My Running Experiment: How I Trained To Run A Mile In 7 Minutes Or Less

Let me first start out by saying I’m not a runner. Nor do I want to be a long distance runner who runs marathons. The max I want to run in a race is a 5k, maybe 10k, that’s it! In training, no more than 2 miles and usually less while running sprints. However, I do plan on running 1-2 marathons just to do them and cross them off the bucket list.

I’m an athletic guy and active at 6′ and 170 lbs.

My training before I started this experiment were short sprints no more than 200 meters, mountain biking (10-50 miles), hill sprints, hill climbs, and strength training in the gym 1-2 days a week.

Your Plan For Running A Mile in 7 Minutes Or Less Within 2 Months

This is assuming your first test mile is around 8:00 to 8:30.

It took me 3 months to get to a 7 minute mile. Keep in mind though I was only doing sprints once a week and working out in the gym doing strength training once a week.

Just Do These 2 Things – Sprints and Crossfit

#1 – Sprints Twice A Week – start with 8 200 meter sprints with 90 seconds rest between each run, then progress to 4 400 meter runs with 2 min rest between then 2 800 meters with 3 min rest in between. For each 200 meter run try to get 30 seconds for your time, for 400 meter – 60 seconds and 800 meter 2 min. Your goal is to keep all your laps within 5 seconds. So, if there is a drastic change between your first lap and last lap, like 20 seconds or something, just slow down a little.

TIPS:

1. For your first 200 meter sprints you may not be able to get 30 seconds. Whatever you get is OK. If you get 40 seconds, just try to keep within that 40 seconds + or – within 5 seconds for each of the 8 laps.

2. If you need more rest than 90 seconds for the 200 meters, either slow your pace down a little or increase the rest time slightly to 120 seconds and progress your way down to 90 seconds. You want to do each sprint as close to the same as the first one.

3. You don’t really need to go past 800 meter sprints for getting a fast mile. If you want to progress to getting a faster 5 k time, instead of doing just 4 400 meter sprints, move it up to 6 laps then 8. Then go to 4 800 meter sprints, your golden, your set.

#2 – Do 4-5 Crossfit Workouts a week – keep in mind that they have strength training built into them. If you don’t want to focus on time and need to work on your form or understand how to do correct form just do a basic beginner strength training with squats, deadlifts and single leg exercises doing 5 sets of 5 reps. If you have a sport activity and want less soreness go less reps and sets, something let 2 sets of 3 reps.

You can either do the WOD (workout of the day) on the main Crossfit website page or join a local Crossfit Gym, there everywhere. To find a local crossfit gym just click on the Affiliate link in the Navigation section then click on your state.

TIPS:

1. If you already have a gym membership and try to do your crossfit workouts at your gym you may get really frustrated. Someone will be using something you need to use and slow your time down, or you may need to do some hang cleans and then go run 400 meters and doing this at your gym is a joke. In this case that’s what makes getting a Crossfit membership makes sense. No waiting, help with form and specifics on how to do lifts and competition.

Dynamic Warmup

Make sure you do a dynamic warm up. Not static stretching! Do static stretching after your done running.

A dynamic warmup is an active movement. While static you just hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds.

Examples of a Dynamic Warmup:

• Front Scorpions & Scorpions
• Hand Walk – (World’s Second Greatest Stretch)
• Lateral Lunge & Lunges
• Body Squats
• Forward Lunge  with Forearm  to Instep ( World’s Greatest Stretch)
• Drop Lunge
• Sumo Squat to Stand
• Foam Roller On Hip Flexors, Quads, IT Band, Adductors, Hamstrings
• Supine Bridge
• Wall Ankle Mobilizations
• X Band Walk
• Cradle Walk
• Seated 90-90
• Bird Dogs
• Scapular Pushups
• Scapular Wall Slides

If you google dynamic warmup that should get you started. I usually start with the Foam Roller then do 10 dynamic movements and I’m ready to roll!

This Is What I Did

That’s why this is called an Experiment. You don’t know exactly what to do at first. There is all this information out there and most of the people that give you advice on this say to start running 5 miles a day and work your way up to running 10 miles a day and nothing to do with strength training, that’s RIDICULOUS.

I didn’t really alter my strength training in the gym to make it more specific for running. All I did was to continue my same training I was doing in the gym, but just added longer sprints.

