1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: and there's Charles W Chuck Bryant, and there's Jerry and 4 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 1: there's Roger Banister and we're all hanging out, running around 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: being crazy and this is stuff you should know. Good intro, 6 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: it was not my best. Let me ask you this, Chuck, 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: do you miss the intros of your where like I 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: would relate some maybe current news story to what we 9 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: were talking about, or um, just there would be like 10 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: an intro that I presented. Do you miss that or 11 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: have we evolved past that? I mean, I thought those 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: were great for sure, and occasionally when you do them again, 13 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: it's nice. But also just don't mind the banter version 14 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: as well. I think they're both great. Okay, well, maybe 15 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: I'll pepper it in a little more than I have been. Okay, alright, 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: I love it because I like the banter too, But 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: I just want to make sure I'm not like slacking 18 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: off on you know, my end I'm supposed to be 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: holding up. No, I mean you know that certainly keeps 20 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: me quiet longer, which is good or bad depending on 21 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: which one of us you prefer. So why can't you 22 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: just prefer both? You know? I like to think so, um, like, 23 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: who's an Ernie fan? And who's a Burt fan? And 24 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: everybody's a Burden Ernie fan, you know? Okay, three, the 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: Charlie's Angels equal, Yeah, but Cheryl Lad was far and 26 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: away the best. You saw that. She was on your 27 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: on Good Morning America three and we were in our 28 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: little virtual green room on zoom. And when you're doing 29 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: that everyone and you're on live TV, you're watching the 30 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: feet of the television show, so you kind of know 31 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: what's going on. And they did a teaser to go 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: into commercial or show this this very pretty lady with 33 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: blonde hair, kind of from a dis so sitting on 34 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: the couch, and I went, in my mind, is that 35 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: Cheryl Lad? And sure enough they said, in coming up, 36 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: Cheryl Lad. She followed us. We opened for Cheryl Ladd. Finally, 37 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: I know. It's pretty cool. Yeah, so um, and I 38 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: know what I'm talking about. I watched a lot of 39 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: Charlie's Angels. Cheryltte is definitely the best one. Okay, nay, um, 40 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: So I've got an intro for this one. Oh, we 41 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: had the banter in the intro perfect, Chuck, Yes, we're 42 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 1: talking about the four minute mile today. Let's begin. Uh. 43 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: You know, I got this idea because I was until 44 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: I quit watching it because it's pretty terrible. I was 45 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: watching that show Winning Time on HBO about the Lakers Dynasty. 46 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, didn't get bad. Yeah, I think it kind 47 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: of stinks. But John c Riley is really good in it. 48 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: But he told a story about Roger Banister and the 49 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: fact that ethist. To Roger Banister, no one had ever 50 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: thought the four minute mile was innachievable, like the human 51 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: body just couldn't do it until he did it, and 52 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: then it started happening on the kind of semi reg 53 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: and it was in the show. It worked really well. 54 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: It was a good story, and I thought, you know, 55 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: I don't know much about Rogerster, Roger Rogster Banner, Roger Banister, 56 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: or his story. So we had Dave Rouse cook up 57 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: this article and it's I found it's super cool and 58 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: kind of inspiring and uplifting. Yeah, it is. It's pretty neat. 59 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: Um Ruse did a really good job with this too, 60 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: like the suspense and I've got chills a couple of 61 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: times reading. He He asked us a shout out to UM. 62 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: A guy who wrote a book called The Perfect Mile, 63 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: Neil Bascombe, because he used it as one of his 64 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: sources in it. He I guess he thought it was 65 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: so great that he wanted to shout out Neil Bascombe. 66 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: But UM, one of the things that that you gotta 67 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: have to do when you're talking about the four minute 68 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: mile and why people thought it was impossible bowl UM, 69 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: is to kind of start at the beginning, because the 70 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: mile hasn't always existed. So the four minute mile hasn't 71 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: always existed. UM. The mile has been around much longer 72 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: than the idea of the four minute mile. UM. In fact, 73 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: it was the ancient Greeks who kind of kicked the 74 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: whole thing off by coming up with a measurement called 75 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: a stat. And a stat was the distance across a 76 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: field in the in an an Olympic stadium. I guess 77 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 1: the Olympic stadium, it was about two ds, right, And 78 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: so if you were if you were running around a 79 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: modern track like a track and field track, you would 80 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: go halfway and stop and you'd shout stop A That's 81 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: what I do when I run, yep, I go about 82 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: halfway around the track. I'm finished. And everyone's like, what's 83 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: up with this creep? But that was the Greeks were 84 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: into their running events, and the two d the half lap, 85 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: as we know at the stop day, was the big 86 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: showcase event. And then they had the uh diet dioulos 87 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: dioulos that was too studies. It was a four hundred 88 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: and then they had even longer ones all the way 89 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: up to about forty eight hundred meters uh. And then 90 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: we get if you want to know where the name 91 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: mile cames from, cames from? What is going on with me? 92 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 1: I guess you're getting on a little foggy Oh no, no, 93 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:32,799 Speaker 1: no no. The Romans they ran, but that that wasn't 94 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: like their premiere event. Um. But the Romans did like 95 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: to march, and when they did march, they marked their 96 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: distance every thousand strides uh. And in Latins that was 97 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 1: known as a melay pass us m I L l E, 98 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,239 Speaker 1: with a stride being two steps about two ft five inches. 99 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: So at that time every melay pass us was four thousand, 100 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 1: eight hundred and thirty three ft still not quite where 101 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: we are today, right, And that's considered the first mile. 102 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: And it became like a regular marker that Romans used 103 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 1: the other thing Romans were famous for was building roads 104 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: everywhere they went, and they marked these miles, these somewhat 105 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: shorter miles than what we consider a mile today, um, 106 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: along these roads. And what's crazy is that these Roman 107 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: roads existed in say the UK for centuries and centuries, 108 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: I mean like like tens of centuries, um, so that 109 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: by the fifteen sixteenth centuries, um, wealthy people in the 110 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: UK used to have their their servants race one another 111 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: from one mile marker to another mile marker. So first 112 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: you've got the mile thanks to the Romans. Well you 113 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: have a history of foot racing thanks to the Greeks, 114 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: a mile thanks to the Romans, and then the mile 115 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: run thanks to the Brits in the sixteenth and seventeen centuries, right. 