Forums >Running 101>Running a Sub 4 Minute Mile: Help and Advice Needed
I started running post HS at 21. It took me two months to run sub-5:00. After 4 months I had built up to 50 mpw and had to back off for several months because it was too much, too quickly. Granted I don't have great genetics, but it was two plus years before I could consistently run 70 mile weeks.
But, literally, so what? How is any of this relevant to the project at hand?
What Surly Bill is describing is basically the minimum prerequisite. Yeah, of course theres a good chance he'll break down before he ever reaches 70 miles a week. Just like theres a chance every kid who wants to some day play in the NBA might not even make his high school team.
Runners run
Are we there, yet?
But, literally, so what? How is any of this relevant to the project at hand? What Surly Bill is describing is basically the minimum prerequisite. Yeah, of course theres a good chance he'll break down before he ever reaches 70 miles a week. Just like theres a chance every kid who wants to some day play in the NBA might not even make his high school team.
It's one example from a better than average runner indicating that trying to reach 70 mpw that quickly may be, and probably is, too aggressive a plan. I think expressing caution and the rationale behind it is quite relevant.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Better than average runners don't ever get a whiff of 4 minutes. That's why our experiences are largely irrelevant.
Ramping to 70 mpw in 8 months is probably too aggressive a plan just like 4 minutes is probably way too aggressive a goal. That's the thing about quixotic quests. There's only one way to be sure.
A sub-4 is no joke. It even took awhile for Matt Centrowitz to do it, and his Dad was a two-time Olympian, and his mother and sister were both pretty phenomenal runners too. Even if you have great genetics and "talent", it may take years to get from 4:07 to 3:59.9.
If you don't make it, consider trying for a sub-3 marathon, and working your way down to an OTQ (sub-2:19) longer distances may be your jam.
https://www.strava.com/athletes/2507437
PR's - 5K - 17:57 (2017) | 10K - 38:06 (2016) | 13.1 1:23:55 (2019) | 26.2 2:58:46 (2017)
2020 Goals - Sub-2:55 Marathon Up Next: TBD, Boston on 9/14?
Stotan Disciple
I started running at 34/35 years old and I was a runner in college.
I started running in February 2007 at 205 lbs .
By September of 2007 I was down to 185 lbs and ran 4:39
The following year 2008 ran a 50.14 400m on the track and by September I ran 4:16 at 165 lbs. (18 months after taking back up running).
I was pleased at myself and didn't care to run faster as I already ran as fast a mile as I ever could in college.
The point I'm making is if you are serious and work toward it, it may or may not happen. A risk you hhave to take. I think you could be sub 4:30 in 18-24 months the next 30 seconds could take a while or never.
You'll have huge improvements of 30-45 seconds initially but when you're seconds away that's the hardest.
I know because I was there. I say start, see how far you can go in two years. Maybe you'll learn more about yourself and change your journey.
You need to be about 145-155 Ideally. Allan Webb was a beast maybe you can be too.
Thinking should be done first, before training begins.
I think an important question to ask yourself is: why does sub-4 minutes in a mile matter? Like what is the underlying motivation? Is it just to say you ran under 4 minutes for a mile, is it to chase a goal that is incredibly challenging to see what kind of runner you could potentially become? Without an answer to that question you should chose to spend your time doing something else.
good luck!
1 step at a time...
I would break up your record goal....
eventually you will need to run a sub 60sec 400m.... and so forth....
I am reminded when Coach Daniels was asked about will a human ever run a sub 2hr marathon....and at the time he said, let's see a sub 1 hour half marathon first! at the time there hadn't been one...
also a sub 4min... 1500m... goal would be a stop along the way....
You're at 11min mile now....?
1 minute at a time...
break 11mins....then 10mins....then 9... and see where the cookie crumbles...
300m- 37 sec.
Mmmm Bop
I think the clue is in his opening post....”feeling unfulfilled in my life in general and athletically”
First priority is to get your life sorted. Start running and stop coming up with ridiculous goals before you’ve even run a single race. It is actually an insult to the serious athletes who have put years of effort in and not got close to 4min/mile.
5k - 17:53 (4/19) 10k - 37:53 (11/18) Half - 1:23:18 (4/19) Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)
I don't think it's an insult. He'll start running and then he will get 'calibrated' properly within a year or so. His cal point may be a lot faster than all of us. I remember running my first track mile as an adult and ran like 5:46. Before I was even off the track I was thinking "When can I run under 5 minutes?". LOL. I put in several years of training and racing the mile and the best I ever did was 5:21! But I sure wasn't 24 and I wasn't talented either. Talk about getting calibrated! But that's the whole fun of this game, go out and train and see what you can do.
Hi all! So I have scratched my plan on having an exact date to hit 70 mpw. Instead I am just going to take it in segments and reassess every 4 - 5 weeks. My first segment will be running 15 mpw and I'm going to try and do it over 5 weeks. Ideally, by the 5th week I'll run 5 5km runs under 30 minutes. Does that sound reasonable to start. I have created a plan using the tool on this website so feel free to look at it and give me some insight or advice to improve it. Thanks!
You should also go to your profile and set your running log to public so we can see your workouts.
Overweight per CDC BMI
Until then I plan on walking 25 miles everyday. That should take up the majority of my 8 hour training window for the foreseeable future.
Did anyone else pick up on him saying he planned to walk 25 miles per day? I have nothing constructive to say other than this stood out to me.
I greatly encourage the enthusiasm for ambitious goals but I would just recommend getting into running seriously for the next few years to see where it takes you. Focus on the enjoyment of running first.
For a bird's eye view of someone actually running a 4 minute mile, there is that video from a year ago of the guy running it with a dog. Look at how long his stride is and the amount of wind noise from the guy on the bike going so fast. I couldn't even sprint this fast.
https://youtu.be/qlObpA8uQEU
Memphis / 38 male
5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10
Did anyone else pick up on him saying he planned to walk 25 miles per day? I have nothing constructive to say other than this stood out
Hah! No, totally missed that. Okay yeah we're totally being trolled. Oh well.
To any innocent bystanders still following this thread: do NOT walk 25 miles a day (or anything remotely close to that) while trying to do anything resembling training.
not bad for mile 25
Did anyone else pick up on him saying he planned to walk 25 miles per day? I have nothing constructive to say other than this stood out to me. I greatly encourage the enthusiasm for ambitious goals but I would just recommend getting into running seriously for the next few years to see where it takes you. Focus on the enjoyment of running first. For a bird's eye view of someone actually running a 4 minute mile, there is that video from a year ago of the guy running it with a dog. Look at how long his stride is and the amount of wind noise from the guy on the bike going so fast. I couldn't even sprint this fast. https://youtu.be/qlObpA8uQEU
Gotta say, I'm totally impressed with the dog as well, and doing it as a team...wow!
Hah! No, totally missed that. Okay yeah we're totally being trolled. Oh well. To any innocent bystanders still following this thread: do NOT walk 25 miles a day (or anything remotely close to that) while trying to do anything resembling training.
Not trolling, just got a bit overzealous in what I originally thought I was going to do. If you look at my training plan I believe I made it much more manageable.