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

I've been reading your blog here with interest. I'm pulling for you to have a great season.

Just don't blow it by racing the workouts. Every workout has a purpose. That purpose has an effort level.

Just a friendly reminder.

Best of luck.

Reboot runner wrote:

I've been reading your blog here with interest. I'm pulling for you to have a great season.

Just don't blow it by racing the workouts. Every workout has a purpose. That purpose has an effort level.

Just a friendly reminder.

Best of luck.

Hey thanks for following along! The only thing I've "raced" would be the 200's we ran, but those were meant to be pretty fast. This year I've done a lot better with trying not to over do it in workouts, and especially taking my easy days easy. But I thank you for the advice/input and again for following along. I've feeling really confident and happy with where I am. Our first race is Friday so we'll see how that goes!

Posting two weeks here. Been really busy and running kinda took the back burner a little bit.

Week ending in 9/5

Sunday: AM 6 miles easy

PM Lifting and 1 mile swim

Monday: 10X3min @ 8k pace. 90 second rest. Averaged 5:23 pace for the reps

Tuesday: AM 4.7 miles easy

PM 8 miles easy

Wednesday: 8X1min 'fast' on the grass. Probably around mile pace, 1k effort. 2 min rest

Thursday: 3.5 miles + Striders

Friday: Warmup for race, drills strides etc. Race cancelled on the line (lightning).

Saturday: 11.5 mile steady state (6:38)

Just felt a little lazy. I was so ready to run a fast 8k on Friday and the race being cancelled really bummed me out. The 8k pacework on Monday felt fantastic. That pace has never felt so easy

Week total: 57 miles

Week ending in 9/12

Sunday: AM 4.25 miles easy

PM 5.5 miles easy

Monday: 1 minute hill repeats up a long and (in the middle) very steep hill. Felt pretty strong until rep 9.

Tuesday: AM 4.7 miles easy

PM 10 miles easy + Striders

Wednesday: 6min, 5min, 4min, 3min, 4min, 5min @ 8k goal pace. 3 min rest. Averaged under 5:20 for every rep.

Thursday: 10 miles easy + Striders

Friday: Off

Saturday: Off

The 8k pace workout was very promising, and I still got decent mileage in for not being able to run on Friday and Saturday. I feel pretty bad about it. I haven't taken off more than one day in a row since May. Realistically I probably didn't lose anything. going to get right back at it here this week. Our home invite is Saturday and this will also be our guys team first 8k due to the cancellation two weeks prior/

Week total: 54 miles

Week ending in 9/19

Sunday: Long Run 14 miles (7:00)

Monday: Mix Paces Workout. 1200m @ 5:40 pace, 1 min rest, 800m in 2:35, 3 min rest. 5 sets + lifting

Tuesday: 8 miles easy (7:47)

Wednesday: Tempo run on our XC course. 5 miles at 6:02 pace

Thursday: Easy run 9 miles (7:20) + Lifting + Striders

Friday: Pre meet easy run 5 miles + Striders

Saturday: Home Invitational. 8k in 27:37

Week total: 65 miles

My sleep pattern was terrible this week, so I never even got up to double, but my mileage was still pretty good considering.

I felt pretty flat all week if im being honest. Legs felt heavy and I felt tired. on Thursday after the tempo on the course my calf started to really hurt. It feels deep, but it is definitely muscle. It feels like its in a constant knot/tight. Still hurt during the race Saturday, which I am pleased with. I took 16th place out of over 150 athletes/16 teams and although my time isn't great, I placed very well compared to other athletes who I consider better than me. My calf was killing me after the race so I got it rolled out and decided to take Sunday off.

[quote]DiscoGary wrote:

Hard Days: 8x880 at 2:15 pace, at goal pace, or 10x440 hard, both followed by stadium steps or jumping rope (plyometrics, before the word was invented)

4 meals a day. I put on 15 pounds in two 1/2 months and ran 4:29.7 with splits of 2:14.8 and 2:14.9.

