Do I have what it takes to run a 4:24 mile? Let's find out

PRs

400m: 49.9r

500m: 1:06.4

800m: 1:52.7

1500m: 4:08

Mile: 4:31

3000m: 9:20

5000m: 16:10 (road)

15k: 52:40 (road)

10 mile: 56:50 (road)

Goals:

Short term) Stay healthy, keep volume higher than last year, PR in mile/1500 and 400m

Long term) Get as fast as possible at the 800m

Week ending in 2/4:

Sunday Off. Planned.

Monday AM 10x60m sprints. 3-4" rest.

PM 5 miles @ 7:20 pace

Tuesday AM 5.8 miles @ 6:01 pace

PM 2.6 miles @ 7:41 pace

Wednesday AM 3 miles @ 7:30 pace + Lifting

PM 5 miles @ 7:11 pace

Thursday AM 6 miles @ 7:20 pace

PM 3.2 miles @ 6:50 pace

Friday 20" warm up.

3x90' @ 4:50 pace,

3x60' @ 4:35 pace,

4x'30 @ 4:20 pace

On the treadmill because of snow. Breathing was fine but legs struggled a bit. Felt like a good workout, though. Lifted and did core after.

Saturday AM2.7 miles @ 7:30 pace

PM 5 miles @ 7:35 pace

Week total: 47 miles

Down week done and over with. I felt beat up most of the weak but I'm feeling a little better now. Back on up with the mileage and I'm going to start adding in workouts more. Looking forward to this next month.

PRs

400m: 49.9r

500m: 1:06.4

800m: 1:52.7

1500m: 4:08

Mile: 4:31

3000m: 9:20

5000m: 16:10 (road)

15k: 52:40 (road)

Week ending in 2/11:

Sunday Went to an all comers Track meet on a crappy gym floor track.

3000m in 9:27

400m in 55.01

200m in 25.0

Monday AM 2.6 miles @ 7:50 pace

PM 8.3 miles @ 7:30 pace

Tuesday 6x300m hills averaged 4:40 pace then 4x80m hill sprints.

Jog down recovery (~1:30)

Wednesday AM 5.1 miles @ 6:45 pace

PM 9x3min cruise intervals @ 5:30 pace. 0:45 rest. + Lifting

Thursday AM 2.6 miles @ 7:40 pace

PM 8 miles @ 7:30 pace

Friday 5 miles @ 7:24 pace + strides

Saturday Ran an open college track meet that my old team went to.

Mile in 4:33

200m in 24.6

Week total: 59 miles

The first meet I ran on Sunday was on a really crappy track. Surface was basically a rubber gym floor (not allowed spikes) and it was really congested and hot. I was happy with a 9:27 3k and can likely run around 9:10 in a good race on a nice track. I ran it pretty even. Would have went faster but the guy who won went out way ahead of me and I couldn't even see him by the time I moved into 2nd place.

I even split the 400m almost exactly. It's really hard to sprint on those turns, especially without spikes.

The hills were tough since I ran them with short rest but I'm glad I got the work in. The cruise intervals felt easy until the last one.

I won't be running anymore indoor meets. I'm running a road race 5k the first weekend of March then I'm going to run some outdoor meets at the end of March and April, possibly into May. This past year has been really rough for me in terms of training and figuring out what's best for me since i'm not longer training with a team. I've had a plethora of nagging injuries requiring me to take time off or not train at the level I want. But I think I have learned what things I need to do differently and what I need to keep. My goals for this outdoor season are simply just to have fun racing, try to lower my 1500m PR and run respectable 800/400 times since I believe I won't be able to PR in the 800m this year. But it's okay. Every year can't be perfect, especially two years in a row.

Looking at your times you seem to have more of a knack for shorter distances as your mile times seems much better when comparing your 5k/8k times.

I myself ran & trained for 5k-10k. I wasn't good in shorter distances like you. I ran 15:44 for the 5k but I mustered a 4:35 in a time trial once my junior year.

I def. think you can hit that time as long as you take it easy in the week or two prior with still doing some hard efforts to stay sharp.

you are fast - i think you can do it

PRs

400m: 49.9r

500m: 1:06.4

800m: 1:52.7

1500m: 4:08

Mile: 4:31

3000m: 9:20

5000m: 16:10 (road)

15k: 52:40 (road)

Week ending in 2/18:

Sunday 8.5 miles @ 7:05 pace

Monday AM 7.5 miles @ 6:00 pace

PM 20 minutes rowing machine and 3 miles running + strides and lifting

Tuesday AM 3 miles @ 7:20 pace

PM 5 miles @ 6:45 pace

Wednesday Off.

Thursday Off.

Friday Off.

