Best 1-Mile Timed Effort

The US Navy SEALS classify their qualifying 1.5mile run to be completed within 11minutes 30 seconds in full boots and pants. The SAS (Special Air Services) or UK Special Forces requires you to complete the 1.5mile run in 10minutes 30 seconds, also in boots and pants.
The civilian me has always dream of a sub-7min30secs 1mile (1.6km). My best ever was 8:14.
Why 7mins30secs?
Logic is with trainers and shorts, i should technically able to complete the whole 1.5miles within 11minutes30secs. With an average pace of about 4:30 or 13km/h, i should be able to lock in that 1-miler in 7:30 and eventually, the 1.5miles in 11mins30seconds.
Fresh from running 20clicks n Sperm Loop the day before, i was hungry for a run, despite the rain and ran. There was no turning back the moment i press START on my heart rate monitor (without warm up...opps!). I recalled my HR to be at about 68bpm when I started and it keep going up for the whole duration of the 1.6km that i ran. It max-ed out at 173bpm, somewhere and i recorded a high 85% HRave throughout.

There was no letting off the pace and i really put in my 110% into the run. I pushed and i swore saliva was dripping off from the corner of my mouth as I superhyperventilate forcing my legs and lung and heart to put in the effort.

almost consistent throughout if converted to Km/h 12-13km/h. *proud*

I used to be able to keep a 5:00 pace pretty well and did (on record) a 48:44minutes 10km before, but i guess those days are very well over. Maybe the route was under-distanced ;-)

I really did a 48:44 in 2005!

So back to my 1-mile conquest, i pushed through the lactic acid build up and consciously even prevented landing on the heel but on the forefoot to spring off as fast as i could. But alas, i could only obtain an-OK 8:25.9.

But it is decent enough in many ways - and i will break that PB of 8:14 in a month's time. 11seconds is like an hour on the athletic field, but nothing is impossible.
I will be tracking my level of effort via this blog and a simple Excel sheet, which will provide a better visual to what i am trying to convey above.

So, having completed a 1-mile run in the fastest timing i could afford to do, i decided to follow it up with a 5km speed/HIIT run. With the heart rate in Zone 4 already, best not to waste it. I intend to push as much as i could to get back my racing fitness.
The intensity of the speed work is such that my heart rate will not dip below 150. It has to stay above that and the only way to do it is to run fast enough to keep it there and slow enough so it will not drop below 150! Ya, i know, what a way to torture one-self on a weekend ain't it?

It was 158bpm average - CHECKED. Pushing through the 5km on speed work, i even managed to go faster than my 1-mile speed on the final 100m sprint (HIIT: 1km-1km-800m-800m-400m-400m-200m-200m-100m-100m; in alternating slow-fast pace starting with 1km slow)

4:30 sprint as opposed to 4:47 1-mile effort. :P

I wrapped up the 5km in a decent 32minutes - drenched in both sweat and rain. 6.6km total in 32+8 = 40mins. Luckily the elevation was pretty flat.

Why am I doing all these? Well, because since 2004, i was in a quest to be the sports person i wasn't. And 8 years down the road, it is still not too late at all. 1-mile in 7:30 and 1.5miles in 11:30. Bring it on.