#80 - How To Run A Faster Mile (5-Steps To A Faster You) w/ Coach Tadris
In this week’s blog/podcast we will talk about how to train to run a faster mile. Why would you want to work on your one -mile time? If you are a 5k runner and want to improve your time, you must get better at the mile. To get better at 10k, you must improve your 5k times. To get better at a half marathon…… you get the point. Regardless of the race distance, it all goes back to that mile time. This week we are going to give you our 5-week process for success. This process is to be repeated several times during the year to see improvement throughout the year. Working on this 5 step process throughout the year will show you which season you may perform best in.
Listen To Podcast
Continue Reading (Scroll Down)
Step 1: Determine Where You Are Now
With every start of a journey, we need to know exactly where we are currently. There are a few ways to figure out where we are with our one mile run times. We can look back at our GPS devices, phone, or smartwatch to see what our last 3 miles run time was. The apps usually give you your average pace per mile. One may choose that as their starting point.
App says; I ran 3 miles and it took 30 minutes for an average pace of 10 minutes per mile.
Take a deeper dive into those numbers, and look at your per-mile splits. You may see mile one, you did it in 9 minutes and 15 seconds. That is what you would want to build upon.
Another way I like to determine a starting point is to take a test. I would want to do a solid 10-15 minute warm-up, then run my mile as fast as I could. This would give me the solid base that I’m looking for. Upon completing that baseline test and I notice that I’m at 8 minutes and 30 seconds, which will set me up for what’s next.
Step 2: Decide Where You Want To Be
If you've been competing in 5k’s for a while and you just can’t seem to break a certain time, here is where goal setting comes into play. You need to always set a destination if you are going to accurately use a navigation system. Where are you now and where do you want to go? Perhaps you have been running 5k’s with times between 25:40 - 25:15 minutes and can’t seem to break 25 minutes.
How many minutes per mile do you need to average to grab that sub-25?
8 Minutes Per Mile.
In my example above, I completed an 8:30 mile test. It is reasonable that during this 5-week training, I can shave 30 seconds off of my mile time. A reasonable goal for me at this time would be to strive for an 8-minute mile.
A 7:30 mile at this time is not a reasonable goal. With consistency over time, a 7:30 mile will be in your future.
Now we have our starting point and we also know where we want to go. Next, is how committed are we to getting there?
Step 3: Dedicate Yourself To Speed Work
There is that word that some don’t like to hear. It’s almost as cringy as the term “leg day.”
To improve, it’s not just as easy as saying; “trying harder.”
No, you have to strategically put in the work!
Here is how: Quarter mile / 400-meter repeats. I like to run these repeats on a track. The inside lane of a track is a quarter-mile.
Week 1:
Warm-up for 10-15 minutes
Run 400 meters as fast as you can
Rest 60 seconds
Repeat this 4x
End workout and check to see how your broken mile time turned out.
Week 2:
Warm-up for 10-15 minutes
Run 400 meters as fast as you can
Rest 30 seconds
Repeat this 4x
End workout and check to see how your broken mile time turned out.
Week 3:
Warm-up for 10-15 minutes
Run 400 meters as fast as you can
Rest 15 seconds
Repeat this 4x
End workout and check to see how your broken mile time turned out.
Week 4:
Warm-up for 10-15 minutes
Run a descending mile.
This is where you run a mile straight at a descending pace every quarter mile.
In our example of attempting an 8-minute mile,
then we would want to run our first quarter-mile with a time of 2:05
We would want to run our second quarter-mile with a time of 2:00
We would want to run our third quarter-mile with a time of 1:55
We would want to run our final quarter-mile with a time of 1:50
If done to perfection, you may get that sub-8-minute mile (7:55 mile)
If you fall short of achieving your goal, that is no problem. Be happy for ANY improvement you achieve. 10 to 15 seconds of improvement is still a great improvement. This workout isn’t the end game, we still have one more week to go.
The Big Finale!
Step 4: Dominate Your Nutrition
This step should be done throughout this whole process. Remember, we can't outrun a bad diet. Do not reward a good long run with pizza on the weekend. Don’t just dabble with eating healthy real foods. Dominate your plate with real veggies, good quality meat, and even throw in a sweet potato. For dessert, have wholesome blueberries, with bananas with a spoonful of almond butter.
To run faster overall, we want to remove the inflammation out of our bodies to glide through the air with ease. To do this, try removing all sugar and all grains from your diet for seven days. If you feel horrible the first few days, it’s ok, you are detoxing. By day seven, you may start to feel the difference in positive ways, including on your runs. If you like how you feel, extend your time without sugar and grains for another week.
Leading up to a big race like a half marathon, I like to do a 30 day cleanse of all sugars and grains. I do this several times per year. The results; Not a coincidence I achieve my fastest one-mile times as well as personal best in my half marathon times.
Don’t Dabble Dominate: I’m currently testing this style of eating out for 60 days.
I want to dominate, I will let you guys know my 60 day results in a future blog/podcast.
Step 5: Keep Calm And Run To The Best You
(The Finale)
Ok, so we figured out where we are currently. We have decided where we want to go. We set ourselves up and followed the plan for the last four weeks. We started to dominate our nutrition and now it all comes down to this. (THE FINALE)
Eat a strong nutritious meal the night before
Get a good night sleep
Grab a cup of black coffee in the morning and head to the track.
Mentally, pretend it’s race day. It Is! Against yourself.
10-12 Minute Warm-Up
Light Stretches 2-3 minutes
Set Your Running App to One Mile
Take a Deep Breathe
Head To The Starting Line
Take Another Deep Breathe
Look Up, and……
Keep Calm And Run To The Best You
Run this mile test with calmness. You have trained for this, remember your fastest mile isn’t achieved with one fast lap. Fight the urge to take off so fast that you flame out. Remind yourself to pace yourself. Let me be that voice in your head reminding you once more to…….. Keep Calm And Run To The Best You!
If this article helped you run your fastest one-mile time, would you do me a favor? Share that with me. email me a photo and your story to coachtadris@gmail.com
Friend Tadris Parker on FB and tag me in your post along with #coachtadrisstreak
Lastly, if you listen to our podcast please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcast.
Thank You! - Coach Tadris
What Would It Feel Like
For YOU To Cross
That Finish Line!
We Invite You To Join The Crew!
First 5k, 10k, Half or Full Marathon, we have a plan to help you achieve your goals!
Learn how to run less, yet further and faster.
With our EASY run/walk programs we help you participate in any race distance without shortness of breath, knee pain, or spending massive amounts of time training. (Online or In-Person)