Improving speed on my mile?

Question

Ok so we had to do a fitness test recently at school which included running a mile. It was the first time I've actually run in probably years, but it got me really motivated and since then, I've been trying to run every other day (along with a full load of AP classes and other senior activities).

I've been doing this for about 3 weeks and I'm still incredibly slow. What can I do to get faster? (I know this'll help me burn more calories when I do run). Should I just run longer distances or try sprinting or what?

Answer 1

Well it sounds to me like you already are on your way to having a faster mile. Dedication is half of the battle and it takes 3 weeks to form a new habit, so as long as you keep on running, you will keep improving.

But there are things you can do that will improve your time a bit faster then just running daily. Try running 200m sprints x 15 times with two minutes rest between sets. this geets your body used to running faster then it needs to and will make your body more efficient at using energy.

400m x 8, or 800m x 5 both of these will build speed endurance, which is what you will need for the mile run. Alternate the 3 of them every other day or so, maybe even just twice a week with long runs on your other days.

don't just skip on your distance runs though. Your distance runs should be at least 3 miles in length, and should be done at a slow and steady pace for recovery from your hard run days.

Answer 2

switch off between running longer distances and sprinting for awhile, and then try the mile again and see if your time improves

Answer 3

run longer distance run for like 30-40 min it should help