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We have to admit, we geeked out just a little over the weekend when we heard that Dijibouti runner Ayanleh Souleiman had won the prestigious Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic in an incomprehensibly fast 3:51.10. This is such an insane feat of athleticism. Imagine that you’re in an all-out panicperhaps you’re fleeing a knife-wielding madman, or maybe you have just a few precious seconds to race across the parking lot before the Cheesecake Factory closesand you break into a dead sprint. Now imagine holding this pace for an entire mile. That’s basically what Souleiman just did.

While we’re not suggesting that any of us mortals will ever go that fast, we do think there’s a certain romance to running your own best mile time. The mile is a poetic blend of cardio endurance and all-out intensity. It pushes you to be your best, and is just long enough that you can see real progress if you train right. With something short like a hundred-yard dash, you’re making huge strides if you knock off one lousy second from your personal-best time. With a mile, you can see minutes worth of gains.

So we called up Nike Run Club Coach Blue Benadum to figure out how a normal guy can work toward a blazing personal best in the mile. His plan doesn’t necessitate the commitment of training for a marathon. It’s not going to be a time suck on your social life. In fact, start an email thread filled with shit talking now and get your buddies in on the fun. Make a race of it.

The 28-Day Mile Workout Plan

**Day 28. Let’s Get Started. **10-minute easy run plus 10-minute progression run, building pace evenly and smoothly so your fastest pace is at the end.

**27. Build the Base. **30 to 45-minute run or cross-training, at a moderate intensity. Breathing should come easily through entire workout. If you are struggling to breathe, slow down. The time to work hard comes soon.

26. Get Quick. Welcome to the track! The first order of business is always a warm-up. This includes a 10-minute minimum easy jog followed by dynamic stretches and running drills. (Consult the GQ guide to dynamic stretching here.) Now that you’re warmed up, the workout:

8 to 10 x 100-meter sprints (think 90% of your max effort100% being your all-out pace), with an easy jog of 100 meters (on the curve of the track) in between each sprint.

This is a leg-speed workout; the sole intention is to increase turnover in your feet and find comfort in your top-end pace.

25. Recovery Day. 30 to 45-minute light run or cross-train. Just get your body moving. Active recovery is the fastest way to prepare your body for its next workout.

**24. Time Trial. **Start with an easy 10-minute jog, then move into dynamic stretches. Now try one mile, hard. Push yourself and build as you go, finishing the last lap as fast as the first. A time trial is a race-pace effort that gives us a training parameterthink of it as the starting line to your training journey. Write down your time and save it.

23. Get Strong. Hit the stadium stairs for 30 minutes. Start with a 10-minute warm-up jog, then do 20 minutes on the stairs alternating like so:

Single-stair high-knee run up -> walk or jog down

Skip-a-stair run up -> jog or walk down

Skip-a-stair power hike up -> jog or walk down

Double-leg bunny hops up -> jog or walk down

Repeat until you hit 20 minutes

22. Go Long. 45 to 60 minutes run or cross-train. Maintain moderate aerobic intensity to keep the body oxygenated. Keep it at a pace where breath comes easily.

21. Off Day. Just chill.

20. Build the Base (part two). 45-minute moderate intensity run (or cross-training of your choice). Start easy and slowly increase pace as you warm up. Keep it comfortable; you shouldn’t be struggling for breath.

**19. Get Quick (part two). **10-minute warm-up run and dynamic stretches. Then:

4 x 100 meters hard with 100-meter jog recoveries in between

2 x 200 meters hard with 200-meter jog recoveries

4 x 100 meters hard with 100-meter jog recoveries

**18. Recovery Day. **45-minute light run or cross train.

17.Find your Fast. 10-minute light run plus dynamic stretches. Then:

2 x 800 meters hard with 3-minute jog recoveries in between

2 x 400 meters hard with 2-min jog recoveries

4 x 100 meters hard with 100-meter jog recoveries

This run trains you to run strong and fast through fatigue. Remember, always run your fastest at the end.

16. Get Strong (part two). Cross train or strength workout of your choice.

**15. Go Long (part two). **60+ minutes run or cross train. Keep the intensity moderate.

14. Off day.

13. Build the Base (part three). 45-minute progression run. Start easy and slowly increase pace as you warm up. Keep it comfortable, at a pace where you won’t struggle for breath.

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12. Get Quick (part two). 10-minute warm-up run plus dynamic stretches. Then:

16 x 100-meter strides with 100-meter easy jog recoveries in between

11. Recovery Day. 45 to 60-minute run at a pace that allows your body to recover. Or cross train.

**10. Tempo Run. **10-minute warm-up run plus dynamic stretches. Then move into a 2-mile progression run, starting at race pace and slowing gradually down to 5k pace over 2 miles.

9. Get Strong. Cross train or strength workout.

8. Go Long. 45 to 60-minute run or cross train. Keep the intensity moderate.

7. Off day.

6. Recovery Day. 30-minute progression run or cross train. Or rest. Listen to your body.

5. Final Sharpening Run (ladder workout at race pace): Start with a 10-minute easy run warm-up plus dynamic stretches. Then the following runs in immediate succession:

100 meters (45-second recovery)

200m (90 sec recovery)

300m (2 minute recovery)

400m (2.5min recovery)

500m (3 min recovery)

600m (3 min recovery)

500m (3 min recovery)

400m (2.5min recovery)

300m (2min recovery)

200m (90 sec recovery)

100m (easy jog for 5 minutes)

4. Easy day. Light running for 20 minutes.

**3. Two Days Out. **Easy run 10 minutes plus dynamic stretches. Then:

2 x 400 meters at goal mile pace with 3-minute recoveries in between.

2. The Day Before. Stay loose. Light, easy run for 20 minutes with 5 bursts of strides at race pace.

**1. Fastest Mile. **30 minutes before start time: easy jog for 10 minutes, dynamic stretches for 5 minutes. Stay loose and keep moving for final 10 minutes before the mile start. Then haul ass and compare your time with Day 24. Faster? Thought so.

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