Help on a mile and half

[getripped37]

aright i need some major help right away, i was told that i need to run a mile and half in 9:00 for a fitness test. right now i can run a mile in 8:00 minutes, any programs that can help, i have a month to get it to 9:00. plzzzzz help
thnx in advance

[stout92]

not much anyone can tell you except just run your butt off. I'd say run a a mile and a half 3-4 times a week, the first week try to get each run in 12 minutes, second week try to get each run in 11 minutes, third week 10 minutes, and the week before the competition, 9 minutes

[getripped37]

thnx that was quick man, but is there any specialy programs or anythin like that

[bignick270]

I agree with stout92, the only way you going to make it is if you practice at it by working your way down to the 9 minutes. You just got to keep working at it until your cardiovascular and muscle endurace hits that level.

[SolidSnake84]

i love running. when i do cardio i will run at an even pace for about 5 miles straight. yesterday i did 6 miles. the key to getting a fast time in a short run like the mile and a half is to run long distances...aka more than what you would run when you compete.

i used to do track and my event was the mile. for practice though, we'd run 6 miles a day 5 days a week, and after the run we'd come back and do pushups and abs exercises for 15 minutes. since you only have a month, this is your best bet. run as long as you can at an even pace. try to hit 1 mile the first few days...then up it to 2 miles without stopping.

by the time you can run 5 without stopping, not only will your endurance be better, but when you know that you only have to run 1.5 of that 5 miles when youre being timed, you can gauge how much fuel you have left in the tank and when to kick itup. once youre comfortable with 5 miles or so...try running the first 2 miles at a slightly faster pace and then "cool down" with a slow jog on the last 3. by doing 2 miles, it will give you some room for error in case you burn out with 1.5 left (which is what you want)...you dont want to have any energy left by the time youre done, otherwise youre going to slow, and probably wont hit 9 minutes.

but there are guys who can run the 1 mile in 4 minutes. my best time is 5:07. people in my hs ran the 2 mile in sometimes under 9 minutes. sure this is a bit out of reach for you, at least for now...but you should know it's possible.

some things to remember...

stretch your legs out properly before running...no less than 5 minutes, preferably 10-15, and do a little walking, jumping up and down to get the blood flowing first. stretch after you run as well.

as for food, eat complex carbs about 1 hour before you run (whether competing or just training)...this will give you long lasting energy, otherwise you will eventually get sluggish and burn out. some foods include oatmeal and/or pasta.

there is something ive noticed when running. often you will be completely beat, exhausted and cant go on in your mind. but remember your body is designed to do work...and you dont have to stop unless you force yourself to...keep plugging along even if youre tired. it's only about 1 hour out of the day when u have to exert yourself so make it count. tell the voice in ur head that says u have to stop to shut up. even if ur going at a slow pace at first...just dont stop ---keep moving.

headphones help to keep your pumped and ur mind off the pain while running as well. as usual stay hydrated. drink plenty before and after running but not during or you might cramp.

good luck!

[IcyHot]

I agree running longer distances than what you are training for is a good idea, however, that did not get me where I wanted to be. I had to include speedwork into my program. Fartlek runs helped me the most for getting my times down.

I run the 1.5 mile in 7:30-7:40 depending on the day. I never went out for track in HS or College and didn't start running until 2 years ago. I have just recently started running competitively and training harder. This program got me well into the 4's in the mile.

My advice on training: 4 weeks

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 800m warmup, 2x800 at 15 seconds faster than goal pace and running an 800 between repeats, 800m cooldown. The idea here is to never stop running. Called a fartlek.

Wednesday: Easy 3 mile run (AT or Aerobic Threshold) You should be able to speak, but not sing during this run.

Thursday: 400m warmup, then 4x400m at 5 seconds faster than goal pace (per lap), jog a 400m between repeats, 400m cooldown

Friday: Easy 3 mile run

Saturday: Easy 3 mile run

Sunday: 800m warmup, then 800m at 15-20 seconds faster than goal pace, 800m repeat at easy pace, 600m at 10 seconds faster than goal pace, 600m repeat at easy pace, 400m at 5 seconds faster than goal pace, 400m repeat at an easy pace.