The secret ingredient was all those 880's run at goal pace. During practice the first few 880s are easy and train you to hold back for the first half. But the last couple 880s are hard and train you to feel what it's like to maintain the pace when you're hurting.

/quote]

When I ran 4:18 I don't think I could've done 8x800 in 2:15.

How wrote:

DiscoGary wrote:

Hard Days: 8x880 at 2:15 pace, at goal pace, or 10x440 hard, both followed by stadium steps or jumping rope (plyometrics, before the word was invented)

4 meals a day. I put on 15 pounds in two 1/2 months and ran 4:29.7 with splits of 2:14.8 and 2:14.9.

The secret ingredient was all those 880's run at goal pace. During practice the first few 880s are easy and train you to hold back for the first half. But the last couple 880s are hard and train you to feel what it's like to maintain the pace when you're hurting.

When I ran 4:18 I don't think I could've done 8x800 in 2:15.

You're right. After I posted that I realized I left something out that I should have corrected. I should have said that was the "workout goal". I don't think I EVER finished that workout at that pace. The "last couple" were he last couple 800's I could do at race pace. I did as many at pace as possible, and then dragged my ass through the rest as best I could.

Obviously that had to be the case when I started because I could barely do one 2:15, and as you point out, if I could have finished all 8 I probably would have been much faster than 4:30... in which case ... it would be a damn good gauge that he could run under 4:24!

So run yer 8x800s at race pace, and you're golden.

One more thing. I ran my 4:29 by myself, indoors, on a dead surface, with flats, in stifling heat. What COULD I have run on a bigger live track, with spikes, in a meet with other runners and the excitement of a crowd?

The answer is 4:29, because that's as fast as I ever ran and I can't rewrite history.

But you probably had better conditions for your 4:18, and so will he, so it all goes into the mix.

Week ending in 9/26

Sunday: Off, to rest my calf

Monday: AM 3 miles easy (7:37)

PM Steady State with large hill. 1.1 mile loop X 6

9 miles total (6:25) + Lifting

Tuesday: 9.5 miles easy (7:15) + Strides

Wednesday: 5XMile on XC course. 3"30' rest. 5:18, 5:20, 5:33, 5:19, 5:15

Thursday: 5 miles easy + strides (7:24)

Friday: 7 miles easy (7:25) + Strides

Saturday: Meet at Roberts Wesleyan. Tempo'd course in 29:00. 6:00, 6:00, 6:00, 5:45, 5:15

Total mileage: 51 miles

Well this week sucked. I ended up catching a cold that's been going around campus on Monday. So the mile repeat workout I was feeling pretty crappy during, but my times were still decent so that's good. But since I've been taking it easy for my calf's sake catching a cold probably couldn't have come at a better time. As I am writing this the cold is now just some left over congestion and I feel a lot better, so hopefully this next week I can get back to consistent training and doubles. My team did very well at the meet, with our top 3 guys at 26:40 or below. Kind of bummed I didn't race because I think this would have been the perfect opportunity to break 27, but it'll happen soon enough.

"Some of my workouts suggest I should HAVE been running over a minute faster than I was..."

Of the workouts I saw, the 8x800m in 2:25 (on wet grass), plus the 2x200 at around 25-26 really stick out as outliers in comparison to all the other workouts. You can run 8x800m and only run 16/27, though probably not if they are on grass, but the 200s suggest you easily have the speed to run 1:56/4:18 or better. So, hard to know whether these are legit splits.

Try deep squats, just body weight, for the calves. Go almost all the way to the ground. They really have helped me after my latest injury.

jjjjjj wrote:

Of the workouts I saw, the 8x800m in 2:25 (on wet grass), plus the 2x200 at around 25-26 really stick out as outliers in comparison to all the other workouts. You can run 8x800m and only run 16/27, though probably not if they are on grass, but the 200s suggest you easily have the speed to run 1:56/4:18 or better. So, hard to know whether these are legit splits.

Try deep squats, just body weight, for the calves. Go almost all the way to the ground. They really have helped me after my latest injury.

