Tips to Improve Your Mile Run Time
We get this question every week “Coach, how do I improve my mile run time?”
You may be trying to get better for the next local 5k run or trying out for Special Forces.
These tips will help you if you apply each one with discipline. So check out these tips—with input from SGPT Coach Jeff Grant.
TIP #1: GO OUT AND RUN A MILE ON A FLAT TRACK AND RECORD YOUR TIME
This is your mile baseline time. If you don’t have a flat track, then run on the street without hills.
You can time yourself old school with a stopwatch and a buddy, but an easier way would be to use the timer on your phone, or, if you have one, on your GPS/FitBit/Apple Watch.
Record this time (and location) in your training log.
Question: Can I improve my run time in one week?
Answer: Depends on several factors, but it is doable for many people when the goal is a top priority. Increase your cadence and focus on pulling your feet off the ground instead of pushing off. If you’ve got extra weight to spare, lean out with clean eating and extra cardio. Get a new pair of shoes that are lighter. Dial in your mind game by choosing a mind hack, training with it, and relying on it when you test yourself at the end of the week.
TIP #2: SET YOUR TIME GOAL AND LINK IT TO A BROADER GOAL
Is your goal linked military assessment aspirations? A desire to run a faster 5K? A fitness transformation?
The specific number of minutes and seconds you set for your mile goal has a lot more power if you connect it to a larger goal.
And that power is what you’ll tap into to train at the intensity you need to run a faster mile. Once you’ve linked your goal, write down your desired time and put it where you can see it often.
Whether it’s to break 10 minutes or to break 5 minutes, or somewhere in between, commit to the number, believe in it, and then earn it with your training.
TIP #3: COMMIT TO A TRAINING PLAN
Also, make sure it includes appropriate rest and recovery—these are just as important to reaching your goals as the actual training.
Run at least twice a week, but not so much that your legs never have time to recover.
Fresh legs can help you run faster and with more intensity, which translates to lower times.
Make sure your training plan has purpose and that purpose fits your goal. Random ad-hoc runs won’t build speed, neither will following a high volume plan for marathon runners. Train smart and train for the task.
TIP #4: IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUE
Learn how to land on the ball of your foot, how to pull for efficiency and how to increase your cadence. Running with poor technique is like driving a car with the brakes on and the clutch half-engaged.
Poor running technique leads to overexertion/wasted energy, and can even lead to injury. You want to focus on running as efficiently and correctly as possibly, otherwise you’ll be nursing yourself back to health and basically having to start over as you’ll be back to slower run times.
For more info on technique, check out the Pose Method and Run Faster.
Question: What 5 different factors can contribute to decrease in a mile run time?
Answer: New running shoes, losing a few pounds, being properly hydrated, being warmed up, running technique (Pose Method) and mindset.
TIP #5: INVEST TIME IN TRAINING YOUR MIND
Regularly visualize yourself reaching your goal. You will become what you see in your mind, what you think, and what you believe.
Mental preparation is the key. Use mind hacks to help you endure the pain of intensity. Mental Training is so critical that we include it directly in our 8 Week Run Faster program.
TIP #6: GET A RUNNING BUDDY TO CHALLENGE AND PUSH YOU
A workout partner helps push the pace. Intensity will boost your workouts, your performance and make it fun.
Consider using an app such as Strava that provides extra motivation by helping you compete with yourself and others over specific segments of your runs.
Tip #7: GET PLENTY OF SLEEP TO REST YOUR BODY AND MIND
Treat your rest day like a workout day and allow your body to recover.
Check out this article on sleep and rest for athletes.
Also, stretch on your off days. A good session of yoga will also help to lengthen the muscles, increase restorative blood flow and relax your mind.
Tip #8: FACTOR IN FUNCTIONAL TRAINING WORKOUTS
These will build your cardio, general strength and core strength.
Try rowing, box jumps, air squats, jumping air squats and workouts on Air Dyne-style bikes (stationary bikes with moving handles you can push and pull for deeper conditioning) to supplement your running workouts.
