(M, 16) I want to drop 30 seconds off my mile

added: I've been running mostly 7:00-8:30 pace for all my runs. Little to no intervals or workouts

I would say the best way to drop 30 seconds off your mile is to run 7.5 seconds faster per lap.

dang. that was my idea too. great minds think alike

It's doable, but you're going to have to raise your mileage. I'd get up to 25-30 mpw CONSISTENTLY for weeks on end. Also, make sure all that mileage is at 8:00 or above, preferably 8:15-8:30. Once a week, do a run of about 20-25 minutes at 7:00 pace. Do just that for 8-10 weeks or so, and then add in some fast repetitions (200-600m) at slightly faster than 6:00 mile pace. Take full recovery between these repetitions but do about 2 or 3 miles worth of them per week. This alone will drop a good chunk off your mile time, I went from 5:57 to 5:28 doing pretty much this

Run on the short track at Stanford.

slower_than_molasses wrote:

It's doable, but you're going to have to raise your mileage. I'd get up to 25-30 mpw CONSISTENTLY for weeks on end. Also, make sure all that mileage is at 8:00 or above, preferably 8:15-8:30. Once a week, do a run of about 20-25 minutes at 7:00 pace. Do just that for 8-10 weeks or so, and then add in some fast repetitions (200-600m) at slightly faster than 6:00 mile pace. Take full recovery between these repetitions but do about 2 or 3 miles worth of them per week. This alone will drop a good chunk off your mile time, I went from 5:57 to 5:28 doing pretty much this

YOU DO NOT NEED 25-30 MPW TO RUN A 5:30 MILE. Honestly you could do it off 5-10 mpw. Just run. Do some intervals at mile-5k pace if you want. Maybe do a 10 minute tempo run. But 5:30 isn't fast, given what you are doing I would be surprised if you could't already run a 5:30 mile, you just need to pace yourself better.

slower_than_molasses wrote:

It's doable, but you're going to have to raise your mileage. I'd get up to 25-30 mpw CONSISTENTLY for weeks on end. Also, make sure all that mileage is at 8:00 or above, preferably 8:15-8:30. Once a week, do a run of about 20-25 minutes at 7:00 pace. Do just that for 8-10 weeks or so, and then add in some fast repetitions (200-600m) at slightly faster than 6:00 mile pace. Take full recovery between these repetitions but do about 2 or 3 miles worth of them per week. This alone will drop a good chunk off your mile time, I went from 5:57 to 5:28 doing pretty much this

OP's 5k is about 7:05 pace for just under 22 minutes, so 20-25 minutes at 7:00 is race effort. And that's only when OP is in PR shape or better. OP how are you doing all your runs at 7:00-8:30? I'd definitely slow that down, since your times don't indicate that you're the type with a ton of endurance.

This calculator puts your LT threshold pace at 8:12, obviously no online calculator is perfect but you want easy runs to be slower than LT pace. I think your easy runs should probably be 8:35-10:05 pace, (5k pace + 1:30-3:00).

8-10 miles for a long run is good but it seems too long for someone running only 17-25 mpw-- your long run shouldn't be half of your weekly mileage. I think your long run should be about 30% of your weekly miles, maybe 35%. You should also run 4-5 days per week, some will say 6-7 but on only 25 mpw I don't think you need to. Personally I think 5 days a week is ideal for that mileage, but you know yourself best.

You should do some workouts, as the other poster suggested, but do a little research on peaking and periodization. Anaerobic workouts will help you improve rapidly but only for a relatively short time, so you want to spend some time building up your miles before going into the really tough workouts.

I'm actually in a similar position, I run about 6:10 and am working up to 25-30 mpw over summer. Would love to be 30 seconds faster but I'll settle for sub 6 lol.

Best of luck with your training!

My advice to you:

#1 Don't start threads, search. You are unexceptional as a runner. That means that on lets run, there are masses of information on the droves of unexceptional runners that came before you. Additionally, you can gain really solid information by learning about the training techniques of coaches with a lot of success (Jack Daniels, Arthur Lydiard, etc). Letsrun is a source for that. Jack Daniels has done interviews and talks that are on youtube. Both of these coaches have books. Learn the principles of successful training, so that you can apply it to yourself. Don't take this to mean that you should try and do what Jim Ryun did in HS.