Saturday 5 miles @ 6:57 pace

Week total: 36.6 miles

Well, took 3 days off this week because I was sure I had a hernia. Pretty bad pain when lifting my left leg and while running. Started doing core consistently and it went away. Off, must have been a weak muscle or a slight strain of sorts. So that put a major damper on my week but I'm already #over this season, haha, so oh well. Keepin' on grinding, though.

PRs

400m: 49.9r

500m: 1:06.4

800m: 1:52.7

1500m: 4:08

Mile: 4:31

3000m: 9:20

5000m: 16:10 (road)

15k: 52:40 (road)

Week ending in 2/25:

Sunday: AM 6.7 miles @ 6:55 pace

PM 3.2 miles @ 7:30 pace

Monday: Cut down Workout. 15 min tempo @ 5:38 pace / 2x800m @ 2:27, 2:28 / 3x400m @ 62, 63, 62 / 3x200m @ 28, 27, 28.

Tuesday: 4.6 miles @ 7:45 pace

Wednesday: AM 3.3 miles @ 7:30 pace

PM 2.8 miles @ 7:05 pace+ 30min of various cross training + 10minutes of stair repeats + Lifting

Thursday: AM 2x2 mile tempo @ 11:11, 11:14 with 2min rest.

PM 25 minutes of Cross Training

Friday: 5.3 miles @ 7:25 pace

Saturday: AM 2 miles @ 7:40 pace

PM 7 miles @ 6:54 pace + strides

Week total: 49 miles

Had some shin splint problems after taking time off last week and after Monday's workout. I am feeling better now and have made the official decision to only run 45-55 miles a week from here until the end of the season and start working on quality.

PRs

400m: 49.9r

500m: 1:06.4

800m: 1:52.7

1500m: 4:08

Mile: 4:31

3000m: 9:20

5000m: 16:10 (road)

15k: 52:40 (road)

Week ending in 3/4:

Sunday: 11 miles @ 7:05 pace + Strides

Monday: AM 2 miles @ 7:30 pace + Lifting + 20min bike

PM 8x300m with 2min rest. Averaged 48. around a circular parking lot.

Tuesday: 6.5 miles @ 7:25 pace + Strides

Wednesday: AM 1 mile warmup, 2 mile @ 5:40 pace, 2 mile cooldown

PM 15 min cross training, 10 min run and some sprint work

Thursday: 4 miles @ 7:22 pace + 8min of stairs and 8min of core

Friday: 3 miles @ 7:30 pace + Strides

Saturday: Local Road Race in 16:15

Week total: 43 miles

Feeling a little better. This week was easy because I wanted to run well at the race I ran on Saturday. First time ever running that race and I am not a fan of the course. 20+ 90 degree turns do not make for a fast course. Additionally, it was like 20 degrees and just wasn't conducive to running fast. Not happy with it but whatever.

Any update on the last couple of weeks?

Haven't posted in a while so I'll just do a little summary of the past couple weeks.

3/6: Broken 800s. 4x(500m, 300m) with 1 min between reps and 4min between sets.

1:21, 47

1:22, 48

1:22, 48

1:21, 47

3/8: 8x2min @ 5:00 pace on the track followed by 100, 150, 200, 200, 150, 100 at goal 800m pace really relaxed.

3/10: 6 miles @ 6:05 pace

3/12: 12 miles @ 6:45 pace with the last 5 miles @ 6:20ish pace.

3/13: 8x400m with 45 second rest. 74, 72, 74, 70, 69, 71, 70, 61.

3/15: AM 20min @ 6:00 pace

PM 3x150m pretty quick.

3/18: 2x(4x400m) + 2x200m. 1 minute between reps and 4 minutes between sets.

64, 64, 64, 64......64, 65, 66, 66.....28.5, 28.0

3/19: 10 miles @ 7:15 pace, last few miles around 6:30 pace.

3/20-3/23: took these 4 days off because I got Strep throat or something similar. Chest congestion, fever, etc. It sucked. Was planning on racing a 1500m on 3/25 but figured it was better to not race it since I was just getting over it. I did ran a 400m at the meet though and ran 51.8, which I was pleasantly surprised with. My start was slow and I didn't feel great so that's a good time in my opinion.

Except for the past week which was 20ish miles, I've been right around 50mpw the past few weeks. I've been doing some lifting and sprints // plyos occasionally too. Looking to run a few more meets and see what I can do for 1500 and 800 before I get to the summer.

Once I start summer training I think I'm going to start a new thread since my goals are different and this thread is long. I will likely link this thread in it, and vice verse and use the same username. But I really want to get more discussion about my training and goal of breaking 1:50 going and I think starting fresh will help that. But I'll make sure this thread doesn't go away so myself and others can read it and use it a reference.

