Sub-5 Minute Mile Every Day for a Month

obvious answer wrote:

sub 5 every day for a month is a piece of cake compared to sub 5 every hour for a day.

have you ever even been awake for 24 straight hours? have you ever run 15 (much less 24) sub 5 miles in a single day?

.

I think the sub 5 every hour for a day is easier. I had a colllege teammate who was a decent runner (9:05 steeple, high 24's 8k cross country), but not a great runner by any means. He ran one of those 24 hour relays and ended up averaging something like 4:45 miles for 23 or 24 miles. He got about an hour rest betwee each mile and slept in between some of the miles. It was difficult, but if he could do it, I am guessing a lot of decent runners could. The sub 5 every day for a month (or a year which is this posters ultimate goal) is harder just because there are so many daily variables.

barring illness or weather (cant you run it indoors anyway?), anyone who can run 24 sub5's in a day can run can easily run a sub 5 every day of the week for months on end and not really notice it after the first 4 days or so. i'm not even close to as fast as your "decent runner" friend and i frequently run one 5:00-5:10 mile on fields at the end of an easy run if i dont want to end the day having only used the aerobic capacity required to run 7:00-8:00 miles.

if you can run sub-25 (not at paul short) in cross, 5x1 mile under 5:00 with 2:30 rest should be a pretty easy workout. 1x1 mile in 5:00 should be an after-thought if you arent doing a hard workout the day before.

keep in mind how you would run sub-5 every hour of the day. there are no "meals" since you would have to run on a full stomach about half an hour later. there isn't really any sleep since you probably can't fall asleep within 20 minutes of running sub 5, and you probably want to be awake 15 minutes before the next one. waking up from a 15 minute nap after running 24 sub-5s would probably be much more painful than just staying up too.

obvious answer wrote:

keep in mind how you would run sub-5 every hour of the day. there are no "meals" since you would have to run on a full stomach about half an hour later. there isn't really any sleep since you probably can't fall asleep within 20 minutes of running sub 5, and you probably want to be awake 15 minutes before the next one. waking up from a 15 minute nap after running 24 sub-5s would probably be much more painful than just staying up too.

I am just telling you what my teammate did. He did get sleep throught his 24 hour relay and it helped him. He was not a great runner.

The point of the sub 5 minute mile every day for a year being difficult isn't that a 5 minute mile is very challenging for a semi decent runner, which the OP is, it is the possibility of injury or sickness along the way that could prevent it. Some people get sick or injured more often than others. The OP is also making this much harder by keeping his mileage very high and doing his mile at the end of his run.

Hahaha Mecca would be proud Joemac but only if you did 30:30's everyday for a month.

The fact that this idea originated at AnBeal is outstanding...let's be honest, all great ideas do.

An Beal Bocht: Where the beer flows like wine and good ideas are just a pitch away!

eh i was gonna follow, but no spreadsheet type format or list. GOOD LUCK BUD! however, more interested in glancing and seeing whatcha did, instead of reading your blog...

Very good points everyone. I just wanted to remind people of how I am doing this:

1) I am not compromising my mileage and if you have ever run more that 100-120 miles per week for many, many weeks (10-20) in a row there are days where a sub 6 minute mile may seem impossible. You would not know this if you haven't done that kind of mileage.

2) I am not on a closed course, track, treadmill, or indoors. I am simply running on the road: turns, hills, weather...today = very windy and pouring rain.

3) I am in no where near PR/ PB shape.

Mr. Obvious, I agree with you that it would be easy to just run a sub five minute mile every day for a month. That is, if I we were warming up 2 miles, putting spikes on, and going to the track to bang it out. However that is not the case and I have only completed two days and a, truly finding it to be not so easy.

Day 3: 4.55.63

This is going to be fun to watch.

I am "in" guys (and Texas Running Gal). Every day I will run a sub 8 minute mile for as long as I can.

How do we know you are making all this up? And that you aren't some guy from Runner's World who came over here to troll Letsrun?

What would the female equivalent of this be?

I know him and can attest to the fact that he's not making this up.

How can I make up sub 8?

Oh.... not me. It's the sub 5 minute guy.

Sorry....

How about sub 7:30?

Tv Fan,

That is a great point. It is up to you to believe. However, those that do know me on here, some have posted already, have partook in 140 plus mile weeks with me and many other absurd running ideas I have had.

I can tell you I am dead set on this and am really trying to do this for as long as I can. A month seemed like a realistic goal, but I would like it to be much longer than that. I currently live alone and train completely alone, however, I am working on getting some of this filmed and up loaded to my blog. Definitely during the holidays I will have training partners helping me document this.

Also, I urge you to read more of my blog, and after that, I think you will fully believe that I am telling you the truth. If you read most of my posts, especially from back in the beginning I think you will see the excitement and dedication I have for this sport.

I've run with Joe Mac for several years now. We always seem to get into some sort of adventure, getting lost in the Appalachian Trail, swimming in the reservoir. Best of luck!

It would be cooler if it was on a track.