How To Run A Mile Faster - Part 1
82Want to go for a quick run?
Come on, let's get some exercise. I won't make you run the whole mile hard. At least I'll try to make it interesting.
So why run a mile?
Well it's a pretty common distance to run; it's not overly long but it's still a challenge. I don't like to run much farther than a mile; long distance runners don't usually have much muscle to them. They will probably be defined but they won't have much muscle on their body, and I love my muscle and strength too much to risk it.
Running A Mile
Ah the timed mile run, do you remember your first time?
I think mine was in gym class and I didn't enjoy it at all.
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I wasn't in shape for it and I knew I HAD to run it in a certain time or I didn't get a passing grade for that day or something.
We'd run around the edge of the field a few times and then try to run hard at the end to impress the gym teacher.
Now a mile doesn't seem so far. In fact my senior year in high school (2000), I ran the whole mile backwards, my back crossed the line before my front, and I was wearing jeans.
So it's lost its dreaded atmosphere.
Are you ready to try a mile run with me?
Make sure that you've got some good running shoes; not too worn out. Your feet will thank you. Good cushioning goes a long way with running shoes. Believe me, you can tell the difference.
And you'll also want a stopwatch of some type to gauge your progress; I use a digital wristwatch.
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Care to Compete?
Let's have a friendly competition. Once you've tried this, post your results in a comment below. Don't be shy; I'm sure some of you are a lot faster than me! I'm not much of a distance runner. Here's what you need to post:
- The DATE you did ran it
- Your AGE and GENDER
- Your HEIGHT and WEIGHT
- If you ran it outside or on a treadmill
- Time for the 1st half of the mile (if you remember it)
- Total time for the whole mile
- Did you like the workout?
- Will you do it again?
Here are my results:
July 5th, 2007 - I'm a 25 year old Male, I'm almost 6'3" and was around 243lbs when I ran this. I ran it outside on a paved track and for the first half of the mile it took me 3 minutes and 4 seconds (3:04). The total mile took me 7 minutes and 57 seconds (7:57 - that's the date too), so the second half of the mile took me 4 minutes and 53 seconds (4:53). All in all, it wasn't a bad run for ME, running the first part hard pays off. I don't know if I liked the workout when I was running it as much as I did when I finished but I'll definitely do it again.
August 1st, 2007:
- I was probably around 228lbs or a little more.
- I ran it inside on a track and the first half of the mile took me 2 minutes and 58 seconds (2:58).
- The total mile took me 7 minutes and 58 seconds (7:58), so the second half of the mile took me 5 minutes this time.
- I may have taken a second longer this time around, but my focus is on improving the first half of my mile. I improved my half mile run by 6 seconds, so that's decent.
- I'm getting used to running like this, can't wait to see what I can do next month.
September 28th, 2007:
- I was probably around 240lbs (yeah I gained some weight in 2 months - but not all fat believe me)
- I ran outside with a friend and the first half took me 2 minutes 51 seconds (2:51) and the second half of the mile took me 4 minutes 38 seconds (4:38).
- Total Mile time: 7:29. So I improved my mile time by 29 seconds in two months and that's with me being heavier.
- I improved both halves, but you can see a huge improvement in the second half (22 seconds).
- It was great to workout with someone and this was an "easy" mile, not full out. I love this little mile run modification.
The Workout
Alright, now let's move onto the basic structure of "my workout". It's really technical, are you ready for it?
You run the first half hard and the second half just a nice paced jog.
Man, let that sink it. Let me know when you're ready to move on.
Alright, I set it up like that so that it's almost two long intervals, three if you count running hard at the end. Plus, it's a little easier than running the whole mile hard. It'll help you work on getting a fast start in your mile and setting a faster pace for the first half. That fast pace may even carry over for the second half.
You'll still get a decent endurance workout because you don't stop at the halfway mark. You try to jog the rest back after running the first half mile pretty hard.
If you can, then sprint the first half, I know I try to. Run it hard, try to get a good time for your first half. Don't stop the time when you get halfway, but look at your watch and try to remember how fast you ran that part. The first time I did this my "jog" was more like a fast prance on the way back, until I caught my breath.
Pace yourself though, do what you think you can handle, just don't give up. If you have to walk some on the way back, then go right ahead. It's almost an art, trying to figure out when you should run hard and how hard you should run. When I see the finish line I like to kick hard and finish fast. That gives me a slightly better time and it adds in another interval since it's a different intensity than your jog.
That wasn't that bad now was it? It definitely is a good workout though, especially if you like to test yourself with running. This may be nothing new to you; I just like trying different things with my running.
Isn't it nice how the faster you run, the shorter your run has to be, time-wise, to feel like you got a good workout? That's why I like to go more by distance than time with my cardio workouts. Go hard and have the distance you want to go mapped out in your mind. Don't hop on the treadmill and say, "I'm going to run for 20 minutes."
Now, go on, try this yourself and don't forget to warm up first!
>> Continue Reading Part 2 >>
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How Do You Like This Slight Modification?Loading...
18 Male
6'3"
267lbs
July 16 2008
7mins 42 seconds
Outside against wind
Great times Someone & Caveman! Running into the wind is always a challenge. I'm not sure of the average time for someone your size. I've read that out of all people an average mile time is about 10 minutes, but someone your age and you being male I'd say the average is around an 8 minute mile. You're above average for sure if you ran it that fast without giving it your all the whole time. I never ran a mile that fast at that age.
25 male
5'5''
155 lbs
6:45 on the mile, on an outdoor track.
Thought I was gonna die but it'll be interesting to try to beat that time.
Great job Andie C!
Mile runs are tough even when you're use to them especially if you want to improve your times.. Just try to get yourself a good pace to start. I like to run the first 1/4 mile and once I cross that line I like it pick it up faster and faster until I reach half way. Then you have to put mind over matter and not stop, not walk, just slow it down. By the time you reach the 3/4 mile mark your body won't feel as bad as it did at the half way point and you can get the finish line in your sights and push hard when it's in your reach.
Female-26yrs old
5'4"
120lbs
8:01 minutes on a treadmill at the gym
I've been focusing on improving my speed slowly for about a week. I'm usually a distance runner. My goal is to be under 7 minutes. Any advice?
If you want to improve your speed I'd recommend trying intervals of sprints. I use to kick the treadmill up to 10 mph on a 1% incline and do that for a quarter mile.. Then once I got use to that pace I'd try to go longer. That'll teach your body to at least be able to move at a greater speed and hold it for a while. You can work on your starts too with the intervals because you'll have a few opportunities to speed up quickly from a dead stop or a walk. Just try a couple intervals of maybe a tenth of a mile of sprinting, then walking (around 3 mph), back and forth. And as you get use to it you can increase the amount of time you'll be sprinting over all. I got to the point where I could sprint at 10 mph for half a mile on a treadmill. Wait till you get back out on the pavement! You'll feel so fast with the wind in your face. Great mile time by the way! Keep it up.
male - 14 years old
5'8"
137 lbs
5:25 as the first mile split of my 5k cross-countyy meet
oh, and for what caveman said yes thats about the average tiem for someone with that size body who is semi-athletic, of course if you were a runner and had that body the average would be low 5's
Really good time Nate! That fast and you weren't even done running! Great job man..
Male - 20 Years old5'11179 lbs (Right after the holiday season.. ouch)7:36Indoor on a treadmill, 3% incline.2:59 first half, 4:37 second half.Loved this workout. great way to kickstart this new year. There's something satisfying about running against the clock, instead of running against trying-to-focus-on-finishing the mile. Will definitely do this again.
Nice job JonH-S! I like how you ran at a 3% incline; it's definitely needed to some degree since there's no wind resistance.
And I agree, when you have a goal to beat you push yourself harder and when you beat your goal it's very satisfying.
Male
14 years old
5'11
116 lbs.
6:01 is my best so far... I run track for my middle school and I don't think my time is that great.
Great job C.M.! That's faster than I've ever ran a mile so I'd say it's pretty great. If you keep practicing your runs I'm sure you can bring it to a time that you're satisfied with. Just get your body use to that distance.
24/m , 25 in a few weeks. Just ran my best time tonight on a tredmill. Ran a 5:35. When I was in high school my best time was a 7:15
Great job James! Bet it'll feel nice to run that fast outside with the wind in your face
Well, I am working on getting in shape, in aims to join the Navy after high school.
Now, coming from a guy who has never finished a mile in under 20 minutes, I am very happy about this.
18
Male
5'9"
184.5 lbs
On a treadmill with no incline
15.56
1'st Half: 6.30
2'nd Half: 9.26
I am very happy and proud of myself, especially since I have only been doing a steady 2 miles on a 3 for the past few weeks and feeling hard of breath. I feel great after finishing this just half an hour ago.
Great job Garrett! That's a lot of improvement. Stick to it and you'll keep improving your time!
