I’ve been running a weekly 5.5 miles (was 4miles for a year) for the last 2 years and am not improving! I know I need to go on more runs, I think at least twice a week to see some improvement. Prob is, I dont have the time, lunchtimes are taken up with footy/squash or running, eves are footy or cycle.
22mins is very good for 5k, although I would have thought over 10km that average would drop. Better than I can do I’m sure.
I’m about 46 mins for 5.5miles (best is 44mins). With a few stops for a breather I’m able to keep it up for 13miles before biking and kayaking on endurance events though.
I hate running 🙂

How do you join an athletics club? I mean, you just turn up and say hey I like running? Do you have to declare interest in particular events?

I’ve been running a weekly 5.5 miles (was 4miles for a year) for the last 2 years and am not improving!

You don’t need more runs, you need to stop doing junk miles and start working your body. Intervals, speed work.. mix it up!

Most clubs focus on middle distance runs and usually have groups going out for different distances/speeds. Most towns have them but if you want to do other events you may have to travel to where the good coaches are.

I joined with the specific reason to get faster over 10k, I do distance work on my own and use club sessions to do speed work on the track.

molgrips, yes I know. It just proves to me, that regular once a week runs arent going to improve your running, just maintain your current fitness. I’ve been thinking about dropping 1 lunchtime squash for a 2nd run.. maybe..

Just do the interval insted of your long session.

Although, interval sessions can be done in 15 mins – surely you can fit that in?

I run 10k usually 2 or 3 times a week. I hope it is beneficial to cycling as I find running much less of a faff and so only bother with my bike at the weekends usually but bank my hopes on the running work I have done inbetween.

My 10k time now though almost never changes so I think I definitely need to start running shorter, faster circuits and mixing it up a bit to try and rectify this. I have definitely plateau’d and my body has obviously just got used to running one particular distance at one particular pace.

You need to mix up your routes a bit you. Your body can be frightfully stubborn if it gets used to a route. Also, throw some hills in. Nothing upped my speed more than hill stuff.

So then DD.. as you seem to be the expert… how would one go about getting their optimal mile time?

Same as you OP but up to 10K/6 miles and now dreaded shin splints – make sure you avoid this!

TSY- I’m about to go home now but can post up something to help with that tomorrow if you want.

Cheers… I’m going to do this… or die trying.

So then DD.. as you seem to be the expert…

Nope, no expert here. Never professed to be one.

how would one go about getting their optimal mile time?

I wouldn’t know, not being a mile-man…more of a 10k/half-m guy myself. I wish you the best of luck…you’ll need it. 🙂

I think I’ll jsut do it like I did it before then… but faster 🙂

I still don’t get why you think it’s unachievable.

TSY heres a few tips
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/the-7-key-ingredients-of-mile-training/60.html
http://www.runningplanet.com/training/mile-1500-meter-training.html

Also if your close you probably just need to fine tune you’re training, ask on forums like Runnersworld.com and Fetcheveryone.com

You need to give time for your joints and tendons to strengthen. Although your muscles quickley adapt, your joints take more time. Good running shoes correctly fitted (by far the majority of people have a neutral foot),warming up and warming down will all help to reduce injury. Gentle stretching only for warm up, then gentle running. Then do your run and the same to warm down.

hill reps and burpees.

apparently you should not run slowly to warm up as you actually experience more impact damage doing this than when running at normal pace. This can lead to the shin splints.

You should stretch a bit before the run to stretch out your muscles. I am lazy and my stretching normally consists on kneeling on my haunches, which stretches my quads and also the sides of my calves as the tops of my feet are flat on the ground.

If I don’t do that I get some pain round my knees and at the outsides of my calves.

See “The Stark reality of stretching” by Jonathon Stark.

There have been zillions of posts on this in the past – have a search.

I run 5km every morning , 5 times a week to go work and 3.5km at 1.30pm to get home .

Started about 2 months ago . time have improved from 26 minutes to my pb so far of 21.30 .

the plan was to be sub 20 before summer holiday , but cant seem to improve now . I dont really warm up before the run , only a 2km walk with the dog and no food , just a glass of water . i guess I coul run faster at a different time of the day after eating .

Yeti, here’s some rep sets to help with your mile challenge.

1600 meters = 4 laps = 5 min = <75 sec per lap this is your target race pace.
Do a timed mile to find your current race pace and work out what the lap time is. Then ever 4/6 weeks you should be able to take a second or 2 off per 400m in the sets.

