Just ran my first timed mile

IMO just go out and run 3-4 times a week.
Nothing fancy or special, just get used to the miles and keeping a constant pace.
Don't measure distance, but just keep to 30-50 minutes, varying the time with runs.
After a few months, time your 1 mile time and then start implementing different running schemes (fartlek for example).

On a side note- last year I did nothing but LSD work on a elliptical to work on my cardiac output (I took the plunge after putting it off for ages).
Before that xmas my 1.5 was 9 min 5 or so.
After 3 months of these long boring sessions and no running at all (ITB), I got a 1.5 miler in 8 min 35 and wasn't gassed from it. It was more lactic acid preventing a faster pace.

86 kg at that time and just shy of 6 ft.
 
garyleeman2000 said:
1. I was timing my runs so I can measure improvement. I like seeing im improving.

2. My primary goals when working out are to get bigger and stronger (ie. bench, deadlift, squat), but I want to be more well rounded so I want to improve my running. Recently I got up to about 207lbs (down to around 195 now) and I want to make sure Im still pretty mobile.

Im pretty confident I can improve my mile by just losing like 30lbs :) but I dont want that. I wanna be a bad mofo. Bench 315 AND run a sub 7 minute mile :)
Click to expand...

You mean squat 440 and run a sub 6 min mile right?
 
Ian Coe said:
You mean squat 440 and run a sub 6 min mile right?
Click to expand...

One step at a time. :)

Im actually doing a lot of elliptical work right now. I do 75 minute sessions where I keep my heart rate at about 140 in an effort to lower my resting heart rate.
 
btw im going to run another mile today after doing a 75 min session yesterday.

Ive decided to think of the mile as 16 consecutive 100 metre dashes. If my average time per dash is 30seconds, then i run an 8 minute mile. Running 100 meters in less than 30 seconds sounds easy even if im gassed. :D
 
garyleeman2000 said:
One step at a time. :)

Im actually doing a lot of elliptical work right now. I do 75 minute sessions where I keep my heart rate at about 140 in an effort to lower my resting heart rate.
Click to expand...

You need a lot of volume to get the adaption remember. I was doing 3-4 sessions a week for those few months getting up to 70 minutes a session.
You're young (I assume), so you should be closer to 150.


Re the dashes.
Why don't you run some 400's, each one in a time that would give you the desired 1 mile time.
Then after each one rest and go again, keeping the pace. When your recovery rate increases, you'll get to a point where you don't need to recover and bash out all 4 on the trot.
 
Ian Coe said:
Re the dashes.
Why don't you run some 400's, each one in a time that would give you the desired 1 mile time.
Then after each one rest and go again, keeping the pace. When your recovery rate increases, you'll get to a point where you don't need to recover and bash out all 4 on the trot.
Click to expand...

Dude! I was thinking of doing exactly this. But with 800s not 400s.

maybe 400s is a better idea.

or maybe ill do an 800 followed by 2 400s.
 
Ian Coe said:
It's a done thing with runners.

Something for you to base something on

T NATION | Running Man
Click to expand...

Thats a good article. And living in Toronto I like that the 400s are good for hockey players :)

Ok so its set. Im doing 4 400m sprints this evening.

Does it make a difference that I squat this morning?

Im going to aim for sub 2 minutes per sprint.

Also should the sprints literally be sprints? or should I just be going at an increased pace?
 
garyleeman2000 said:
Thats a good article. And living in Toronto I like that the 400s are good for hockey players :)

Ok so its set. Im doing 4 400m sprints this evening.

Does it make a difference that I squat this morning?

Im going to aim for sub 2 minutes per sprint.

Also should the sprints literally be sprints? or should I just be going at an increased pace?
Click to expand...

Keep at a pace that you can sustain as we talked about before.

As you won't be going fast the squats won't be a major problem. But expect it to me more interesting then if you were doing them from fresh.
 
So I did 400m "sprints" with 90 second breaks in between.

Heres how I did:

Lap 1: 1:40
(90 second break)
Lap 2: 1:44
(90 second break)
Lap 3: 1:42
(90 second break)
Lap 4: 1:55

I was gassed heading into Lap 4.
 
A similar thing you can try is to walk a lap, run a lap. I used to do this to get in shape for team sports. I found that walking in between running seemed to be better for me than just resting, and was easier to get going when I'd been a fatass all summer.

Start off:

Walk 400m: 4 min
Run 400m: 2 min
... repeat x4

Shave a little time off the walking and running each week and after 6-8 weeks, get to:

Jog 400m: 2.5 min
Run 400m : 1.5 min

This works out to 16 min for 2 mi, at that point it wasn't too hard for me to run sub 7 min miles (usually 6:40 or so). It doesn't take up a huge amount of time, and wasn't so draining that you were wiped out for the rest of the day.
 
Silent P said:
A similar thing you can try is to walk a lap, run a lap. I used to do this to get in shape for team sports. I found that walking in between running seemed to be better for me than just resting, and was easier to get going when I'd been a fatass all summer.

Start off:

Walk 400m: 4 min
Run 400m: 2 min
... repeat x4

Shave a little time off the walking and running each week and after 6-8 weeks, get to:

Jog 400m: 2.5 min
Run 400m : 1.5 min

This works out to 16 min for 2 mi, at that point it wasn't too hard for me to run sub 7 min miles (usually 6:40 or so). It doesn't take up a huge amount of time, and wasn't so draining that you were wiped out for the rest of the day.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback.

When I was resting for 90 seconds I was walking around.

Initially I wanted to rest for two minutes, but after about a minute I felt ready to go (after the first lap).

I think if I walked for an entire lap it would be too much rest, although my times would be better :)
 
Tried again today:


Lap 1: 1:44
(90 second break)
Lap 2: 1:45
(90 second break)
Lap 3: 1:48
(90 second break)
Lap 4: 1:30

It was pretty windy today. How much does wind affect time?

I know the wind will help me one way and slow me the other way, so should there be any significant difference?
 
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