14
male
5'8"
115 lbs
outdoor track
5:26
first time breaking 5:40 very happy
That's awesome Trav! Really good time!
yea I used to especially enjoy the dreaded one mile run in my gym class. im 16 and 6'0 about 137 pounds and I liked to jog the curves and run the staight ways. Unlike all the other gym classes, our EVIL GYM TEACHER (i liked him) had us run under 7 for the mile I think it was-and yes after the run we were totally wasted. nice tips!
I can see why some might hate that gym teacher, Cory! Most kids don't enjoy running the mile, but it's awesome that you enjoy it... Running the mile under 7 minutes would be quite the task for some students!
Hey Bendo, I'm old (41), a girl, and I don't run fast. I usually run two or three miles in the morning with my dogs, and it takes about 17 minutes for the longer run.
I like your method for the mile. If my dogs didn't need the time more than the speed, I would do this workout instead.
I have been put to shame by my 11 year old daughter, who does the mile in about seven minutes. She runs track. She has speed, I have endurance. Guess that will have to do.
Namaste.
Looks like you're very active for your age! 17 minutes for a 3 mile run with dogs? That's not too bad at all!
Good to see that running is in your blood ;)
Started off doing 1.5 miles (2414) mtrs in 10:42 then went upto 10:46 now my most recent track run is 10:06 mins, going for 09:30 mins going to take a few runs before I can get there. 37 years old male training for summer challange TA
Wow, doing great Jack! Keep it up, I'm sure you'll reach your goal!
M 20 6'1 170. i ran track in high school, never trained in the off season because i never really liked track so i only ran in practice when i had to. still got down to a 4:20 mile and a 9:20 2 mile and 1:53 half mile by my senior year but i regret not training because i could been much faster and i also just found a love for track. i was wondering how do i start back up to running and get fast again. i took a year off college and i havent ran much at all and i would like to start back up today and get back in great shape, i miss it.
You sound like a natural for running, Jesse... very impressive!
Take it slow but start throwing in some runs like the modifications I talk about in this blog series..
Just go slow at first, to gauge where you're at, don't go all out... See where you're at and then set a goal for yourself to reach within a couple months.
Be consistent with your runs and watch what you eat and as long as you set a realistic goal it will be reachable.. Just don't be discouraged if you're not running as fast as you use to.
The biggest thing you have to put into play is just going out there and having it set in your mind that you're going to run... and that you're going to run a few times a week. Get that goal set in stone and don't let things get in the way of it.
Male 37 yrs 5ft 7 in 11st 7 lbs. Track time 8 min 24 sec. Realy pushed it today. Surprised myself today as 2 days ago my time was 9:06 and prior to that 10:46. Now within time frame for summer challenge with TA.
Changed to a longer stride today and kept elbows close to waist. Good tip from your site. Thanks
Forgot to say. That was 6 track laps mile and a half 8:24
Wow you're really making progress Jack!
It's funny how little things about our running form really can boost our speed...
Age:13
5' 11"
140 lbs
I run the mile in about 6:20 is that good?
I think that's really good anonymous! I've never run a mile that fast and you're young, you have lots of time to improve your time even more if you like... I think you're doing well with your running!
4min.30secs for the entier mile, 5 foot 5 about im goin into 8th grade it was during the track season idk which day
That's pretty incredible, awsomeness! If you would have ran that mile in 1962 then you'd be the fastest amateur to run the mile!
Love the Roger Bannister - Chris Brasher photo. I take it this was from the first sub 4-minute mile in Oxford with Brasher as the hare?
I wasn't sure who the picture was of hypnosis4u2, I'll have to look into it more. I just liked the look of it.
Thanks for reading though and letting me know who they are!
(After looking into you are correct! He ran that mile in 3mins 59 secs! WOW)
If i ran seven tenths of mile in 5 mins and 27 seeconds, is that good??
I'm 14, 5'9, and I weigh around 120 pounds.
That's a great speed for a girl at your age, lauren! If you can keep that pace for a whole mile then you're looking at 7:47. That's faster than I can remember ever running a mile in highschool.
age: 17
5' 6"
167
6:52 sec
goal is 5 mins though...
and it's funny because even though im running, i've been gaining more weight, rather than losing weight
That's a great time, saungwon! I'm sure you can reach your goal if you stick to it.
You might actually be building muscle from your running which means weight gain... the good kind! Your body knows how much muscle you need in order to do your workouts... so if you're gaining muscle from your runs then perhaps you need it to be able to keep up the pace you desire.
Another thing you have to watch is how much you eat... you might be a lot hungrier because you're running more but you don't want to binge eat. Try to stick to healthy foods and don't over do it.
Your post workout meal will be one of your most important so try to get a high protein, high carb, low fat meal within an hour of finishing your running.
Female
Age:12
Height:5'2"
Weight:89
Best mile was 7:07
On my school track.
Is that a pretty good mile?
That's very good Mollie! You're running faster than I ever did in all my years of elementary and highschool...
http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/progr If you check here you can see that you're way above average for your age at least by Presidential standards!
male
age: 16
height: 6'1
weight: 145
mile PR: 4:30
goal: 4:12-15
Wow that's awesome Mike! You'll reach that goal in no time if you stick to it, you seem like a great runner.
male
age:14
height:5'10
weight:155
mile time: 6:00
Great job, Fabio! You are all running some really fast miles.
Female
Age: 14
Height: 5'3
Weight: 109
Mile time: 6:26
Wow, that's awesome Kristy... Looks like we have a new generation of speedy kids!
Female
14
5'4"
113
7:23
Athleisure shoes, ordinarily a sprinter.
Honest opinion?
That's a pretty good time, Troglodyte! For your age, gender and the fact that you normally sprint, that's a great time for an endurance run... you really put your muscles to the test!
Male
25
5'7"
145 lbs
6:21 on an indoor track
Quit smoking 1.5 months ago after 7 years of the stuff =)
I hadn't read your advice until after I ran it. With proper shoes, training, and effort do you think I can get in the low 5:00's?
Congrats on your mile time and quitting smoking, Vinny!
I think it's very possible for you to reach that goal if you recently quit smoking and already can run a 6:21.
Get some sturdy shoes that are lightweight and don't hurt your feet... Train and train hard, don't slack if you really want to reach your goal! But above all stick with it, even if you have bad days just keep pushing forward... some days the weather can hold you back, or how much sleep you got or what you ate... other days it's perfect and you run a record time without really trying.
I think as you continue to run and can keep from smoking again your lungs will improve and get use to quicker paced running.
95 pounds
5'1
Female
13 years old
Outside on a track
9/27/10
time was exactly 6:30, I had 8:00 at the beginning of my cross country season...now I'm aiming for 6:10 or lower for my gym mile
Wow, you're really improving Haley! You'll reach your goal in no time, just keep training hard!
13 years old
5'5"
110 lbs.
Run a mile in 5 43
Wow Mark, that's an amazing mile run time! Stick to running and as you get older and I'm sure you'll be breaking at least some local records.
12 years old
5 feet
94 pounds
Ran a mile in 5 minutes 4 seconds
What's the best mile score for a 12 year old, I plan to break it.
I'm not sure of the fastest mile ever ran by a 12 year old, Somebody but that is VERY fast!
I'm sure you can lower your time with proper training, I'm just not sure of the exact best time for that age range. Aim for mid to low 4's and I'm sure you'll be close to the record!
20 years old
male
5'8"
157lbs
out door track- 6:22
I started running a couple of years ago and got down to 6:14, but once college started I stopped running. I have been running between 1-3 miles 4-5 days each week for the past 4 weeks now trying to cut my mile down to 6:00 and 2 miles down to 14:00 (14:54 being my current best)
I have not tried using this method of running the mile, but I am looking forward to trying it next time I run a mile.
That's a great time, Chase! I'm sure you can reach your goal with some training... It does suck that you lose your results when you stop running, but you know what it takes to get back to that level.
Try this method out and let me us know how you like it!
I'm sorry anonymous who ran the mile in 4:30.. But what state are you from because last year as an eight grader I set the state record with a time of 4:27.25, your time doesn't seem realistic at all for a seventh grader.
You could actually be the same age as them, colin. It all depends on when you started school; it usually goes by when your birthday is. I was 17 when I graduated but soon after I turned 18, whereas my friend turned 18 in December the year before and we were both in the same grade.
I never ran the mile--not even in high school. I ran a 1500 in 7:07 earlier this year.
This is a nice hub--anything that gets people out and exercising. Thumbs up! Now for part II.
That's not a bad 1500 time, minnow! I agree with you though and that's why I write my fitness articles.. we all need to get out and be more active!
Thanks for reading.
I started running 3 months ago, to keep my dog in shape ;)
I'm almost 28yo, 6f. 180lbs.
I always run 5K but I keep track of my best mile while doing it.
Best mile 7'15" Best 5K 24'39", is it any good ?
Those are pretty good times, Matt. Especially if you're running with your dog. It's a little harder to go all out when you have a dog with you but you seem to be getting in some great runs!
37 years old
male
6'0"
175lbs
outdoor pavement 6:46
I think I can get down to a 6 minute mile if I work hard and eat better.