[getripped37]

i love running. when i do cardio i will run at an even pace for about 5 miles straight. yesterday i did 6 miles. the key to getting a fast time in a short run like the mile and a half is to run long distances...aka more than what you would run when you compete.

i used to do track and my event was the mile. for practice though, we'd run 6 miles a day 5 days a week, and after the run we'd come back and do pushups and abs exercises for 15 minutes. since you only have a month, this is your best bet. run as long as you can at an even pace. try to hit 1 mile the first few days...then up it to 2 miles without stopping.

by the time you can run 5 without stopping, not only will your endurance be better, but when you know that you only have to run 1.5 of that 5 miles when youre being timed, you can gauge how much fuel you have left in the tank and when to kick itup. once youre comfortable with 5 miles or so...try running the first 2 miles at a slightly faster pace and then "cool down" with a slow jog on the last 3. by doing 2 miles, it will give you some room for error in case you burn out with 1.5 left (which is what you want)...you dont want to have any energy left by the time youre done, otherwise youre going to slow, and probably wont hit 9 minutes.

but there are guys who can run the 1 mile in 4 minutes. my best time is 5:07. people in my hs ran the 2 mile in sometimes under 9 minutes. sure this is a bit out of reach for you, at least for now...but you should know it's possible.

some things to remember...

stretch your legs out properly before running...no less than 5 minutes, preferably 10-15, and do a little walking, jumping up and down to get the blood flowing first. stretch after you run as well.

as for food, eat complex carbs about 1 hour before you run (whether competing or just training)...this will give you long lasting energy, otherwise you will eventually get sluggish and burn out. some foods include oatmeal and/or pasta.

there is something ive noticed when running. often you will be completely beat, exhausted and cant go on in your mind. but remember your body is designed to do work...and you dont have to stop unless you force yourself to...keep plugging along even if youre tired. it's only about 1 hour out of the day when u have to exert yourself so make it count. tell the voice in ur head that says u have to stop to shut up. even if ur going at a slow pace at first...just dont stop ---keep moving.

headphones help to keep your pumped and ur mind off the pain while running as well. as usual stay hydrated. drink plenty before and after running but not during or you might cramp.

good luck!

I like the idea man, it makes sense, thnx alotttt for the advice to keep my head on my goal and give up, i will definetly use that thnx man.
Also icyhot i replied to ur post in the other thread, thnx for postin here too man.
The only problem now is to choose between Icyhot's or solidsnake's routine, or do both, that somethin i should think about i guess as they both seem good

[Radok]

Icyhot knows his shiz, go that route.

[Saeco Pink]

Bump to Icyhot.

The only way to go faster...is to go faster. You can't teach your legs how to sprint if you don't make them sprint, right? Same with getting speedier.

[andyd123]

Ority getripped37 am i right in thinking this 1.5 mile run is for the british army test, If so im in the exact same posistion, iv just been running every morning, not sophisticated but gets the job done!

[getripped37]

no its actually for a fitness test for my tryouts that r comin next month

[heftylefty58]

Great thread--I've always struggled with distance running. My best time was a 5:59 min mile. (I had to beat 6 mins in order to have a starting position in high school football.) Not surprisingly, I was probably the slowest distance runner out of all the skill positions on my team. (I played CB.)

Anyway, question for ANYONE who can beat a 6 min mile:

When I try to train/improve my times, I push myself to the brink where I literally feel like I'm going to suffocate because I'm breathing so hard/fast. I almost get this paranoid sensation that I'm going to die if I breath any harder/faster. (However, let me remind you--I'm not going "that" fast. I just seem to need a hell of a lot of oxygen when I push myself running.)

Finally, my question: Do you guys also push yourself to the point of teetering with this suffocating/panicky sensation, too? (I guess I tend to push myself this hard b/c I'm doubtful I'll actually make improvements unless I give it this "110%" effort.)

...I'm just wondering if I need to sack up and just accept this misery as part of running hard.

[heftylefty58]

...I should have mentioned: I sometimes get queasy just thinking about my next run. Help me get over this!

[pmpolich]

Getripped37, if you know you're fast (you got the cardio) then the absolute easiest plan is to just lose weight.

I was in your situation last year. I dropped my 1.5 mile time from about 11:00 to 8:30 in two months. The main thing I changed was to lose 20 pounds, mostly fat. Like a cut, just keep calories low and run for the cardio.

If you can run 15-20 miles (short distances) per week, while losing 2-3 pounds of fat per week, I think you can drop your time under 10:00.

[getripped37]

actually i have a low % of fat the only problem is my endurance, like i sprint really fast but cant run for long distances

[IcyHot]

Great thread--I've always struggled with distance running. My best time was a 5:59 min mile. (I had to beat 6 mins in order to have a starting position in high school football.) Not surprisingly, I was probably the slowest distance runner out of all the skill positions on my team. (I played CB.)

