15 Minute Mile

I'm not a runner. I hate running, and yet every time I run, I feel untouchable.

My real issue with running is speed. It seems like everyone who runs is obsessed with how fast or how far they run. For me, it's time.

15 minutes? Awesome.

30 minutes? Holy shit.

45 minutes? Am I God?

Legit, that's how I think about running. Not distance. Not my fastest mile.

As the title says: 15 Minute Mile. The perfect average, in my humble opinion.

You might be asking, what does that get you?

The perfect amount of sweat. Before, after, or throughout the workout. A base to build from. Just the right amount of time and speed to keep this whole workout thing accountable to something.

It's enough time to walk for five...maybe even eight...minutes and still catch up over the last .35 miles to finish exactly one mile in 15 minutes.

On the treadmill, it's basically speeds 3, 4, and 5 in some combination. Maybe 6 if you break free.

Once you master one mile in 15 minutes, you can finish a 5K in under 45 minutes.

Guess what?

You could actually finish a half marathon in under 3½ hours.

And you know what else?

A marathon in under 7 hours.

Lastly, I'm willing to bet that if you can master a 15-minute mile, you'll finish all three races faster than those times.

Why?

The crowd. The adrenaline. The momentum of it all.

Like anything, starting is the key.

Start.

Go.

Just start.

Your mind will love you for it—especially on a Monday morning.