Sub-5 Minute Mile Every Day for a Month

A treadmill is retarded. Only people that are out of shape are on treadmills. That's why I walk on one.

I second K mac

It's okay, you might avoid a terrible injury now.

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k mac wrote:

A treadmill is retarded. Only people that are out of shape are on treadmills. That's why I walk on one.

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Joe Mac, first, thank you for the epic thread, the epic challenge. Second, I get the hardship - nowhere to run - makes sense. Third, why did you hide? At first you were all alpha on us, then you disappeared after you failed on your challenge. Every runner knows that the elements are a major factor in our sport, why hide? Why not post " I tried four times, bruised my hips until I could run no longer as the blizzard raged". Or some crap like that? I mean no disrespect, but be honest and accept the failure for whatever reason, heck, challenge someone else to do it!

Innocent,

First, I wish a Happy New Year to you. Now get out of Joe Mac's grill. He indicated in his post that he was visting relatives and his internet access was spotty.

Joe Mac has been an inspiration to me. I admire that he took his quest public and do not consider this a "failure". He did some solid running, lived a good story and amused many people.

He does not owe me any apologies. Joe Mac might be a potty mouth and a drunkerd, but he puts his Mom, grandmother and Great grandmother first.

Joe Mac is still my hero!

Thanks a ton!

There was a lot going on and the days after Christmas were very busy that consisted of me doing a great deal of shoveling, visiting family, and driving. Between visiting family and driving back home from New York I spent most of my time in the car.

Secondly, I did not hide, I just didn't have time to post and didn't want to write a quick one sentence post about failing. I felt like owed some sort of explanation and I knew I would get crap for the delayed response, but at the time it seemed like the right thing to do.

Thanks for all the support.

The irony of this though is that you were able to persevere thru the elements, road, & mileage, but the thing that stopped you in the end was... the TREADMILL! The treadmill is clearly not as easy as you & many LetRunners make it out to be because the treadmill, in fact, broke your streak.

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Joe Mac wrote:

The point is not to do a sub five minute mile...The point is to endure not only the track (Which I did a few on), the elements (Wind, Cold, Rain, Snow...), the road (Hills, Turns, Footing...), mileage (16-18 miles per day), among many other irritants and deterrents.

A treadmill creates a perfect, sterile environment that certainly does not represent reality. I wanted this to be real...Insert hills, weather, regular training, regular nightlife of staying up late drinking 10-25 beers (not a typo, there are plenty of people that can attest to me putting down 20 pints and running hard the next day). In short, I wanted a challenge.

I know I can run 100, shit I could probably run sub five minute miles on a treadmill until I am 40 on a treadmill if I was only running a warm up, one mile, and a cool down each day under perfect conditions. The plan, the challenge, wasn't to have this be under perfect conditions. The true bar challenge was to stick to regular training (100-120 miles per week) and endure the elements and the constraints that are provided by living the North East.

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I have found myself wondering about Joe Mac and his wonderous quest. Is it possible that he could take another shot at this challenge this year?

Joe Mac, if you start now, you could finish up by Thanksgiving. The weather will not be as bad as it is for Christmas!

I don't get why Joe Mac doesn't try this goal during the summer time. I think it would be very doable in good weather.

What happened to your blog Joe Mac? I miss reading it.

I could do this... It would hardly even be a challenge.... If I wasn't running a Marathon in 2 weeks, I would start tomorrow

I've occasionally speculated (which is all it would ever be--I'm permanently injured) about doing 20 quarters every day for a year (or however long). Including race days? Not including race days? One day "off" each week (for a long run, or race, or whatever)? Who knows?

This was inspired by the story of the guy who set my high school's mile record (which is *still* the record, 40+ years later). Every day (of practice), he would run 20 quarters; then he would do the team practice (typically not a lot of volume and only moderate intensity, BITD).

Thing is, there are so many ways to "run 20 quarters." I mean, I suppose you could run them at 2:00 pace with zero rest between reps; or run them at whatever pace, with a half-mile run after each (= 15-miler); or do them in sets; or do a classic Bob Timmons "on 3:00" workout, with cal or weightlifting between reps; et cetera.

I think I'd want to have several convenient venues that I *knew* were 400m (or probably an actual 440y, given my old-fartness). I just think it could be kinda fun, or at least a real learning experience.

huh