Project Breaking 5; Part 1

Can I run a sub 5 minute mile? As a distance runner, I have never trained for a race less than 10K. That's not to say I don't race shorter distances, but when I do target races like a 5K or 5 miler, I never have done intervals to get my body ready for those distances. Instead, it is always incorporated as speed workout with the goal race usually a marathon a few weeks or longer after the race. But, I posed the challenge to myself - can I get my body in shape to break 5 minutes in a track race? As a long distance runner, I don't often run under 6 minutes a mile. For any race under 10K, I'm close to that 6 minute pace. I focus more on the marathon distance where my average pace is close to 7 minutes. If I'm having a great marathon, it's near 6:50.

I have two previous mile races as an adult: July 30, 3008, at the DC Road Runners Club track meet, I ran a respectable 5:24; and July 24, 2014, I shaved 11 seconds for a 5:13. I probably cost myself a few seconds by looking at my watch. To tackle this goal, I recruited my fellow running partner, Shawn. We both have run strong races this fall. And, the timing works out well as we both train for the New York City Marathon. Shawn is coming off a string of 5K races where he is setting personal records. I have raced three marathons so far this year and two stroller races and have been pleased with my results. A few weeks ago, we decided to try to break 5 minutes for the mile at the next DC Road Runners Club track meet, July 21 at Dunbar High School in D.C.

We devised a training plan: with about a month to train, we figured we needed to build up our speed by working on a track. McKinley Tech is just off the MBT and has a nice track. If we could train in high speed with long rest intervals, that could put us in shape to accomplish our goal. We started training on June 21; we ran to the track as our warm up; ran one lap broken up into four striders with equal rest. Then we ran 8 repeats of .2 according to Shawn's Garmin with half a mile slow jog. Our cool down was our run home. Our results were encouraging: 

4:52, 4:51, 4:47, 4:48, 4:53, 4:49, 4:45, and 4:27.

We were really pleased that each interval was under our target. That gave us the confidence that maybe we actually could pull off this feat. On Monday, we ran tempo since Shawn is trying to run 7.5 miles a week at speed (about 10% of his total mileage). On a day where I ran 12 total miles and he then ran to work after, we ran our infamous 3, 2, 1 = warm up, 3 miles marathon pace; 3 minutes standing rest; 2 miles marathon pace; 2 minutes standing rest; 1 mile marathon pace; 1 mile standing rest; cool down. Our results:

3 miles (6:48/45/40), 2 miles (6:49/35), 1 mile (6:40)

Yesterday, we did our second mile specific training session. We ran our warm up from our meeting spot by the Brookland Metro to McKinley Tech, then ran our 1 lap of four striders. This time, we ran longer with longer rest: 2 minutes at mile race pace and 1 mile of easy jog. Again, we were pleased with our effort:

4:53 (.42 miles), 4:53 (.42 miles), 4:53 (.42 miles), 5:00 (.40 miles)

Shawn's Garmin had us at 4:48, 4:49, 4:57, 4:43; .42/.42/.40/.42

The discrepancy could be for a number of reasons. Garmin isn't 100% accurate. He tended to run a step to my right possibly giving him a longer distance to travel. Yet, in the final lap, I passed and held him off, which was a good thing because he stated that he might have slowed had I not pushed the pace. I had decided with a lap to go I would make my move and try to hold on to mimic the final lap of the mile attempt. I felt it was the fastest mile which is why I was confused to see 5:00 on my watch but 4:43 on Shawn's. Either way, we're still on target.

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