116 00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: And then it took I believe in FI to get 117 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: to where we are today lengthwise, because British Parliament said 118 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: a mile is eight furlongs and a for long is 119 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: six hundred sixty ft or seventeen hundred and sixty yards 120 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: or the very familiar five thousand, two hundred and eight feet. 121 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: But we should note that as far as a mile 122 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: long race, um, we still don't do that mile long 123 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: race in the Olympics, we do the hundred meters, which 124 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: is almost that. It's fifteen sixteenth of a mile. Yeah, 125 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: so close. It's just so maddening. It's like, keep going 126 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: a little further. Kind of annoying. Actually, Um, the same 127 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: thing happens at track meets in high school and college. Um. 128 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: Starting in the eighties, they started building tracks to a 129 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: uniform four hundred meters and you can't really divide a 130 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: mile by four hundreds cleanly, so you've got four times 131 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: around the track. Is about as close as you can 132 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: come to a mile. I think it's nine m shy 133 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: of a mile in there, Yeah, exactly, Like that finish 134 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: line is not movable. Come on, let's let's get it 135 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: together everybody. But they don't. They do have special mile 136 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: races for college in high school, UM, but it's not 137 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: like a regular event. It's usually a four eight, six hundred, 138 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: sixteen thousand meter something like that. Yeah, a hundred and 139 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: sixty million meter. Alright, So we're gonna go back in 140 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: time again to the nineteenth century, when you know, I 141 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: remember our episode on pubs and taverns. They got into 142 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: running and sporting stuff aside from like darts, and they 143 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: had tracks sometimes built out behind them, and they would 144 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: organize these mile long races and people could bet on them, 145 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: and the runners were called pedestrians. So initially the sport 146 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: of running was called pedestrianism, which is hysterical so it 147 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: doesn't exactly roll up the time, no uh. And then 148 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: someone said, hey, we've got all these cricket fields, we've 149 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: got all these soccer or football fields to them, and 150 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: a circle around one of these things is about a 151 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: quarter a mile if we if we plan it right, 152 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: and a quarter mile track is what we're looking for. 153 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: So they started putting these tracks around sporting fields and 154 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, you've got, you know, a really 155 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: easy way to to raise a mile, and it's another 156 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: person right or the clock or both. Yeah. Yeah, you 157 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: could run against the clock and a person at the 158 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: same time. It's been done so because by the way, 159 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: pedestrianism reminds me of like a clinical term for a kink, 160 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: like walking around in public with no pants on, like 161 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: porkypasian would be pedestrianism. Yeah. Um. So because the public 162 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: kands figured out like, hey, we can we can make 163 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: money off of this, it started attracting more and more 164 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: people and it became more and more popular, and there 165 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: was like this this whole jam in the nineteenth century 166 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: where pedestrians were called milers because people were nuts for 167 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: the mile race. Um. And there were pretty quickly in 168 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: the beginning of the nineteenth century like pedestrian stars, miler 169 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: mile racers stars um. Probably highest among them was a 170 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: guy named Captain Robert Barclay. The reason that he was 171 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: such as stars because he was the first guy to 172 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: break the five minute mark, which at the time was 173 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 1: considered beyond the limits of human endurance. Sure, and you know, 174 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: pretty great. A minute mile was not bad those conditions, 175 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: especially when you look at the meals that this guy 176 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: would eat. Barclay his training regiment included a quote, a 177 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: breakfast dinner of beef steak or mutton chops underdone with 178 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: stale bread and old beer. Man. I don't know why 179 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: it's got to be stale and old. Whenever I think 180 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: of training, like eating for training, I think of that 181 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: five k on the office and Michael Skott like he 182 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: was trying to carbload, so a big thing of facchini 183 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:11,199 Speaker 1: alfredo right before the race. That was a good one. UM. 184 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, the Barclay had kind of a weird regiment, 185 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: but it worked for him. And also you have to 186 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: consider chuck like these these people were not running in 187 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: like you know, on clouds or anything or nikes. They 188 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: were running in like probably some the most uncomfortable shoe 189 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: anyone living today would have ever encountered. And this guy 190 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: was still running a five minute mile. Yeah on. You know, 191 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: who knows what the tracks behind the pubs were made of, 192 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: but like legitimate racing tracks were made of like tiny 193 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: rocks oftentimes or cinders. I was surprised to see which 194 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: is a tiny rock? I wasn't. I thought it was 195 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: like old wood. It's like I think it's sort of 196 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: like crushed lava rock. Okay, okay, I got you. That 197 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: doesn't sound very comfortable at all. No, not at all. Uh. 198 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: I remember when I was a kid, one of my 199 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: and I still love it. One of my favorite war 200 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: movies growing up because it was a big HBO special 201 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: was Gallipoli and that had a sort of a sub 202 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: story about mel Gibson was one of the young stars 203 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: and I can't remember the other guy's name, this other Australian. 204 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: They were like track foes and then eventually friends. And 205 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: I remembered seeing the shoes that they were running on 206 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:25,959 Speaker 1: and the tracks that they were running on. When I 207 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: was like ten and eleven years old, just thinking like 208 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: what is going on back then? Nothing of pain, That's 209 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: what it was going on, foot Paine. Was it a 210 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: good movie. I've never seen it. Fantastic. That's the first 211 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: time I've ever heard it pronounced out loud too. Oh 212 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: really yeah, yeah, good stuff. So the nineteenth century was 213 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: a big, big deal for um for running. Basically, people 214 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: were super into it. There's a lot of betting going on. 215 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: There were professional runners who made a career out of it, 216 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: and like we said, Captain Robert barr Clay was the 217 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 1: first guy to break the five minute mile. UM. That 218 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: was the beginning of the nineteenth century. By the towards 219 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: the end of the nineteenth century, they were getting closer 220 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: and closer to breaking the four minute mile. Like just 221 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: in that century with those terrible shoes, they had gone 222 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 1: from five minutes to really close to four minutes. Yeah, 223 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: and it was really cool, like they were, like you said, 224 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: the professionals that were making prize money and people were 225 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: gambling on it. But to the there was a certain 226 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: like academic class of athletes that sort of looked down 227 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: upon them, and they were known as like the gentleman amateurs. 