Great time, Marty! I'm sure you can reach your goal if you keep training... Once you can get your pace down, know when to push hard and have your body use to the distance you'll reach that 6 minute mile in no time.
11 years old female 4'55" 84lbs 8:49 3rd time doing my mile
That's great, Girly girl! I'm glad to see so many people running.
15 years old.
5'3"
130
In the past 2 years I've gone from a 9.43 mile to a 8.37.
I still think I suck, but I started running cross-country even though I'm a sprinter.
That's a big improvement, Kristina! It'll be a big change going from sprinting to cross-country but after a good amount of training your body will become more efficient for it.
Then you can figure out which you perform better in... long distance or sprinting. Some people are better mentally and physically for different types of exercise.
i got 5:08 in my first mile in a 5k my second mile was 10:47 then i finished with a time of 17:10 but my fastest 5k was 16:52 i think its slow
male 15 5'7 133 pounds run 5ks and i fell like when i run my weight is holding me back my fastes mile was 5:08 but i was in a cross country race i never ran a mile on a track
That's great, alex! A 5:08 during a cross country race is a great pace, especially since you did more running on top of that!
female
12 yrs old
5'2"
96
ran in 9:30
That's great, Agnes! It's good to see kids running the mile... I know at that age I would have rathered play basketball than do an endurance run.
I'm 18 5'10" and 165 opunds. i just ran 2 miles this past sunday in 14 minutes.. im an XC runner in high school but this was the first time running in almost two months... is this good or bad?
That's a pretty good time for not training for 2 months, nabynuke214... It all depends on what you were capable before you stopped running for a couple months. Is it way slower than you use to be or are you still making good time with your mile runs?
Two back to back 7 minute miles is pretty good in my mind, but if it's a little slower than you're use to it's just because you took some time off training... you can quickly get back to where you want to be.
I ran the mile in 8 minutes I don't get it my friend pierceson ran it in 6 minutes
It all has to do with how your body is trained, jake. Perhaps your friend does more endurace activities than you or weighs less... if your body isn't use to running long distances it won't perform well with running a mile.
But through proper training, ANYONE can improve their mile run time... your body adapts very well to new training tactics.
12 yr old girl, 5'3
115 lbs (lots of muscle from cheer.
First Half: 2:32.
Total Time: 6:24
Outside on HS track. School Record for girls :)
That's a great time, Twizzler... congrats on the record!
14 year old boy
5'10"
135 pounds
ran in 5:29 indoor track race
14th place out of 19
That is a realllly fast time, mrduckyfeet and you still got 14th place? Hmm, you must have been running with some really fast people!
Congrats on your time though.
15/ female
5'6"
117 lb.
6min. 29sec. mile on an indoor track
That's a great time, Alex! You kids are way faster than I ever was!
12 year old boy
5'5"
108 lbs
6 min 11 seconds
This is my best mile time and I am very proud it... I ran it on an outdoor track at about 40 degrees and it was not easy! I achieved this time after many other practice mile runs. My first for the season was a 7:11 so this time was a good achievement for me.
That's awesome Jonathan! What a great mile time to run in such cold weather! Glad to see you're making alot of progress.
12 years old
5'10 (My hight is 5 ft 10)
2.7 miles
12 minutes 47 seconds
Wow, that's a pretty amazing pace to keep for almost three miles, Goncalo!
Age: 13
5'1
119 lb. but i look about 105
1 mile (outside)
7:11
That's great, Renny! I just started back into running miles again myself... I think you'd definitely beat me at this point!
I really like the sound of your workout, I've only recently got into mile runs, I have always preferred sprinting. This is me:
17 years old, Female
5'4"
163lbs
1 mile: 8 minutes 40 seconds
That's a pretty good time Daisy, especially since you're use to sprinting! You've trained your body for short bursts of speed so it'll take a little more training to build up your endurance muscles for longer runs.
It's all about finding the pace that's best for you and knowing what your body is capable of. Thanks for reading!
Male
15
mile: 4:53
i came in forth in the race but i was still pretty happy. i tried to keep a more even pace the atart out fast and slow down my first 800m was a 2:25 followed by a 2:28
I'd be happy with a time like that too, Jake! I'm sure you'll be placing in the top 3 or even first place very soon with times like that!
I just gave this a go, half of my run is up hill (owwwww) it was hard.
28 year old female
5'6"
143lbs
Mile 8:42
I will keep this up and see how I do, I have a chart on my fridge now :-)
Very nice time for half of it being uphill, fizzyfae! I'm glad you're trying it out even though it is a bit difficult... you'll see added results because of that dang hill!
37 male 198lbs did the first half in 3:33 and second in 3:10 the whole mile 6:43. will give a uplate in the next four weeks
Great time, David!
Can't wait to see how much you progress.
Hi! I'm in middle school. I run cross country and I am great at long distances (6 or 7 miles) the problem is that my races are only a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half. Do you have any ideas on how to get faster for shorter distances. I'm kind of a perfectionist, so I really Want to do well. Thanks!
Lucy, what I would do is set up maybe 6 to 12 different runs that you'll do... If your races are at most a mile and a half then all your runs should be a mile and a half.
Then what you want to do is make each of the runs different, but they're still the same distance. Like you can have walking/jogging/running/sprinting intervals based on time or distance. Like say one of your runs could be walk 1/4 mile, run 1/4 mile back and forth until you finish.
You'll want to set these up in a way so that you're running 3 to 5 times a week, with days off in between your runs. And I like to have my first run be reaaaally easy. Like what I'm doing now is walk 1/2 mile, jog 1/4 mile, walk 1/4 mile. So easy BUT that's just the first run.
Each time you do a run, you'll want them to be gradually harder until the last run which is you running the full distance without intervals. You can mix things up with intervals, uphills, running backwards and so on.
And then at the end of your 6 to 12 runs, you start over again at the beginning. This gives your body a break, let's you see your progress and you can compete against the "old you".
Hope that helps!
Male 19 yrs. old
6ft. 1in.
190 lbs.
2 miles: 11:32
I've never tried to run 1 mile for time, but I would hope it would be considerably less than my 2 mile split in half, only because I pace myself for running 2 miles. I would hope somewhere around 5:30 or lower.
That's a great time for 2 miles, solo0407!
And yeah, I'm sure your single mile time would be much lower because you wouldn't be holding back your energy for a second mile... you could just go all out!
Ran it 4/25/11 (5 minutes ago)
I'm 13 and female
I'm 5'1"
Outside around my lake. My dad clocked it on his car and its exactly a mile.
1st half : 2:27 6:36 for the whole mile.
I liked the workout and I just joined track and tomorrow I have a meet so I'm looking around on ways to improve my mile time. Also I'm running the 2 mile tomorrow any suggestions on that one? I was thinking sprint 1st and last lap?
age: 12
weight: 100
height: 5'5
1st Mile: 12:45
2nd Mile: 11:45
3rd Mile: 9:00
4th Mile: 7:38.60
Trying to go for 6:40 :/
Any good?
14 year old girl 12 minutes?
What do you think?
random, it looks like you're making great progress as your body gets use to running! I'm sure you'll reach your goal if you stick to it. And I don't think I ran a mile much under 8 minutes until I graduated highschool and really tried to improve my running, so you're doing better now than I did at that age!
lalalalala that's a pretty good time if you're just starting out... especially if you did that workout above because you're jogging half the mile. The more you run, the more in tune you'll get to your body and you'll know when you can really push hard.
Stick to it and you'll be running faster and faster!
That's a great time Shelby! If you want more help on running your mile then check out the other parts of this series.. there's a link to Part 2 above!
But as for the 2 mile... I would start out with a decent pace, but not a sprint. Start out at a decent pace and then each time you make a lap, just keep telling yourself to run faster... and definitely sprint at the end!
That's one thing I always do is pick a distance from the finish line when I have it in my sights and just go all out... push hard and get across the line fast. Sometimes you won't know where they energy comes from.
As you train you can always add in different intervals of walking/jogging/running/sprinting and you can add in uphills, weighted vests, running backwards and so on. The more you change things up the more your body has to adapt and will improve. Just be sure to take a few days off a week to let your body heal.
Date-4/29/11
AGE/GENDER-12 and male
HEIGHT/WEIGHT-5'1"/86lbs
OUTSIDE ON A TRACK
*DONT KNOW TIME OF FIRST HALF OF MILE
TOTAL TIME-5:56
YES TO BOTH OF THE LAST QUESTIONS
*(I TURN 13 IN OCTOBER)
Hey it's me Peyton the 12 year old
I was wondering if my 5k time of 20:42 is good and I want your honest opinion could I break my school record 5:25
I'm the fastest runner at my school today
About the record thing yeah it's by June
That's a decent 5K time Peyton, but I can tell that your body is much better trained for the mile run because that's a great time you ran!
I really do think you could beat the record but it's going to take a little determination on your part. You're going to start running the mile around 3 times a week, but run the mile a different way each time. You could change up your pace like you did for the article above, run some uphill and so on, but then you also want to run a regular mile once a week so you can start working on your pace.
