Forums >Running 101>Running a Sub 4 Minute Mile: Help and Advice Needed
Hi everyone,
I have had a crises of sorts as a result of the new decade and feeling unfulfilled both in my life in general and athletically. So after realizing this I have come to the conclusion that I want to run a sub 4 minute mile. Everyone I have talked to either online or in real life has called me crazy and that I shouldn't even attempt to try. However I am determined to do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. The main problem is that I just do not know enough about running to be able to make a plan or training schedule to begin this undertaking. Currently I am a student, and I have cleared my schedule to be able to dedicate at least 8 hours a day to training.
As far as me personally, I am 5'8" tall and currently around 209 lbs and 24 years old. I am currently not running but do have an athletic background and know how to push myself. I'm assuming the first thing I'll need to do is slim down but I do not know what an ideal running weight would be. The lower end of my BMI is 121.2 lbs and that is what I am currently aiming for weight wise. After that though, I'm not sure what to do. At what weight will it be good for me to start running? Currently I am just walking but I think I should be doing more. I just really lack any type of training or knowledge about how to train for a medium distance run like this. Do I need to do sprints and long distance?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Starting tomorrow I will be spending every single second of my free time training for this. I like planning ahead and building a training schedule so that is why have I come asking for help from more experienced people. Thanks!
3 months til Masters
You can start running immediately. Just start with 1 min jog 1 min walk and try to do 10 min total. 4 min is a world class time, fyi. I would set a goal of doing 10 min mile, then 8, then 6 min mile so you can work your way down. It will likely take a year just to get into shape just to start real training. Good luck. I would start with running 2-3 days a week and cross train other days. Don't worry about bmi, just get down to a weight you feel good with. Take training slow cause getting injured and having to take 3 weeks off will really defeat the purpose. Dont add more than 5 to 10% per week.
If you are truly serious about 4 min, realize you are looking at 5-6 years of training minimum. Also genetics plays a big part when you get into that range so realize simply working hard is not the only factor.
2023 Goals
Marathon Sub 2:37 (CIM) 2:41:18
10k Sub 35:00 (Victory 10k 34:19)
5k Sub 16:00 (Hot Dash 5k in March (16:48), Brian Kraft in May (16:20), Twilight 5000 in July and August (16:20/16:25 Both heat index 102-103F)
Sub 1:16 Half Marathon City of Lakes Half Marathon 1:15:47)
Sub 56:30 in 10 mile (Twin Cities 10 mile, Canceled due to weather, 56:35 as a workout)
2024 Goals
Sub 2:37 Marathon
Sub 1:15 Half
Sub 34 10k
Sub 16 5k
Old Geezer
About 1,400 men have run a sub-4 minute mile since Roger Bannister first did that 66 years ago. Trying to do this--even for an Olympic-level athlete--is a mighty tall order. Good luck.
BTW: No woman has ever run a sub-4 minute mile.
Great enthusiasm Riman643!
I suggest first timing yourself in a single lap (400m) around a track. This will be a good indicator of your basic mile speed and how far of a reach the goal is. A sub 4 minute mile will require 4 consecutive sub 60 sec. 400m. So, the question is, can you run 400m at less than 60s? If not, then what speed can you run 400m right now?
There are plenty of good mile training plans available online via google. Here is one put out there by NIKE for instance.
https://content.nike.com/content/dam/one-nike/en_us/FA15/running/nike-run-club/Training/the-fastest-mile.pdf
You need to take one of these plans and follow it to get a first indicator of where you are at.
One thing to realize about running is that even with 8 hours a day available, you cannot expect to train 8 hours per day. If you train this hard, your body will likely rebel with fatigue or injury. The first sub 4 minute miler, Roger Bannister, often used 30min-1hr per day during his lunch break to train. This is not to say that you can't use the time to do weight training, core training, and educate yourself about the sport.
Ideal running weight is something you will have to figure out. Suffice to say that most elite runners are quite lean, with minimal body fat. Balanced training and healthy diet are important to reaching your best running times.
"Shut up Legs!" Jens Voigt
Thanks for your reply runsinskirts! Tomorrow I will go to the track and figure out how fast I can run 400 meters. I will do this once a week until I am at a weight where I can safely train (run) everyday without worrying about the impact on my knees and then start that training program you linked to. 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. When I do reach the point where I can run everyday what do you suggest I train? The training program you linked to would only take about 30 - 60 minutes to complete. Are there any weight exercises or sprint exercises I should do to supplement that training? Or should I cross that bridge when I get there? Thanks again!
If you are really serious about dropping the weight and getting good running form and everything you will need to do to be able to accomplish this goal, maybe you could talk to the track coach at your school? if there is one....of it might be a good idea for you to talk to a running coach, you seem like you like a plan and some structure and a coach would be able to help you gradually build up your training without hurting yourself. There are online coaches and also local coaches depending on where you live. If you live in a big enough community there are probably some running groups around that you could join too, those would be good for getting you initially running and just building up mileage
Are we there, yet?