228 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: And you know, they went to Cambridge and they went 229 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: to Oxford, and they were educated and like excelled academically 230 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: and they excelled athletically, and they didn't feel like you 231 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: had to give up the one to do the other. 232 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: And it was sort of a pride in doing all 233 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: those things really well. And we mentioned this because as 234 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: we'll see, Banister was one of these gentlemen amateurs. But 235 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: one of the earlier ones was a guy named Walter 236 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: George and he was one of the first big dogs 237 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: that set a record that lasted about thirty years, a 238 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: mile record. Yeah he um he. So he was an amateur, 239 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: meaning like he didn't run for money. He considered that 240 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: kind of lowly, being a gentleman amateur. But he raced 241 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: against the um the top rated pro at the time, 242 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: a guy named William Cummings, and in this meat called 243 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: the Mile of the Century. Um they raced in front 244 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: of a crowd of like twenty thou people. It is 245 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: because also this is at the lily Bridge Sporting Grounds, 246 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: uh in London, and um there were there weren't stadiums 247 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: or bleachers like you had to, Like you were in 248 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: a crowd of twenty thou people at ground level watching 249 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: a race. Now you're watching the head of the person 250 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: in front of you, basically. Yeah. So twenty thousand people 251 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: turned out for this mile of the century and um 252 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: uh Walter George one with a time of I think 253 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: four minutes twelve seconds and this is in again with terrible, 254 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: terrible shoes. I wonder if they were just the people 255 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: in the front, like ten ft were just passing word back, 256 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: you know, and they're like, they're both running fast, and 257 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: then they're both running fast, and they would just keep 258 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: saying that until someone went until at the end it 259 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: was like the boat hurry smashed, the bannick ensued. Good stuff. Yeah, 260 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: it is good stuff. Um, but there's something to be 261 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: said about that for four minutes twelve second um time. 262 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: First of all, it was the amateur Walter George who 263 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: who got it. Second of all, like, that's really close 264 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: to a four minute mile and we're talking eighteen eighties 265 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: six here, right, So all of a sudden people are like, 266 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: wait a minute, maybe maybe it's not impossible, maybe it 267 00:15:56,360 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: is impossible, but we're close enough that there's there's runners, 268 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: there's elite runners around the world, and this is a 269 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: time where running was still really popular, not just in 270 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: Europe but in the United States as well. Um, who 271 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: were saying, I'm going to dedicate my career to chasing 272 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: that four minute mile, and um, that's that's kind of 273 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: what happened starting in the early twentieth century. All right, 274 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: I think that's a great place to break. We'll talk 275 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: about a few of these people as that time ticks 276 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: down towards four minutes. It's very exciting stuff, right it 277 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: for this Josh and Shock. Alright, So Walter George Is 278 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: set the record at the time, which was what four twelve, 279 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: and the thirty years later, almost thirty years later, a 280 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: man named American actually named Norman Tabor in nineteen fifteen 281 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: shaved off two tenths of a second. So now Norman 282 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: Tabor owns a world record. And then for about forty 283 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: years there were you know, it started just going down 284 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,679 Speaker 1: little by little. There was a finished runner named Pabo 285 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: Nurmi who owned the record for a little while, I 286 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: think brought it down to four ten, made the sport 287 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 1: kind of even more popular. A Frenchman named Jules uh 288 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: how would you say that, uh live, do make you led? 289 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 1: Do make you went single digits for the first time 290 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: at four oh nine point two in thirty one, new 291 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 1: Zealander named Jack Lovelock brought it down to four oh 292 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: seven point six and thirty three, I think an American 293 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 1: named Glenn Cunningham brought it down to four oh six 294 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: point eight. That was Glenn Cunningham the Kansas Powerhouse. And 295 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: this is a cool story because he as a child 296 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 1: had his legs burned in a kerosene accident that actually 297 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: killed his brother. I was told he might never walk again, 298 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: and apparently it hurt less to run than it did 299 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: to walk. So I don't know if Forrest Gump got 300 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 1: this from there, but apparently as a child, like everywhere 301 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: he went, he was running exactly and like he was 302 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: told that he would never walk again, and he ends 303 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: up growing up to set the world record for the 304 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: fastest mile at four point four oh six point eight. 305 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: That's an amazing story. And also we need to say, 306 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: like Jack Lovelock, Glenn Cunningham, Parvo Nermi, these people are 307 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: world famous. Like if you went to America and you 308 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: said Jack Lovelock, most people would know what you were 309 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: talking about because again, track was really really popular in 310 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 1: the United States for a while, and I went online 311 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: to look to see what happened, and no one knows. 312 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: Everybody's like, it's kind of tough to watch it. It's um, 313 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: you know, it's just one person, it's not a team. 314 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: People have hypotheses, but none of them were like, this 315 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: is what happened. I suspect it was the rise of football, 316 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: and people are like, yeah, football, and I like baseball too, 317 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: and it just kind of got edged out by the 318 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: popularity of other sports. That's my guess. I feel like 319 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:19,120 Speaker 1: Olympic track is still very big, definitely, like I feel 320 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 1: like in America, at least in the summer Olympics, like 321 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,719 Speaker 1: the Michael Johnson's and the the Flow Joe's are like 322 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:28,399 Speaker 1: they make a lot of the biggest headlines. Um. I 323 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: always loved I was never good at track, um and 324 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: I never tried to do it, but I always really 325 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 1: loved it growing up because my dad was a uh 326 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: collegiate track star in a small school Union University in Tennessee. 