You want to really get to know your body... when you can run fast, what's your best pace and so on. And you want your body so use to running a mile that breaking the record isn't even something you stress about. You just go do the run, feel great doing it and beat that record at ease.
What I'd do if I were you is Monday I'd do the workout as outlined above Run half/Jog half. On Wednesday I'd do the opposite, Jog half/Run half. And then on Friday I'd just run the mile as if I were doing it to break that record.
Now what you'll want to do is pay attention to your Monday and Wednesday times because whichever one you end up running faster with on average is your key pace. So if you run faster miles if you start out running hard, then that's how you want to try to beat the school record. If it's the opposite for you then start out with a jog. But ALWAYS, Monday-Friday and when you try to beat the record, when you see that finish line run as hard as you can... just dig down deep and get across the line. It really helps drop the time when you train your body to be able to do that last burst!
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the advice! :)
My pleasure, Peyton!
im 17 nand have started running the mile and i ran it the other day in 5:02
Wow, that's a great time alexlowman!
Info:
Age- 13 (7th grade)
Gender- Male
Date ran- 5/9/11
Location- IL (USA) (Outdoor track in competition)
Height- 5'2"
Weight- 100 (lbs)
How long I have been running the mile (somewhat frequently- 4 weeks
I ran it and it wasnt my first but it was my best time i run track for school and I avg around 5:53. My first half was 2:43 and I think I probably ran it too fast because my last lap was very hard and worse than usual.
I cant break the record in my school this year i have 2nd fastest now but not enough time to beat 5:25 (8th grader). My goal is to break 5:15 next year then possibly 5:00 if i can. I was wondering if it is realistic and how to train for it. Thanks.
Oh and I forgot to say I meant I was to meet my goal by the END of next year's school year in 8th grade.
Oh I think you could definitely reach that goal in that amount of time.
As for advice I'd say scroll up to the advice I gave Peyton a couple comments above this one. If your goal is to reach that time by the end of the school year you can start training harder next spring. But it doesn't hurt to train for 3 or 4 months straight and then take a week or so off... switch things around in your runs and then go 3 or 4 more months.
If you stick with a pattern like that then you'll be very in tune to what your body is capable of by next track season and I'm sure you'll be able to beat your time.
Okay thanks. I am probably doing cross country next year. That wont distrupt my mile skill as long as i got some time after to remaster my pace and practice the mile again right?
Oh wow somehow i think i forgot to say my record is 5:45 with like 6 tries in past 4 weeks, but i dont think it really matters anymore. The date i ran it was the day i got 5:45.
That's a great time, Tyler!
But you'll need some time to work between those two types of running... cross country will be a bit of a challenge at first until you train your body for those long distances. But once you get back into running miles you'll want to retrain yourself to push harder, since you only have a mile to run.
It probably won't take all that long to swap back and forth but to achieve the best times in either events you'll have a short amount of time where you'll have to retrain your body for the distances.
Okay thats what I thought.
Thanks for the advice!
No problem, Tyler...
I hope you reach your goals!
Hey, I wanted to improve my mile time. I ran it in 7:49. I hadn't ran a timed mile in 6 months. I want to get my mile down to 5:55. My best mile was 6:52. Can you help me? Thank you! You always have great advice!
I think that could be doable in a few months if you stick to it. I recommend that you try out the circuit of runs that I'm doing right now myself.
Go here to read about them:
http://hubpages.com/_Bendo13/hub/How-to-Run-Faster
It's a two week cycle that you'll repeat over and over again until you reach your goal. All the runs are different and they start out easy and then get harder. I hope that helps and let me know how it goes!
7-9-11
AGE/GENDER: 14/female
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5'5 1/2. 116
i ran on the trails at a park
first half: 3:22
total time: 7:53
i didnt like it while i was running, but after i felt great! ill try it again sometime!
also, i run cross country and the 800 in track. ive decided to really start trying this year, and one thing i dont have that most runners should is a mental push, normally if i get tired ill stop. are there any workouts that could improve this?
It does feel good after you're done running, doesn't it Michelle?
To help build that mental push all you can really do is run often and really get to know your body. Know when you can push hard and realize your mind is in control and your body will just have to listen.
But the biggest thing is to set a goal... one that you want to reach no matter what. If you have a goal in mind while you're running then you'll want to keep working toward it and won't give in as easy. So set an overall goal for your running or even daily goals as you do each run. Hope that helps!
height 5'5
wieght 112
personal recored 4:42
i run track i am a freshman in highschool i ran a 4:42 after 2 seasons
That's very impressive, Luis!
When I was a 22 year seaman in the Canadian Navy, my mile time on a required fitness test was beaten by a 45 year old (and grossly overweight) petty officer.
"Russ," says the PO, "Get your PE gear on. You're running your mile today."
"But PO, I ran my mile yesterday."
"No. You ran mine yesterday. Today you'll run your own."
LOL. Slightly off topic but that is a true story.
Haha sounds like they really wanted you to pick up the pace, Russelltwyce! Hopefully you beat the old man eventually?
I am 42 5ft 4. 130lbs. I quit smoking about two months ago and decided to do a 5k next month. Did a test run of one mile today and did it in a little over 12 minutes. How should I go about increasing my speed and building endurance? How often should I run to prepare?
That's great that you quit smoking and have a goal like that, Jennifer!
If I were you I'd run maybe 3 times a week at first to get my body use to it... possibly even 3 times the first week, 4 times the second week, 5 times the third and then back down to 3 the last week so you can recoup.
What you'll want to do is gradually work your way up to longer distances by doing walking intervals. Like when I run miles sometimes I break them into quarter miles where I'll walk a quarter mile then run another, back and forth. You could do the same to start out and you could even amp it up to jogging a mile, walking a mile.
So possibly the first day do 1/4 mile intervals for a mile, then rest a day, then do 1/4 mile intervals but go longer overall maybe two miles, take a day off, then do 1/4 mile intervals but pretty much go the full 5k. Just remember you'll walk a 1/4, then jog or run 1/4, back and forth.
Then the second week it can be 1/2 mile intervals. (exactly the same as above but longer intervals, and one run would be back to back days)
The third week can be 3/4 mile intervals. (same as before but work up to the full distance more gradually... maybe 1 interval the first day, 2 intervals the second day and so on)
The the fourth week could be mile intervals.. walk mile, run mile, walk mile, then run the rest.. then rest a day, then you can walk the first mile, and jog the rest, then rest a day, then the last run just do an easy jog the whole 5k.. don't push hard the whole time, just get use to the distance and find your pace until you see the finish line, then run hard!
That should help you gradually get use to things and should improve your overall time. Just make sure you warm up and stretch before your runs, stay hydrated and make sure you're getting your sleep.
Feel free to come back and post your time when you do it!
Age:13
5' 6"
136 lbs
I ran the mile in 9:37 is that good? And any tips on getting better?
Age: 14
Female
Height:5"9
Weight:roughly 130lbs
Date: 26/08/11
Ran on the treadmill indoors
Time: 6.54 mins
didn't like it during the run, but afterwards i felt great achieving this.
this is my first time trying a mile on the treadmill and i ran at about 13.5kmph. i usually only run at school including cross-country (which 2 years ago i came 4th in my year -out of the girls) and over the summer i have been doing 2/3 15min runs a week. i am not at my peak fitness since it is the holidays, so i could definitely do better.
is this a good time for my age and do you think i have any potential? also how could i improve my fitness and speed?
thanks.
Age; 28
height; 5' 9
weight; 72 kilo
road/cross country running
mile and a half
8 mins 32
hi im currently training to go in the army, mad i know but its summit i need to do any ways im am struggling to get my mile and a half down quicker. ive alrady hit the time required as im expected to do it in 9 mins 18 but i a always in competition with my self and would like to get in down to the 8 min mark. also i just wondered if any one has used them compression socks and if they really work as at times i do run up to 12 miles and feel the strain a little so thought these could help any advice would be great.
thanks
paul
Age: 14 Height:6"0
Weight:167
One mile= 4 times around track.
That's a pretty decent time, Anonymous... the best way to get better at something like this is to get your body use to it so it's not a struggle at all. So set up a schedule for yourself (maybe Mon, Wed, Fri) and stick to it... run the mile on these days, change up your pace so you don't get bored and get your body use to running that distance and your times will improve.
That's a really good time, Charlotte... I wasn't running it that fast at your age! Since you do have access to a treadmill you can really boost your running. Pick a time that you really want to achieve and then find out how fast you have to run in order to run the mile in that time. Likes if you wanted to run a 6 minute mile you'd have to run at 9.65 km/hour on average. So you could gradually get yourself use to that pace by maybe doing a 1/4 mile at that pace and then the rest at a slower pace. Then each week or so adding to that distance and running at your desired speed. I did this once myself and was eventually running half a mile at that pace then I took it outside and I felt so fast with the wind blowing in my face! And I could keep that pace for a half mile easy... plus you'll want to raise the incline of the treadmill about 1% so compensate for not having wind resistance.