Anyway, question for ANYONE who can beat a 6 min mile:

When I try to train/improve my times, I push myself to the brink where I literally feel like I'm going to suffocate because I'm breathing so hard/fast. I almost get this paranoid sensation that I'm going to die if I breath any harder/faster. (However, let me remind you--I'm not going "that" fast. I just seem to need a hell of a lot of oxygen when I push myself running.)

Finally, my question: Do you guys also push yourself to the point of teetering with this suffocating/panicky sensation, too? (I guess I tend to push myself this hard b/c I'm doubtful I'll actually make improvements unless I give it this "110%" effort.)

...I'm just wondering if I need to sack up and just accept this misery as part of running hard.

No, I don't push myself to the point of suffocating. As I built my endurance up, I was breathing the same and running faster times. Now I can run back to back intervals in much faster times without feeling like I am exremely tired. The best part of building endurance is how quickly you recover. I can finish my entire workout and within 1 minute I feel like I could repeat most of it again. Could I push myself harder? Probably. Do I want to? Not without a coach and somebody to train with.

I typically train at 97% of V02 max. I use an excel program to figure out my splits for every interval and base my training off of that. If you would like me to send you a copy of your own V02 max, pm me your email and 2 mile time.

[HDGilliam]

icyhot seems to know his stuff, but what I've noticed that has helped me shave a lot of time off of my running is a process created by US Army Doctors.

Beginning process they would have us sprint for 30 seconds nonstop, then walk 60 seconds. Run 30, walk 60, etc -- do this for about 12 reps., 3 days a week.

Next week, run 45 seconds, 90 second walk --- once again, 12 reps, 3 days a week.

Next week, 60 second run, 120 second walk. 12 reps, 3x a week again.

Everyone in the group had tremendous run improvements. We took a timed 2-mile run at the beginning of this test and then again after a 3-month run.

My first 2 mile run was at approximately 30 minutes (yea I know, lol).

At the end of the test, I was running a 16 minute 2-mile test.

There were guys in my group that went from 25-40 minutes down to 12-15.

The test was amazing, glad I signed up for it.

For those interested, the entire 3 months went like this:

Run 1 - 30s run/60s walk
Run 2 - 45s run/90s walk
Run 3 - 60s run/120s walk

Month 1:
Run 1
Run 2
Run 3
Month 2:
Run 2
Run 3
Run 1
Month 3:
Run 3
Run 1
Run 2

That's how my group ran, other groups had a mixed schedule for the 3 months but we all ran the same time and walked it.

[skinnyashell]

As a junior i ran internationally over 800 m. At 19 years od i ran a mile in 4.15.

I do agree with the fartlek system that ITCHY ( sorry if i spelled it wrond mate) suggesten although i would personally use a time factor instead of distance in the rest period.

If you are totally wiped out 4 00 metres can take a long time to jog. By Using a stopwatch and taking say 2 minutes you will keep the rest constant, and the lactic levels will be high. This will force your body to adapt and in time you should recover from the lactic acid a lot faster after a couple of weeks.

You are looking at 6 laps for 1.5 miles. That means to hit the 9 minute mark you have to run a constant 90 second lap. maintainging this pace is hard and there are 2 ways i can suggest you do it.

I would suggest that one of the sessions you run is 6 x 400 meterswith a 90 -120 second break in between. Ain to run these laps in sub 80 if poss.

You may also want to try 6x 300 m with not more that 60 seconds i between. try to run these as evenly as possible.

The important thing is that in the " rest period" you do not stand still.. else you'll stiffen, lactic acid will slaughter your muscles if you don't keep moving.

I think you may be a little short on time and i don't know your current level of fitness... Shuld you be unsuccessful in this attempt am i right in saying you get a retest in a while?

If you do drop me a message and i'll help you work out a routine if you want.( that applies to anyone who wants help ok? it costs you nothing and i am glad to help


Two other things that are very very important. Make sure you are warm when you start. Take good time and do a slow ( the word being SLOW) jog for 2-3 laps then use time to stretch your hams, quads and not least of all calves. You may want to take a couple of long strides down the straight too before you start the actual training.

AFTER the training , get a tracksuit on and repaeat the warm up ( caled warm down) minus the long strides.

I would suggest that 2 days before the test yu take a rest day, the day before jet warm and do 3 long strides to wake your system up.

Hope this helps.

