6 minute mile / implications for Basketball

what does the 6 minute pace have to do with basketball

Most discussions around the 6 minute mile focus on long distance running and rarely do we discuss it in relation to basketball. With the final four a mere two days away we are watching closely the Duke/Houston match up. We believe the baseline conditioning of Houston will give it an edge over Duke. Full disclosure I really like the Duke team but picked Houston to take the National Championship. I will be happy either way as it should serve to be a game for the ages. As we move into spring and eventually(hopefully summer) we want to discuss why setting the standard of a 6 minute mile is key and why pushing to achieve sub 6 minute miles will make you a better basket ball player. Here are some of the reasons;

• It communicates high expectations

• It separates serious players from those who need to level up

• It builds camaraderie around shared effort and accountability

• Track improvement over time

• Compete with yourself and each other

• Set off-season or preseason goals

How to get to a 6 minute mile in 6 weeks…and do we ever love the ladder drills. If you are already in decent shape you could consider putting in more ladder drills earlier. Ladder drill is 3-5 different running distances with corresponding times. Try reducing the times every second day with the same distance.

Week 1: Find Your Base

• Mon: 6 x 400m @ 1:40 pace (90 sec rest)

• Wed: 1.5 miles @ moderate effort (7:30–8:00 pace)

• Fri: 3-mile easy run

Week 2: Build Volume

• Mon: 4 x 600m @ 1:50/600m (2-min rest)

• Wed: 1.5 miles @ 7:15 pace

• Fri: 3.5-mile run, steady pace

Week 3: Increase Speed

• Mon: 8 x 400m @ 1:35 (75 sec rest)

• Wed: 1 mile time trial (see where you're at!)

• Fri: 4-mile easy run

Week 4: Sharpen Threshold

• Mon: Ladder (400m-800m-400m x 2) @ 1:30/3:00/1:30

• Wed: 2 miles @ 7:00 pace

• Fri: 4.5-mile steady run

Week 5: Race Prep

• Mon: 6 x 400m @ 1:28-1:30 (60 sec rest)

• Wed: 1.25 miles @ goal pace (7:30 total)

• Fri: 3 miles easy

Week 6: Taper + Time Trial

• Mon: 4 x 200m @ faster than race pace (40 sec per 200m)

• Wed: Easy 2 miles

• Fri or Sat: Test Day – Run your mile goal!

We don’t expect to Houston to run away with the score but we do expect Houston to be the quicker team - let’s see how this plays out on Saturday. For insight the fastest time on Houston is 5:07 for a 6 minute mile and the slowest time is 5:45. The slowest time is from a 6’9 player weighing in at 260 lbs. That is impressive.