LogFAQs > #882846504

nobletype posted...

ParanoidObsessive posted...

6 minute mile if you're in relatively good shape, and may be able to get close to a 4 minute mile if you're a really good runner (and presumably male).

Hmm, I'm pretty sure you're underestimating the requirements for 6 and 4 minute miles. 6 minute miles are more than 'relatively good shape' -- and 4 minute miles are not just really good, that's elite status, to put it mildly.

I was mostly going by memory from school (when I was on the track team, but not a miler - I was a sprinter).

The 6 minute mile was relatively simple for most runners - even the sprinters, who focused on entirely different training - as long as they were in general running shape. I'd argue that almost anyone could easily get themselves to a 6 minute mile pace if they actually tried. It's less a question of intense training and more just a question of being in shape.

The 4 minute mile is definitely race-pace (our school record for the mile was 4:10, world record is something like 3:45 or so), and it's not something you're going to hit without a ton of training to specifically run distance/mile races, but if you DO put in that training, "close to 4" is an attainable goal, especially for adult males. By "close" I didn't mean "4:01" or the like as much as I mean anything relatively close to 4:00, which could include anything up to 4:25 or so (which I view as closer to 4:00 than 5:00).

If you're just doing general training, or specifically 5k/10k/marathon training then yes, close to 4 minutes might be a lot harder, but if you're specifically training for a fast mile, I feel like you could probably get within touching distance of it.

I might agree that my use of "relatively good" and "really good" wasn't hyperbolic enough, though. They probably implied a bit more casual effort than I actually meant.


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