A simple box, which you can build yourself or buy and screw together will help you build strength via body weight or weighted box step-ups and power via box jumps.
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Power is particularly important to your ability to run a faster mile.
Check out the CFF 3 – N – 1 Wood Plyo Box @ Amazon.com
Question: I get cramps if I run long distance in the warmer months. Do you have anything to help with that?
Answer: Check out Nuun Electrolyte Tablets. You can add these to your water bottle and it will definitely help you alleviate cramps. One of the guys at our gym does endurance running and swears by Nuun tablets.
TIP #9: REGULARLY INCLUDE HIIT WORKOUTS
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sessions—such as Tabata sprints—will bolster your conditioning and improve your speed.
From 50 meter sprints to 800 meter intervals, these distances can be brutally challenging at full intensity, but are worth the blood, sweat, and tears in their ability to transform your speed.
Hill running workouts will also improve strength and power, which translates to speed. For a really good resource on how to use hills to your best advantage, check out Hill Running: Survive and Thrive, also by Jeff Grant.
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Here’s an example of one of our High Intensity Running workouts that integrates mind training and technique.
Complete the technique drill first as a part of your warm-up. Then, Run #1 and 2, incorporating the Mind Hack. “Other People” means racing others, supporting others and honoring others in your mind.
- Run #1
Intervals: 800 yards / meters x 3
Rest 2min in between the 800s
After the 3rd interval, rest 3min - Run #2
400 yards / meters x 3
Rest 1min in between the 400s - Mind Hack
Other People—Mind Hack #2: Use each level per 800 and each per 400. Note how your body responds to each. If you don’t have anyone to compete against or cheer, just visualize a good friend or fellow competitor. - Technique Drill
Cadence: Run 1min at 180BPM, 1min at 200BPM, 1min at 190BPM, 1min at 180BPM.
TIP #10: GO PICK OUT A NEW PAIR OF KICKS
New shoes translate to lower times. Mentally, you feel excited with new shoes and, physically, you need shoes that provide just enough support for the surface you are running on, but no extra cushioning, motion control, or gimmicks.
It’s a different story if you are required to run in boots, in which case you need to train in them.
If you are transitioning from heavily cushioned running shoes (with a heel-toe differential or “drop” of more than 6mm), take you time transitioning down to shoes that are between zero drop and 4mm drop.
Check out the Nike Free Run+ 2 Running Shoes @ Amazon.com
TIP #11: KEEP A TRAINING LOG
Keep a training log for running. Note type of workout (long slow endurance, sprints, etc), terrain (track, street, trail, etc.) and conditions (heat, wind, snow, etc.).
Also good to note how you felt during the run, mentally and physically to pay attention to any negative thoughts getting in your way (as mentioned in Tip #5).
Check out this article on how to set up a Training log and keep it updated.
TIP #12: BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF
You will have good days and bad days.
For your body to adapt to speed, it must be pushed out of your comfort zone and given time to bounce back. Make sure you have sufficient taper time after your last high intensity workouts before any race or running speed assessment.
TIP #13: KEEP YOUR TRAINING WELL-ROUNDEDÂ
More miles do not make you faster. Intensity makes you faster. Technique makes you faster. Consistency makes you faster. Mind training makes you faster. Recovery and rest days make you faster. Good nutrition makes you faster.
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Invest in those areas and don’t ramp up your volume too quickly or rely on volume alone to change your mile time.
Trying to take shortcuts—especially with recovery and nutrition—can actually make it harder to reach your goals (and add more time.)
Concept2 Model E Indoor Rowing Machine
Question: What is a good training book I can read to help me improve my running further?
Answer: Running is like any sport in that you want to train with discipline and a few good tips can set you on the path towards success. Once you’ve improved your technique and committed to training consistently, your gains will come from training and improving your mind game. For that, we like the book Flow State Runner.
