The mile. 4 keys to train for speed

Inspired by Roger Bannister & this weeks’ 50th anniversary of his breaking the 4min mile barrier I wanted to share 4 tips to improve your speed…

1  – Train smart. Specific workouts are key to improving your race pace (whatever your distance). Develop your training to reflect your race goals & training experience. Here are 2 favourite mile workouts for those hoping to read them in this article. 1) Full speed scale down; 1x 400m, 1x 350m, 1x 300m, 1x 250m, 1x 200m, 1x 150m all run at full speed, with a 400m walk recovery after each.
2) 4x 400m, run 4seconds/400m faster than your best mile time. Eg: if your best mile 5:20 (80s/400m), run the 400’s in 76secs, with 3mins rest.

2 – Consistent sets. Like all speed work make sure you are achieving your training goal determined by the set. Don’t set out to do 10x 400m and blitz the first 2 reps only to fall in a heap. Set realistic times for your fitness level & experience and maintain a consistent time throughout. You will need to put in more effort later in the set, but that’s why you’re there. To push yourself & get the most from your training.

3 – Progress your training. Building towards a race you need to progress your training. For longer races gradually increase your tempo or threshold runs to extend the duration of this pace & improve your longer distance race pace. Not all workouts are to maximum fatigue, some are building to bigger efforts closer to race day. Progressing from 4x 1600m, onto 10x 800m and again onto 5-6x 1600m shows a gradual progression with structured variations to help training adaptations.

4 – Believe in your ability to run fast. Don’t let your mind put limitations on your body.
Unlike Bannister many of us will never break 4min for 1600m, however we can learn a lot from his amazing feat. One fact I love to retell is that although the 4min mile had been unbroken for so long, & seemed to be a limit of human endurance, Bannister and John Landy truly believed they could do it. In the 18months after Bannister broke the 4min barrier it had been broken another 40 times. The realisation for so many others that it was possible opened the flood gates.

On 4th May 1954 Roger Bannister ran the first sub 4min mile. A feat to be remembered for many great reasons.