The 800's may not have been completely accurate, as it was on a grass loop and some tangents May have been cut off. The 200's are legit though. I've always had decent top speed. The 800's may be close though because I did another 800 workout that I haven't posted yet that is run in about similar times, on the track, but with much less rest.

Oh and my calf is better since the above posted week. Thanks for the advice, though! I'll post the most recent week tomorrow. I've been bad about keeping this thread up to date.

Week ending in 10/3

Sunday: 8 miles easy (7:38) + Lifting

Monday: 2X(3X800). ****See workout description below****

Night: 3.7 miles easy (8:02)

Tuesday: Medium Long run with 5X1min pick ups. 11 miles (7:15)

Wednesday: 9 miles easy (7:25) + Strides

Thursday: AM 5 miles easy (7:36)

PM 6 miles easy (7:30) + Strides

Friday: Mile Repeats. 5:15, 5:35, 5:48, 5:51, 5:35. Worst workout of the year.

Saturday: Off

Week total: 60 miles

*******Monday Workout********

2X(3X800m)

45sec rest between reps, 4 min rest between sets.

2:28, 2:27, 2:25.....2:22, 2:24, 2:26

Felt good, pretty reserved. Only the last one was hard. Short rest was killer.

My week had ups and downs. Finally mostly over my cold, and luckily my calf is no longer giving me any issues. The 800's were one of my best workouts ever and then the mile repeats were one of my worst. I have been a little low on motivation the past few weeks but I have some newfound motivation and I plan on really trying to kill the rest of this season. Gotta stay strong.

Week ending in 10/10

Sunday: Long Run 14.5 miles (7:00) pace. Started at 7:30 and cut down to 6:30 pace. + Strides + Lifting

Monday: AM 4 miles easy (6:50)

PM Hill repeats. 11% grade hill, 270 meters. 8 times. Felt strong

Tuesday: AM 4 miles easy (7:40)

PM 8.5 miles easy (7:30)

Wednesday: AM 4 miles easy (7:20)

PM 3Xmile + 3X1000m ***(Description Below)***

Thursday: 9.1 miles easy (7:45) + Strides + lifting

Friday: Pre meet. 4.5 miles (7:30) + Strides

Saturday: 8k in 27:50. Difficult course that was entirely rolling hills. Felt very strong, and placed very well against my teammates and competition. Very happy with the result. I ran this course my freshman year (3 years ago) in 30:10, and I was running mid 28's on regular courses that year, so I really think I'm in sub 27 shape on a decent course.

Week total: 73 miles

Felt great to be back in the 70's for mileage. Was feeling tired/legs were heavy mid week, but I still performed well on the workouts and at the race, so I think I'm back on the right track. I'm someone who never usually responds to tapers very well, and have always PR'd during my higher mileage weeks, So I think I need to try to stay in the 70's for a bit longer.

***(Wednesday Workout)***

3Xmile on the XC course with 3 min rest. 5:30, 5:20, 5:26, placed well against teammates. then 4 minute rest followed by 3X1000m on the track with 3min rest between reps. 3:14, 3:05, 2:58. Felt better after every rep. Last 200m of the last rep was tough.

Haven't posted in a while. I'll just summarize for now.

Week ending in 10/17

55 miles total. 7 days of running

Ran 8k at Oberlin in 26:20. If you don't know much about Oberlin, it's believed to be a short course on top of being the fastest course in the country (Zero hills. Literally none). We recon it may be about 30 seconds short. I didn't even feel like I had a very good race and I ran 26:20. I felt more like it was near a high 26 type performance but idk.

Week ending in 10/24

45 miles total over 5 days of running

3 pretty good workouts, nothing amazing though. Was pretty lazy about getting out to run on two of the days, though. Conference meet is on Halloween this weekend on our home course, so we'll see how that goes.

I enjoy this thread, and will possibly make my own for a sub 4:40 1600 this upcoming season, as that's right about state qualifying time, and a rather ambitious goal on my part. Maybe I'll post on here, and my own, but it's hard w/ school, running, and work.

