Even outside of running circles
the sub four minute mile is widely revered. Those who have no idea about what
might be a ‘good’ time in running know that if you can cover a mile in less
than four minutes, then you must be a proper runner. Ever since I began running
for the first time, almost eleven years ago now, a sub four minute mile has
been a dream of mine. No matter how many hundreds of people have already
achieved it (approximately 1400 people at last count), the four minute barrier
still possesses a certain aura, a sense of magic. Therefore, imagine my
excitement when, three weeks ago, I found out that I would have my chance to
race over the mile distance.
For some reason, I have always
believed that I can run three minutes something for the mile. There has never
been any doubt in my mind that I could. As time ticked onwards however, I
started to question if ever I would. When I first started training as a
somewhat cocky seventeen year old, I remember telling my Abbey club teammates
that a sub-four minute mile was not difficult. ‘Sure it’s only four laps of
sixty seconds. Easy.’ The older members laughed at my naivety and looking back
now, so do I. However, while it may not be easy, I have always and still do believe
that, for me, it is definitely possible. Every year a list detailing every four
minute miler in history is released. Every year one of my same old Abbey teammates
emails it to me. ‘Where is your name?’ they ask jokingly. The response has
always been the same: ‘Next year mate, next year’. Maybe with the indoor mile race coming up,
this year would finally by ‘The year’.
Before the race last week I had
only competed in two mile races before. One was close to ten years ago, known
as the Mizuno Mile. I remember texting my brother from the finish line, ‘I just
ran 3.54 for the mile!’. I conveniently left out the fact that nearly a kilometre
of the race was down the steep hill at Stormont in Belfast. The other race was
my one and only outdoor track mile race. I have no recollection of ever running
it but judging from the poor result (4.28) I am glad it was so forgettable. These
days I sometimes do several mile reps quicker in the middle of sessions.
And so it was that I found myself
standing on the startline at a small meet in North London last week. After a
great start to my indoor season, running a 3000m European indoor qualifying
time, I was eager to do just as well in my second race. Training had been going
as best as I could have hoped. Everything was geared towards the Tuesday
afternoon sessions. I would travel the ninety minutes up in the car to the
indoor track with John, my training partner. It would always be quiet going up,
knowing the pain that lay in the immediate hours ahead. The return journey was
usually a very different story, filled with euphoria in the knowledge that there
was a full week until we had to make ourselves hurt as much again. Andy
Hobdell, our coach, would come down to watch and advise. The week before the
race we had three sets of 2km with 400m jog recovery. Finishing the last rep
with a 2.30 kilometre and 55 second last 400m I was hitting speeds that I have
never even come close to before. Not bad for a marathon runner! The rest of the week blended into what was essentially
a long six day recovery period, interspersed with a six mile tempo run on the
Thursday and short hills on the Saturday. Given the training that I had been
doing there was no doubt in my mind that I was ready to run a mile in under
four minutes.
And the gun went off. The
pacemaker went off hard. It felt quick so I hung a few metres back behind the
pacemaker in second. The laps passed, sixty seconds followed by a second sixty
seconds. I hit 800m in two minutes dead. I was one or two seconds off target
pace but still on for a sub four clocking. Now was not the time to panic. I
knew the training I had done and the strength and speed that I had. However, as
the laps went by I started to slow. The pacemaker had dropped out and I was on my own. From 2.30 at the kilometre mark, I drifted to 3.02, and then to
3.34. I crossed the line in a disappointing 4.06, taking small consolation only
in the fact that I had won the race. There are many reasons why I believe I did
not break four minutes. Was it the long drive up to the race, or had I not
warmed up effectively. Had the strength and conditioning I had done two days
previously taken the speed out of my legs. Or had I put myself under so much
stress to break four minutes that when it came to the crucial point in the race
my mind told myself it was not possible.
Running is a funny sport
sometimes. Breaking the four minute barrier has been one of my dreams for so
long that I hope I get another chance to go for it this season. Preferably in a
competitive race, with other athletes pushing me to do my best. Hopefully by
the time the list of milers is published this year, there will be at least one
more addition, me. Following the mile race I was disappointed. But as always in
athletics, there is another race around the corner to refocus my mind. For me,
it is the UK trials this weekend in Sheffield. The startlist has been announced
and contains some of the best runners the UK currently has to offer. I am not a
sub four minute miler yet but I am fit, injury free and hopefully, have a
European Indoor Championships to get ready for at the start of March. While I
did not achieve my goal in the race last week, I have no doubt that there will
be more opportunities in the months that lie ahead. So until then, it is simply
a matter of staying healthy, training hard and continuing to dream.
For anyone who is interested
below is a link to a video of the mile race:
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