Training for the Mile
The mile doesn’t get a lot of love in the world of recreational running. Runners are usually looking to run farther and longer, so the mile isn’t often considered as a “goal race.” But when runners set their sights on the mile the challenge isn’t in the distance, but in covering that distance as quickly as possible.
Running the mile well is a different kind of challenge than longer races, and it certainly isn’t easier.
Here’s what it takes to prepare for the mile.
1) A Lot of Running
The mile might seem super short (and it is, compared to the marathon!) but milers need to run a lot of miles in training to do a single mile fast.
As a coach of recreational runners, I generally aim to reach at least 20 miles (30 km) per week for mile training. Ideally, weekly volume would build to at least 30 miles (50 km). While this may seem like a lot, some of the world’s top milers run upwards of 80-90 miles (130-145 km) per week. The high volume of running develops a foundation of cardiovascular fitness that allows milers to maintain a fast pace for the entire mile.
2) Variety
While variety is a necessary training component for runners of all distances, there’s no event that demands a greater range of variety than the mile. Milers do long runs, all-out sprinting, and everything in between. As mentioned above, milers need to run a lot and most of that running will be easy and comfortable, but some workouts for milers should include high intensity running.
Scroll Down to see an actual 10-week training plan case study for two current Sifuentes Coaching milers.
Click to Read 5 Rules for Planning Your Training Schedule.
3) Appropriate Expectations
The mile is physically painful in a different way than longer races are. This physical discomfort should be experienced in training (albeit rarely) to help runners mentally prepare for the race. Milers need to understand and expect that for most of the race they will be running very uncomfortably hard, and that this is part of the plan.
Click to Read Races Are Supposed to Hurt
4) Repetition
Performing well in a mile race requires so much more than physical fitness. Milers need to be well practiced at pacing themselves. In order to reach their potential in a race, a miler must have the ability to “ride the line” of fatigue without going beyond it. The only way to learn this skill is by doing, and fortunately, the mile is a short distance so it can be raced much more often than longer distances. While it isn’t smart to be running marathons every month, it is possible to race the mile (well) 2-3 times per month for a couple months of the year (not year round).
A Case Study
This training plan was developed specifically for two runners based on their current level of ability and their goal. This outline is offered to illustrate the extent of variety in their training and is not meant to be used as a template for others. Paces are not provided for this reason. If you are interested in custom, individualized training plans, please schedule a free phone consultation.
These two runners have been training to run under 5 minutes in the mile. Here’s an overview of their training with Sifuentes Coaching.
Overall weekly volume started at 20 miles in 5 days and peaked at 37 miles in 6 days.
Long Run started at 6 miles in Week 1 and peaked at 8.5 miles.
Week 1
Workout 1: Snake Run™
Workout 2: Track intervals, 2x (4x400m) *tempo pace!
Week 2
Workout 1: Tempo Running, 2x 1mile
Workout 2: Track intervals, 3x (300m-200m-100m)
Week 3
Workout 1: Progression Run, 4 miles starting moderate ending Tempo effort
Workout 2: 10x 30sec Hill repeats
Week 4
Workout 1: Tempo running, 6x half-mile on the roads
Workout 2: Track intervals, 4x (2x200m)
Week 5
Workout 1: Tempo running, mile/halfmile/mile/halfmile + 1 hard quarter-mile on the roads.
Workout 2: 8x 80sec Hill repeats, hard
Week 6
Workout 1: Tempo running, 5x 1km + 3x (2x 200m) on the track
Workout 2: 8x 80sec hill repeats, hard
Week 7
Workout 1: Track intervals, 3x 400m (hard and fast)
Workout 2: Hard long run, 8+ miles
Week 8
Workout 1: Tempo running, 2x 1mile, followed by 3x (4x200m) on the track
Workout 2: Track intervals, 2x 800m (race predictor 2:25/ 2:20)
Week 9
Workout 1: Tempo running, 4 miles progression on the road
Workout 2: Track intervals, 200m, 300m, 400m, 600m, 1000m & back down
Week 10
Workout 1: Track tuneup, 1km tempo + 4x 150m
Workout 2: THE MILE RACE (Results: Kyle 4:57.5. Antonio 5:00.7) Watch the Video
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.