Do you use strava?

Watch don't lie wrote:

Do you use strava?

I do not but I may look into it for when I start back up in the summer. I've just been using Logarun for the past couple years and it's nice having everything right there so its hard for me to want to leave. if I like the layout of strava then I may use that.

Just looking at your PRs, between the 15k and the 400m, I would expect you to be sub 4:24 by now.

But then looking at your 5000m, I would expect you to be higher 4:2x.

I'm guessing some of those PRs were done on fairly different training?

I'm just surprised that in 2 years, you improved your 800m by a lot, but not your mile time. Also, your 1500 is definitely indicative of a 3 or 4 second PR in the mile.

I think he hasn't run a competitive mile in a long time. Also, he just does road 5ks as a fitness test here and there.

grammar not sea wrote:

Just looking at your PRs, between the 15k and the 400m, I would expect you to be sub 4:24 by now.

But then looking at your 5000m, I would expect you to be higher 4:2x.

I'm guessing some of those PRs were done on fairly different training?

I'm just surprised that in 2 years, you improved your 800m by a lot, but not your mile time. Also, your 1500 is definitely indicative of a 3 or 4 second PR in the mile.

The other poster is correct. My 5k PR was at a road race over the summer. I'd likely have run like 15:40ish had I run one at the end of last spring on the track. Didn't have the opportunity though. Similarly with the mile and 1500. Only ran them indoors and very early outdoor season. If I raced a fresh 1500 around the time I ran 1:54-1:52 I would have probably been around 4:00. This past season hasn't been the best for me training post collegiately, but it has been a learning experience and hopefully I've figured out what I need to do for next year.

ThatAverageRunner wrote:

The other poster is correct. My 5k PR was at a road race over the summer. I'd likely have run like 15:40ish had I run one at the end of last spring on the track. Didn't have the opportunity though. Similarly with the mile and 1500. Only ran them indoors and very early outdoor season. If I raced a fresh 1500 around the time I ran 1:54-1:52 I would have probably been around 4:00. This past season hasn't been the best for me training post collegiately, but it has been a learning experience and hopefully I've figured out what I need to do for next year.

Makes sense. I can definitely understand your difficulties with running post collegiately. It takes a season or two to figure out how to work full time while training solo. I did manage to set some PRs after college, but it was tough. I'm in my early 30s now so have transitioned to hobby jogging this season, just going to try to stay in about 17:30 shape. I've also picked up pole vaulting since college so I'm having fun messing around with that.

I'm always glad to hear about another non-elite runner still training hard after college.

Yeah for now I'm just trying to maintain some decent fitness so hopefully I can make a decent jump when I get more organized starting in the summer. Hopefully in 2018 sometime I can break 1:50. That's the ultimate goal and with the progression I was on last year I really think it's doable. And pole vault is a heck of an event to 'pick up' after college assuming you were just a distance runner hahaha. But that's pretty cool nonetheless.

Hi.

How've the last few weeks been?? I'm guessing you ran at least one race in the last few weeks!!!!'nmcjvjjvigif

Haha ok

My races so far this spring season have been as follows:

3/4: Road 5k in about 16:15. Wire to wire.

3/25: Open 400m in 51.8

4/1: 800m in 2:01.9. Splits of 27, 31, 30, 33.X

4/8: 800m in 1:58.3. Splits of 28.X, 30.X, 29.X, 29.X

I am going to run one more 800 this season then pack it in and try to get rid of various nagging injuries and start fresh. It has been a very stressful season with looking for jobs, looking for a car to buy, not having access to my team / coaching, and being a 20-25 minute drive from the track instead of it being a 5 minute walk. My mileage has been very sporadic from high 20's to low 50's for the past couple months. After I got pretty sick in mid march I decided to just try to maintain fitness and try to have some fun and run a few races.

I've created a new rough plan for the summer and late fall and hopefully I will be more dedicated to the little things I need to do. I really want to improve again, and hopefully after taking a week or two off I'll be injury free and have some newfound motivation. I'm already excited to get into summer training. I'll likely be making a new thread (I will put the link in here when I do, and link this thread in the early posts in my new thread). This is just really long at this point. I will summarize my background in the new thread and people can always come back here and read this if they want the details. Thanks for reading everyone. I will post in here likely one more time after my race this upcoming weekend. I will also answer any questions anyone may have.

Welcome to the running world post college. I will say that I've had moderate success by simply throwing any sort of training plan out the window and just racing every chance I get. It isn't pretty, but seems to work (about 10% of the time) ...anyway, best of luck, you have some talent and speed. Run a 1500 when you get a chance.