[getripped37]

hey man that was a nice long post, and doing a mile in 4:15 is amazing. anyway at the moment i can do a mile in about 8:00 minutes so thats not good at all, i take the fitness test in 3 weeks. what i have been doin the last few days was follow icyhots routine. i have been readin alot and hopin to decrease my time as much as possible, so any help if (its a routine or anything) from u would be appreciated. thnx

[IcyHot]

As a junior i ran internationally over 800 m. At 19 years od i ran a mile in 4.15.

I do agree with the fartlek system that ITCHY ( sorry if i spelled it wrond mate) suggesten although i would personally use a time factor instead of distance in the rest period.

If you are totally wiped out 4 00 metres can take a long time to jog. By Using a stopwatch and taking say 2 minutes you will keep the rest constant, and the lactic levels will be high. This will force your body to adapt and in time you should recover from the lactic acid a lot faster after a couple of weeks.

Time factor is good - but I typically run the rest intervals depending on how I feel. I usually run my intervals in 71-72 seconds, followed by 2 minute rest interval 400's. They are faster or slower depending on the day, temperature, humidity, wind etc. Given that he currently runs his mile in 8 minutes and that he only has 3 weeks until the test, I suggested just jogging the 400m intervals because that will be difficult enough if he is running hard enough in the race pace intervals.

I would suggest that 2 days before the test yu take a rest day, the day before jet warm and do 3 long strides to wake your system up.

Hope this helps.

Very good info. Forgot to mention anything about pre race prep. That is what I do.

[skinnyashell]

Time factor is good - but I typically run the rest intervals depending on how I feel. I usually run my intervals in 71-72 seconds, followed by 2 minute rest interval 400's. They are faster or slower depending on the day, temperature, humidity, wind etc. Given that he currently runs his mile in 8 minutes and that he only has 3 weeks until the test, I suggested just jogging the 400m intervals because that will be difficult enough if he is running hard enough in the race pace intervals.



.

This is the problem with such a short time til the test.

The reason the body stops up is due to lactic acid as you know.

The best way to increase tolerances is to run hard when filled with the stuff.

Another thing that does help is to take a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda( baking powder or whatever) in water about 90 minutes before you start to warm up. it helps combat the lactic.

By keeping the recovery at a fixed time yor body hs to react, it has to adjust and after a short ( likely couple of weeks) it will react, then you have to push a bit harder to get the lactates up again.

in world class 400,800,1500 et it is often not the person who is the fastest sprinter who wins at the end, more the one who tolerates lactic acid the best and slows the least!

Having run sub 1.50 for 800 and around 50 blank for the 400 i know that when lactic acid builds in the last few hundred meters, there is NOTHING you can do to stop it.

It really does come back to proper prep and hard work in the time leading up to the competition. The Phrase "train Hard, race easy is the right one here."

I am not saying that you are wrong, I would like to make this quite clear. I am basing my opinion on my experiences and the results I achieved.

Something that is forgotten by many though is the need for speed If you run 400 meters or mile or say 2 mile runs at a constant pace then you will become one paced, for a miler, running sets of 150 m with a minute rest really does wonders.

Fartlek ( translation from Norwegian as SPEED GAME) is a fantastic thing to use, but like most things in moderation. it needs a balance, with endurence, with stamina and with speed endurence.

The problem being is that for any training to have maximum effect it has to have a couple of weeks to be absorbed by the body... Unfortunately i thing out friend may be short of time on this one.

BTW what distances do you run?

[ABaby]

But what is lactic acid exactly? I have a vague definition in my head, but any help would be appreaciated.

I thought I read somewhere that Fartlek meant Speed Play or something . A little OT, but sorry about the double pm Skinny.

[skinnyashell]

Lactate is constantly produced during normal metabolism and exercise but does not increase in concentration until the rate of lactate production exceeds the rate of lactate removal.

Lactic acid is basically a waste product.


Increases in lactate concentration typically occur under conditions where the rate of energy demand by tissues cannot be met by aerobic respiration i.e. tissues cannot get or process oxygen and substrates quickly enough.

Through proper training you will get a better use of the oxygen and the tolerances will increase.

[IcyHot]

This is the problem with such a short time til the test.

The reason the body stops up is due to lactic acid as you know.

The best way to increase tolerances is to run hard when filled with the stuff.

Another thing that does help is to take a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda( baking powder or whatever) in water about 90 minutes before you start to warm up. it helps combat the lactic.