Tip #14: SIGN UP AND ENTER A RACE
Running in a competition is a great way to boost your training as you will have a goal and will also run harder in the pack against your rivals. There is nothing like competition to help you get better.
Tip #15: TRAIN FOR THE WORST CONDITIONS YOU MIGHT ENCOUNTER
Rain, cold, dark, early in the day, late in the day—the more you train in similar conditions, the easier it will be for you to complete the race.
If you’ve trained under a specific condition, you’ll know how to adapt and react. This is key especially during a race as weather may be predicted as good, but the day of the race, it may start raining or be colder.
Part of mental preparation/mind hacking is physical preparation within a variety of conditions. The more you replicate them, the less apt you are to start thinking negatively.
TIP #16: ADAPT YOUR TRAINING TO YOUR AVAILABLE TOOLS
When you’re traveling and don’t have a good place to run, or simply want to cross-train cardio while still supporting your mile time goals, we recommend a HIIT session of Tabata Intervals on the rower, bike or other fitness machine.
Tabata is 8 rounds of 20 second full intensity intervals with 10 second rest breaks after each interval.
Warm-up and cool down well (5-10min each) and work at FULL INTENSITY for each 20-second interval.
Question: What is a good running shoe to get started with training?
Answer: You can’t go wrong with the Nike Free 5.0 running shoe. This is a good all around running shoe and a good value for the dollar. Also check out the Inov-8 F-Lite 235 Functional Fitness Shoe @ Amazon.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Brad McLeod knows first hand about mental toughness. After passing Hell Week and Dive Pool Comp at BUD/S, he failed a math test and was kicked out of training. A year later, he returned, graduated, and served as an operator on the Navy SEAL Teams.
Today, he is one of the most sought after mental conditioning coaches in the world. SEALgrinderPT audios and ebooks have been downloaded in 20 different countries around the globe. Check out SEALgrinderPT Coaching to help you step up and take hold of your dreams and realize your goals.
Jeff Grant’s passion is in coaching–in helping people unlock their potential and break through cycles of stress, overload, and inaction. Jeff is a specialist mind training and running coach and currently lives in Switzerland. He is constantly finding new ways to challenge himself—such as completing an event to honor D-Day and raise funds for the Navy SEAL Museum, where participants swam to France from 10KM offshore and rucked 25 miles inland.
You can find out more about Jeff at his website Hillseeker.
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March 1, 2013 @ 10:06 am
When I started to train with Coach McLeod, he sent me this article and I have used the information religiously to where my mile run time is down to 7:43 from over 9 minutes when we started and it continues to drop. Print this article if you can, read it and study it. It works.
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October 20, 2013 @ 2:14 pm
Currently training for the USAF Pararescue PAST, had a 1.5mile run time of 13:44min. My goal is to meet and exceed the minimum PAST 1.5mi time of 9:47.
These are all solid tips from Coach McLeod, will definitely see improvements in my running time and my running time after the 500m swim in the PJ PAST. Improvements to follow. Hooyah!
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June 16, 2014 @ 1:37 pm
Hills, hills, and hills. I take time every week to dedicate to hills. I need to run more consistently but inserting thoselong hill runs keeps me improving significantly without taking as many days to dedicate to it. Though I should.
June 16, 2014 @ 1:54 pm
Good tips Tyler. Thanks for posting.
October 1, 2014 @ 12:23 pm
Brad awesome article. These are all tremendous tips. I would also add in the addition of resisted speed running. As you pointed out with using strength training to enhance performance this can also be done with the addition of a weighted vest, bungees, etc.
For distance runners this would obviously be better to implement during days of doing interval work. I like to throw in weighted vests on days I do intervals to enhance my work capacity and to further raise that lactic acid threshold. It has no doubt sped up the process of enhancing my performance. Thanks again for sharing.
October 1, 2014 @ 3:25 pm
Excellent article.