Mondays – strength day, always consisted of leg and core workouts. Squats, dead lifts, pistols (one-legged squats), Step Ups with 40 lbs and up, lunges, sled machine, Plyometric Jumps 30″ and higher, wood chops, windshield wipers, ab roller, planks, side planks.

Wednesdays – you can see as my training continued I started doing longer and longer sprints, down below in the results.

Fridays – strength day, I actually did upper body compound movements and sometimes crossfit, upper body exercises aren’t what you’d want to do if your specifically training to run a fast mile.

So lets get to the results!

This experiment started on June 2nd 2010.

My first mile I ran in 7:55

I just went to the track and ran 4 laps to see where I was at.

Here are my split lap times – 1:45, 3:51, 5:58, 7:55

Heres time of each lap

• 1st Lap – 1:45
• 2nd – 2:06
• 3rd – 2:07
• 4th – 1:57

Conditioning Training I Did during 3 weeks:

• 1st Week – Did 6 100 meter sprints and 3 200 meter sprints
• 2nd Week – Did same as above but each time I came around the track I did 15 jumps 24 inches high 6 times
• 3rd Week – did 8 100 meter sprints and 4 200 meter sprints

My second mile I ran 4 weeks later on June 30th 2010

Split times – 1:27, 3:15, 5:25, 7:29

Time of each lap

• 1st Lap – 1:27
• 2nd – 1:48
• 3rd – 2:10
• 4th – 2:04

Conditioning Training I Did during 3 weeks:

• 1st Week – 8 100 meter sprints, 4 200 meter, 2 400 meter
• 2nd Week – mountain biking 60 mile ride
• 3rd Week – hill climb with steep incline

My third mile I ran on July 28th 2010

Split times – 1:34, 3:14, 5:14, ??? (*6:54)

Time of each lap

• 1st Lap – 1:34
• 2nd – 1:39
• 3rd – 2:00
• 4th – 1:41 – ??? – * rested little over 1 minute on 3rd lap so didn’t count

Conditioning Training I Did during 3 weeks:

• 1st Week – 2 mountain bike 20 miles and 40 miles
• 2nd Week – 4, 400 meter sprints trying to avg. 1:30 or below
• 3rd Week – 2 400 meter sprints trying to avg. 1:20 or below and 2 200 meter sprints 40 seconds each

By my third month I was really close to running a mile in 7 minutes just missing it by 5-10 seconds had I not rested on my 3rd lap. A 7 minute mile is within reach for a lot of people, its not extremely hard to do. Depending on your fitness level you can reach this in 1-3 months. The six minute mile is more of a stretch if want a real challenge. As of right now in the 4th month of this testing I’m still trying to reach a 6 minute mile.

A Common Theme

There seems to be this common theme that pops up every time you try to do something new that your unfamiliar with.

Your Not aware of what it will take to accomplish X task. The new thing interests you so you want to learn more about it. As you learn more, you learn what is required in order to accomplish X task.

Usually for most people once they learn what they have to do to accomplish the task or goal, they realize ohh, this is what I have to do. You’ll either try to stick it out for a week or so until something gets hard or just give up all together.

If you do proceed into the task further and go 1 week, then 2 and 3 and 4 you realize that the task your working on is either getting easier or needs refining which would lead to whatever your doing becoming easier.

Tips for Running A Mile in 6 or 7 Minutes

• Don’t try to go all out on your first lap. You need to know what it feels like to run a lap at 1:30. Once you know how that feels you can start to keep a better pace.

• Don’t drink any energy drinks with carbonation right before running. Let your food digest for at least 2 hours before going on your run.

• You may get tired of the “routine” running at the track. So mix up your conditioning training. Do sprints on a football field, sprints up a hill in a park or on a hiking trail. Find other places that will give you a good workout.

• Good runners have good posture. Don’t hunch over if you are getting tired. Hunching over limits your air intake.

• PUSH yourself. Your body and legs can go a lot faster than you think. Remember that there are several “winds” you can experience when running. Once you get past each wind you almost feel refreshed and can keep running more! I don’t know how many times after the second lap I wanted to stop but I kept going…

• Make sure you are hydrated before you run but not over hydrated. (for obvious reasons)

• The Psychology of trying to do this may not make sense to your brain and putting you WAAAYYYY out of your comfort zone. If your use to being really lazy your mind is going to try its hardest to NOT let you do this.

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