Speed Sets
[list][*]5 x 400 meters – 90 sec rest – a little over race pace[/*]
[*]500, 400, 300, 200, 100 – 60sec rest, 30sec between 200 & 100 – At race pace, getting quicker as reps get shorter.[/*]
[*]8 x 200 meters – faster than race pace – 2 min recovery (swap this to 5 x 300 after a few months with 4/5 min recovery, same pace)[/*]
[*]3 x 1000 meters – 1 min rest – just under race pace[/*][/list]

Start with 1 of these sets a week for the first 4 weeks, at the most only ever do 2 of these sets a week. Have a rest day after a rep day.

(Make sure you warm up well before these sets)

Mix in with 5k runs, steady pace <30min (start at 3k if you can’t do the 5). If you can do the 5 already increase this distance slowly as you feel like it. Do about 2 of these runs a week.

Good luck. 🙂

PS: I’m not an expert. (though some of this came from one)

Ok, a mile in under 5 mins.

Walk to the top of a big hill, run down it. Done

@tsy

Running a mile in under 5 minutes is something you would need to train specifically for. As Molgrips says you will need to do specific, fast interval work. General milage for conditioning would be useful but your focus should be on shorter slightly higher speed runs.
You need to be regualrly running 5-6 miles averaging under 6 min milling as a rule of thumb and then a couple of times a week running much shorter intervals, on grass would be my choice and concentrate on improving your times and reducing your rest during these sessions.

I think the schedule above is fine but it depends on what you are doing for a mile now more than what you want to achieve, if your current best time is greater than 5 min 10-15 then I think the schedule will be unachievable personaly. Estimate your pace on what you can run a mile in now.

What is your fastest mile to date?

Thanks for the advice guys.

I’m not really a runner, but including a min of slow warm up I recently ran a mile in 6m 03s. So, I figure that I could do a 5m 30secs now. With some dedicated training, like actually running on a regular basis… 5 min will be tough.. but achievable??

So then DD.. as you seem to be the expert… how would one go about getting their optimal mile time?

Find a mile slightly downhill, on a day with a good tailwind?

Seriously, runner forums seem quite obsessed with PBs and good races to train for to set them in. I guess there are slightly fewer variables than cycling (TTs are close maybe) so it’s the definitive measure of progress.

IMHO, 5Km times can’t just be doubled to give 10K times – I can go a fair bit faster (minutes) over 5 just because mentally I know I haven’t got another 5 to do afterward 🙂

With a lot of effort and some good luck avoiding injury (and assuming age is on your side) then no reason why its not achievable.

Ignore DD its being so cheerful that keeps him going.

IMHO, 5Km times can’t just be doubled to give 10K times – I can go a fair bit faster (minutes) over 5 just because mentally I know I haven’t got another 5 to do afterward

There is a general calculation (Frank Howill I think if you google it) which I recall is pretty accurate.

It’s Frank Horwill Clicky

Well… I’ll be sure to let everyone know if I achieve it!

First things first I think I need to put in some slower longer distances… get joints / ligaments etc used to running a bit. Otherwise I’ll be heading straight for an injury on something that I’m doing for a bit of fun.

I’m 32 so I think I need to do this within the year.

The good news is time is on your side, no real drop off in performance for years yet and with training your performance will continue to improve for a long time.
Bad news is it will take you quite a while from a 6 mintute mile to a sub 5.

Sooner you get started the better!!!

Sweeeet!

I start on Monday, or even Sunday…

Want to set a good mile time in the swimming pool too…

you’ll have to practise the pace if you want to run a 5min/mile.

if you go and run 6minute miles, you’ll get more comfortable running 6min miles.

try running at 5min pace, even if only for a minute or 2.

a friend of mine wants to run a 4hr marathon, which is 9min/mile pace. but he runs at 8mins/mile, he’s got to learn to run more slowly or he’ll ruin himself in the first hour.

Thanks for the link, I don’t need to bother doing a marathon now 🙂

My fastest (and one and only) mile is 5.45 😉 And I nearly fainted afterwards 😆

Well… I’ll be sure to let everyone know if I achieve it!

You never know, it could be a whole thread by itself.

Target #1 Beat Darcy.

Target #1 Beat Darcy.

I’d be setting my sights a bit higher than that…even for a start.

Small steps then long strides.

I think I am going to have to go and time myself over a mile, this is a great little challenge.

I currently run 5.5k in around 25 minutes 3 or 4 times a week, some times I really try and run fast and do it in 24m 50s, other days I take it really slow and do it in 25m 10s. A proper speed challenge is what I need.

As for swimming a mile, that would probably take me a few days

As for swimming a mile, that would probably take me a few days

Me too 🙁

World’s shittest swimmer.

I think I am going to have to go and time myself over a mile

None of these dodgy “car measured” miles or even wrist GPS. 4 laps of a standard track 😉

What is the swimming equivalent of running a mile in 5 minutes? I think I am going to try and do this.