get on it! The training program is definitely a challenge, but it’s doable. That said, if you need help tweaking anything for your personal goals or circumstances, you know where to ask 🙂
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