Fitness Check-Up #5

Week 5 of the Fit Score. Here is fitness check-up test #4.

Fitness test #5) Endurance 1-Mile Time Trial

Why this test:

This test has more up-to-date standards than most cardiovascular

endurance tests and it’s very easy to execute. Even if you can’t run

the entire time, you can cover the mile doing run/walk intervals.

To make this even more concrete, the research shows us how sig-

nificant cardiovascular health is as a predictor of heart disease. A

55-year-old man or woman who can cover a mile in 15 minutes

has a 30 percent chance of developing heart disease. However, a

55-year-old man or woman who can run a mile in eight minutes

has a 10 percent risk of developing heart disease.

Purpose:

Test cardiovascular endurance

History:

Accurate times for the mile have been recorded since 1850. In

1886, Walter George set the first official record for the mile at 4

minutes, 12 seconds. I am, of course, not expecting you to run

anywhere near that fast! I use data from Running Level, a website

that allows anyone to input their running performance’s best

results for specific distances. The site has millions of data points

from users who have posted their mile times. Each month, more

than 200,000 people post times. All results are broken down into

norms based on age and gender. When I look at the results they

post, they line up with what I see as valid based on my years of

experience in fitness. Our fitness check-up uses Running Level

normative data for the endurance 1-mile time trial.

Pros:

Easy to do. Find a local track or measure a mile using a GPS tracker

on your phone.

Cons:

It can be challenging if you haven’t done this in a while.

Protocol:

1. Warm-up according to the guidelines.

2. Run one mile, timed.

Strategy:

Depending on what feels right, you can either go out fast or be

steady and try to finish strong. Feel your way through it and do

what is right for you. There is no right or wrong way to attack this.

What to watch for:

If you are not running on a track or a treadmill, be sure that the

course you pick is as flat as possible.

Let me know how you do.

See you in the gym,

Aaron Leventhal CSCS, ACSM-Cancer Specialist, PN1