How To Run 2 miles in 12 minutes in 30 days?

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You must have heard that running about how the military uses 2 miles as a criterion to get you accepted. However, running 2 miles is steadily becoming popular among runners and today we will find out how you can improve your 2 miles run time. More specifically, we will find out, how to run 2 miles in 12 minutes in 30 days? So, without ado, let’s get started.

How To Run 2 miles in 12 minutes in 30 days?

To run 2 miles in 12 minutes in 30 days you will have to run a long run of 5-6 miles, two easy runs of 2-3 miles each, two days of 5 rounds of interval training, and 2 days of strength training. However, you can also make one easy day as your rest days and switch out one strength training day with a hill training.

That is the barebone of a training plan that you must follow. However, if you want a detailed plan, below we have provided all the specifics. So read on…

30 Days Training Plan To Run 2 Miles in 12 minutes

Follow the below training plan for 4 weeks and take a day of complete rest on the 29th day. Run 2 miles on the 30th day.

Here are a couple of things that I’ll assume before providing you with the plan.

I’ll assume that you have a good pair of running shoes that have at least 50% mileage left.

I’ll also assume that you will start your training on a Sunday and have laid out the plan accordingly. If you start on some other day, just start from the beginning and follow along…Also, following the order of the plan is important, as this sequence will help you to build your endurance faster…

Sunday

Jog for 5-6 miles. The pace should be somewhere around 10-11 mins per mile. Initially, you may not be able to jog that much, so combine jogging and walking but make sure you complete the distance. Also, as a beginner, you may not be able to go at that pace. Shoot for something like 15 min per mile.

However, if you feel any kind of pain or you hurt yourself, then don’t jog or walk the rest of the miles. This can aggravate your injury and can throw you off your training track.

Monday and Tuesday

Go for easy runs on these two days. However, the distance should be about half what you have run on the previous day. So, stick to 2-3 miles each day.

Don’t go beyond that as you will not be seeing any significant gain.

So what should be your easy run pace?

You should be running at 55-75 percent of your 5K pace.

But if you are a beginner and have not run a 5K yet, then you will not have a reference point. In that case, run at 12-13 min per mile pace.

Wednesday

For interval training, you can use an interval training app to measure the time while you are focusing on running or you can use a treadmill if you have one at your disposal. Most of the treadmills nowadays come with programmable features, you can set it up once and you are done.

Go for 5 rounds of interval running. Each round you will run as hard as you can for 2 mins. Then take a break of 30 secs.

You can also go for running negative splits for this interval training. The first three rounds go at a slower pace. You don’t need to go all out. For the last two, go all out in a way that you will be huffing and puffing and out of breath after the last session.

Alternatively, you can also do negative splits for each round. If you choose to do so, run the first min of each interval slower than your usual pace and all out on the last min.

You may choose any of the methods, but whatever you choose, stick with it and be consistent with it.

Also, if you don’t want to run back to back for three days, you can do strength training on this day, and interval training on the next day.

Thursday and Friday

These are the two days that will make sure you are able to give your maximum effort during running. Also, this will minimize your chances of injury.

When doing strength training you should focus on your core, glutes, hamstring, calves, knees, and ankles. In other words, you should focus on the lower part of your body more so that it can take care of all the hard pounding that is coming up in the following week.

Here are articles on strength training that will give you a good head start:

• The 13 Best Hamstring And Glute Strengthening Exercises For Runners
• Hip Flexors Strengthening For Runners
• How To Build Calf Muscles For Skinny Legs?
• Top 21 Best Core Exercises For Runners
• How to Activate Your Core Before Running?

Saturday

You should take complete rest on this day. Some light walking or moving around is fine, but don’t go for anything strenuous.

This will hamper your body’s recovery and you will find yourself getting injured more easily. However, if you can run 2 miles there are a lot of benefits to your fitness and endurance level.

Is running 2 miles in 12 minutes good?

Yes, running 2 miles in 12 minutes is good. However, there are a lot of factors that come into play. The main determining factors however will be your age, gender, and your overall fitness level. If you are on the younger side of the spectrum like between 20-29, irrespective of gender, 12 mins or under 12 mins is doable.

However, as you start to age, you tend to slow down, and attaining this time for a 2-mile run will gradually become difficult. But if you are determined enough, you can still do it.

How long should it take to run 2 miles?

To run 2 miles for a beginner runner, it should approximately take 25 to 30 mins. However, you can add a couple of more mins if you are overweight and running 2 miles. If you are running for some time and have a decent level of fitness, you should be able to run in 16-22 mins. And if you are in your prime, then running 2 miles in under 12 mins is a sure possibility.

Can you run 2 miles in 12 minutes?

You can run 2 miles in 12 minutes. However, there are a lot of factors that come into the picture as stated above. However, one thing that overrides almost everything is your willingness to do it and how consistently you put your efforts.

You can achieve 12 minutes and even 10 mins if you are putting in the effort and doing strength training. Without that, it is near impossible to achieve this. Also, if you wish to run this fast, keep in mind the following tips:

• Focus on your running form.
• Have a good running shoe that is fitted for your feet.
• Take shorter strides.
• Improve your cadence.
• Practice, practice, practice.

What’s a good distance to run in 12 minutes?

Here are the distances that you should be able to run in 12 minutes based on your fitness level and age:

Data Curtsy: Verywellfit.com

References

Tolfrey, Keith, et al. “Physiological correlates of 2-mile run performance as determined using a novel on-demand treadmill.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 34.4 (2009): 763-772.

Stone, B. L., Heishman, A. D., & Campbell, J. A. (2020). Effects of an Experimental vs. Traditional Military Training Program on 2-Mile Run Performance During the Army Physical Fitness Test. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 34(12), 3431-3438.

Gleason, Benjamin H., Jana E. Hollins, Hugo AP Santana, Brad H. DeWeese, and Michael H. Stone. “Performance training guidelines for the 1.5 and 2-mile runs.” Journal of Trainology 3, no. 1 (2014): 11-30.

Gojanovic, B., Shultz, R., Feihl, F., & Matheson, G. (2015). Overspeed HIIT in lower-body positive pressure treadmill improves running performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 47(12), 2571-2578.

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