This motivational pep-talk came from my friends at Be Motivated Today. Being an athlete myself, it hit home with me and I’d thought that I’d share it with you.

If you’d like to learn more about Roger Banister and the 4-minute mile read the book, The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb.

And if you’re a master athlete like I am (over 35) and want some more motivation read Age Is Just A Number by 3 time Olympian, Dara Tores.

Roger Banister and the 4-minute mile

In the 1950?s doctors said that it was physically impossible to run the mile in less than 4 minutes. They said that a human body could not endure the physical strain. The heart would literally explode out of the chest. That was the belief at the time. The limit was 4 minutes. The result: no one ran the mile in under 4 minutes.

But one man believed that it was possible. Roger Banister. He believed he could do it. On 6 May 1954, six men lined up to run the mile in Oxford. Rodger Bannister, among them, had prepared himself and believed he could do it. Running with a team that would help him pace himself and a coach and trainer calling instructions from the sidelines, Roger was ready to make running history. His first pacer ran in front of him for the first 3 laps. Then he left the track. The second pacer kept the pace from behind for the next 300 meters. Coming around the last corner, Roger was on his own. He dug deep and gave it his all. In total exhaustion he broke the tape in 3 mins. 59.4 seconds! He became the first man to run the mile in under 4 minutes. He broke through that invisible limit because he believed he could. And he held the record for ? the next 2 months. Soon many athletes ran the mile in under 4 minutes. It was no longer a limit. Today all top, medium-distance athletes run the mile in under 4 minutes.

Before 6 May 1954, millions had believed that it could not be done. In their minds they had the limit – and it stopped them.

Consider what your limits are.

Affirmations for this week:
Limits are in my mind only
I can do more than I believe I can
I strive to go beyond my limits

Yes you can,

Have a great week,

Joanne

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