cannot run mile in less than 6 minutes

Here is an interesting runnersworld thread, related to this topic:

"Can the average guy get down to 6 minute mile? Or does it depend on Genetics?"

A veteran runner there said:

"Running a 6 minute mile is harder than a lot of people realize. Running that pace for 5K is quite a bit harder. I've worked with runners who had been running several years, ran road races regularly including races as long as 10 miles, who had problems breaking 6:00 for the mile. I've had HS boys on the track team who struggled to break 6:00 and girls who struggled to break 7:00. Based on my experiences I'd say the average person cannot get down to a 6:00 mile. BTW the AG equivalent of a 6:00 mile for the men's open division for 5K is 20:52. The AG equivalent for an 18:37 5K (6:00 pace) for the mile is 5:21.

On a personal note, as a track runner in HS after a season of xc, it took me 3-4 attempts before I could break 6:00 and my eventual PB set in my mid-20s is 4:41."

So YES, it is possible. But if you dont achieve it, it's not surprising. a 6 minute mile is not broken as often as LR wants you to think it is.

Please, stop this trolling and make a registration mandatory!!!

Be ashamed. Be very ashamed.

timewreck wrote:

I have been running for 7 years now,have run countless halfs and few full marathons,but iam unable to run below 6 mins for a single mile which is my target.Is it possible?

Da phuck? Wut?

All joking aside, unfortunately there are people that can't break 6 minutes even with much training. Genetics, bruh.

But the sub six people feel the same about the sub 5 people. And the sub 5 people about people faster than them and so on.

You could try to be happy that you can run far without stopping I guess.

You also may just be too old or may not train for shorter races--or be too heavy. Most competitive runners are about 135-145 pounds at 5'10." Add or subtract about 5 pounds for each inch above or below that height. If you incorporate some more quality work like 400m repeats, cruise intervals, tempo runs, 1,000m interval runs, or even fartlek runs you may be able to break 6. Good luck dude.

Impossible to say from that little information you gave but there is no reason to believe that training for better endurance will produce better speed. Why would your body adapt to running at sub-6 pace unless you are applying stress specific to that purpose?

European wrote:

Please, stop this trolling and make a registration mandatory!!!

I'm sorry to break into your little echo chamber, but a 6 minute mile is harder than you think, for many people.

Just google it.

;( neither can I.

Timewreck (or is it TrollWreck?) you need to post more data. Has your focus always been on longer stuff? If so, and you can break 45min 10k, then you should be able to break 6. What's your current mile PB? How old are you? What's your weekly mileage? Do you get long stretches of injury free running? Are you male or female or transgender? If you've been running a long time w/o injury your aerobic base is good enough, so....

...as a very basic pgm, run a mile time trial to establish basepoint. For 4-5 weeks, do your normal running with the following replacements/additions: include 4-8 strides 2-3X per week after your normal run. Also run 6...8X400m every other week, and 12-20X200m on the other weeks. Do the 200s less than 45 sec. Also do some longer intervals, maybe 800m-1k once per week, just below lactate threshold pace with short recov, 1min. Adjust as necessary re: burnout/injury/tolerance. If you're young this shouldn't be a problem unless you've never done any speedwork whatsover.

After 4-5 wks, on a day when your legs are feeling fresh, rerun the mile time trial, try to run even splits, and report back to this thread. If not much improvement, you're probably genetically suited to long slow distances, or maybe playing video games, i dunno. If you live in Buffalo, maybe wait till summer, or hope you have access to good indoor track.

Local running club has a mile race. All ages and abilities show up, several hundred total.. Looks like 1/4 to 1/3 of the entrants break 6 typically. Maybe close to 40% of the men.

Question dude3 wrote:

You also may just be too old or may not train for shorter races--or be too heavy. Most competitive runners are about 135-145 pounds at 5'10." Add or subtract about 5 pounds for each inch above or below that height.

A heavy person usually has less problem with shorter distances. If OP has run multiple marathons and half marathons, weight is probably not a major issue.

My suspicion is that OP is a relatively old runner who doesn't do much of speed work.

Sound advice. But why the comment on Buffalo ??

Over 40 and over 175 lbs. Easily beat a pro runners (Nick S.) beer mile team but without the beer. That's 5:30 for the mile. It was easy. I do only 20 miles per week.

