I Need to Reduce My 1.5 Mile Time by 8 Min in 6 Weeks

by Mike
(Pa.)

I have a very important test in 6 weeks. I need to get my 1.5 mile time down from 20.30 minutes to max 13 minutes.

I also need to get my 300 meter dash to under 57 seconds. Is this possible?

How can I do this????????


Answer by Dominique:

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your running question.

With six weeks of concentrated training you should be able to make improvements. The improvement you are after is very large, but all you can do is do the training, work your heart out and then let the chips fall as they may.

My advice is as follows:

1. Consistent running and exercise
2. Run/walk yourself to greatness
3. Intervals and Speed Training to build speed

Consistent Running and Exercise

Your current 1.5 mile running time suggests that you do not run regularly and are not very fit.

My first bit of advice is that you start doing a regular running and exercise program.

I prefer that you run four times a week at this stage and on the other three days of the week you have active recovery.

This can be a walk, it can be strength training or cross-training.

Also, you need to consult a doctor regarding a suitable exercise program, i.e. any advice I am giving you needs to be verified by a physician. I do not want you to use any advice from me which your physician might find too strenuous.

Run/Walk Yourself to Greatness

What you are going to need for this 1.5 mile run test is a ton of endurance. When you can't run very far or very fast, a run/walk is your ticket to glory.

Alternating running and walking is a good and safe way to start running for beginners. You will want to make sure you cover well more than the 1.5 miles the test requires. You will want to be able to run for 2 miles, 3 miles, 5 miles. The longer the better. That may not be immediately possible, but you will want to build it up.

E.g. in week 1 you may do 8 x 0.25 miles run with a 3 min walk in between. In week 2 you might make that 10 x 0.25 miles run or 5 x 0.5 miles. This way you are slowly but surely building the total time spent running.

Intervals and Speed Training to Build Speed

The longer, slower running should be the bulk of your running program. But once a week you should undertake some interval running or goal pace running. What you need for this 1.5 mile run is a combination of endurance and speed.

The run/walks will help build the endurance. The intervals will help provide you with extra power and speed.

Also check out the speed training for runners page for some ideas on how to build speedy, powerful legs. You will need those for that 300m dash. 57 seconds is a challenging requirement.

It's going to be tough six weeks. In order to have any chance of success you will need to be very disciplined and work very hard to get to your goal. When you are training hard and ramping up your activity that much, injuries will be lurking around the corner. Listen to your body throughout this journey.

Hope this helps, Mike.

Best of luck with the training and the test!

Kind regards,
Dominique