I made searches and spoke to experienced runners on how to run a mile a day. I followed the steps and never gave up. Consistency is the key. Here is my story of running a mile a day. It all started when my friend invited me to 5K with him. Honestly, it was quite difficult for me to see the finish line. Later on, my whole body, especially my legs, was incredibly sore. I didn’t even know how many miles a 5K run was, but it was 3 miles!
After my first attempt, I decided to get approval from my doctors before running 5K again. First off, I would suggest you do the same and get your doctor’s approval before running the 5K or following the advice I’m going to give you. While running is one of the healthiest things you can do, it can get worse if you have any health problem.
I was aware of that I was doing wrong! Instead of increasing my running miles day by day, I jumped right into it and tried 5K. If you do make the same mistake, it will strain your body. So, I set a goal. My first goal is to be able to run a mile a day without pain. Then, I can go up to 5K again. But there was a problem. Although I wanted to run a mile a day, I didn’t know how to get there! I made searches and spoke to experienced runners on how to run a mile a day.
How to run a mile a day? What you need to run 3 miles!
If you want to be able to run a mile a day, it’s best to set up a daily training program to begin with. Your muscles and joints must be ready for it. If you do not have an athletic body and have not run before, then running 3 miles will overload your body and this is not very wise.
So, how we are going to get there is very simple. How to Run a Mile a day? Here is the list that you need to follow:
- Warm-up for 5 minutes every day before running
- Prepare a 30-days of training program, increase your running distance day by day
- Stretch before and after running
- Pick the right gear for running
- Eat healthy and drink more water
- Sleep well and rest
- Don’t worry about the muscle sore
- Enjoy Running
If we look at the essence of the matter, the items I wrote here are necessary not only for being a good runner, but also for living a healthy life.
How to start running A Mile A Day: For Beginners
It is very important to do 5 minutes of warm-up exercises before you go for a run. This will speed up your blood circulation, pump blood to the joints and muscles, and even prevent a possible injury. Here’s a 5-minute warm-up video before running.
I recommend interval training for the first 4 days of your training program. For example, you can walk for 2 minutes and jog for 1 minute. You need to do this over and over again for 30 minutes. At first, you will feel tired. But believe me; it will be easier the next day. If you cannot do interval training as I suggest, you can start walking for 45 minutes for 7 days.
After your 4 days of interval training or your 7 days of walking, you can start running 0.3 miles. Then you need to gradually increase your mileage up to a mile. For example, you start running 0.3 miles on your first try, then you can go 0.5 miles, 0.8 miles, and you’re finally there, 1.0 miles. How much you can increase the distance you run is up to you and how you feel. Usually, it takes about 2 weeks to run a mile! The key is consistency. You should never give up. You should never reduce the number of miles you run per day. Always go up and set a higher goal.
Another important point, do not miss 5 minutes warm-up. It is not only for beginners, but also all professional runners warm up before running.
Stretching Before and After Running a Mile
This is something that is very critical and you have to be very careful about. Many runners get injured while stretching. You should do light stretching before and any workout or running. Here is YaleMedicine.org’s article explaining how to stretch before running.
So why is stretching so important for running? Because, it gets your muscles and joints ready for running. Thus, you prevent a possible muscle or joint injury. Also, stretching after a run or any workout is a good way to get rid of lactic acid build-up in your muscles. This helps reduce post-exercise muscle soreness.
Also, stretching and warming up are not the same thing. I don’t prefer one over another, since both are very important. To understand the difference between warming up and stretching, you can watch the video below:
Pick the Right Gear for Running
As in other sports branches, choosing the right gear for running is very important. However, you need to be especially careful about choosing the right running shoes. Obviously, you can’t choose running shoes based on how they look on your feet. But, functionality is the most important factor when choosing running shoes. So what should we pay attention to when choosing right running shoes?
The first thing to consider is your pronation type. For example, you should consider, if you are a neutral runner or tent to over-pronation. The responsiveness and amount of cushioning are also important factors while choosing the right running shoes. Do you want more ground feeling or want more plush feel? Also, the transition from heel to toe should be smooth. When choosing running shoes, the stability and breathability of running shoes are also very important. Based on all these factors, you can choose an all-day running shoe or a marathon racer.
This could be compelling for you, if you are a newbie runner. But, we have listed things to consider while picking the running shoe:
- First, decide! Are you looking for a daily trainer or all-day running shoe or ultra-marathon racer
- Which one is more important to you, responsiveness or cushioning?
- Select your running shoe based on your pronation type. Are you looking for a stability/support running shoe or a neutral runner?
Anyone new to running will finally end up with the most popular running shoes on the market, Brooks and Asics. Both brands produce dedicated and special running shoes. If you’re wondering which is best for you, I highly recommend reading the article “Brooks or Asics: Which is the best?“.
If you need a quick answer, I will recommend considering Brooks Adrenaline or Ghost. Both of them are highly comfortable. However, Brooks Ghost is a neutral running shoe. On the other hand, Brooks Adrenaline is a stability/support oriented running shoe.
To be honest, one of the things that encouraged me to run was my brand new Garmin Forerunner 955. After paying almost $600 for a running smartwatch, I thought it was time to run. You can go and get a smartwatch to record your daily performance and see how well you’re doing. There are many options out there, but we recommend the Garmin Forerunner Series for running purpose. They have top-notch running watches as well as entry-level running watches. Having a running watch is good, but not essential to start running.
