tips?

Options
Hey everyone. Currently I run a mile in thirteen minutes. I really would LOVE to do it in ten. Does any
One have any tips on how to get my time down lower? Or is it more of a you just have to push your self thing?

Replies

  • ixiHemlock
    ixiHemlock Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    Wowie! Congrats on the speed you're already at. I'm no help what-so-ever in speed training but I think 13-min mile is so cool already :) good luck
  • satoshieyes
    Options
    I would give my way but it's only effective on a treadmill sadly
  • Simomofmich
    Simomofmich Posts: 126 Member
    Options
    I do believe you have to push your self or you will not reach new goals if you don't. Can you run half a mile in 5 mins? I would alternate between your 13 min mile and a half mile in 5 mins and go from there myself.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    Options
    Run more miles and then run some more miles. Don't worry about pace to much, as you build your endurance, you'll get faster over the shorter distances.
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    Have you tried interval training? I do this once a week -- run as fast as you can for one minute, followed by two minutes of walking or slow jogging, then repeat. This is supposed to help with speed and endurance.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    Options
    Run more miles and then run some more miles. Don't worry about pace to much, as you build your endurance, you'll get faster over the shorter distances.

    This.
    Run a lot. Mostly easy sometimes hard.
    Slowly build your mileage and speed will come naturally.
  • xoAmyxo
    xoAmyxo Posts: 110
    Options
    Ty ereshkigaleye. I'm going to try that five min half a mile thing tomorrow....never done the interval thing but I always feel bad if I walk? That i need to be jogging/running
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    Options
    Hill repeats and interval training helped me. I didn't do intervals with running and walking though. I do intervals with running and faster running.

    When I do a long run, I run I do thirty seconds of pick-ups, (faster running with a long stride) every 15 minutes no matter how long the run is.

    Also, you can run one minute easy and one minute hard, or three minutes easy, three hard. and so on. You don't need to go off of pace for this stuff, just time it and run hard and easy. Believe it or not, intervals can be really fun. Then you can run intervals on hills!
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    I used to feel bad about walking, and would do intervals with jogging and then sprinting, but truthfully the jogging just meant I wasn't able to give the sprinting as much effort by the end. I did some research and decided it was actually a good thing to walk to get my heart rate back down.

    But, I think you can still see some effectiveness even if you jog, just make sure you are taking it easy enough that you can really get your heart rate back down, and have enough energy left to give it your all during the sprints. I think it is key that the sprint really be your hardest effort.
  • thcri
    thcri Posts: 459 Member
    Options
    Do spurts. Run your norm and then do a two minute all out then drop back. Keep doing that and as others said, just keep running, you will get there.

    Hill repeats and interval training helped me. I didn't do intervals with running and walking though. I do intervals with running and faster running.

    whoops, said above
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    Options
    I'm going to have to argue against speed work. Just for the fact that speed work for beginner runners generally leads to injury. Unless you have a decent base to work off of the risk of injury outweighs any potential gains that may be made.
  • jadebvb92
    Options
    Currently on the treadmill im at 18-20 minutes a mile so ur doing far better than i am :D i was told that the longer i work at it the better/faster i will get
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    Options
    I'm going to have to argue against speed work. Just for the fact that speed work for beginner runners generally leads to injury. Unless you have a decent base to work off of the risk of injury outweighs any potential gains that may be made.

    When I started running I ran a 13 minute mile, now I can average a 10 minute mile from doing speed work once a week, alternating weeks between hills and intervals. I was and still consider myself a beginning runner.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    Options
    I'm going to have to argue against speed work. Just for the fact that speed work for beginner runners generally leads to injury. Unless you have a decent base to work off of the risk of injury outweighs any potential gains that may be made.

    When I started running I ran a 13 minute mile, now I can average a 10 minute mile from doing speed work once a week, alternating weeks between hills and intervals. I was and still consider myself a beginning runner.

    I think the difference being you have a great base, as one does when building enough mileage to complete ING NY Marathon.
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    Options
    I'm going to have to argue against speed work. Just for the fact that speed work for beginner runners generally leads to injury. Unless you have a decent base to work off of the risk of injury outweighs any potential gains that may be made.

    When I started running I ran a 13 minute mile, now I can average a 10 minute mile from doing speed work once a week, alternating weeks between hills and intervals. I was and still consider myself a beginning runner.

    I think the difference being you have a great base, as one does when building enough mileage to complete ING NY Marathon.

    No way, I started from nothing and worked forward. I had NO base. I couldn't run 2 miles without stopping. Intervals don't need to be fast, they just need to be challenging.
  • charityateet
    charityateet Posts: 576 Member
    Options
    I'm going to have to argue against speed work. Just for the fact that speed work for beginner runners generally leads to injury. Unless you have a decent base to work off of the risk of injury outweighs any potential gains that may be made.

    When I started running I ran a 13 minute mile, now I can average a 10 minute mile from doing speed work once a week, alternating weeks between hills and intervals. I was and still consider myself a beginning runner.

    I think the difference being you have a great base, as one does when building enough mileage to complete ING NY Marathon.

    No way, I started from nothing and worked forward. I had NO base. I couldn't run 2 miles without stopping. Intervals don't need to be fast, they just need to be challenging.

    Jumping in here - I agree with both of you. I think intervals done WRONG for beginners is a recipe for disaster. I don't think this OP who is getting comfortable with 13 minute miles should go out and run a half of a mile in 5 minutes (sorry whoever suggested that) I do however think that she should start interval training at a LOWER speed. If you can run 13 minute miles, run 12 minute miles for ONE minute and then slow back down to 13 min miles for a couple minutes - do that ONCE a week. Once a week ALSO, walk or jog at an incline (on a treadmill or hills) at whatever pace you can comfortably maintain (ok, not comfortable, you know what I mean). This has gotten me to do sub 10 minute miles - but no way in hell could I go from 12 minute miles to 9 minute miles without doing it kind of gradually.