By keeping the recovery at a fixed time yor body hs to react, it has to adjust and after a short ( likely couple of weeks) it will react, then you have to push a bit harder to get the lactates up again.

in world class 400,800,1500 et it is often not the person who is the fastest sprinter who wins at the end, more the one who tolerates lactic acid the best and slows the least!

Having run sub 1.50 for 800 and around 50 blank for the 400 i know that when lactic acid builds in the last few hundred meters, there is NOTHING you can do to stop it.

It really does come back to proper prep and hard work in the time leading up to the competition. The Phrase "train Hard, race easy is the right one here."

I am not saying that you are wrong, I would like to make this quite clear. I am basing my opinion on my experiences and the results I achieved.

Something that is forgotten by many though is the need for speed If you run 400 meters or mile or say 2 mile runs at a constant pace then you will become one paced, for a miler, running sets of 150 m with a minute rest really does wonders.

Fartlek ( translation from Norwegian as SPEED GAME) is a fantastic thing to use, but like most things in moderation. it needs a balance, with endurence, with stamina and with speed endurence.

The problem being is that for any training to have maximum effect it has to have a couple of weeks to be absorbed by the body... Unfortunately i thing out friend may be short of time on this one.

BTW what distances do you run?

I agree, he needed 8 weeks to prepare with a solid program. I agree with you and I can tell that you are/were one heck of a good athlete. I am most impressed with your times as most are not able to achieve that level of ability.

A question about the baking soda- I have read articles that say you will not have any benefit unless you consume 4 teaspoons of the stuff. That is a heck of a lot of sodium pre race. What are your thoughts/experiences?

[please_diet]

If you are one month out, that is a bit soon, but here is what I do to reach running goals:

You need to run 3-4 times a week. Anymore will probably give you shin splints. When you are planning your practice route to run, make sure it is a minimum of 1 1/2 miles. I would up the amount to as far as 2 1/2 to occasionally 3 miles. 3 miles is the longest I will run though and that is still a very short distance.

Make sure you are properly loosened up prior to running. You will have a much shorter stride if you do not stretch properly. This will cause an increase in your time.

Work on taking long strides and managining your breathing. If you take short choppy strides you will tire more quickly. With breathing, I breath in through my nose for a count of two (kind of a quick two) and breath out through my mouth for a count of one. This takes work to manage, but will spare you from cramping up.

Here is what my four week running schedule would look like:

Week 1

Monday - 2 miles medium pace
40 yrd sprints x 5 on 30 sec

Wednesday - 1 1/2 Miles high pace (your best)

Friday - 2 1/2 miles medium slow
60 yrd 3/4 sprints x 5 on 40 sec


Week 2

Monday - 3 miles medium pace (around 24 min)
40 yrd sprint x 10 on 30 sec

Wednesday - 1 1/2 miles high pace (your best)

Friday - 2 miles medium pace
60 yrd 3/4 sprint x 5 on 20 sec


Week 3

Monday - 3 miles medium pace (23 min)
40 yrd sprints x 10 on 20 sec

Wednesday - 2 miles high pace

Friday - 2 miles medium pace
60 yrd 3/4 sprint x 10 on 40 sec

Final week

Monday - 2 miles medium pace

Wednesday -3 miles medium high pace 20-22 min

Friday - 2 miles medium slow

Not saying this is the best, but I have prepared for a couple important tests using this method and was pleased with the results.

J

[IcyHot]

That is a great workout and will probably get you into pretty good shape, but he only has 3 weeks now and the short sprinting at the end isn't really necessary for the 1.5 mile. Yes speedwork is important, but I would suggest 150's and 200's for speedwork along with the AT runs and fartlek training suggested above.

No doubt you had results with that program.

[please_diet]

You're absolutely right. I didn't even consider the longer distance 3/4 sprints and I used to do them to help with my times. Also wouldn't hurt him to add a couple 400 m/3 min on easy days. Good catch.

J

[getripped37]

great posts guys i am really learnin alot from this. about the 3/4 sprints what does that mean? like sprint only a 3/4 of the distance?

[please_diet]

Sprint or all out sprint = 100-110%

3/4 is 75% of your max.

On (blank) minutes/seconds. Your time starts when you begin the exercise and whatever time you have left after you finish is the rest time before starting again.

J

[getripped37]

Everyone in the group had tremendous run improvements. We took a timed 2-mile run at the beginning of this test and then again after a 3-month run.

so u think if i did this program for three months i could cut my time from 8:00 a mile to like 6 or 5:45 a mile? or is it like bodybuilding u notice big difference just for new starters. thnx