I would follow the same advice I gave Anonymous, paul geeza stevens and also you could even add in some hills, maybe a weighted vest and things like that to add a little more resistance... so that when you do time yourself to beat your record again (on the flat with no extra weight) it feels WAY easy! Your body will get use to the added resistance and be built up stronger, but when it comes down to doing it without all that it will be a breeze. Another thing you can do to improve your endurance is on your regular runs, just go ahead and run maybe a 1/4 mile extra... get your body use to do just a little bit extra. And then whenever you time yourself you'll have a little extra in the tank at the end. And what do you do with that extra fuel? You sprint hard when you can see the finish line and you shave a good 10-20 seconds off your time! Hope that helps... I haven't used compression socks though.
ok thanks a lot! i did my second run the other day and got it down to about 6.45! it felt much harder to run. my treadmill has broken so i cant do one this week, but will do one when it is fixed. again, thanks for the advice - it was very useful and i will definitely be using those tactics next time! :)
I'm happy to hear you're making progress, Charlotte! I hope you get it fixed soon so you can keep chugging along!
Awesome Ideas. I honestly think a lot of the barriers are related to psych.
Definitely, healthycontent! Our mind can hold us back in a lot of things.
AGE 17
height 5 foot 1
weight 88 pounds
run 3 times every day (2 miles 3 times a day )
i timed halfway to the route (1m)and got 4mins 39 secs
Wow, that's awesome tommy! Keep at it; you really are putting in the miles and you're doing great!
14 female
4'10
90 lbs
1.2 mi in 12 min 7 sec
what would a good speed be for a 14 year old girl?
That's actually right around the range that most middle schools would want a girl of your age to run a mile, becca. So yeah, that's pretty good!
I'm looking at a random middle school's chart for what they expect a 14 year old girl to do and it looks like they want you to run it in 8.5 - 11 minutes... and since you ran 1.2 miles, your mile run would be just a little over 10 minutes.
5:10 mile, right after cross country, no training for track yet.
That's pretty awesome, Andrew! Seems like you'll be doing well once track starts.
Hey, I'm 14 years old and I weigh 172 pounds. I am losing a lot of weight. I used to weigh 186 a couple months back. Anyway, I am NOT used to running but my gym coach makes us. I can run a mile in 12:58. I can run a lap in 2:47. Not very good, but I am improving. Running is very VERY efficient when losing weight! I hope you guys have better luck than me(:
Stick with it, Cyan! You're making a lot of progress and running will get a lot easier as your body gets use to it and you drop weight.
If you really want to supercharge your weight loss efforts then ask your gym coach about running intervals. That will help you lose weight quicker than running long distance!
im 12 5'8 120 pound ran a crosscountry (about 1.1 mile) in 6.32 sec under the hot sun. my lungs were bursting. is that a good time
That's a great time, David! That's faster that I've ever ran a mile and you did it out in the heat!
i use to run a 3:45 1200m at the age of 10, but stopped doing athletics. I'm starting again and was wondering, what will be a good time for a mile? I'm 17 and 1.8 metres long.
thank you
If you ran it in around 7 or 8 minutes, you'd be right around average stephan101. But if you've held onto some of that endurance you use to have then you'll be well under that 7 minute mark.
15 yrs,
10th grade
5'3
mile: 5:05:56
Is that good?
Yeah, that's awesome Raymond Wong!
16yrs
135lbs
Ran a mile in 7min and 22 seconds after did 10 sprints
16yrs
140lbs
ran a mile in 6mins and 25 seconds
Not too shabby at all, Francisco correa... especially after sprints!
Very nice, katrina... keep up the good work!
im 4 11 i weigh 125 and i ran my mile in 8 mins 56 sec is that good for my age
I'm not sure if you gave me your age, lauren? But that time is a little bit better than the average high school girl would run it in. So yeah, that's pretty good!
I'm 5'11.5 weigh 165 pounds
I'm trying to build stamina for not only the mile but for boxing in general, so I see the mile run as important if I want to maintain a good pace for a while.
I ran 7:16 this afternoon, I have 2 'semi-hills'in my mile path. It's really not easy though I think it's all about being persistant and the results will come.
p.s I saw when this all started about 3 years ago and you're still taking the time out to reply to everyone, nice stuff
A lot of boxers definitely get into running, Tony... and it's good that your path has a couple hills; that will help give you a different level of intensity at different intervals. That's a pretty good time for having those two hills in there... you'll definitely reach your goals if you stick to it!
Yeah, this is a very popular article and I want to keep pushing people in the right direction... I'm happy to see you're on the right track, Tony!
I'm 6'2 150 pounds
17 years old
Ran on September 17th 2011
Total time for mile: 5:28 (at 7000ft, I live in Colorado)
Ran it with the cross country team, 9th fastest guy on the team
That's an awesome time, Joey.. especially at that elevation! I'm sure you can beat out a couple more guys next time.
Age:13
Weight:140lbs
Height:5' 6"
I ran the mile in 8:28. How can i my build stamina so i run longer distances?
Well Lexi, the best way to do that is to keep training with those long distances. And if set out to do a distance and you need to walk part of it to take a breath then go ahead and do that, but finish the distance you set out to do.
Your body won't take long to get use to the longer distance and before long you won't have to take walking breaks.
But to keep yourself from getting bored you can run the distances at different areas, some areas can have hills, sometimes you can run some sprint intervals, sometimes you can run a section backwards... when you mix things up your body is always improving in order to keep up and it's a lot more fun that way.
Im 16, male, and about 120
Last year in track i ran a 4:40 in the mile outside at district
Dang... you really are a Track Star!
Age: 41
Weight: 180 lbs.
Height: 5'10''
Mile: 7:30
I am a ex-sprinter that never ran the mile in high school. Playing around I normally run an 11 minute mile. Today I just wanted to let go and was surprised by the time I ran. Is this a good time for someone my age. I felt like I could have easily ran under 7. minutes.
That's actually pretty good, Will! I mean, you're older, you never trained for the mile (in fact you trained the opposite muscle fibers with sprinting) and it was your first trial run. I'd say, if you wanted to work on it, that you could easily bring that down into the 6 minute range.
My son, who is 14, just made his jr. high baseball team and they have started conditioning. He is new to the team, the others all played last year. The coach has them run a 6:45 mile. If anyone on the team does not make the time, he makes the whole team run again. My son has run it in 6:45; however, it is very difficult for him and yesterday he missed the time and the team had to run again. He was devstated and of course some of the guys gave him a hard time. He is told that he will eventually take the time down to 6:00. What can a 14-year-old boy do to overcome this challenge?
I'm a 16 year old male, weight about 178.
Ran it 11/8/11, on a track at my school in the cold rain, in heavier clothes, I got a 7:33 mile.
That can be rough when it's forced and then the kids make fun of him, tammyt... but first you need to ensure he's eating healthy at home and getting enough rest. Then you need to be sure he's taking a water bottle with him to practice, so that he's properly hydrated.
But to get use to running that fast, all he can do is get use to the mile... If you have access to a treadmill or there's a path he can jog nearby then, whenever he has sometime, just have him run an easy mile. No pressure or anything, just have him do it at his pace and have him do this on his own a couple times a week.
And if possible, then have him run with someone who runs the mile faster than him (someone who won't make fun of him) and tell him to try to keep pace with his friend. When you run with someone else you almost always try to run at their pace and it takes your mind off of running a little bit... another thing to get your mind off running is listening to music (really up tempo music).
The last thing he can work on is how he finishes... tell him that when he sees the finish line to just run as hard as he can. It might suck, you might not feel like you can but just suck it up and let your brain tell your legs to pump as fast as they can... this is how he should train on his own and how he should do it during practice. This helps shave a lot of time off your runs and it helps you learn the mind/body connection, where you have control and can push as hard as you want when you feel the need.
If he's already run it at that time then his body is quite capable of doing it every time... it's just difficult right now because he's not use to doing it often. And if he's tired, not well rested, thirsty, hungry or his mind is on something else then he might not run as fast... but even the temperature or how hard his practice was can affect that. He'll be running the mile well under that time if he sticks to it, learns what his body is capable of and stays rested, hydrated and well-fed. It's only tough until the body gets use to it! Hope that helps.
Nice job, Jimmy! Those heavy, wet clothes probably weighed you down a lot but you still pumped out a decent time... I bet you could shave 10-20 seconds off that time if it weren't raining and you had on gym clothes; keep it up!
hi. im 16, male, 5'4, 120 pounds.
cross country is about to be over for my school and now im training for the 1600m, or the mile. Thats my event in track and field and because i have been having health issues like passing out i got out of shape. My mile is a 5:25 right now with normal shoes, with spikes like ten seconds faster. my goal is breaking 5 before next weeks try outs cus thats where i was before. i would like to get to 4:20 by the end of track season. my coach says im known to improve very rapidly, last year i got my mile from 6:40 to 5:04 in one track season. now its slower cus like i said, im out of shape. Is there any information you can giv me? thanks
Hey Brendo13! I appreciate your enthusasim. I'm 18, turning nineteen next month. My height, 6'2", weight 165 pounds, my mile time is 5:42, five minutes forty two seconds. However that isn't the only time I ran the mile. This last summer I was getting in 5:43's, 5:44's, 5:45's, and such, and I tied my 5:42 record a few more times. Never broke it though. The problem is I progress to a certain point and then I stop. I've been kind of stuck here in the upper 5 range for a year, my goal though is to beat 5 flat!