327 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,959 Speaker 1: But he still owns some like records from Union as 328 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: a hurdler, and it was sort of his passion. So 329 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: like growing up. He would watch the track in the 330 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: Olympics and really get into it, and I was always 331 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:56,400 Speaker 1: desperately trying to seek a way to connect with him, 332 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,679 Speaker 1: so I would watch track and it's still sort of 333 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: as this special thing for me for the Olympics. Love 334 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: watching track. Yeah, I can imagine it sucks me up 335 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: um every time too. But then you know, after the Olympics, 336 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: I forget all about it until the next Olympics. And 337 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: there's plenty of races that are like run all around 338 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: the world, around the country like year round basically, and 339 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,880 Speaker 1: they don't get televised, you know. Yeah, that's the thing. 340 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: It's it's a big Olympic sport here, but you you 341 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: don't know, one talks about like the you know, the 342 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: Hawaiian program or whatever, right, but this is so this 343 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: But this is at a time when like the world 344 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: is into track. And one of the one of the 345 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: things that happened that really kind of captured the imagination 346 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: of everybody was when to Swedish runners became like the 347 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,439 Speaker 1: world's best runners and they started breaking one another's world 348 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: record for the mile, getting closer and closer each time 349 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,199 Speaker 1: to a four minute mile um. And there was this 350 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: really famous meat between the two of them, Goonder Hog 351 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: and Arnie Anderson. And it was five at Malmo in Sweden. Um, 352 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: so it's the two best runners in the world who 353 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,119 Speaker 1: everybody knows in the world. Both of them are Swedish 354 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,880 Speaker 1: and this race is being held in Sweden, so it's 355 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: like a big deal race. And both of these guys 356 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: are like flip flopped world record holders for the mile, 357 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:23,360 Speaker 1: that's right, And both of them got basically cheated out 358 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: of Olympic fame because of World War Two. The Games 359 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 1: were canceled in forty four when they would have been 360 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: at like the peak of their you know, athletic ability. 361 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: But I believe the end up. I mean, like you said, 362 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: they flip flopped and it ended up at the Malmo event. 363 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,919 Speaker 1: I think, uh, Hog one and set the new record 364 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: at four oh one point four close. I saw that 365 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: it was estimated that he was four stride short of 366 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: a four minute a four minute mile. Yeah, and I 367 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: think this really like hits home on just how hard 368 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: it was to do and it's still super hard, but 369 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: how hard it was back then that the premier athletes 370 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: in the world could get close but not quite get there. Yeah, 371 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 1: Like it didn't. It didn't they. You didn't get any healthier, 372 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,200 Speaker 1: you didn't get in any better shape, You couldn't run 373 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: any better than Arnie Anderson and Gunder Hogg. So and 374 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: they just couldn't do it. It must have driven them crazy, 375 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: you know. So people people some people looked at it differently. 376 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: There are two different ways to look at it. And 377 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 1: some people said, these guys are one point four seconds 378 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: off of a four minute mile, right, somebody's going to 379 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: get there. We're just too close, and we've been edging 380 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: closer and closer over the last century or so, So 381 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: somebody's going to get there. Other people said, look, if 382 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: if you know Hogg and Anderson can do it, nobody 383 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: can do it. It's beyond the limits of the capabilities 384 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: of the human body. Yeah. There was a guy in 385 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: particular attract coach, sort of a legend apparently named Brutus 386 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: Hamilton's who He was one of the ones saying like 387 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: it can't happen. And he coached at cal Berkeley and 388 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: did a lot of He wasn't just sort of like not, 389 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:13,919 Speaker 1: I just don't think it's gonna happen. He did a 390 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: lot of research on the limits the physiological limits of 391 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:21,239 Speaker 1: human the human body, and published a list of what 392 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 1: he called the ultimates of human effort, where he took 393 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,160 Speaker 1: a lot of these track and field sports and basically said, 394 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: no one will ever be able to throw a javelin 395 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: further than this, or a shot put further than that, 396 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: or uh, or go over a high bar until by 397 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 1: the way, look for a future episode on Dick Fosbury 398 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: that's totally coming. Uh. And he said the mile. He 399 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: just said, there's no way it's ever gonna happen the 400 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 1: human body. There's just a physical barrier there that won't 401 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 1: allow it. Right. And I read an l A Times 402 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: article from the nineties that pointed out that every single 403 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: one of those limits have been broken at least once. Yeah, 404 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, it's sort of the hubrist of 405 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: being in your own time and space and thinking that 406 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: it will never get any better. Yeah, that's a lot 407 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: of hubris, though, to publish your hubrists, you know. Yeah, 408 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: So poor Brutus Hamilton's I guess he had good intentions 409 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: because he was saying like, don't even try, everybody, just 410 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 1: give up, which makes him a terrible coach really, But 411 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what his motivation was but um, there 412 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 1: were people out there who are like, no, brutus, brutus, 413 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 1: Hamilton's is wrong. Um. And one of those people was 414 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 1: our hero of this story, Roger Banister, who was a 415 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: British dude who I believe was twenty four when he 416 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,199 Speaker 1: ended up breaking the record. Yeah. I think if we 417 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: were a PBS documentary we would say, and it would 418 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: be right before the commercial. Is what Hamilton's did not 419 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: count on was the power of the human spirit, the 420 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: spirit of Roger Banister. Because that's really true. I mean, 421 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 1: as you'll see, I mean, let's go ahead and talk 422 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 1: about Banister. He was by all accounts a great He 423 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,719 Speaker 1: was an Olympic caliber runner. Um. But he was, like 424 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: we said, one of those gentleman runners who was very 425 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 1: stubbornly apparently a gentleman amateur and like many times or 426 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:13,399 Speaker 1: much of his career, refused to take on a coach. 