Sub 4:40 mile training

gunlilbbydth wrote:

I want to run sub 4:40 this track season but hope to be closer to 4:30 then just under 4:40. Current mile is 4:46. What are some workouts and the paces I should hit?

BTW I am training on my own right now and will start workouts in about a month and a half when I finish my winter base building.

For now:

Distance:

- Build it up. However much you are doing, you can probably do a bit more week by week. Just easy.steady running.

Tempo runs for LT:

- 4-5 miles at 5:50-6:00 pace will be good for you. Mix it up with 3x2 miles, 6x1 miles, etc. 1:00-1:30 rest.

VO2max 800s/1000s/1200s:

- 2:35, 3:15 or 3:55 should be good for you (5:10-5:20 mile pace). Equal rest is good. Do about 4000m of work: 5x800, 4x1000 or 3x1200.

As racing season gets closer:

- 400s at goal pace, 70s for you. 10x400 with 1:30 rest. Start with 10x300 if you want, or 2x(5x200).

I will definitely do these workouts, thanks. Any way I can make a bigger jump in one season, say to maybe- low 4:30s by next season?

I would do 10-15 x 100 meters pretty close to sprint speed 3 days before meets

Do that regularly in meet season

Need real good basic speed

Sub 4:20 runner

10 x 400 between 68-72s with 60s rest

5 x 1000m at 3:22-3:28 with 90s rest

20 x 200 @ 33-35s with 200m jog

20 mins at 5:45/mi followed by 6-8 x 200 @ 32 with 200m jog

6 x 800 with 400m jog at 2:35-2:40

10 x 300 @ 5-52 with 300m jog

5 miles at 6:00/mi

Strides, hill repeats, hill sprints are the basics. The above workouts, assuming you can do them all at a constant level of mileage and fitness, would indicate 4:30.

If I was able to hit these times in workouts last year during my spring track season, is it reasonable to think I could run a sub 4:40 off just my base without any speed training yet?

I have seen Tons of runners run competitive times just on their base...

I have also seen a lot of runners do tons of hard anaerobic intervals and go backwards...

Check out Arthur lydiards videos lectures on YouTube

He talks about building a base

And the importance

Bro don’t even trip I ran 4:43 as a sophomore then 4:26 as a junior. The difference was I ran 35 miles a week as a sophomore then 50 miles a week as a junior with just easy recovery runs as the extra 15 miles in doubles a few times a week

Isn't that pretty close to racing for someone who runs 4:46??? 5:50 mile pace comes out to about 29 flat for 8k, most guys who run 4:25-4:30 ish for the 1500 run low 29's to mid 28's maybe 28 flat at best

BillaryMcClinton wrote:

how about this? wrote:

For now:

Distance:

- Build it up. However much you are doing, you can probably do a bit more week by week. Just easy.steady running.

Tempo runs for LT:

- 4-5 miles at 5:50-6:00 pace will be good for you. Mix it up with 3x2 miles, 6x1 miles, etc. 1:00-1:30 rest.

VO2max 800s/1000s/1200s:

- 2:35, 3:15 or 3:55 should be good for you (5:10-5:20 mile pace). Equal rest is good. Do about 4000m of work: 5x800, 4x1000 or 3x1200.

As racing season gets closer:

- 400s at goal pace, 70s for you. 10x400 with 1:30 rest. Start with 10x300 if you want, or 2x(5x200).

Isn't that pretty close to racing for someone who runs 4:46??? 5:50 mile pace comes out to about 29 flat for 8k, most guys who run 4:25-4:30 ish for the 1500 run low 29's to mid 28's maybe 28 flat at best

My best mile was 4:40.02 and I ran 27:18 for 5 miles.

BillaryMcClinton wrote:

how about this? wrote:

For now:

Distance:

- Build it up. However much you are doing, you can probably do a bit more week by week. Just easy.steady running.

Tempo runs for LT:

- 4-5 miles at 5:50-6:00 pace will be good for you. Mix it up with 3x2 miles, 6x1 miles, etc. 1:00-1:30 rest.

VO2max 800s/1000s/1200s:

- 2:35, 3:15 or 3:55 should be good for you (5:10-5:20 mile pace). Equal rest is good. Do about 4000m of work: 5x800, 4x1000 or 3x1200.

As racing season gets closer:

- 400s at goal pace, 70s for you. 10x400 with 1:30 rest. Start with 10x300 if you want, or 2x(5x200).

Isn't that pretty close to racing for someone who runs 4:46??? 5:50 mile pace comes out to about 29 flat for 8k, most guys who run 4:25-4:30 ish for the 1500 run low 29's to mid 28's maybe 28 flat at best

You are correct. 5:50 is too fast for a 4:46 miler to be doing for a 5 mile tempo. Especially a high schooler.

Do mile cruise intervals at 5:50 and long tempos at 6:20

ThatAverageRunner wrote:

BillaryMcClinton wrote:

Isn't that pretty close to racing for someone who runs 4:46??? 5:50 mile pace comes out to about 29 flat for 8k, most guys who run 4:25-4:30 ish for the 1500 run low 29's to mid 28's maybe 28 flat at best

You are correct. 5:50 is too fast for a 4:46 miler to be doing for a 5 mile tempo. Especially a high schooler.

I had a girl run a 5 mile tempo in 28:45 the other day and she’s yet to break 5 in the mile although it’s been a year since she’s run a mile and has run 4:40 for 1500. That pace is fine if you’re looking for sub 4:40

And she just ran 4:47