What is a "good" time in running a mile? (program, training)

[Splinter]

I've never been a runner...have just always hated it. However, I got motivated last Friday to go to the Y and try to work my way up to running a mile. On Friday and Saturday, I alternated running/walking every quarter mile...did a total of 2 miles. Then Monday & Wednesday I ran 1/2 mile, walked qtr, ran a half, etc for 2 miles.

Finally, this past Friday, I was able to run a mile non stop in 8 min, 40 sec. Is this a good time? Is it generally easy to improve your time in the mile??

[drjones96]

Well....i guess it depends on your definition of what a "good" time is. 8min is a good time for a casual runner.

I know I could go run a 7-8 min mile this afternoon if I wanted to. In high school I did it in 6min 32 sec. I'm not a track star by any means. I only ran for conditioning for basketball.

History:
For a long time nobody could seem to break the 4min mile barrier. It was broken in 1954 by Roger Bannister. Since then the record has been lowered by 17 seconds.

Four-minute mile - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[streetscenes]

Originally Posted by Splinter

I've never been a runner...have just always hated it. However, I got motivated last Friday to go to the Y and try to work my way up to running a mile. On Friday and Saturday, I alternated running/walking every quarter mile...did a total of 2 miles. Then Monday & Wednesday I ran 1/2 mile, walked qtr, ran a half, etc for 2 miles.

Finally, this past Friday, I was able to run a mile non stop in 8 min, 40 sec. Is this a good time? Is it generally easy to improve your time in the mile??

A 8:40 mile is a great time if you can keep it up. If you could sustain that pace you would finish a marathon in under 4 hours which is a fantastic time. If you are serious about running and training for endurance events you will have to slow down. I've been training for a half marathon this fall and as the distances and times have increased my pace has slowed considerably, which is the point of the training program I'm on. My mile time has decreased from 9:30 to around 11 minutes per mile. For the sake of injury prevention and finishing an endurance event we train to run for periods of time and not necessarily distance or pace. As I become accustomed to running distances and the pounding it puts on my body I can work on improving my race times, first things first.

[jkcoop]

It's a good time - but it also depends on what your goals are.

I run 4 miles a day, my average pace is 9 min. 40 secs. I could run a faster mile - if I only ran a mile. I run strictly for exercise. I don't do any competing, etc.

[ogre]

JKCoop has it right on. It depends on your goals. In a track meet you'd be left in the dust with an 8:40 mile, but this is a solid time for conditioning. It becomes really good if you can work up to running several miles at this pace.

[drjones96]

Originally Posted by jkcoop

I could run a faster mile - if I only ran a mile.

I think this is a key statement. If you know up front you're only going to have to make it a mile you can take it up a notch. You're essentially doing a time trial. You can, with sufficient experience, train to run that distance so that at the end of the run you are completely drained. You just have to know your body and be able to judge how much gas you have left in the tank throughout the run. If you get to halfway and you think you can easily make it then you haven't gone hard enough in the first half. If you're dying then you've gone out too hard in the begining....you should only feel like you're dying close to the end. All it takes is practice.

Edit- Just for fun sometimes I would go out and see if I could run a 1/4 mi in 1 min. It gives you a good idea of what it would take to do a 4 min mile. After that you'll think to yourself "HTH do they do it???" LOL

I have a similar thought with regard to cycling. If I was only going to do a 10 mile ride I could average 24mph(on the flat)...but if I was going to ride 50 miles I'd need to back it down....a lot.

[arguy1973]

i usually can run a mile faster when I am being chased. other than that im pretty slow.

[lola8822]

Originally Posted by arguy1973

i usually can run a mile faster when I am being chased. other than that im pretty slow.

and didn't I tell ya' to stay away from those staties?

[arguy1973]

Originally Posted by lola8822

and didn't I tell ya' to stay away from those staties?

sometimes i just dont listen

[lola8822]

Originally Posted by arguy1973

sometimes i just dont listen

or ask for directions