Do you know anything about warming up before an intense running workout? You can't just drive or walk to the track, get out of your car, and run an all out effort 400m without risking an injury like a torn muscle. Nor is finding out what you can run for 400m right now all that important. While losing weight is something you should do, you don't need to put off training until you reach a more ideal weight. Get started with a running plan now. You mentioned being athletic but haven't given any indication of any actual running background. Assuming you don't do any running now, starting out running and walking easy for 30 minutes a day is a good starting point. If you find that too easy, cut back on the walking and increase the time gradually, but KEEP THE EFFORT EASY! Running is not a sport where all the training is hard. Only about 20% of all the miles you run will be at a hard effort. The rest are easy miles for recovery and building endurance. Once you can run 30-40 minutes non-stop, you can start incorporating some faster running like intervals. Now back to warming up in preparation for an all out 400m or mile: begin with 10-15 minute of easy running; run 4-6 strides starting easy and gradually increasing the pace so the last one is about 90% effort. Strides are 15-20 seconds at a faster pace with easy jogging or walking to recover. They are intended to prepare you for a race or fast workout, not to be the workout itself. Don't be disappointed if 4:00 is out of you reach. Only a few hundred runners, mostly elite college and professional runners, can do that in any given year. 5:00 or even 6:00 is still faster than most recreational runners ever manage.
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.
I fully support your quest.
The condition you're in right now means that it will most likely take you 2, maybe 3 years before you can achieve it, though. Assuming everything goes well and you avoid setbacks like injury.
Here's the secret shortcut: Run a lot.
Work your way up to 70+ miles a week. After you've done that for at least 6 months you can start thinking about specific speed/strength work on the track. That's the big picture, but week to week and day to day are different. Alternate hard/easy days and weeks so your body can recover and benefit from the hard work. The REST and RECOVERY is where you make your gains.
But, run a lot and get back to us this summer about the next steps.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
Oh, that thing about running being hard on the knees? It's a myth.
Several recent surveys and studies show no higher instance of knee problems in runners vs non-runners.
Losing weight is the #1 way to avoid injury and run faster. At 5'8 you'll want to at least get under 160lbs and preferably around 150lbs (assuming you're a male). But HEALTHY weight is the goal, it should be achieved through training not crash diets.
I fully support your quest. The condition you're in right now means that it will most likely take you 2, maybe 3 years before you can achieve it, though. Assuming everything goes well and you avoid setbacks like injury. Here's the secret shortcut: Run a lot. Work your way up to 70+ miles a week. After you've done that for at least 6 months you can start thinking about specific speed/strength work on the track. That's the big picture, but week to week and day to day are different. Alternate hard/easy days and weeks so your body can recover and benefit from the hard work. The REST and RECOVERY is where you make your gains. But, run a lot and get back to us this summer about the next steps.
No no no. He is trying to run a mile not a marathon. Do not worry about building up so many miles...yet.
Yes, I agree you need to do some warm up before trying to run an all out quarter otherwise you might pull a muscle! Guess I figured this was common sense.
Getting a coach down the road might be a good idea as well. Right now, you need personal data on your fitness and speed first.
Good supplementary training exercises include squats and deadlifts and lunges. Don't go full bore on those. Build up slowly. You are trying to build strength for RUNNING not for strength's sake. Although the NIKE program doesn't seem like much time training, if you do things properly it will be challenging. You will start to want/need those rest periods. DO NOT OVERDO and try to train to hard. IT will backfire.
Good luck Rinman!
Everyone I have talked to either online or in real life has called me crazy and that I shouldn't even attempt to try.
I also think you're crazy but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
Just know that there are many, many, many people--some of them on this board--who have dedicated a decade or more of their prime years at the expense of nearly all else only to come close enough yet far enough away from four minutes to prove to themselves that they simply weren't one of the winners of that particular genetic lottery.
I'd strongly suggest you set some intermediate goals.
Maybe if you stick with it long enough and train hard enough, you'll find the love of running and in the extremely likely event that you don't wind up going sub-4 you'll wind up with something really, really rewarding.
Runners run
No no no. He's trying to run a sub-4 minute mile, not run a mile. Based on his stated goal and current starting point, building to 70 mpw and then doing a couple/three years at 3,000+ miles per year seems like the minimum that would be required to even make an assessment of how feasible this is.
And I don't normally recommend fiction but this is an extreme case. Maybe read Once a Runner.
No no no. He's trying to run a sub-4 minute mile, not run a mile. Based on his stated goal and current starting point, building to 70 mpw and then doing a couple/three years at 3,000+ miles per year seems like the minimum that would be required to even make an assessment of how feasible this is. And I don't normally recommend fiction but this is an extreme case. Maybe read Once a Runner.
exactly.
Intervals, repeats, and other speed work come later. A "speed check" every once in a while is fine while building up a base, and a "strength" workout of long repeats like 20x400m w/400m walk/jog recovery is great but are not effective without putting in miles.
Slow, grinding, relentless miles per week.
There is no magic numerical repeat distance or recovery interval that will get you in good running shape faster than sheer mileage. It doesn't matter if it looks pretty on paper, like a 200-400-800-400-200 pyramid, or equals a race distance like 5x300m (1500m), or simulates race conditions like 1000-300-200 (1500m), or repeats that add up to a prime number or other numerological superstition.
I started running seriously at age 30, trained for 3 years straight for many shorter races (5K) and the very best I could do was 4:57 indoors at age 33 averaging 45 mpw and doing a lot of hard workouts. Maybe you might have better genetics than me.
If I were you, I'd get comfortable just running consistently for about 6 months and doing some harder strides (no more than 10 seconds) after a few runs per week just to condition yourself.
When you are ready, I'd buy the Daniel's Running Formula book. They have workout plans for the 800m and Mile which are difficult but they will get you in great shape.
Not to discourage you, but there are literally thousands of talented runners at the college level who never sniff sub-4:10. I was around a bunch of them a few years back and there was only one within a 10 year span at our Big 10 school that ran 4:00 flat.
Good luck.
When you were growing up was you faster than most kids your age?
if you were slower than most kids on the playground you are not going to run a 4 minute mile