Running Under 6 Minutes for a Mile is a goal for a lot of people. I have been running all my life and started running the mile in 7th grade. When running in college I started to specialize in the 800m run and didn't end up running a mile again. I was on the barrier waiting to break 5 minutes but didn't have another opportunity to get it. Now, I focus more on longer distances like half marathons and soon to be triathlons as well. Now, I have a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, the study of your body movement, and a master's degree in athletic training. With my background in running, I wrote up a month-long training plan to help any runner break their goal of running under 6 minutes in the mile. 

This is a guide; it is not guaranteeing anything. You have to put in the hard work, and it will be hard. But the workouts are designed to help you build cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance to be able to run longer and feel stronger to reach that goal. If you don't reach 6 minutes within the month, repeat the month and try to do the workouts faster.
If a 3-minute tempo took you 0.4 miles down the road, this time around try to get 0.5 or 0.6 down the road.  

Here are some things to consider: 

Warm Up Cool Down 

10 minutes run  (dynamic drills) 5-10 minute run 

What are Strides?

•  a 15-20 second effort building your speed and effort to about 75% speed. This is a good time to work on your form, being on your toes, driving your knees up and focus on breathing. 75% is your perceived effort, this is not measurable. 

Goal Splits for 6-minute mile: 

1 mile 6 minutes                       4 laps 

800m 3 minutes                       2 laps 

400m 1 minute 30 seconds 1 lap 

200m 45 seconds                     1/2 lap

Perceived effort 

- this is based off of feel

try to find your max speed, think about what would be 90%,  80%, 60%, and so on. 

50 is usually a pace that just elevates your heart rate from walking but is not strenuous. You can keep this pace for a long time. 

WEEK 1 

Day 1: 2-3 mile run and 2-4 strides 

Day 2: 2-4 laps jog the turn, stride the straight (75-80% effort on the straights) or if outside light post to light post 30 second stride/ 30 second sprint 

Day 3: 2-3 mile run and 2-4 strides 

Day 4: 4 X 100m/200m/100m Rest: 100m walk in between each, 3 minutes rest in between sets. Aim for 20 second 100m and 45 second 200m. 

Week 2

Day 1: 2-3 mile run and 2-3 strides
Day 2: 6 X 3 minutes goal pace, 1 minute slow jog recovery
Day 3: 2-3 mile run and 2-4 strides
Day 4: Ladder 200m / 400m / 600m /  800m /  600m / 400m / 200m. ( 40 seconds, 85 seconds, 115 seconds respectively). 

Week 3 

Day 1: 2-3 mile run and 2-4 strides
Day 2: 5 X 4 minutes goal pace, 1 minute slow jog recovery
Day 3: 2-3 miles and 2-4 strides
Day 4: 3 X 3 X 300m or 1 minute. I minute rest between reps, 5 minute walking between sets. think 80-90% effort. 

Week 4 

Day 1: 2-3 mile run and 2-4 strides
Day 2: 3X6 minute (change your speed every 2 minutes, easy run, steady fast run, upbeat and uncomfortable almost a sprint) 3-5 minutes rest between.
Day 3: 2-3 mile run and 2-4 strides.
Day 4: 2 X 400m/300m/ 200m at mile pace. (200m slightly faster) 1 minute rest between reps, 5 minutes between sets. 

Week 5

Sub 6 Minute Mile attempt 

I am in the routine to run 6 days a week, with one rest day. This is not for everyone, especially people starting up with running. Try to start with these 4 days. If you have a little bit more experience as a runner, try running a 5th or 6th day a week or including a cross training day. You may get a lot out of a swim day or spin class or benefit from a day on a stationary bike with some 45 seconds to 1-minute sprints thrown in.