PTO wrote:

Sound advice. But why the comment on Buffalo ??

My bad,m I assumed OP was running outdoors, though snowshoe running might be good strength work!

Dude3: It's true elites are 135-145, but not necessary for sub6. I've got a friend who's 185-190 and broke 60 min for 10 miles well into his 40s, still runs sub 3 hr marathon in his 50s.

Wongg: running club close to 40% men under 6min mile doesn't seem unusual, but running club members are unusual. General population (of America) would be no where near 40% under 6. General Rift Valley population, that's another story!

Try some speed work. Do faster speeds than target race pace. Examples would be: two 800m at 2:45-2:50 with 5 minutes in between. Then maybe 4 x 400m at 1:17-1:20 with three minutes of a break. I would finish with 4 x 100m at around 16-18 seconds with walk back to line (on a track of course) as recovery. Do this all in a row. If you aren't there yet as far as the 800m at that speed, focus on 400m or even 200m. Do this three times a week in-between your long runs. Reduce your breaks as much as you can until you get to three minutes inbetween 800m, 1:30 to 2 for 400m, and then try and do the 100m's with a quick jog back to the line or just turn and run it from the finish line. This worked with countless very youth athletes who I have coached through AAU and USATF. It is just a matter of running quicker right now if you haven't really ran that pace before. Start slow and disregard the disrespectful comments on here. Everyone is a tough guy behind a keyboard. At least you had the courage to post this. I wish you lots of luck!

-Tony

If you can't break 6 minutes in the mile, then either you're doing pretty much no training or have literally the worst genetics for running that it is possible for a human being to have.

Not everyone is physically set up for mile running, even if they enjoy middle and long distance running.

Let's face it, the right ratio of height to weight, some natural speed, a decent stride, along with other physical attributes, are gonna go a long way towards miler potential.

Next, intervals. You want to run a mile race? Given a basic fitness, you need to do the basic work 8 - 10 @ 400 with a lap jog between. Indeed, you need to do it for a month maybe 3 - 4 times a week, with variations, to arrive prepared at the starting line.

Then you need to get a few races under your belt. A season of track races. Bill Bowermen thought of the mile as being like a boxing match. Well, maybe you are going against the clock, but a mile properly run is gonna clean your clock. It's a huge challenge to get it right.

If you are halfway, and don't thing you can finish, you are on the right track (literally!)

I was able to run under 5:00 from the time I was 16 until I was 44 (same year I became a dad, no coincidence there!)

PR came at age 21. Most recent mile race came at age 56, 5:58. I was lucky, I had not done intervals!

if you're under 30 and can't break 6 min for a mile, you simply haven't trained enough. 6 min pace does not represent fast running. it's simply a matter of endurance, and not much at that, at least for someone young.

those are the facts.

I

How..... wrote:

If you can't break 6 minutes in the mile, then either you're doing pretty much no training or have literally the worst genetics for running that it is possible for a human being to have.

Read much? This has nothing to do with me. I was trying to help a poster who wanted to try and break six minutes. I kept my judgements to myself and just tried to help. Since I am still questioning whether you know how to read or not, I will try and explain it in simpler terms. Which I am actually quite good at since I train my YOUNG children and other YOUNG children in sprint and middle distance. My 9 year old is currently running well under a six minute (also 2:34 in the 800m, and 1:08 in the 400m), my 11 year old runs the mile in 5:22 as of today actually, and my 13 year old daughter runs three miles continuously at the six minute pace. Their past results from this summer and previous summers are available at both AAU, USATF, and Eliteyouth.

That being said, I don't begrudge the poster on here who doesn't run a six minute mile and wants to learn how. I was sharing my two cents figuring if it works for the kids I work with, maybe this person would want to try it as well and see if it helps them achieve their goal. Get off of these boards if that's the type of response you give to people. They are here for help, not for some tough guy typist to tell them they suck. I know, I know, you are incredible and just can't believe how others aren't as talented as you. My nine year old who posts on here told me to let you know that he would love for you to come out here and show us how fast you are since you disrespect others who are looking to get better and would like a bit of advise from more experienced runners. Get a life!!!

Then train for a mile.