427 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,199 Speaker 1: He would have his own methods of training. Um, he 428 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: would go to school. He studied medicine at Oxford and 429 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,439 Speaker 1: he he didn't like give it all up to just 430 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 1: train full time and hire a coach to train him 431 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,119 Speaker 1: full time in order to improve his times. No, this 432 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: guy was training to be a doctor and an Olympic 433 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,439 Speaker 1: runner at the same time, in the same life, in 434 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,719 Speaker 1: the same years, in his early twenties exactly, so he 435 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 1: was rather motivated, you could say. UM. And he started 436 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: out ho home kind of. I think he had a 437 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: time of like, UM four fifty two and his first 438 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: race at Oxford, UM, his first mile race, he was 439 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: a freshman. He still came in second, so that was respectable, 440 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: but he's like, this is not nearly good enough. Um. 441 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 1: Within a few months, he shaved twenty seconds off of 442 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: his time. And he also yeah, and he also learned 443 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: that he really liked this track stuff because he had 444 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: been across country runner in high school or grammar school. UM. 445 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 1: And when he got to college he tried track, and 446 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: in track you can just run past a whole bunch 447 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: of people when you, you you know, kick it into six gear. 448 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: And he was like, I like doing that a lot. 449 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna start really focusing on this track thing. And 450 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: that's what he he did. He basically set all of 451 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: his spare time toward training to be a track star 452 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 1: in between times when he was studying and practicing to 453 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: become a doctor. All right, I think that's a great 454 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: time for a break yeah, yeah, listen to me. I'm 455 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 1: Arnie Anderson. Yeah, sure, I'd run a fast mile. That 456 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: was great. That's appearance in the past few weeks. See 457 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 1: what's going on? Uh, the sweet are in the zeitgeist, 458 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: I guess. So all right, we're gonna pick up with 459 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: Roger Banister and his sites set on Helsinki right after this, 460 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: Josh and Shock. All right, Chuck, So we're talking about 461 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: Roger Banister and he said, I really like this track stuff. 462 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: And when he started to become a track star at Oxford, 463 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:43,159 Speaker 1: people started saying, hey, you know, there's some Olympics coming up. 464 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:48,640 Speaker 1: I think they're They were the ones in Los Angeles, right, okay, yeah, 465 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,360 Speaker 1: and people said you should run for that. You know, um, 466 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,879 Speaker 1: you should try the mile race. I think you do 467 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: really well maybe there, who knows. And he was like 468 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 1: he was levelheaded enough not to get swept up in 469 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: that because he knew he just wasn't ready. So he 470 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 1: decided he would set his sights on the nineteen fifty 471 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:09,120 Speaker 1: two Games in Helsinki and train for those instead, rather 472 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: than trying to rush things and and enter the nineteen 473 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 1: forty eight Olympics, which he probably could have, but he 474 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:17,360 Speaker 1: just didn't have enough faith in his abilities to win 475 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 1: gold um, so he put it off for four years. 476 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: That's the kind of like mental discipline this guy had. 477 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: And that would be Helsinki, Sweden, Finland. Do you get 478 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,400 Speaker 1: that reference? No, I wish I did hang out there then. 479 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,639 Speaker 1: I always feel so foolish when things like this happened, Like, 480 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:37,680 Speaker 1: I don't think I'm going to talk for the rest 481 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: of the episode. You played it perfectly, though, you answered, 482 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: just like in the movie it was Uncle Buck. Now 483 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: it wasn't die Hard. It was when that jackass newscaster 484 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: they have like the terrorist expert and he talks about 485 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: something like the Helsinki protocol or the Helsinki something and 486 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: he just butts in and goes and that's Helsinki, Sweden, 487 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: and the guys like, no, Finland. You did perfect too, Buddy, 488 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: I feel like talking again. So I sounded like a 489 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,719 Speaker 1: world jackass newscaster. You did. But that's what you were 490 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: going for. Alright, So where are we are? Oh? Yeah, 491 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: he's He says yes on Helsinki, which is fifty two, 492 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: and again shuns the coaching and starts kind of sponsoring 493 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: or not sponsoring, but um planning out these races and 494 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,240 Speaker 1: all over the world. He raised in New Zealand, he 495 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: raised in America. He was lighting himself against the best 496 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: runners in the world. He ran a very high profile 497 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: race in Philadelphia called the Benjamin Franklin Mile appropriately and 498 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 1: became sort of a big star in America at this point. Um, 499 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: such that there was a headline, or I don't know 500 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,480 Speaker 1: it's a headline, but something in the newspaper was quoted, uh, 501 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: no manager, no trainer, no monsieur, no friends, he's nuts. 502 00:29:53,320 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: He's good. That's pretty great, very nineteen fifties. Yeah, especially 503 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: with that voice of yours. Man. It just they also 504 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 1: said that he was a worthy air to Jack Lovelock, 505 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: which just goes to show you how much of a 506 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 1: star Jack Lovelock was because he'd raised like twenty years earlier. 507 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: And where was he. He was at four oh eight 508 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: by this point, by the way, Okay, so he's got 509 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: it down to four oh eight, and he's like, okay, 510 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: I think I'm ready for the Olympics. Um. And he 511 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: goes there and he runs in the undred and he 512 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: places fourth. So it doesn't meddle. And this is completely 513 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 1: out of step with the plans that he had. I 514 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 1: just suddenly started talking like William Shatner for some reason. Uh. 515 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: And it was, you know, it was a big disappointment 516 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: for him and England because this was post World War two. 517 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: England was you know, got beat up pretty badly as 518 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:53,719 Speaker 1: far as like the shape of the cities and especially London, 519 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: and they needed some big athletic victories and I think 520 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: they only got one goal that year. They ended up um, 521 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: kind of toward the top middle of the pack with 522 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 1: eleven medals total, but it was certainly kind of looked 523 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 1: at as a as a national disappointment as far as 524 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: the Olympics go. Yeah, and Banister was very disappointed in 525 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: himself too. I think he'd really felt you know, the 526 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: spirit of England on his shoulders, so he felt like 527 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: he failed his whole country. Um. And like I said this, 528 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: this was totally out of step with his plans, which 529 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:27,719 Speaker 1: were he was going to get the gold in Helsinki 530 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: Helsinki in fifty two and then retire from running and 531 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: focus on medicine and that's just what he was going 532 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: to do with his life and it didn't pan out 533 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: like that. So rather than just being like, man, this sucks, 534 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: I'm not even going to be a doctor anymore. I'm 535 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: just gonna go, I don't know, just be a shiftless drifter. 