Eat Healthy and Drink More Water to Run A Mile
First of all, eating healthy and drinking more water does not only apply to running a mile a day, this is something we have to make a lifestyle. We eat very poorly, we consume fast foods, yes they are delicious, but they are also harmful.
You should pay attention to eat adequate and get essential nutrients. Make sure to get the protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin and mineral values you need daily.
Well, you should know which foods a runner should avoid! And that is junk foods. Junk foods put a strain on your cardiovascular system. Then, vascular walls are surrounded by LDL cholesterol or toxic substances.
Eat better, drink lots of water and live long! Your first choice should be high-protein, low-sugar, but high-fiber profile foods. When choosing a protein source, make sure it is low in LDL cholesterol and fat. Otherwise, while you are trying to do something good, it can end badly. Check out this list for “How to feed a runner”.
Also, write down everything you eat during the day. And be honest! You should add the snacks and junk food you ate to list as well. I definitely do not recommend eating junk food, but if you did it, please note them as well! As you write this down on a list, you will feel sorry and see that all the calories and fats you burn will come back. Hopefully, you won’t do the same, except the cheat days!
Sleep Well and Get Rest to Enhance Your Running Performance
A well-rested body will not only allow you to run better, but also to feel more energetic in your daily life. There are many studies on how many hours you should sleep daily. However, in general, you need to sleep at least 6 hours and at most 8 hours. Especially during REM sleep growth and testosterone hormones are released. This will initiate cell regeneration and repair of the damaged tissue.
If your goal is just to run a mile a day like me, this will not tire you much. But if you’re going to the gym and doing weight training, don’t forget to rest! Doing workout or heavy exercise every day is just overwhelming for the body. The resource of your body is limited, therefore, give it some time and rest for recovery.
Also remember that regular exercise can improve your sleep quality!
Muscle Sore after Running A Mile A Day: How to Deal With it?
You will have some pain after running, this is very normal. If your body and muscles don’t get used to sports or something like running, you will feel sore. However, this is temporary. What happens when you exercise your lazy muscle? Simply saying, there will be incredibly small deformations in your muscle that you cannot see with the naked eye.
Inflammation occurs in this area to repair damaged cells and tissues. At the end of the day, the damaged tissue is repaired and made stronger than before. This is done automatically by the body. It may take up to about a week. You feel pain due to these inflammations. So there is nothing to worry about.
Inflammation occurs in this area to repair damaged cells and tissues. At the end of the day, the damaged tissue is repaired and becomes stronger than before. This is done automatically by itself. It may take up to a week or two weeks to total recovery. You feel pain because of these inflammations. So there is nothing to worry about.
The fastest recovery method: Eat protein and get some sleep. You can also do some stretching to remove the lactic acid that has accumulated in the muscle. You will see many suggestions in the online sources. However, neither is realistic. If you eat well and sleep well, the pain will pass as soon as possible. The body itself will heal the deformed tissue in the muscles.
In the meantime, if your pain level is unbearable, you may need to go and see your doctor. Because it may not be a simple deformed muscle pain, but a serious injury.
Enjoy Running
You should see running as a good activity rather than a task. If you see it as a task, you will get bored quickly. But if you see it as a fun activity, time passes quickly, and you secrete hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, making your day even more enjoyable.
Running a mile a day for 30 days: What happened to my body
I did the exactly same training program I mentioned and ran a mile almost every day for 30 days. What happened to me after 30 days of running? I lost 11 lbs of fat in total, and it drops from 183 pounds to 172 pounds.
I work at a desk job, which is usually very boring. But since I started running, I feel better. In particular, I get positive feedback from my boss that I am being more productive.
Your energy level will increase day by day! You’ll get stronger and lose some fat. After about two weeks you will be able to run a mile without getting tired or without out of breath. If you stick to your diet program, you can lose 11 kilos of fat like I do.
How long does it take to run a mile?
Usually, it takes about 10 minutes, if you have no problem with the running. However, those who run at a slow pace can see the finish line in 18 minutes.
The second question is how long does it take to be able to run a mile? Usually, in two weeks, starting from baby crawling, you can go up to a mile day. The consistency is the key. You can walk for 5 days for half a mile. Then, try to run the same distance. Later on, you should gradually increase the distance day by day up to a mile long.
How fast should I run a mile?
On average, people run a mile at 11 km/h or 6.7 mph. If you need to burn more fats, you need to run faster. But, you should definitely get an approval from your doctor first! It may trigger some other health issues such as heart attack, if you have any health problem.
How many calories do you burn running a mile?
First off all, it totally depends on how fast you run, your age, gender, body weight, sport history, amount of existing muscles weights and basal metabolism! Why Basal Metabolism? Because, your body continues to burn fats and consumes more energy than normal after exercise which usually takes about 3-5 hours (depending on how intense your workout or run is). Generally speaking, for average men, you can burn 100 calories by running a mile which is equal to the 10 grams or 0.35 ounces of fat.
Let me help you calculate the calories you burn while running 5K or 3 miles. An average person will burn 300 calories by running 5K or 3 miles of running. This is going to be equal to 30 grams of fat. If you run 3 miles for 30 days, then you will get lost about 900 grams of fat which is not so much. So, you should support your running efforts with a good diet plan and create some deficit in terms of calories. I am not saying eating less, but you can pick the healthier foods which are harder to digest such as high fiber profiled ones. Yes, you should definitely stay away from the sugar or chocolate or something like this, if you want to lose a significant amount of weight.
If you ever consider off-trail running you can burn much more calories due to un-even terrain. In such a case, I would recommend picking a solid trail running shoes.