More running

Ever since I can remember I've had people ask me "Are you related to Roger Bannister- you know,  the first person to run a four minute mile".

I'm not related, but I've often wondered if we share some distant ancestor. The ironic thing is that I'm not a even a good runner. In school I had the longest legs yet I was the slowest. I was pretty uncoordinated, but back then I also lacked the will or the competitiveness.

Now at 50, I seem to have found the will I never had and the competitiveness, although I'm mostly competitive with myself.  I'll never get close to what decent runners can do today, let alone the likes of my namesake. Its amazing to think that a 4 minute mile means running at better than 15 miles per hour and that even the best marathoners can keep up an average speed of better than 12 mph

Roger Bannister at age 80

I've tried cranking the treadmill up to 12 and its frighteningly fast, I'm too chicken to crank it up to 15 lest I make a complete fool of myself and fall off the end, but even if I could get there, I doubt I could maintain it for more than a few seconds

Sir Roger Bannister (he was knighted in 1975) completed the first sub four minute mile in May 1954. Since then, its been beaten 18 times by 13 people with the current fastest record of 3:43.13 being held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco (17 1/2 mph in case you wondered- I did).

I've only been running a week or two, but I'm going to keep at it. I won't even come close to a 4 minute mile, probably be lucky to get a 6, but I'll always be in awe of those runners who can maintain high speeds in distance running.