It's too damn hard to run a sub 5 mile

elusive dreams wrote:

The max I've run consistently was 50-55 MPW in singles for 2 months.

You are aerobically underdeveloped because you have never tried high mileage.

First, you need to learn how to double. Add a 30 min easy run once a week. Once you get used to it, make it twice a week, three times, etc. Once you get used to double six times a week, then make that 30 min to 35 min, 40 min, etc. until you can run 60 min six times a week as your secondary run. Do a long run on the 7th day, up to 2 hours.

Peter Snell won gold medals and broke world records while running 100+mpw with a weekly long run. High mileage works for a mid-d runner.

Any update on this? OP taking on any of the advice given yet?

You must do a lot of repeats of 1600s. Workout that are hard slush you to your limit. Like this: 3x1600M, 4x800M, 4x400M, 6x200

My PR is exactly 5:00 and we do this workout or one like it every week.

WE NEED AN UPDATE

Interesting, what were your 400m splits the last time you tried to break 5 in the mile. And what is your current 5k time?

I really like this thread. I'm currently working on breaking 6 but I didn't realize how much training actually goes into breaking 5 or how many factors. Mileage, speed work, form, weight etc

any update?

Looks like the OP just can't run sub 5.

Sometimes you get a perspective of how hard it can be.

My mile PR is 4:04 at about age 23 (ran near equivalent sub 4 mile for 1500m)

I ran 4:31 at age 34 and 4:58 at age 38.

I haven't gone under 5 since turning 40 some years back.

I really haven't tried but I know I can't break 5 right now and I do run about 4 times a week, so I'm not totally out of shape.

I think if I made an attempt this year to break 5 in the mile it would be very difficult.

Keeping in mind that I could do 3X mile going from 4:50 to 4:30 before, no problem.

And plenty of guys in their forties run sub 5 and I was a probably better runner than most of them in my twenties.

When I ran fast in my youth I thought it was all from training.

I later realized that i had more talent than I thought and responded better to training than others. (talent does go away)

Most runners think they got better than others because they outworked the others.

Not necessarily

this is prob a troll. but the equation goes something like this.

some talent + CONSISTENCY + luck.

Luck?

I've seen hockey teams win off of a lucky bounce.

Maybe staying injury free is the luck part of running but that is more a combination of talent and smart training.

Star wrote:

Luck?

I've seen hockey teams win off of a lucky bounce.

Maybe staying injury free is the luck part of running but that is more a combination of talent and smart training.

This times infinity.

If one can remain injury free they can be consistent, if they consistently train with a halfway decent plan, they'll beat most of their peers. If this person does is consistent, avoids injury, has a good plan/coach they could be elite. If this person is consistent, avoids injury, has a good coach/plan, and has talent this person is Olympic material.

OP is so skinny. That's a horse jockey MINIMUM weight. How can that be good for sprinting?

What 5k time would say you can definitely run sub 5? Is there anyone that can run 16:45 and not break 5?

Ugh, this is so depressing. Hearing you peeps in 40s-50s running sub 5s. I'm a male in 8th grade at a 5:14. I wanna put most of my effort to the steeplechase but even then my pr is 11:42 there. Am I doing good at least?

Twolves wrote:

Ugh, this is so depressing. Hearing you peeps in 40s-50s running sub 5s. I'm a male in 8th grade at a 5:14. I wanna put most of my effort to the steeplechase but even then my pr is 11:42 there. Am I doing good at least?

Yes and I honestly think you can go well under 5. You're still young.

Compared to me. I am a female with a 6:05 PR. Sub 5 is nothing but a dream to me, maybe in another lifetime. Still gonna chase sub 6 then see how far I can get from there lol.

I ran sub 5 - 28 years ago. Piece of piss.

Anyone who thinks a sub 5 is a piece of piss has their genetics and parents to thank for that. Obviously, as well as training too but that goes without saying.

I notice a lot of people on here don't realise how much natural talent truly effects us.

in the last couple years i have run 5:02 and 5:01 in races and 5:01 in a solo time trial. i feel OP's pain. sub 5 is the impossible dream. i hope OP will stop by and update us. i haven't given up yet and i hope he hasn't either.

help me pls wrote:

in the last couple years i have run 5:02 and 5:01 in races and 5:01 in a solo time trial. i feel OP's pain. sub 5 is the impossible dream. i hope OP will stop by and update us. i haven't given up yet and i hope he hasn't either.

Tell us about your training, age, weight, height. Where these after a big taper? Mid season? How long have you been running?