536 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 1: How about that? Um, he didn't do that. He redoubled 537 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: his efforts and said, Okay, maybe I can't get Olympic gold. 538 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: I have my shot, didn't make it. I'm going to 539 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: focus my my sights instead on breaking the four minute mile. 540 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: That's what I Roger Banister, I'm going to do. And 541 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: he set about doing it. Yes, And he had a 542 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 1: little trick up his sleeve, and that he was just 543 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: he was no ordinary runner in his studies that med. 544 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: As a med student, he had a research scholarship while 545 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 1: at Oxford to study the physiological effects of running. So 546 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: this is amazing. All of a sudden, he's doing these 547 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: deep dive experiments on the very thing he's trying to achieve, 548 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: which is what can the human body take athletically. He 549 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 1: had a paper called the carbon and like on a 550 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 1: scientific level, he had a paper called the carbon dioxide 551 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 1: stimulus to breathing and severe exercise probably helpful. And another 552 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 1: one called the effects on the respiration and performance during 553 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: exercise of adding oxygen to the inspired air. So he's 554 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: getting a scientific physiological understanding of what needs to happen, 555 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: which was I think for sure. I mean, he had 556 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: the heart, but this is definitely a leg up on 557 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: his competitors, Yeah, definitely. And he had the help of 558 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: kindred spirit named Norris mcwherder, who would go on to 559 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 1: found with his twin brother, the Guinness Book of World 560 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: Records UM. And Norris mcwardor was also into running, he 561 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: was into data and analysis UM, and so he very 562 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: eagerly helped Roger Banister with these scientific studies, including being 563 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: a guinea pig himself. And one of the studies UM 564 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 1: that they conducted together was to put mcwhardor on a 565 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 1: treadmill like a nineteen forties treadmill by the way, or 566 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: a nineteen fifties treadmill, I guess, um, and just make 567 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: him run flat out as fast as he possibly can 568 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: for as long as he could. And I guess he 569 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: made it to like the six minute mark before he 570 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: blacked out and fell and was shot like an arrow 571 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: out of a cannon, which wouldn't be very effective, but 572 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: it wasn't this case. It was a mcwherdor arrow out 573 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: of a treadmill cannon. And luckily they had a bunch 574 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: of blankets and pillows and stuff like against the wall 575 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: behind the treadmill to catch him. Because I guess Banister 576 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: had conducted this experiment on himself many times and knew 577 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 1: what to expect. So he's like, okay, the six minute mark. 578 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: If I can just whittle down my time, I can 579 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 1: run flat out for four minutes um and I won't collapse. 580 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 1: Those are the Those are the things here, the time 581 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: running up against the time and then collapsing at some point, 582 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 1: Like it's it's that's what's going to happen if I 583 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,759 Speaker 1: if I run far enough. So from these studies, like 584 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 1: he started to devise his strategy at breaking the four 585 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: minute mile, and it's extremely clever. Yeah, Like it made 586 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 1: perfect sense. He was like, I'm so close and and 587 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 1: several of us are so close. If we can just 588 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: stave off that collapse for a few seconds. That were 589 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:49,800 Speaker 1: there And one of his big jams was conservation of energy. 590 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,080 Speaker 1: And when you look at like when you look at 591 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 1: a Michael Johnson run or a Flow Joe or anybody 592 00:34:55,280 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 1: in their prime, it always just astounded me how compact 593 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 1: and efficient their stride was. There was no like if 594 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:07,360 Speaker 1: you look at me run I look like a sick chicken. 595 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:11,480 Speaker 1: You know, there there's no form, there's no efficiency. I'm 596 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:14,520 Speaker 1: like limbs are running all over the place. And you 597 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: know that's when you look at these elite athletes. Their 598 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:24,439 Speaker 1: strides are perfect, uh, machines of efficiency, basically no wasted energy. Right, 599 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:27,319 Speaker 1: And and that was one thing that Banister you know, 600 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: zeroed in on. Like you you like like you're you're 601 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: just moving forward. That's everything. Every movement of your muscle 602 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: was to propel you forward. Um. The other thing is 603 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,920 Speaker 1: he was trying to figure out how to expand his 604 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: his um cardio pulmonary um limits um to take in 605 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: more oxygen when he inhaled a breath. Um, he could 606 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: probably breathe through both nostrils. I'm guessing. Um he didn't 607 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: have a deviated septum to um lower his resting heart rate, 608 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 1: which is a hell tail sign of either somebody with 609 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: a heart condition or an elite athlete. It's weird that 610 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: both of those have lower resting heart rates. So he 611 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: worked on this stuff. He figured it out, but he 612 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:15,799 Speaker 1: also realized that he needed help. He needed basically teammates 613 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 1: and so um he went against his own uh, his 614 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:24,320 Speaker 1: own type and met up with the two Chris's Chris 615 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: Chattery and Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher, and he used 616 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:31,400 Speaker 1: these guys, well, then use them. I think they were 617 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 1: fully aware and you and like willing participants. Yeah, they're 618 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: on his training team, right, Okay, that's a better way 619 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: to put it. Um, he used them as pacers, so 620 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:44,919 Speaker 1: they helped him keep his pace and um, after three 621 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: laps around the track, they would unleash the banister. That 622 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 1: was the strategy. Dirty. Uh. Yeah. I think it's really 623 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: interesting to the idea of having these pacers because it 624 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,840 Speaker 1: is a solitary sport, but early you're better when you 625 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 1: have either racing against someone or in this case, have 626 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: a pacer that's sort of you know, reminding you how 627 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: fast you should be running at this point in the race, 628 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: because it's not it's not a sprint. You know, there's 629 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: there's a technique there, and there's a game plan and 630 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:20,919 Speaker 1: in every case, I believe, uh, generally it's you've got 631 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:24,320 Speaker 1: to save some for that final burst, otherwise your toast. 632 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 1: That's why you see these great moments where someone comes 633 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 1: from like five or six back at the end because 634 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: they have saved more than the other people. Have in 635 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 1: front of them. Yeah. And that was the role of 636 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,480 Speaker 1: the two Chris is to keep him from expending too 637 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: much energy too early. And they were really good at 638 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 1: running a specific pace. And because he had two different pacers, 639 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,360 Speaker 1: he um like each one could run at a specific 640 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,480 Speaker 1: pace without exerting themselves beyond their own limits. Because the 641 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:55,880 Speaker 1: first Chris would run the first two laps, the second 642 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:58,800 Speaker 1: Chris would run the third lap, and then the fourth 643 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: lap bandished or ran by himself, just away from the pack. 644 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 1: And this was their strategy. Um, this was what they 645 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 1: trained for. And um. Apparently he didn't run for like 646 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:12,920 Speaker 1: eight months before the race that he ran on May sixth, 647 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 1: ninety um. And he chose this race very wisely and deliberately. 