With winter setting in and the challenge of being outside to train becoming less inviting, now might be the time to set yourself and little challenge of running a fats mile. Below are three, four week training plans to get you running a mile as fast as you can, all doable outdoors or indoors when the treadmill beckons.
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Four weeks isn't that long but it's plenty of time to make some serious improvements over a mile; the easy one is based on four days a week training, the moderate and hard plans based on 6-7 but with hard handing out a bigger work load.
x 100m strides around mile pace, on grass!
x 2K at 5K pace with 3-min recovery then 10 mins easy jog; then 8 x 150m hills.
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEEK 1 | Rest | 3Half marathon training plan for beginners | Rest | 3M inc 200m at estimated mile pace, then 200m jog; then 400m at mile pace; then 400m jog; then 400m at mile pace | Rest | 25 How to run a sub-2 hour half marathon | 45 mins slow |
| WEEK 2 | Rest | 4Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network | Rest | 4M inc 300m at mile pace, then 200m jog; then 600m at mile pace; then 400m jog; then 200m at faster than mile pace | Rest | 25 x 100m strides on grass, a little faster than last week. Focus on form | 45 mins slow |
| WEEK 3 | Rest | 4x 600m at mile pace, with 5-min recovery. Ideally use track | Rest | 4M inc 200m at mile pace, then 200m jog; then 800m at mile pace; then 400m jog; then 200m at faster than mile pace | Rest | 25 x 600m at mile pace, with 5-min recovery. Ideally use track | 45 mins slow |
| WEEK 4 | Rest | 4M inc 200m at mile pace, then 200m jog; then 1000m at mile pace; then 400m jog; then 400m at faster than mile pace | Rest | 3M inc 6 x 100m strides, 1 at 10K pace, 1 at 5K pace, 1 at 3K pace, 1 at mile pace, 1 at 800m pace, 1 at 400m pace | Rest | 25 x 100m strides on grass, a little faster than last week. Focus on form | Mile race! |
Easy 4 days a week.
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEEK 1 | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 10 Rest or 30 mins slow | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 2 mins easy with 4 x 100m strides at mile pace | Rest | 25-35 mins fartlek | 60-75 mins slow |
| WEEK 2 | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 10 x 100m strides on grass, a little faster than last week. Focus on form | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 4 x 400m at mile pace, with 30-sec recoveries; then 15 mins easy jog; then 2 x 400m with 1-min recovery, a little faster than the first set. Ideally use track | Rest | 5-6 Half marathon training plans | 60-75 mins slow |
| WEEK 3 | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 10 x 100m strides on grass, a little faster than last week. Focus on form | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 4 mins easy with 4 x 100m strides at mile pace | Rest | 800m at mile pace; then 30 secs recovery; then 400m slightly quicker; then 15 ins jog recovery; then 600m at mile pace; then 1 min recovery; then 400m quicker than last time | 60-75 mins slow |
| WEEK 4 | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 4 From easy to hard, these 3 training plans will get you running a mile faster in 4 weeks | M inc 7 x 100m strides, each faster than the last, to faster-than-mile pace | 10 x 100m strides on grass, a little faster than last week. Focus on form | Rest | 25-35 mins easy | Mile race! |
Hard. 6-7 days a week.
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEEK 1 | 30-40 mins slow | 3 x 800m at mile pace with 3-min recoveries then 10 mins easy jog; then 6 x 200m with recoveries of 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 seconds. | 30-40 mins slow | 1200m time trial; then 10 mins jog; then 4 x 400m with 2-min recoveries with 200m at 3K pace, 200m at 800m pace | Hard. 6-7 days a week | 2 Best Garmin deals | 70-80 mins slow |
| WEEK 2 | 30-40 mins slow | 4 x 600m at mile pace with 5-min recoveries then 10 mins easy jog; then 4 x 300m with 2-min recoveries with 200m at mile pace, 100mat 800 pace. | 30-40 mins slow | 1000m at mile pace then 10 mins Rest/jog; then 600m at quicker pace; then 10 mins Rest/jog; then 400m flat out | Hard. 6-7 days a week | 800m time trial (approx 5-10 secs quicker than mile pace); then 10 mins easy jog then 8 x150m hills | 70-80 mins slow |
| WEEK 3 | 30-40 mins slow |
8x400m at mile pace with 2-min recoveries then 10 mins easy jog; then 4 x 200m with 1-min recoveries with 100m at mile pace, 100m flat out. |
30-40 mins slow | 2 Half marathon training plans | Hard. 6-7 days a week | 1200m time trial (aim for quicker than first one at faster than mile target); then 10 mins jog; then 8 x 150m hills | 70-80 mins slow |
| WEEK 4 | 30-40 mins slow | Run 1500m with first 300m slightly quicker than mile pace, then fast 100m jog, then 800m at mile pace, then fast 100m jog, then 200m as fast as possible. Overall time should be similar to mile target. Then 10 mins jog then 6 x 200m with reducing recoveries of 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 seconds | 30-40 mins slow | 8 x 200m at mile pace with 1-min recoveries then 10 mins easy jog; then 4 x 200m with 1-min recoveries with 100m at mile pace, 100m flat out. | Hard. 6-7 days a week | 25-35 x 100m strides on grass, a little faster than last week. Focus on form | Mile race! |