The best advice I can give you SalvadorH, is to start practicing now... I'm not sure what was causing you to pass out, but if your doctor is OK with you running then plan to run first thing in the morning, 4 days a week. Just run the mile at an easy pace, don't push yourself at all... you want to get your body use to the distance so that you can be like, "meh, a mile? OK..." and just do it without even thinking about it.
But then you want to have one day a week where you do go all out (you can run this later in the day), so you can really grease the groove and learn your pace. Usually what I do is try to pick up the pace every 1/4 mile... I just keep telling myself to run faster as I cross the 1/4 and when I can see the finish line I run in an all out sprint. Time yourself for this last run, but the other ones you don't really need to. Then you can compare week to week to see where you're at. Then you have two days of rest then start over next week.
If you can listen to some really fast paced music while you run your timed run then that can sometimes help... also, if it gets too cold outside then hit up a treadmill with a 1% incline. The treadmill forces you to keep a certain pace and if you train with it long enough your legs will be all about keeping that pace outside too. Hope that helps!
Ah, I know how that can be, Michael and you could break through that plateau through some of the advice I just gave SalvadorH and by reading the other parts of this article series. You need to mix things up in your training to spark some new growth... things like running intervals, running backward, running up hills, running with a parachute, running in sand and running with a weighted vest will all make your body adapt to the new challenges. But above all, you need to get your body so use to that distance that it's nothing to you. Stay well-fed, hydrated and keep up on your sleep and, after you change up your training, I'm sure you're going to see the results you want!
irun a 600 at 12
Nice, ddddd... running it faster than I ever did!
Im a 13 year old girl. Im four feet eleven, and i weigh around 100 pounds. I ran my fastest mile at 5 minutes and 43 seconds, and my most recent mile at 6 minutes and 37 seconds, but i wasnt really trying very hard on my recent one. I dont play sports, and im much better at sprinting then at long distance. Is that a good time?
118 lbs 13 yrs old fastest mile is 8.24 indoor track do you think i could get under 7 eventually
Those are great times, Sam! It's hard for some people to run a 6:37 mile, even when they're trying hard... so it's pretty awesome that you can do it without really trying!
I think you definitely could get under 7, specialkid... it will take a few months of focusing just on running the mile (with a bunch of variations for variety), eating well and getting your sleep... but if you stick with it you'll reach your goal!
Thanks! But I really want to beat my record and do a five minute mile. Do you have any tips for me? As I said, im usually a sprinter... Also, I was wondering why in the article you say to try to run the first half hard... Doesnt that wear you out? (I know it does me) oh, and one more question. Its kind of off topic but I thought you might know, since you kind of mentioned something about it in the article: You said sprinters tend to have more bulky muscle than long distance runners? Just wondering, because I have extremly muscled arms, theighs, and calves, but when im not running or walking, it just looks like fat (which is annoying) but yeah. Sorry that last question was a little off topic! :)
girl
12 years old
height:5'1?
weight:80-85 lbs
latest mile time:5:57
are there any tips you could give me to help improve my time?
Hey Sam, I mention to run hard first in this one because it helps to mix things up and test your body in different ways. You'll still be getting use to the same distance but you'll be challenging your body in a different way than you're use to, which will make your body adapt and grow.
This is a three part article series (as you can see I link to the second part at the very bottom) so check out the other two articles for some more ideas. You can check out some of the suggestions I gave in the comments above too; there are a ton of ways to mix things up. But I also have another mile run workout I set up here:
http://bendo13.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Run-Faster-
But, it all depends on genetics AND the distance you normally run... if you're running marathons you're going to slim down and be a bit boney. But when running just a mile as the longest distance you run your body doesn't need to shed all that excess weight (fat AND muscle), because this distance isn't great enough.
Yeah, it is a long distance to a degree and you will lose fat and your fast twitch muscle fibers (ones that are good for quick bursts like sprints) aren't going to be targeted as much with these types of runs... but you can still hold onto a bit of your size. And muscle will jiggle and look flat whenever you're not flexing it... that's pretty normal. Only people with a really low body fat percentage look all "muscled up" even when they're sitting around doing nothing. And to have bigger muscles that always show, you'd want to be targeting your Type IIa Fibers (fast twitch), not the Slow Twitch (Type I) muscle fibers that a mile run would really work. So I'd say your muscles are looking how they should with your training.
That's a great time, nw! But since you want to improve, look into the stuff I just mentioned to Sam and see if that will help you too. There are lots of ways to modify your mile runs and I give a bunch of examples of things I've tried to trick my body into improving even more.
Female
14 years old
5'8
115 lbs.
best mile time: 7:28
I'm very athletic and enjoy running a lot, is this a good time for my build? Personally I don't think it's that great, how can I improve my time?
It's a decent time, Roli... but if you want to improve it I would suggest you read some of the longer responses I have given in the past 11 days... I gave people a lot of different ways to challenge their body and force it to improve. The biggest thing is getting your body use to the distance; and that just takes practicing the distance, in different ways.
Focus your life (training, nutrition, rest) around your fitness goal and you'll quickly reach it. My responses to Sam, SalvadorH and tammyt should help you out a lot!
male
15 years old
5'11
149lb
best mile time: 5:15
im very athletic i love running i smoked a little but i quite and i got 1st in my cross country distract race i play football bball track and cross country so im always moving how should i improve??
You just have to find new ways to challenge your body, bradley... I've given a lot of suggestions above in other responses but I'll repeat some. The reason you need variety is that your body will get use to doing the same thing over and over and you'll stop improving.
So try uphills, intervals, running backward, running in sand, running with a weighted vest, running with a parachute, running on a treadmill at different inclines and speeds, running up stairs and above all... running the mile often, with each of these new tactics sprinkled in there, staying well fed (you don't want to feel drained, with aching muscles as you run) and well rested.
Is it a bad thing if the reason you want to win is to beat somone else. i love the sport, and im always getting beat by a friend of mine. So i have been running more and harder. My best time is 12 min. and somthing seconds. with about 6 min and 10 miles about in there. and im only in 7th grade
I don't think competition is a bad thing, as long as you want to do it to show that you've improved, Erica... it's different if you just want to beat them to rub it in ther face.
I think it's only natural to want to reach new levels of fitness, and if that involves beating your friend at least once then go for it!
Male- 11 years old
88 lb 4'11
5:52
Ran the mile for 6th grade PE and got 5:52 (next person got 5:53 ha!)
I was very happy with my time and I've gotten a lot better now that I've run cross country (2 mi races)
i want to improve my time to a 5:40 by next year. Will running 5k's around this season help me for cross country and the mile?
That's awesome, Alex! Good to see you're so into running at your age. I think that doing distances like that will definitely keep you in shape and help improve your running times.
Your body will be so use to running that you'll have days where you pull in record times without even trying. And if you're running 5K's then running a mile will be so easy for you. It's a lot shorter of a distance so you'll really be able to push hard the whole time. Stick with your running!
Thanks for the quick reply, Bendo.
I just have one more question, here in New England it will get fairly snowy, so in winter months should I do snowshoe running or cross country skiing? It's okay if you're not able to answer this because you might not live in a snowy place. Thanks
I would probably choose snowshoe running, Alex... I use to run in the snow in regular running shoes and it got really annoying because you couldn't really push hard or you'd slip. But snowshoe running would help give you more traction and is closer to running than cross country skiing.
I bet it'd be a good challenge for you, pushing off of snow, as opposed to solid ground, and having the extra weight of the snowshoe. It's always good to train your body in different ways and that seems like a good way to improvise.
Hi, I have PR'd for the mile at 4:16, and for my half about 1:55, and for the 3000 m about 8:54. What do I do to get faster and beat the top runners in college?
Wow... those are great times, Kubiak Runenr! All I can suggest is variety... I mean, you're on the top teir so you have to take your body outside of what it's use to.
Read through my suggestions in the comments above for different ways to target your body during your runs, read all the parts of this article series and also check out my other running series (which I've linked to above).
Once you've trained your body in different ways you should have that extra push to get you in the lead... but you know it's all a mental game and you have to know what your body is capable of and when to really push hard.
I am age 17 height of 5-11 and weight of 180. I started my 1-3 mile 5 or so times a week run about a month ago and have seen an improvment of 8:45 to around 8:00 to 8:15 a mile. Is this a good improvement? I need to really try to get to 7 minutes within the next 5 months because i ship out for basic training May 22 for the national guard and want to be able to live through their running at base.
