Running Tips: How to Run a 10-Minute Mile

It’s around this time of year that I start getting back into my running routine, so I wanted to share some running tips that work for me. My first step is always trying to get my mile time back under control. Over the winter months, I really tend to fall off the horse when it comes to my running. As a result, when it starts getting warm again and I start running, my times are less than desirable.

My mile times have ranged from 9 to 14 minutes and whenever they start getting too long, this has been my tried and true method for getting back to a 10-minute mile. Usually, using this process I can get from a 14-minute mile to a 10-minute one in about three weeks.

Establish Your Baseline

The first thing I like to do when I start running again is figure out exactly where I am starting at. As much as I usually despise running on a treadmill, that is usually the easiest way to do this. To establish my baseline I jog for one mile – but keep the pace slow and steady. Whatever I do, I don’t let myself walk. Even if I am doing the slowest jog ever, I make sure I jog the whole time. So, let’s say I am starting at around a 14-minute mile, which would be about 4.3 mph.

Slowly Start to Increase Speed

Once you have your baseline, you should slowly start to increase your speed. The end goal is to be able to run a mile at 6 mph, but jumping straight to trying to run that fast can easily lead to disappointment. Instead, every day you are going to increase your speed for 1 additional minute of your mile. So, for example on day 1 I would run the whole mile at 4.3 mph. On day 2, I would run 11 minutes of the mile at 4.3 mph and the last minute (or so) at 5 mph. On day three the last two minutes would be run at 5 mph and so on.

After I work my way up so that I am running the whole mile at 5 mph, I repeat the same process but this time increasing the speed to 6 mph. At the end of that cycle, I am back to my 10-minute mile! However, if at any point during the process I find that a day is particularly challenging or like I am going too fast, I will take an extra day or two on that speed and make sure I am comfortable with it.

Listen to Your Body

While this is what works for me, and this is the timeframe that I have found to work, that does not mean it will work the same for everyone. Everyone is going to have their own starting point and levels of comfortability. So, if you decide to put this method into practice, just listen to your body. Don’t be discouraged if it takes you long or you need to increase the speed in smaller increments – you will get there!

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