Strength & Conditioning: Richard Airey – Week 3, Day 4

These workouts are designed by endurance athlete and RunningWOD founder Richard Airey. Get a faster mile, improve your technique, and build strength with this exclusive four week program.

Written by Richard Airey Last updated on Nov 22, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE: These workouts are designed by endurance athlete, CrossFit coach, and RunningWOD founder Richard Airey. Get a faster mile while also improving your technique and building strength with this exclusive four week program. Read more about Richard and his training philosophy here.

When it comes to running, everyone is familiar with the elusiveness of the four-minute mile. It’s the gold standard of elite distance running. For many of us it is hard to fathom the pace needed to sustain and achieve such a feat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to replicate the training needed to improve your own mile personal best. The following four-week program is designed specifically to help you improve your one mile PR. The workouts will be posted Monday through Friday, but feel free to jump in any time.

The program begins with a one-mile and 400m benchmark time trial. These are all-out efforts to find your starting point. Once you have your initial mile time, you will be able to determine the various paces required for each individual running session. This website will help you determine your (R)ace Pace, (M)arathon Pace, (T)hreshold Pace and your EZ pace. These paces are important and will help you improve your performance drastically.

Week 3, Day 4

All at T Pace:

1200m with 3:00 recovery
800m with 2:00 recovery
400m with 1:00 recovery
200m

About Richard Airey

Rich Airey is a running and strength coach hailing from the Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Rich got his start as a runner at the age of five, running his first five-mile race. As a junior college All-American, Rich earned a scholarship to Monmouth University, where he was the school record holder in the 10,000m and the Northeast Conference Steeplechase Champion. Upon graduation Rich continued to compete in races of all distances from one mile to 24-hour ultra marathons.

Since 1998 Rich has been coaching runners of all levels. He has coached and worked with over thirty high school All-Americans, NCAA qualifiers, and Olympic Trials qualifiers. As a running coach Rich has always incorporated strength training with his athletes.

Rich is a CrossFit Level 1 coach and has coached at several gyms around the United States. Rich is also a USAW Level 1 Coach. In addition, Rich travels the country teaching running seminars, lecturing on mechanics and the importance of strength training for healthy running and longevity.

In 2011, he created RunningWOD to further help runners understand the benefits of strength and conditioning training to enhance endurance performance. RunningWOD balances volume and intensity, strategically programming running with strength and conditioning to allow athletes reach their full potential.

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