Age- 13
Male
5-6 120lb
4:56
I wasn't happy with my time I came in second place in my race although I was only running like 2 miles a week and he was running 20. And I had a lacrosse game the day before but I'll definitely do it again.
That's a pretty decent drop in a month, Michael S.! I think you can reach your goal if you continue to push yourself and aim to hit a new PR at least once every week or two. I know sometimes it sucks and you don't feel into running, but once it's done and you've hit a new goal it will feel amazing. So just train your mind to help you push through it, use music to take your mind off running and help you pick up the pace if you need to, and you'll reach your goal!
That's a great time, Thomas! And yeah, I'm sure that lacross game bogged you down a little but you have the drive to beat the guy that got first place. Hopefully next time you'll be well-rested before the race... or you could possibly jump up to running 3 miles a week, to really get your body use to the distance, if you want.
Hi!
My mile time has gotten worse! In 6th grade I got my best mile time yet , 7:15! I recently did a 5k and my split times were 7:31! My first 5k I did in May 2011 with a 28:06 now it's down to a 23:18. I'm in 10th grade now. Also, in 7th and 8th grade I did not sports at all.
Did my legs develop for a long distance runner? I'm only 5'1" 95 pounds and I'm a 15 year old male! Any tips to get the time in between 6:10-6:30 will be great!
Mo, when you run a longer distance, your average mile time is going to be a bit slower than your fastest mile time (unless that 7:15 wasn't a mile run on its own?)
When you run just a mile, you can go full bore, because you know you don't have 2.1 more miles to go in your 5K... but when you're running a 5K, you pace yourself a bit so that you can finish strong and not burn out too soon.
You seem to have made a good amount of progress with your 5K time and it appears that you're slowly getting your body use to being more active again. I think your goal is attainable if you stick with it. Continue to run every week, get your rest and add variations to your runs. Test your body in ways its not use to and it will give you the adaptations you want.
I think you hit the nail on the head though... you took a couple years off from the sports and might have lost a little endurance. So if you want to improve (or even just stay as fit as you are now) you have to "use it or lose it" and just keep on the path you're on now.
You already dropped almost 5 minutes off your 5K time and you don't even have to drop that much to reach your goal... about 3 minutes faster and you're there! So keep doing what you're doing!
Yet another comment from me :).
I'm sorry this doesnt have to do with the mile, but because you have been so helpful I thought I should ask you a question about 5k's.
On Thanksgiving I ran a 21:36 5k (had some minor hills) and that is my PR. I ran at a steady pace of 6:58. For a 5k do you think I should just run at a steady pace or do some type of interval? Thanks!
@Bendo13 Thanks for the tip! I'm also going to ask my mom to buy a treadmill to get some training when I'm not running. If I want to get even close to Varsity XC I need 5 minute miles.
And in 6th grade I was in my prime. I was faster and NEVER used to eat like I do now(Soda , chips, you name it) I used to drink so much water and eat tons of fruit but I got lazy. In 7th grade I tried out for the basketball team, despite being one of the best dribblers and best shots I wasn't allowed on the team because I was to short. It discouraged me and I just stopped.
When I was younger I played soccer and basketball every year. Then the stupid coach in 7th grade ruined my chance of ever being a great runner by making me stop sports.
During the race, I would run in some kind of slow increase in speed, Alex... You'll have to go by what your body is capable of and pick specific distances where you want to pick up the pace a little bit, but it's always best not to try to go full bore too early... and if you pick a decent pace for the whole race, you may actually have been able to run a bit faster for half of it. So slowly increase your speed at different increments.
But when you're training I would do something similar, but mix it up and run at different paces for your intervals so that you don't get bored and your body keeps improving... like from time to time you can do the opposite of what you know to work and go all out at first and then slow down when you can't take that pace anymore, and just cruise through the rest of the distance. That would be a way to challenge your body in a way it's not use to. But I always sprint when I see the finish line, to get it stuck in your head to go all out every time you finish. But as you train with different paces at different intervals, keep track of your times... see which grouping of intervals/paces really gives you the best time and stick with that one when it's time to race or when you want to set a new PR.
That's a good plan, Mo! I run on the treadmill at the moment and it's really great when it's bad outside to just hop on there and have the treadmill push you to keep you at a certain pace. Plus you can control the hills and all that good stuff too.
But I can understand that... when I tried out for soccer my senior year the coach said he wouldn't coach me because he never coached me before? So I practiced with the JV team, a team I couldn't play on because I was a senior, and then ended up being kicked off the team because I missed some practices because I had a job...
All you can do now is be your own coach, when others don't seem to be helping you, and prove that it was their loss... if you can get back to eating a little better I'm sure you'll see even more progress... excess weight can really slow you down and you need good fuel in your body for races!
hey bendo13, I'm a 17 yo male weigh 129 height is 5'9"
I've seem to have a reached a plateau in the 5k and I have no idea what to do about it. Me and my friends train a lot for triathlons and they don't seem to have the same plateau problem and are quickly leaving me behind despite the same training routine. They are currently knocking on the 16min door while I'm still trying to break 18min. Why is this happening and what can I do about it?
Hmmm... well trihard, if you are all training the same way you will have to look at other aspects of your life. Do they get better sleep than you? Do they eat differently than you? Do you do other strenuous activity outside of your training that could be overtraining your body? Or do you sit around all day, which makes it harder for your training to take effect?
Results come from more than just the time you put in at the gym or on the track... I mean, think of the hours you put in working out and compare that to the hours that you aren't working out. You can't out exercise a bad lifestyle. So, if I were you, I'd ask your friends for advice on what they do different or just observe how they live, see how it's different from your life and make some changes in their direction.
If you all are about the same age and size and you all train the same way, then it has to be the lifestyle.
Hey Bendo, I had a foot bruise so I thought I couldn't run, but I tried on my back up shoes(skeletoes) and it felt fine. I got a suprisingly good time for a somewhat hilly course - 21:36 (same as last 5k haha!)
I was very happy I actually ran it because I hadn't gone out to run for a week. No need to reply to this post, I'm just telling you how it went :)
From what they told it does look like they get more sleep than me, but that can't be helped because that's time I spend studying. Nutritionally I'm doing well. Don't really have a lot of free time even on the weekend at the most 5 hours on a typical Saturday and some of that is spent stretching. Only physical things I do is with my teammates, which all except one said that its the only thing they do too, it usually consist running, swimming, cycling, core, and light weight workouts.
Awesome, Alex! Glad to hear you're still at it... keep overcoming those obstacles and nothing can hold you back!
Hmmm, so it could be the sleep... and even stress from not having much time, trihard. The next time you're going to run a race (a timed one) try to schedule your day so you can get an extra hour or so of sleep the night before the race and see if that helps you any. Your body repairs a lot during your sleep and the less sleep you have the slower you progress.
Age: 13
Height: 4'9" -.-
Weight: 80 lbs
Date of the mile: December 8th 2010
Time: 7:40
Outdoor track- my middle school's
i've only ran short distances since then.
haven't actually raced it since that date, i've only jogged it with my friends.
Going to try to do it today, i am training to do a 5k race by March 15.
Going to check if i have improved.
That's a pretty good time for not being used to running the mile, Noe! Stick with it and keep your body used to running longer distances and I'm sure you'll be happy with your 5K race time!
age 17 female
height 5,4
i run 1 mile in 4:40
i need some advice is running 5miles in 24.41 seconds good?
Yeah, if those times are accurate, ap... then you are running pretty dang fast!
You would have been the fastest woman in the world in 1962, for your single mile time...
And you would have been the fastest woman in the world (5 times in a row) in 1954, with your average mile time for 5 miles...
So what do you think... is that good? ;)
Is that true i am quite shocked and yes it is accurate i did it yesterday in 24.41 seconds and was curious if it was good or not i am training for a scolarship in America so i started running 5 miles per day thanks for the feedback Bendo :)
With times like those, I'm sure you'll get a scholarship, ap! The longer you train, the better you'll get, I'm sure...
Check this out to see how well you're doing...
Thanks for the positive respone Bendo i will keep up the training i have the showcase tomorrow in London so hopefully i do well.
I checked out the link you gave me very helpfull :)
Male 6'3 295lbs ran mile in 8 min 17 seconds
Nice job, Andrew! Good to see a fellow runner that's the same height as me. I know how it feels to run at a weight like that too; most people would give up! Glad to see you ran the whole thing... stick to it and you'll keep getting faster!
weighed 101 kg run every day for 12 weeks now i weigh 85 kg and im the fittest ive been , 7 mile run takes me 53 mins quickest 51 mins target nxt yr to get 47 mins so bendo13 u got a lot of comments on here how far do u run
Those are some good times, lee! Congrats on improving your overall fitness too!
Currently I've been doing short, sprint intervals on a treadmill, since it's all wintery outside. I'd warm up at 6 mph, walk at 3 mph and sprint at 10 mph... I'd alternate back and forth between walking and sprinting and then cool down at 6 mph again.
