Doctors and scientists said breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the track after collapsing at the finish line, I figured I was dead
Roger BannisterRead
I trained for less than three-quarters of an hour, maybe five days a week - I didn't have time to do more. But it was all about quality, not quantity - so I didn't waste time jogging, ever.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of quality training over the quantity of time spent exercising.
Roger Bannister highlights that even with limited training time, focusing on the quality of that training can lead to significant achievements. He suggests that efficient and purposeful practice is more beneficial than merely putting in long hours without intent.
Themes
TrainingQualityEfficiencyExerciseFocus
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to inspire athletes looking to improve their performance.
More from Roger Bannister
All quotes →I couldn't disappoint people. I did not want to fail and exhaust myself, because I was the kind of runner who trained so little that I couldn't race again within another 10 days.
Roger BannisterRead
The mile has all the elements of a drama.
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No longer conscious of my movement, I discovered a new unity with nature. I had found a new source of power and beauty, a source I never dreamt existed.
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Whether we athletes liked it or not, the 4-minute mile had become rather like an Everest: a challenge to the human spirit, it was a barrier that seemed to defy all attempts to break it, an irksome reminder that men's striving might be in vain.
Roger BannisterRead
I was playing rugby and the other games English school children do, and there was an event in which races were run, and I won these by a considerable margin.
Roger BannisterRead
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