1.5 Mile Run - How Much Time Can I Shave Off in 6 Months?

by Charles

I am now out of shape (too many fags and drinks over the past 10 years!).

Time has come and I need to seriously start getting fit again because I have a 1.5 mile run test in about 6 months.

With strict training approx how much time could I expect to shave off in 6 months?

Would love to get it down to 8 mins or less... could it be done??

First run was 10 min 30sec.

Answer by Dominique:

Hi there,
Thanks for your question about your 1.5 mile run test.

And let me say: Hallelujah! Somebody who wants to improve their 1.5 mile run time and giving themselves plenty of time to try and do it. Sorry, I sometimes get a bit frustrated when somebody wants to achieve the unachievable in a matter of 1-3 weeks.

Six months is a really solid lead time that should help see you improve.

Let's talk about:

1. How achievable is a 1.5 mile run in 8 minutes?
2. What is the training you need to achieve your goal?

How Achievable is a 1.5 Mile Run in 8 Minutes?

You said you are currently completely out of shape and are able to do the 1.5 mile run in 10 mins and 30 secs. I would consider that an excellent, excellent starting point. I imagine there are many people reading this post who will be quite envious of what you are able to do without training and out of shape.

Now clearly, you will be able to improve from your starting point. It is a massive leap to go from 10.5 minutes to 8 minutes over 1.5 miles. It is a short distance to play with. And you are looking for a 30% improvement. So, that's kind of big.

10:30 minutes for 1.5 miles equates to 7 minutes / mile (4:22 min/k).

8 minutes for 1.5 miles equates to 5:20 minutes / mile (3:20 min/k).

That's a lot of improvement needed. Whether you are actually able to reach that will be determined by:

1. How much you are willing to train
2. Ability to adjust some of your bad habits - both drinking and smoking have a clear detrimental impact on your fitness
3. Your talent

With regards to talent... I think there are certain levels that any reasonably fit individual can reach. But being able to run at 5:20 min/mile speed for a prolonged period of time will also depend on your talent. I know many good runners who can run brilliantly. But they are not able to hit that speed for eight minutes straight.

Regardless of whether you are able to reach that 8 minutes goal for the 1.5 mile run, there is a lot of joy in improving your fitness and improving your performance over time! So, let's worry less about the possibility of hitting sub-8 or not and let's get into the training you need to do to get closer to your goal.

What is the Training You Need to Achieve Your Goal?

The general approach would be to build up your ability to run longer distances with a focus on faster workouts closer to the race.

That's a one sentence summary of what can be a complex process. But it is pretty much what it comes down to. Let's get a bit clearer about this:

Consistency is key. Make sure you do at least four runs per week. Generally I tell somebody wanting to get fit that they should run three times per week at least. But your goals are ambitious. So, I'd encourage you to run more if you can. Start with four times per week. When that all goes well, it would be worth increasing to five or six times per week. Running very consistently and often will help you improve heaps over the next six months.

Mostly slow running. The crazy thing about running fast is that you need to do lots of slower miles. Run easy, run far. This will build your engine. This will make you stronger for longer. Which will help get you faster. Check out the base running page for more info.

Some fast running. As you are progressing towards your race, get more and more specific with your faster running. A reasonable progression, without all the sophistication, is to start with tempo running, move to interval running and then move on to goal pace running.

Strength training. When you run a lot, the risk of injury is pretty high. There is much you can do about reducing your injury risk. Particularly, doing strength training. The great thing about strength training is that there is a pretty good return on investment. All you need is two sessions per week of about 30-45 minutes per week to get stronger and more injury resilient.

All in all, enjoy the process. Running is a fantastic sport and sometimes we run the risk of just getting too focused on the end goal. Improving to sub-10 is great. Improving further to sub-9:30 or sub-9 will be fantastic. Improving even more will be the icing on the cake. But the real joy is in the process. Put in the miles. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. And without a doubt, good things will come.

Go well.

Kind regards,
Dominique

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