The 3 minute mile.

**derekderekderek** · 07-13-2006 09:42 PM

PEETuzzz-
yeah good idea. the straight stretches would be a good place to just try and get rid of that awkward feeling- not a lot of rhythm in my push, tell you that much. i just wanted a comparison run, and for real- i don't think i could have pulled off a second mile pushing like that. muscles were seared, without even a decent time to show for it.
steamrollaaa- impressive work with that 3:41, especially from a dead stop! what kind of set up were you on, and were you doing huge pushes, or a bunch of smaller ones? it sounds like that set up might be the way to go for approaching the 3 minute mile, if the only thing holding you back was being in shape for it. i bet with a few more runs at it, you'll be knocking off lots of seconds from your time.

**markgroenenboom** · 07-13-2006 10:14 PM

when I got up to 17 (not 18) mph I was pushing with my goofy mongo style on one of my Gbomb drop decks with 90mm flywheels- keep in mind that this was for a few seconds rather than a few minutes. I am reasonably good at pushing, but sadly I still need to shut up and see how I hold up over a mile (I know, I know, I know...shut up and skate, I hear ya).

Recently, I posted this over in the videos so sorry if this is redundant, but it shows one of the drop decks and my goofy mongo style on. I would love to see some video of some folks hauling along by pumping, does anyone have any links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PjdrAu6cjM

I just recently set one of my gumdrop decks wayyyy down so it almost bottoms out (the deck in the video) and am probably going to break down and get the gps that paved wave and you are using (you have the heart monitor, James doesn't). I think I found a reasonable stretch of road here in Vancouver WA, but it sounds like you found some great stuff up there. The wheels were 90mm flywheels, but I may try gumballs. I really believe that mongo is more efficient and I hope the data proves this.

Here is a little fact - on a bike wind resistance equals rolling resistance at about 8 to 10 mph. At 15 mph wind resistance gets up to about 80% of the resistance. Anything that lowers Cd (coefficient of drag) is going to be much more effective at lowering times than big wheels and better bearings. Soooooo

Sadly, the spandex is effective, and while I gave up on being cool long ago, you still won't catch me in it either (unless I get a time in the low 3 minutes). I would look like the Pillsbury doughboy if you tried to stuff me into one of those outfits.

**crawdad62** · 07-14-2006 09:43 AM

Okay I've come a little late to this discussion but are you talking about running 1 mile in length by pushing and/or pumping or just pumping exclusively? I'm not sure I could pump for a mile at full tilt.

I have the perfect place to do it. It's a straight road, smooth as glass (just got repaved) and flat enough that I could run it both ways and not get much difference in times I assume. It's a pretty heavily traveled road so I'd have to do it late at night but I'm in.

**pavedwave** · 07-14-2006 10:00 AM

cool crawdad! in the interest of 'science' it would be cool to go exclusive pump or push, but the 'spec' is open, send me your times and we'll post it up!

" 2. Unlimited flatland start, pushing or pumping. From start line to finish, either pump the entire length, push, or combine pushing and pumping."

mark, great vid!! i spotted some pretty tasty trails out in the salmon creek area last time i was down visiting my brother. i forgot which street they run next to but was amazed to see all the shiny new asphalt...

**pwlongboarder7** · 07-14-2006 01:15 PM

the 3 minute sounds impossible to me

**derekderekderek** · 07-14-2006 02:39 PM

i think it's entirely doable. if a hack could hit a 3:33 mile with minimal loop-track experience, there are certainly people out there who can crush that time in any number of ways- pushing, pumping, or combo.

18 mph translates to a 3:20 mile- that would be a nice start.

mark- that is very interesting about wind resistance. i had no idea it was such a factor. as an alternative to spandex, i heard eggs are very aerodynamic. maybe instead you could just wear an egg costume (hard boiled though, not scrambled)...

**sdelano** · 07-16-2006 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by pavedwave

I've built a page for the "cyber mile" in case you guys want to support it, it would be cool to see it take off. Currently got the pump mile to just over 4 minutes, I think it was 4:14 at the Redmond Velodrome.

http://home.comcast.net/~jampet99/rides/cyber.html

Mark if you're up for it let's do a real mile challenge in person, we could use the Velodrome in the early morning before the bikes take over. That's a perfect course because its built flat, you wouldn't have to run it in both directions. Of course there are a lot of mostly flat bike trails here as well. We have the MS Skate August 27th, and one portion of the trail is a full mile without interruption/intersections etc. If we rode that both directions we'd have a "true" mile time to factor out the inclines. We could do this the day before the marathon, you game?!

pavedwave do you think Greenlake is flat enough? I around there often...If you found a fairly flat section it could work out.

