What are the best mile specific workouts?

If you search hard on here you can find a few thread about masters runners training for the mile. I think a general rule was shorter workouts and faster paces. The workouts you list are good to get started with paces faster than marathon pace, say miles at HM, 800s at 10k pace for a Summer of Malmo buildup

http://www.bunnhill.com/BobHodge/rtp3.htm

but then you are going to need a season of shorter faster workouts and starting with say a 3000m race, a season of four or five mile and/or 800s to slowly learn how to run a mile all out.

10 x 300

8 x 400

6 x 500

400-300-200-100 x 3

Let me know if you want more detail or have other questions.

Good luck

steve red wrote:

10 x 300

8 x 400

6 x 500

400-300-200-100 x 3

Let me know if you want more detail or have other questions.

Good luck

Good response. All good mile specific workouts.

I had a lot of success with 16x200m w/200 jog every two weeks. Started at more like 3k pace for the first one and progressed to mile pace by the middle. The last eight would be about 1sec/200 faster than mile pace. That workout is not hard at all, but it really great for improving your efficiency at mile pace.

As for getting your anaerobic system ready for a mile, 6x500m is fantastic. No point cranking out ten or twelve 400s; 3k of 500m repeats is plenty. Well, for me it was. I only needed 2-3 tough mile-specific workouts to run a good mile though.

steve red wrote:

10 x 300

8 x 400

6 x 500

400-300-200-100 x 3

Let me know if you want more detail or have other questions.

Good luck

What length of recovery and what paces for the 400-300-200-100?

Thanks!

200s and 400s should be your bread and butter

you can experiment with 600s and maybe even 800, but don't over do it. I am pretty sure this workout is from daniels and it is done once, maybe twice in a whole cycle: 4x200/200, 2x800/800, 4x200/200.

10x400 with 100 meter jog recovery. The classic mile prediction workout.

4x400 is excellent for getting into mile race trim. You can take plenty of rest between (300 jog/walk is what I use) but those 400's will be fast and hard. Also, it is fine to positive split them by a few seconds as you are really holding very little back in this workout.

Another good thing to prepare for the mile is a 1200 time trial. Bannister used to love these as well. One of these will prepare your mind and body for the nature of a real mile race.

Your more voluminous workouts certainly have their place and will build a foundation for you. However, it will take some intensity to really hone in on the mile.

How does this predict your mile time? How do you calculator the 10 x 400 to show what your mile time SHOULD be?

terburglar wrote:

How does this predict your mile time? How do you calculator the 10 x 400 to show what your mile time SHOULD be?

whatever you average for the 10 quarters multiply that times 4 to get your mile time. so if you are able to average 70s for all 10 quarters then you should be in 4:40 shape.

the above poster recommended 100m jog. the classical bannister workout says take a full 2 minutes rest, instead of the 100m jog.

Paces and recovery wrote:

steve red wrote:

10 x 300

8 x 400

6 x 500

400-300-200-100 x 3

Let me know if you want more detail or have other questions.

Good luck

What length of recovery and what paces for the 400-300-200-100?

Thanks!

100-200 walk and/or jog, 5 extra minutes recovery between sets.

Pace depends on what your goal time is.

You don't want to lose your general fitness. Keep a weekly tempo, mile repeats or similar in your program.

Race a mile.

steve red wrote:

Paces and recovery wrote:

What length of recovery and what paces for the 400-300-200-100?

Thanks!

100-200 walk and/or jog, 5 extra minutes recovery between sets.

Pace depends on what your goal time is.

Thanks. By pace, I meant relative to goal pace. Are they all at goal mile pace, or faster as you move down?

400 @ mile pace

300 @ 800-1200 pace

200 @ 400-600 pace

100 @ 90-95% w/ flying start