Keep it up, I like the progress.

TannerD22 wrote:

I enjoy this thread, and will possibly make my own for a sub 4:40 1600 this upcoming season, as that's right about state qualifying time, and a rather ambitious goal on my part. Maybe I'll post on here, and my own, but it's hard w/ school, running, and work.

Keep it up, I like the progress.

Thanks for following along. Its great to be able to have all of my progress in one convenient thread. As long as your detailed enough, people seem to be more than open to helpful suggestions and stuff to help you meet your goal. I encourage you to make a thread too. The sooner the better, in my opinion, so we can see all of your training.

Week ending in 10/31:

I ran two mediocre workouts leading up to our home conference meet that was on Halloween, but I ended up doing pretty well. I took 5th in our conference with a 27:32. I ran 27:37 on the same course earlier in the season but the course was much muddier this time around. Overall I'm happy with how it went and it has given me a little more confidence and motivation to grind through these last two weeks of running before regionals.

55 miles this week with 7 days of running.

Week ending in 11/7:

Felt very good starting out this week. Went on a medium long run with some of the team and we all felt good and ended up pushing it to below 6:30 pace. On Wednesday I ran probably one of my best workouts ever.

We ran 6X1000m with 3min rest on the track. My times were: 3:00, 3:00, 3:00, 3:02, 3:02, 2:55.

The best part is that I felt super relaxed and smooth the entire workout. No real straining except for maybe the very end of a couple of the reps.

Then Friday we ran a 25min tempo at 5:45 pace.

All in all I'm happy with this week. 58 miles with 6 days of running. Our regional (Mideast DIII) meet is Saturday so we'll see if I can't go out with a bang!

Congratulations on your 5th in conference finish. What were your splits? How did the race unfold?

Reboot runner wrote:

Congratulations on your 5th in conference finish. What were your splits? How did the race unfold?

Well to be 100% honest our conference is extremely weak. Our team won by about 40 points and we scored 19 points. We knew another team had a really good kid and we were kind of hoping that he would take it out hard by himself and that we could reel him in later but it didn't work out like that. About 10 of us (5-6 from my team) went out together for the first mile. We went through in about 5:12. I just made sure to stay relaxed and behind at least one person even though the impatient part of me wanted to just go and try to leave everyone behind. But I reminded myself that it's a five mile race and I need to be patient. The good kid from the other school took off at the bottom of a short steep hill about 1.5 miles in. The gap broke open immediately and none of us followed him. I think we all kind of hoped he'd come back to us. My group (of now 4 runners, three from my team and one from the second place team) came through 2 miles in about 10:40. We ran together more or less until about the 5k mark. We went through in 17:02 and my teammate took off and broke away from our pack. At this point I was doing everything I could to make myself just stay with my remaining teammate and the other kid. This lasted until about four miles where going up the last major hill of the race, I noticed my teammate slowing up. I took advantage and made a push up the 300m hill. At the top of the hill I had a slight edge on him but my stomach wasn't having it. I had that feeling where if you push any harder you know you're going to throw up. I rarely ever get that feeling and it struck me suddenly. I backed off slightly for about 30seconds to regain my composure but at this point both runners had put 5 meters on me. The last 1k of the race played out much the same, with me remaining about 5m back from them. I finished the race in 27:32. My teammates took 2nd, 4th, 5th(me), 6th, 7th, 10th, and 14th. Our top 6 runners have all been in the top two on our team at one race or another, so we rely heavily on our depth rather than any insane front runners. The winner of the race was 26:48. The course was pretty muddy and it was pretty windy out (it stormed shortly after). I really feel like I could have gotten 3rd if it wasn't for my stomach acting up, so hopefully this doesn't happen at regionals. I've never been a fan of Dickinson's course, but for once I am really excited for this race.

Sorry if this was a little jumbled. Thanks for taking interest! If you have any other questions I'd be glad to answer them.