Today was a good day in my inexorable progress towards running a six minute mile. I ran the 1.1 miles to Original Muscle Beach at 6:45 pace. This is quite a leap from my previous record pace of 6:53 a week ago, which in itself was a huge leap from the record before that, 7:02, set just five days before that.
My “training program” is approximately:
Monday - 2 x 1.1 miles, divided by 30 minute low intensity circuit training
Tuesday - Day off
Wednesday - 2 x 1.1 miles, divided by 30 minute low intensity circuit training
Thursday - 3.2 miles
Friday - 2 x 1.2 miles, divided by 30 minute low intensity circuit training
Saturday - 3.2 miles
Sunday - Day off
So really I don’t have a training program. I just do the runs a few times a week, and each time I try to do the best time possible. This is not what the books recommend, but it seems to be working so far. I think this is what is referred to as “low hanging fruit” - I’ve led a sedentary life for so long that my mile time started out so slow that it was inevitable I would make great strides initially. I still don’t feel like I’ve reached any kind of plateau, but I will, and that will be the time for a more structured training program.
For reference, I’m 40 years old, 6′2″ and 160lb. I’ve been running about nine months. I was sat a desk with very little exercise for 15 years before that.
Im 31 years old and can run between 6:20 and 6:30 consistently. I ran a 6:13.71 on March 4th, 2008/ and 6:21.02 on March 5th which was about ten days ago. Ive remained between 6:20 and 6:30 since about oh id say November of last year and Ive ran probably not exaggerating close to about 80 to 100 6:25 to 6:40 miles since November. Each time I run it doesnt come pain free. I want to eventually reach (-5:40) this is my goal I figured itd put me at a consistent -6:00 minute mile every time I run the mile. A 5:40 means I can probably get - 6:00 on just about any given day.
Maybe at -5:40 I could maintain a more consistent 6 minute mile pace (1:30) as well. Right now I have to go somewhat faster on laps 1, 3, 4 or laps 1, and 4 and slower on the others. I was doing this when I first reached (- 7) now at
(- 6:30) I can run a more consistent pace at a (-7) mile, and Maybe a consistent pace at
-6:40 or -6:45 I havent tried.
Im scared now of burning any more muscle. You have to mix distance in in your runs if you want to improve your mile time and this is where muscles come into play. I Still bench about 300 weighing 176-180 big difference of where I was in August of 2006 weighing over 250 and benching 365 much more muscle but table weight too, but I could run a quarter mile without being out of breath, now I can run -6:20 what an improvement by GODS Grace!