648 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:26,719 Speaker 1: It was hen race other people specifically, right he trained, Yeah, right, 649 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,759 Speaker 1: he was training, but he didn't participate in any actual race. Yeah. 650 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:33,760 Speaker 1: And he chose this the place, the site, the day, 651 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: everything very carefully, didn't he. Yeah. So he chose his 652 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:43,359 Speaker 1: favorite track, which was the Ithaly Road track at Oxford. Uh. 653 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,880 Speaker 1: And again this was the cinder track. And on the 654 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:50,920 Speaker 1: morning of May sixty four, it would it had rained. 655 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: And so a cinder track is going to be saggy, 656 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:57,320 Speaker 1: which would indicate like slower times. And then his memoir 657 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:02,319 Speaker 1: he he sort of was like, you know everything, I'll 658 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 1: just read it. Uh. I had reached my peak physically 659 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: and psychologically. That would never be another day like it. 660 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: This was my first race for eight months, and all 661 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:13,479 Speaker 1: this time had been storing nervous energy. If I tried 662 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: and fail, I should be dejected and my chances would 663 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 1: be less on any later attempt. So what he was 664 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,040 Speaker 1: basically saying was it's now or never today. Yeah, And 665 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:25,279 Speaker 1: what the problem was is the weather wasn't cooperating. So 666 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:30,839 Speaker 1: whether whether it worked out or not, this was his day. Um. 667 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: So he went out there, of course to try it. 668 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 1: And it just turns out that this this terrible weather, 669 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 1: the wet track, the gale force wins, everything just kind 670 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 1: of died down by race time and he was like, Okay, 671 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 1: everything's starting to fall into place. This this is in 672 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 1: fact going to be the day that I break that 673 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:50,279 Speaker 1: for a minute mile. And apparently he got ready and 674 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:54,200 Speaker 1: set and um, if this were a movie, you you'd 675 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 1: be like, I can't believe they did that. But apparently 676 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:58,759 Speaker 1: in real life there was a false start. All this 677 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 1: build up Roger band. He is about to like pop 678 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 1: from nervous energy, and there's a false start. They have 679 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:06,799 Speaker 1: to start over again, so he has to reset his 680 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:10,719 Speaker 1: mind back at the starting line, and then finally it starts, 681 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:13,759 Speaker 1: and I think Brasher, Chris Brasher was the one who ran, 682 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 1: who paced him for the first two laps, right, that's right, 683 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 1: So he's setting pace. Banister is yelling at him to 684 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:25,600 Speaker 1: go faster, but he's that's basically Banister being a little 685 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:28,759 Speaker 1: over hyped in the moment, and thank goodness he had 686 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 1: his pacers there because Basher's Brasher's job was to stay 687 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 1: in the moment and know what the pace should be 688 00:40:36,080 --> 00:40:39,200 Speaker 1: and not like deviate from that. So he he didn't 689 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: go faster, He stayed that pace that he knew we 690 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:44,879 Speaker 1: should stay on and ignored him basically. And they were 691 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:49,799 Speaker 1: at the half mile mark at one, so it is 692 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 1: they're halfway, they're they're on pace to do it, and 693 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,759 Speaker 1: then Chris Chataway takes over. Yeah, and so Chataway and 694 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:59,920 Speaker 1: Banister running for um the third lap, the three core 695 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:02,759 Speaker 1: or of a mile mark where they finish, and they're 696 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 1: at three minutes point seven seconds, minutes and seven tenths 697 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:10,759 Speaker 1: of a second and they're a little bit over. That's 698 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 1: a little bit nerve racking um. And then at the 699 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 1: end of that three quarter mile mark, at the end 700 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 1: of the third lap, Chataway just melts away and Banister 701 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: takes off. And Banister had figured out how to accelerate, 702 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 1: how to move himself after being exerting himself for three minutes, 703 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:37,280 Speaker 1: you know, like this was a really fast three laps 704 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:39,479 Speaker 1: around the race, and he figured out how to find 705 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: a different gear and he put it into that gear 706 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:45,200 Speaker 1: and he took off at a sprint for the last 707 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:48,840 Speaker 1: the fourth lap, and he ended up crossing the finish 708 00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: line at what chuck, Well, this is the coolest part 709 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,160 Speaker 1: and the way they puts it as really very dramatic 710 00:41:56,160 --> 00:42:00,960 Speaker 1: and awesome. Uh. The announcer at the event, I think 711 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:05,040 Speaker 1: it was his buddy Norris mcwhorder, right, which is so cool, 712 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:08,080 Speaker 1: just like the movie moment. His best buddies there, and 713 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:10,560 Speaker 1: he said the result of event number six, the one 714 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 1: mile winner A G. Banister of Exeter and Merton Colleges 715 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 1: in a time which will be a new English record, 716 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 1: a new track record, a new British Empire, Commonwealth record, 717 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 1: a European record, a world record, and three and Apparently 718 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:31,880 Speaker 1: as soon as he said three, everyone went nuts and 719 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,680 Speaker 1: you couldn't even hear the rest of the time announced yep. 720 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:39,560 Speaker 1: So Banister ended up running that day a three minute, 721 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:43,800 Speaker 1: fifty nine and four tenth second mile, the first human 722 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:47,360 Speaker 1: being in history as far as we know, to have 723 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:51,680 Speaker 1: run a mile in less than four minutes. Amazing, he 724 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,680 Speaker 1: did this impossible thing. People were like, it's not possible, 725 00:42:54,719 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: and Banister did it. And what's really remarkable and weird 726 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:03,160 Speaker 1: and kind of circles back to John's Riley is within 727 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:07,399 Speaker 1: six weeks banisters four minute mile, this thing that no 728 00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:09,759 Speaker 1: human had ever done and they've been trying to do 729 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:14,200 Speaker 1: for centuries. Now. In six weeks banisters record was broken. 730 00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: Yeah it was. I think it was John Landy of Australia. 731 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:24,120 Speaker 1: Go Australia. He beat his time by one second. And 732 00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:27,040 Speaker 1: then in fifty four there was a showdown between the 733 00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:29,359 Speaker 1: two of them, which was a big one. You know, 734 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:33,240 Speaker 1: you've got Britain against Australia at the Commonwealth British Empire 735 00:43:33,239 --> 00:43:37,279 Speaker 1: and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, and they the race was 736 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 1: called the Miracle mile. Uh Landy is ahead on the 737 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,960 Speaker 1: final turn and apparently glances over his left shoulder to 738 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:47,319 Speaker 1: see where Banister was, and Banister booped him on the 739 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:52,319 Speaker 1: nose and passed them. He had flair like that, Yeah, 740 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:54,919 Speaker 1: he did. Uh. They both finished under four minutes, which 741 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:57,480 Speaker 1: was amazing, Like I'm sure that was the first time 742 00:43:57,480 --> 00:43:59,399 Speaker 1: and there were ever two runners in the same race, 743 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:04,360 Speaker 1: but Banister one three eight to three fifty nine six. 744 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 1: And since then, over the years there have been more 745 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:11,160 Speaker 1: than fift undred athletes to do it, thirteen high schoolers. 