How to run 2.4km/1.5miles in under 10 minutes?

Well, Steven, the short answer is run faster.  The longer, more detailed version is to work on leg speed and strength.  The main training tool is intervals, where you run close to goal pace for a distance, then walk or jog, then run again at goal pace.  I would start with 400 m intervals then build to 800 m and 1600 m intervals.  For an interval work out, jog about 1600 to warmup, run about 8-9 of the 400 m intervals, then cool down with another 1600 m jog.  You should work on intervals once or twice a week.  Two other days a week you  should jog at an easy comfortable pace for 30-40 minutes.  One day a week you should walk/jog for about an hour.  This means 4 or 5 days of training per week.  About once a month you should run an all out simulated IPPT test.  You need a bit of practice to get the feel of the test run.. 

Start slow and build to the goal gradually.  You don't want to spoil your training plan by getting hurt.  Keep logs of your progress and let us know how is going.

The good news is that 1.5 miles in 10 minutes is a fast but not a killer pace.  You can do it.  In fact, I would guess that with a consistent training program, you could do quite a bit better.

Best of luck

Tom 

Hey Vanessa,

I guess I assumed Steven is a student with access to a school track.  I usually use a track for intervals.  (I rarely do them anymore.)   Most college and high school tracks are available for non-students except when they are in use by school classes or teams.  You need to check with the school though.

On the roads, you can measure a quarter mile (400m=440yd=.25mi) with your car or bike.  Or, if you are a techno fan with some spare change in your pocket, you can get the latest gadget, a combination heart rate monitor/GPS device.  The latest thing is the Timex Bodylink system, http://www.timex.com/bodylink/

Another type of gadget uses an accelerometer attached to your shoe to measure the distance of each stride.  Polar is introducing a new one of this type next month, the S625X, http://www.polar.fi/polar/channels/eng/segments/products/S625X.html.

There is another accelerometer based gadget but I can't recall the name right now. 

The simplest approach for an interval workout on the road is just to go by the time on the watch.  When the second hand hits the 12, just run, for 90 seconds, just a bit below full out.  Then walk/jog until the second hand is back to the top.  You won't know the actual distance but you get the benefit of the 400m interval workout.  This is how we did'em back in the dark ages anyway.

Tom

Bad guess on my part about the student thing.  I didn't know what an IPPT was.. 

Early thirties makes it harder to make your goal, but not impossible.  One of Mother Nature's little surprises for us is the Tiger Food Gene.  As you get older and the Tiger Food gene expresses itself, you can't see or hear as well, and you run slower, ergo you become tiger food.  You aren't there yet. I still say you can make your time in a breeze.

On the test, you will generally have a better time if you conserve energy on the first part then finish strong.  Finding this pace to do this is a matter of practice and developing a certain tolerance for pain on the last couple of laps.

Good luck on the job search too!

TW