#2 Don't get injured. You could beat a 4:00 miler in a race if that miler had his leg cut off. This is an extreme example of what I'm trying to say which is that if you stay healthy, you will be faster than you would be if you got injured. Better undertrained than overtrained, especially for what you want to do. Avoiding injury is unique recipe for everyone, but it means: training within your limits, preventive strengthening, and learning to tell when you can ice it and keep running and when you should suck it up and take two days off.

#3 Run more miles. People say different things about this, but in my opinion there is no simpler or more effective way to improve distance running ability. Run more than 4 days a week. I think 5 is the minimum number of runs per week to see improvement in someone who has already trained at all. You don't need to run doubles for what you're trying to do. A step you could reach by the end of the summer is to run 35 mpw in 6 days of training. A subset of this is to run long. A solid long run is good for training efficient fuel use and recruiting the right muscle fibers for distance runners, in order to give you strength at the end of a race (this happens when you get that wooden legged feeling at the end of a long run). At least that's my understanding from what I know of Lydiard, who had everyone from 800m and beyond run up to 22mi.

#4 Run some of your miles fast. Remember when I told you to learn about Jack Daniels. This is where that comes in. It doesn't have to be complicated, but you need to be doing some quality all the time and a lot of quality in season, if you want to run the mile. Tempos, fartleks, hills,(all of these can be structured or unstructured) and 5k style intervals are good base builders. In my opinion quarter mile reps are the one workout that milers can't afford to lose (in season) if they want to prepare themselves mentally and physically for the mile.

#5 Prepare mentally. For me this is the most complicated part. This could be disciplining yourself to actually do your planned running, or holding yourself back from injury and overtraining. Learning not to stress about DNR days has always been my problem. I also try not to focus on empirical results and work to accept and enjoy the process of training (running the race is a tiny fraction of your training time). It's not that I don't set goals or care about the outcome. It's simply that I've always had better results when I can step to line and be calmer. The race seems less significant if you've already a few dozen enjoyable miles that week. This isn't to say every mile and interval is a breeze. I try to take stock of things and remember that when I'm old, I'll wish I could still feel the gut-churning part of a hard repeat.

Run 40-50 miles a week, do two workouts a week (such as 4x 1600 @ tempo, 12x 400 at goal mile pace to 5 seconds slower), and a long run once a week of about 10 miles. To me it sounds like you're just in bad shape, this kind of training dropped me from 5:5x-5:2x and did wonders for other distances as well. This is not mile specific though, this is just what I did and recommend to get in shape.

lazyswine wrote:

added: I've been running mostly 7:00-8:30 pace for all my runs. Little to no intervals or workouts

I run my easy days in that range, usually 7:30 to 8:30 depending on how I feel and I'm hoping to get under 17 for a 5k very soon. You are running WAY too fast. It's completely unproductive for getting faster and a good way to get injured. Run at a pace that you can EASILY hold a full blown conversation at without struggling (not just a few sentences) I'd suggest reading some books on training if you are serious about getting faster

If you're doing cross country, then don't even think about mile times until December, even if the mile is your favorite event and you're an XC guy. Trust me, you will be disappointed if you do mile time trials in cross country season.

Instead, focus on getting your mileage up to 30-35 mpw. Build up by around 3-4 miles or 10% each week. Every fourth week, take a "down week" where you run 2/3 your normal mileage to absorb the past month's training load and let your body recover.

Also, why are your long runs so long compared to your other runs? I'm doing 40 MPW and my long run is 10 miles. Your long run should optimally be 2% of your weekly mileage, not 40-50%. Cut down on that long run and get your other runs up in distance, too.

Again, right now just focus on your 5k XC if you're doing cross country. You're 16, you could see an ENORMOUS drop this summer. Forget about track until after XC. forget about XC until after track. You will reap the benefits.

The advice in this thread is way overkill for just a 5:30 mile. Go to the track once a week, run 10-12 400s with full recovery. Marvel as your pace drops every week.

This schedule will get you there

sun- 40 km in 2:04

mon- 1600-1200-800-400. 3:56, 2:53, 1:55, 55

tue- easy 10 miles in 55 minutes

wednesday- 3x400 in 49, 7 minutes rest in between

thu-easy 10 miles in 55 minutes

fri- 20 minute tempo @ around 4:25 pace

sat- 2x5000m in 13:08 with 0:00 recovery

Good luck!