I normally don't like to run much longer than a mile because I want to hold onto more of my bulk and muscle build for brute strength...
Male:13
140 lbs
Mile: 5:30
Outside against wind
Awesome time, Shaddow... Especially going against the wind!
girl
13 years old
outdoor track
no wind really
time: 4:57
im pretty proud of myself, but i really want to do better! i run for my middle school and hold the record for fastest to run a mile, and 2 miles. i joined crosscountry and am the best on the team. its great leg strength for horse back riding. (why i run) honestly to anyone who rides, the best way to get more leg muscule is running!
boy
11 years old
outdoor track
no wind
time 7:00
Male
6'5 300 pounds
outdoors not really windy time was around 8:50
Forgot to add im 20 years old
Im a girl,
15
5'7
weigh 105
ran outside in the wind and 30 degree weather in 6 minutes and 6 seconds, is that fast?? for my age?
Yeah haley, that's pretty fast... Especially in the cold, windy weather... good job!
thanks, how should i work up my speed? I get intensely bad side stitches while running and they slow me down. Sometimes they will stay for the rest of the day if i keep running through them, do you have any tips?
I give a TON of methods to help you improve your speed in the rest of the articles in this series and in all the comments above, haley...
But I've never really had the "side stitch" problem myself, so I don't have personal tips on that but I have heard that you should wait at least an hour after you eat before you run, try to breathe more by expanding your belly as well as your chest and to either massage the sore spot or actually grunt as you exhale... some of those methods might help you.
I hope your running improves even more!
Girl
16years old
5'7"
First half 2:31
5:17 on an outdoor track 2 days ago
Girl
9years old
4'6"
82lbs
12:13on an outdoor track 2 days ago
Done my first mile of my 5k run tonight in 5.49
on july 2nd 2011 i started a challenge .....i weighed 248 pounds trained for the marathon 4 months later and weighed in at 185 pounds ran a marathon time of 3hrs 48 mins now in training for my first 5 k run and tonight beat my pb with a time of 19.26 thats a 6.16 mile pace my first mile was 5.49 but when i started 6 months ago i was running at 9.30 mins a mile so anyone can do it you just need the drive.....get a friend whose close to your times and really go for beating each others times....it works let me tell you.....by the way i won that competition
Male
13 years old
5'6
137lbs
6:46 outdoor
I ran this in PE on monday and was my new record.
I play baseball and consider myself to have horrible stamina.
I have another mile run tommorow morning and plan on getting under 6:30 and place 1st
I
Ran my mile today.
3rd place 6:26
That's awesome, Tyler... you reached your goal! The 3rd place finish doesn't matter as much as beating the record you aimed to achieve. You're really improving!
15 male 5'10 4:12
ran a 5:26 mile secound place for track and feild
20 degrees outside ran the mile in 7:34 secs
I'm 16, female, 5'5, and 130 pounds...
I ran the mile in ten minutes.
I'm slow right now because I'm out of shape.
How do I get back into shape?
AGE - 14
Weight - 150
Mile Time: 5:27
Is this good, or bad. I'm not sure. We had to do a timed mile for Varsity hockey, and I made the team, but there were people still faster than me.
Schedule a few runs a week, but don't push yourself too hard too soon, Bunni... all you can really do is gradually start exercising more, keep up on your sleep, eat healthy and stick to it (which is the biggest thing). The longer you continue to be more active the better your results will be in the long run.
That's pretty dang good, TND! You made the team, so that's a plus and you're probably one of the faster kids on the team... so don't worry about not being the fastest. I'm sure after a few weeks of practice you'll be even more fit.
Age: 13
Female
Weight: 107
Time: 9:03
Yes, I know my time is horribly horrible, and I get so out of breath after one lap on the filed in 40 degree weather. I play lacrosse 5 times a week, yet I am HORRIBLE at running. On monday, I have to run the mile, and I need to get a much better time so I can be on the a team lacrosse for my school. Please help! Today I will be running two miles on my treadmill. We will be running in 40 degree weather on monday. I am loooking for advice, really helpful advice on how to get a much faster mile time without getting out of breath and being really fast.
That's not too bad, Sarah... but I do know it can be a challenge to breathe the way you need to in cold weather like that. For your treadmill workout be sure to use at least a 1% incline and you really only need to train for a mile, if that's the distance you need to run.
If you know the time that you have to beat in order to make the team then set your treadmill to a speed that has you beat that time by a little bit. See if your body can take it and really try to zone out into music or TV or something so that you don't even think about running. Just let your legs move as they need to to keep you on the treadmill.
If it's too much of a challenge then you can slow it down a little but you should always train to run HARD right near the end, to shave off some extra time and finish strong.
If you can get your body use to a pace that is slightly faster than you need to run the mile in, then you'll know the pace you're going to need to keep. You're really going to have to make that time through mental power, since you don't have much time to train.
So, when the day comes you have to run it, pair up with someone you know is going to run the mile fast enough to make the team. Then all you have to do is stay with them - I know it will suck, but all you want to be thinking about is that finish line... because you only have to run it this once and it's less than 10 minutes of work. You can force your body to do it and deal with the exhaustion aftward.
So, train to find the pace you need to stick to, keep pace with someone faster than you and when you see that finish line is getting close then just dig down deep and run as fast as you can.
Hope that helps!
When I ran it: last night
Age:16
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6
Weight: 110
Ran it on an outdoor track
1st half: 2:51
Total: 5:55
I run highschool track, so I run hard every single day. I finally got a sub 6 mile last night during the first meet of spring track! :) I really want to keep improving and hopefully qualify for states, so do you have any tips to help me? I run so much and eat super healthy, and also do 15-30 minutes of core each night. Thanks :)
That's a great time, trackgirl01... congrats! All I can really suggest is what I suggested to Sarah above... find someone you know runs faster than you and make sure you run beside them during practice. Let them make the pace for both of you and just stick with them the whole time.
Then, when you're closing in on the finish line, try your hardest to outrun that person and finish stronger than they do. If you can hang in there at their pace you'll eventually get use to that pace, and it should be even faster than what you're use to. Plus, by trying to outrun them at the end, you train yourself to really finish strong, which can shave a lot of time off your mile.
You seem to have a lot of the pieces in place to help you improve. But I think competing against someone just a step above you, hanging with them and then knowing when to take over and beat them will really help you.
Age: 14
Gender: female
Height: 5' 1
Weight: 80
Mile time: 6:12
Ran on an inside track, and had to do 13 laps in total
I am the second best runner in my whole high school and was wondering if this was good, I'm just a freshmen but I also did cross country
Yeah, that's definitely good, alex! If it's something you really want to accomplish, then I'm sure you can become the best runner in your high school. Great job!
12 male 4 foot 8 75 lbs
6:36
I ran this on my school track. Hopefully the next time i run it i can get into the 5 minute mark
Hi it's Sarah again. I got 7:34 as my time on monday! I went from a 9:03 at the end of last year to 7:34 at the beginning of this year without even training! Thank you for your help. :)
13 year old girl
total time: 5:32
weight: 106ish...
is this time good for my age???
I love to run!!!! is this time good for
14 year old male 5'6 ran school track meet 4:30 hard
That's awesome, Sarah! Glad to see such a good improvement and I hope you made the team.
That is pretty dang good, Emma! Keep it up.
This is my first year running and I am on the 1 mile. So far I have been having trouble running my last lap at track meets. How do I keep from fatigue on the last lap and becoming last. My times so far is 9:14, 9:00,and currently 8 something.
You just have to get your body use to the distance, LB... and running ability is one of those things that goes away if you stop training. So, if you want to boost your running and really be able to push hard through that last lap, just be sure to run that distance anywhere from 2 to 4 times a week, just to get use to the distance.
Your practice runs don't all have to be record breakers; your goal with them is to just be use to the distance. Then, once you want to time yourself, you'll know that you can push hard and make it through the whole distance.
It's all about getting to know what your body is capable of and knowing what pace to run at. You'll learn more about your abilities the more often you run.
i am an 8 year old and it took me 8 minutes and 40 seconds to run a mile
Female, 12 years old
Outdoor track, 7:55
I had to run it for gym class because our school requires us to do the presidential fitness challenge, which in order to get a presidential mile time for a twelve year old girl you had to get an 8:23 or below, so i guess I did okay.
I'm 15 and my weight is 236 I'm 6'1 and my mile is 6:30 and the way that I'm able to do that is because my football coaches run us all the time wich makes u faster so another way would to join a sport like soccer or football
age:11
weight:95
third mile:8 minutes
first mile:10 minutes
second mile:9 minutes
Age: 15
Mar-30-11 mile 6:55
MApr-22-12 mile 5:56 thanks to track
Someone 3 years ago
Im 16 - Male.
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 115 lbs
Date of the 1 Mile Run: July 1 2008
Total Time of the Run: 6min 48seconds
I ran outside - at a pretty comfortable pace.
It was a pretty good workout, i'll definitely do it again :D
Can someone tell me the average time for somone with my physical description?
Thanks.