December 13, 2014 @ 12:31 pm
I am in a reconnaissance unit wich requires speed and endurance for run, ruck, swimming with gear this and the hill running helps as well as a switch up of intense treadmill and battle ropes I’ve found to work as well.
December 19, 2014 @ 11:48 am
Thanks RJ for that info!
email me brad “at” sealgrinderpt “dot” com and I will send you a free motivational audio.
February 8, 2015 @ 4:33 pm
I recently sent this email to Brad,
“I recently joined my NROTC unit’s endurance team, running isn’t my strongest trait but I am not the slowest. However I want to be in the top 4 to start for the team. We run around 5 miles a day for three days a week.”
He recommended this article and I have been following the tips it has been giving me. I have already seen improvement.
April 1, 2015 @ 8:07 pm
Hey Coach! Got some awesome news. I’ve been running 2 miles a day every night after work. My goal is 10 a day before I take my PST. I’ve discovered how incredible the mind and minds outlook truly is over the past 2 nights.
Monday night I clocked in at about 13:48 I believe. On Tuesday night I said “ok, on the hardest parts, smile and picture a Trident directly in front of you but it moves away as fast as you move” and clocked in at 13:21! Last night, I said “Ok, now with last nights tweaks, always physically keep your head up and forward” and clocked in at 13:08!
Hope all is well and we can talk on the phone soon.
Ryan Greer
May 22, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
1 mile 7,05 min
May 29, 2015 @ 6:57 am
Great article, I have had a busy month of may, I completed my first half marathon and the murph challenge. I had a time of 2:51 for my half and 1:07 for the challenge w/o vest. I enjoyed your primer audio and am starting to work on improving both those times for next year and hopefully shed at least another 20 lbs. What would be a good set of audios to purchase next to get going.
Thanks for the motivation
December 12, 2015 @ 2:26 pm
Hey. I am having issues with running. I have been told it is my breathing, which makes sense because I haven’t been able to run a mile in less than 9:25 w/o panting like a dog in a Georgia summer. (I am 19yo; 140lbs; 6’1″; approx. 7% body fat) I don’t have time to try b.s. since I am enlisting in a month.
Thanks in advance
December 14, 2015 @ 9:39 pm
You always have time- you just have to make time. Check out the tips above. Print them out and go through them step by step and you will see improvements if you do every step.
post up your scores in the comments here and I will see them and help you be accountable. You can improve and I will help you.
December 15, 2015 @ 8:34 pm
I have already done most of the stuff here. The rest of which I am working on breaking my physical limits to be able to achieve. I talked to my recruiter about this. He said run three times a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Wednesday I do sprints and Monday and Friday regular mile runs.
December 16, 2015 @ 9:51 pm
Good to hear Luke — post up some of your upcoming run times and distances in comments and I will check in with you for accountability.
December 14, 2015 @ 6:55 pm
I used to compete in 1500m races a long time ago. As I had almost no time for training I did 5 x 400m sprints with a 1 minute break in between two sprints during my lunch breaks. That was almost my only training and I got my time for 1500m down to 4:07 (obviously on the track). That is more than 25 years ago and intervall training was not known back then, but the method really worked.
December 14, 2015 @ 9:03 pm
Thanks for the tips Franz!
December 23, 2015 @ 2:03 pm
I started running at the beginning of September and I run 2 k twice a week but I’ve seen little improvement it’s starting to get very frustrating any tips or workouts would be very appreciated
December 28, 2015 @ 9:50 pm
Check out the tips above. Do the mile run and test yourself and post your score in comments here as I will see it and hold you accountability.