746 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:15,280 Speaker 1: And it is not old hat though it is. Every 747 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:17,879 Speaker 1: time it happens to any athlete. It is a very 748 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,200 Speaker 1: very big deal. Still. Yeah, to put in perspective, um, 749 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:24,239 Speaker 1: the number of people who have climbed Mount Everest, which 750 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:28,719 Speaker 1: was long considered another impossible feat for human um is 751 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:32,880 Speaker 1: about six thousand. Only fifteen hundred have ever broken a 752 00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:36,720 Speaker 1: four minute mile, So it is rather significant when somebody 753 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:39,440 Speaker 1: does it. Still, like you said, for sure, and it was, 754 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:44,000 Speaker 1: you know, Dave makes a point. You know, obviously, the 755 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:48,080 Speaker 1: tracks now, the shoes, the training, the advance of medicine 756 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:51,440 Speaker 1: and training and everything they do now is a big deal. 757 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:55,440 Speaker 1: But there was there was clearly something to that psychological 758 00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:58,239 Speaker 1: barrier and that they started to fall like dominoes. These 759 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:01,440 Speaker 1: four minute miles. Right after he did it, he proved 760 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:05,120 Speaker 1: everyone it can be done, and so everyone else said, well, 761 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:08,200 Speaker 1: you know, if this medical student can do it, this 762 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:10,960 Speaker 1: gentleman athlete can do it, then I can do it. Yeah. 763 00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:14,279 Speaker 1: So um, yeah, they You can make the case that 764 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:18,600 Speaker 1: it's like the chance of it being impossible was broken. 765 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:21,160 Speaker 1: It was now possible, and you knew it was possible. 766 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:24,160 Speaker 1: So you didn't have that chance of impossibility hanging over 767 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:26,960 Speaker 1: your head when you walked up to the starting line anymore, 768 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:30,600 Speaker 1: because Roger Banister cleared that away. And what's neat is 769 00:45:30,640 --> 00:45:32,800 Speaker 1: he u. He went on to live a very long life. 770 00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:35,239 Speaker 1: I think he lived for sixty four more years. He 771 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:39,000 Speaker 1: died just in two thousand and eighteen, actually, um, and 772 00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:41,400 Speaker 1: he got to just soak up all the accolades for 773 00:45:41,480 --> 00:45:43,399 Speaker 1: that that whole time. And he did retire from morning. 774 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:46,319 Speaker 1: He went onto um I guess, become a doctor, and 775 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:49,160 Speaker 1: then later he became the dean of the medical school. 776 00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:53,839 Speaker 1: It either Oxford or Cambridge, I cannot remember. And um, 777 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:56,399 Speaker 1: if you are from Oxford or Cambridge, don't be mad 778 00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:59,799 Speaker 1: at me for not knowing which ones which, Yeah, I mean, 779 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: imagine what it was like for the rest of his life. 780 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:07,120 Speaker 1: Every party, every place, every dinner he ever attended, he 781 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:10,440 Speaker 1: sticks out his hand like it's like saying, I'm Chuck Yeager. 782 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:13,120 Speaker 1: You know, It's like it doesn't matter what happened since 783 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:17,040 Speaker 1: then everyone was like wow. Yeah. He says, I'm Roger Banister, 784 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:20,040 Speaker 1: I ran the mile in three, and everybody in the 785 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:23,000 Speaker 1: crowd just starts cheering. At every party, he can never 786 00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:25,759 Speaker 1: get it out. It's like Dick Fosbery. People say, I'm 787 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:29,359 Speaker 1: Dick Fosberry. You know what I invented? I don't know. 788 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. You don't know about this Dick Fosberry. 789 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:34,440 Speaker 1: You got an in joke with me, but I'm not 790 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:37,320 Speaker 1: in on. We'll do an episode on it. He invented 791 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 1: the Fosberry flop, which is going over the high jump 792 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,359 Speaker 1: bar backwards. No one had ever done that before. Oh, 793 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 1: I can't wait to talk about this guy. Yeah, because 794 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:48,560 Speaker 1: that was a crazy, weird way to do it. And uh, 795 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:51,239 Speaker 1: plus his name is Dick Fosbery, right, I mean that's 796 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:54,680 Speaker 1: enough to do with at least a short stuff on Yeah. Absolutely, 797 00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:59,719 Speaker 1: Oh look at you, shade. What did I do a 798 00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:03,239 Speaker 1: short stuff? Well? No, I'm saying just for your name 799 00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:06,960 Speaker 1: being Dick Fosberry that even if he didn't do anything 800 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,879 Speaker 1: remarkable at all, we could just talk fifteen minutes about 801 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,360 Speaker 1: a name like Dickberry. You and what's the what's the 802 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:16,880 Speaker 1: current record? By the way, Um, the current record is 803 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:22,520 Speaker 1: held by Hasham L Garrouge of Morocco. Um and it 804 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 1: is three minutes, forty three and three tenths of a second. 805 00:47:26,239 --> 00:47:28,440 Speaker 1: And that's a twenty three year old record. Yeah, that 806 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:33,560 Speaker 1: was being Stefan Hassan of the Netherlands holds the women's record, 807 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:36,480 Speaker 1: which is four twelve. So the four minute mile apparently 808 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:39,399 Speaker 1: has not been broken by a woman yet. Not yet 809 00:47:39,520 --> 00:47:43,319 Speaker 1: it will though, Yeah, definitely. Um, you got anything else? 810 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:46,479 Speaker 1: I got nothing else. I love this episode me too. 811 00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:48,680 Speaker 1: It was a good one, good pick, good idea. Thank 812 00:47:48,719 --> 00:47:52,239 Speaker 1: you John c Riley for this one. Since I just 813 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:55,480 Speaker 1: thank John c Riley, obviously, it's time for a listener mail. 814 00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:00,680 Speaker 1: I'm gonna call this a little love for our TV show. 815 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:04,839 Speaker 1: Did you see this one? Yeah? It was very sweet. Hey, guys, 816 00:48:04,840 --> 00:48:07,200 Speaker 1: want to write this email because my wife recently subscribed 817 00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:10,360 Speaker 1: to Discovery Plus and after a few days I realized 818 00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:12,720 Speaker 1: I finally had the opportunity to watch your TV show. 819 00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:15,719 Speaker 1: I have to admit that for the first fifteen seconds, 820 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:19,120 Speaker 1: very first fifteen seconds, Brains Gone Wild had me hooked. 821 00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:23,640 Speaker 1: And that was the name of well, long story, but 822 00:48:24,160 --> 00:48:26,160 Speaker 1: as it aired, that was the name that of our 823 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:30,560 Speaker 1: first TV episode. Right the pilot aired last, didn't it? Yeah, 824 00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:34,880 Speaker 1: standard fashion weird thing. I believe that the show is 825 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:37,640 Speaker 1: ahead of its time well well, and I'm sad that 826 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:40,960 Speaker 1: the only season, only one season was produced. However, I 827 00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:44,400 Speaker 1: am grateful that the Stuff You Show podcast lives on 828 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:49,239 Speaker 1: recently caught up to the eighteen episodes. Oh wow, so 829 00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:52,200 Speaker 1: Chris didn't gonna hear this for a few years. I'm 830 00:48:52,239 --> 00:48:56,080 Speaker 1: excited to hear YouTube cover recent topics of as They unfolded. 831 00:48:56,719 --> 00:48:59,880 Speaker 1: I love you all and thank you for keeping me happy, educated, 832 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:02,000 Speaker 1: end grounded through the years and all accord to the 833 00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:05,439 Speaker 1: great content to come with the biggest hugs one kind 834 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:08,160 Speaker 1: muster and that is from Chris L. So I did 835 00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:09,560 Speaker 1: write Chris L back and say this is going to 836 00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:12,440 Speaker 1: be on the sturmail so maybe he'll start sandwiching or something. 837 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:15,600 Speaker 1: Very nice. Hugs back to you, Chris L. We appreciate 838 00:49:15,640 --> 00:49:18,960 Speaker 1: that big time. If you want to send us accolades 839 00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:21,960 Speaker 1: for our TV show or anything else. We'll accept those anytime. 840 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:24,480 Speaker 1: You can wrap them up in an email, spanking on 841 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 1: the bottom and send it off to stuff podcast at 842 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:32,719 Speaker 1: iHeart radio dot com. Stuff you Should Know is a 843 00:49:32,760 --> 00:49:36,160 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, 844 00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:39,480 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 845 00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:40,800 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.