**pavedwave** · 07-21-2006 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by sdelano

pavedwave do you think Greenlake is flat enough? I around there often...If you found a fairly flat section it could work out.

I suppose if you hit Greenlake up early enough before the crowds, you could go one mile the "wrong" way clockwise, then chalk-mark when your mile is complete. Then after you've rested enough, hit it counter-clockwise with regular wheeled traffic to average the two times. That path's elevation is pretty variable all the way around, plus its usually just too busy for maintaining a 15mph+ pace and not freakin out the locals... For 'official' straight course times done only in one direction, I think the only place on the earth might be Salt Flats UT!

We'll be getting together either out in Redmond or in Snoqualmie on some Saturday in August with GPS devices to mark some miles, so drop a line if you want to hook up!

**tork** · 07-21-2006 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Fat Bastard

I'm trying it on tuesday.

What would be better, an Evo with 97mm Flys, or a Fiberflex G&S Pintail with 90mm Flys?

The evo's lower, but the Flexdeck's spring will give back more in the push.

whatever you do, dont use 97mm fly's, they are meant for the pull of gravity and long distance DOWNHILL runs, not flat ground. use something like gumballs or flashbacks. and use the flexdeck

that is my opinion

**pavedwave** · 07-29-2006 11:21 PM

Great session this morning at the Vel -- some new riders and times posted. One thing, the track bikers started showing up just after 7 a.m. so its an early one -- hopefully an August 12th or 13th cyber mile 'session' there -- anyone that can make it out drop a line!

derek munson - 3:33 cirque parking loop x 3, roe ldp, carverCX, speed vents. 7/8/06
james peters - 3:57 redmond velodrome, roe ldp, splitfires, pink retro gumballs. 7/29/06
mark groenenboom - 4:22 vantuckey, wa g-bomb! 7/15/06
john stryker - 4:44 redmond velodrome, drop deck carbon speedboard 7/29/06
seth zeichner - 5:02 velodrome pkg lot, roe-sect, CX, avilas 7/26/06
dan hughes - 5:10 redmond velodrome, roe GS foamcore, zags 7/29/06

**pavedwave** · 03-21-2008 07:05 AM

New Cyber Mile time of 4:46 - Greg Fiess.

**tsmith25** · 03-21-2008 09:36 AM

This is cool. I don't know I missed this thread back when it was new but since I live in FL, which stands for FLAT not Florida, I think i might try this. I have a flat course that is a mile that I have used for running training during my team sports days in highschool that should be perfect. I plan on doing it in one way as a baseline then slowly increasing my pace till I can get under 4 minutes and maybe think about breaking 3. I think that this is definitely possible.

**netphreak** · 03-21-2008 09:49 AM

This is definately possible. Since I live in one of the flatter areas of florida, I guess I should start practicing... and get my video camera back out.

**.secrets** · 03-21-2008 10:51 AM

omg, i live in fargo. i know i can do this! yeah!

**stocago** · 03-21-2008 04:20 PM

My hat is off to anyone that breaks 4 minutes, let alone 3 minutes. Pumping a mile under 5 minutes requires not only good technique, but good fitness. A 4-minute-mile breaks down to four 60-second quarters. I haven't broken a minute for a quarter yet. To me that's a sprint. Congratulations to all you sub-4 milers!

**longfasthard** · 03-21-2008 04:55 PM

Ive done 3:07 today downtown on my 44 fibreflex pintail with garver ceramic bearings and the stock kryptonics.
But i longboard religously haha.

**pavedwave** · 04-13-2008 08:48 PM

New Cyber Mile time of 3:43 - James Simpson.

**markgroenenboom** · 04-14-2008 04:49 PM

Wow, congrats to James Simpson on a couple great runs.

What is the fastest mile recorded by a human on flat land running? Can we now confidently say that the the skateboarding cyber mile is faster?

Beats walking AND running too.

**msk** · 04-14-2008 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by markgroenenboom

Wow, congrats to James Simpson on a couple great runs.

What is the fastest mile recorded by a human on flat land running? Can we now confidently say that the the skateboarding cyber mile is faster?

Beats walking AND running too.

The current world record is also 3:43...

**Rarrazz** · 04-14-2008 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by msk

The current world record is also 3:43...

Guess another second at very least needs to be shaved off.

I'd be interested in seeing how fast of a mile I could push.
Biggest problem is that in Alaska - not too much is flat. There's one long stretch of straight-away on the highway right along-side the military base that's fairly flat though, I think it may be a mile, it'd be close. There's a bike path along there that could possibly work.