January 9, 2016 @ 8:29 am
Hello sir, I just completed my training after about 11 months on active orders, I joined the reserves for family reasons but my Ultimate Goal is to be a SEAL. I wanted to get my foot in the door in the military though so i joined the reserves for the time being. Im starting to build my packet for transfer to NSW as we speak. I trained with some team guys quite often and they were some positive motivators to push me while i was in VA Beach, had me in the right direction, doing all the right things and having those types of people around back home is difficult to find. Now that im back home i have sort of lost my motivation i dont have the same positive atmosphere as i did in VA Beach. I’ve trained for a long time prior to service but I’ve struggled with running lately not real sure how to fix it to where I can up my distance and my 1.5 speed for my PST as well. I done an 8 mile ruck with a 20 lb. Vest the other day and had this insane lower back pain and some slight shin and ankle pain, I was curious if you had some tips on staying motivated even though I don’t have the same positive atmosphere that I was in in VA. Beach. Also, if you have any tips on form while running since i think that’s what has been getting me on my distance runs and progressive types of speed intervals for my PST. Thanks alot sir look forward to your response.
January 12, 2016 @ 11:41 pm
We have several articles about getting rid of the negative — here is one:
https://sealgrinderpt.com/navy-seal-workout/get-rid-of-this-negative-people.html/
January 11, 2016 @ 3:37 pm
Today I ran my IST at our monthly pool function. I did 7 pull-ups, 115 crunches, but completely blew my run with an awful 1.5 miles in 13:39. The cold weather kills me when running….not sure how to get past it, or to get back into running longer. Thank you!
January 12, 2016 @ 4:36 am
Brad,
Did Murph for the first time and it kicked my ass! How often should a beginner do the Murpg workout? Weekly? Every other?
January 12, 2016 @ 11:27 pm
a beginner should cut Murph workout in half and do once a month. Next month do 3/4. Next month full Murph without vest.
January 13, 2016 @ 6:22 am
Great! Thanks. (Although it’s going to be tough on the psyche cutting the reps!)
February 2, 2016 @ 7:47 pm
This was pretty useful even though I’m experienced. I’m focusing on improving my mile to 4:30 or lower. I’m currently at 4:52. My track season is coming up and I’m aiming on doing good as my first year in Varsity.
April 5, 2016 @ 2:31 pm
Nice article. Lots of great tips. I was a running newbie (hated to run) last year and have progressed to the point where I am running half marathons now. I tried the POSE method of running and found that in longer runs, it’s largely ineffective, for me at least. For a 5k or less, yes, works fine. The best advice I ever received regarding running was to just RELAX. Relax the shoulders, arms, hips etc. Everything else has fallen into place for me when I just relax. Hip and ankle mobility has also helped my running tremendously. If you work out extensively and try to run on top of those workouts, I highly recommend recovery tights. They really do help my legs recover faster.
June 1, 2016 @ 6:06 pm
This is all great information. Does the same stuff apply to improving 4 mile run times? I’m trying to get to where I can hold a 6:30 pace for 4 miles, but I’m having trouble with shin pain during longer runs. Is it still better to work at shorter sprint distances to improve my 4 mile time?
June 1, 2016 @ 9:06 pm
we have a 5k tips article also. If you are having shin pain then take some time off from running — try swimming or rowing.
September 14, 2017 @ 5:40 pm
Hi Mr. McLeod,
I have a question about running. I use to run a lot when I was in 8th and 9th grade. I had to stop because I got Osgood Schlatter. Now I am a senior in high school and I’m starting to run again. I keep getting cramps at the bottom of my rib cage. I can’t get them to go away. Do you have any advice on what to do? Thank you.
Finn
September 17, 2017 @ 11:46 am
This is a cramp that is occurring. Before you run make sure you hydrate properly. Stop during your run and stretch your rib cage by putting your hands over head. Grab a doorway and stretch side ways. Avoid eating a heavy meal within 2 hours of running. Work on building up your core doing plank position before you go to bed. Breath in deep to your belly starting through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Best of luck in your upcoming running workouts.
September 18, 2017 @ 5:57 pm
Thank you so much Mr. McLeod!
SEALgrinderPT Interviews Professional Mountain Biker Kyle Trudeau | SEALgrinderPT
May 9, 2019 @ 4:32 pm
[…] ANSWER: Yes—check out this article: Tips to Improve Your Mile Run Time. […]