Did you run a mile for Roger today? Anniversary of the first sub-four-minute mile

I was barely two years old when Roger Bannister ran the world's first three-minute mile: 3:59.4 on May 6, 1954, but I remember it as if I was there :)

Our group had plans today to run a Bannister Memorial Mile as one of our number had thoughts of going sub-5 for the first time and I, Dave Albo and an assortment of press-ganged sprinters were on hand to do the Brasher-Chataway thing and be his rabbits. Sadly, he didn't show, but we ran our scheduled workouts in anniversary shirts -- my red England football shirt playing a poor second to Dave's tee-shirt of Bannister,a Union Jack and the words "Hope and Glory" -- love it!

On my final 800m repeat I reminded myself that the pace I was finding so "hard" to hold for 2 laps was some 20 seconds a lap slower than Bannister managed for 4 laps and visualised myself at least maintaining the pace for a mile. Funny, but it did get easier.

Today was also a historic day as I got to run with Patty Murray for the first time for months. She's made herself kind of scarce since scoring silver in the 5000 and bronze in the 1500 at the World Masters Championships in Riccione, Italy, at the end of last year. Welcome back Patty!

Final words from Sir Roger from the 2004 intro to his epic story "The Four-Minute Mile", written in six weeks flat straight after his sub-4 triumph and first published in 1955.

"I have reflected on re-reading this book that, however ordinary each of us may seem, we are all in some way special and can do things that are extraordinary, perhaps until then thought impossible.

"When the broad sweep of life is viewed, sport, although instinctive, physical and ephemeral, illustrates a universal truth that most of us find effort and struggle deeply satisfying, harnessing almost primeval instincts to fight, to survive.

"It gives us all a challenge, a sense of purpose and freedom of choice. It is increasingly difficult to find this in our restricted twenty-first century lives. The particular target we seek may not be important. But what is important is the profoundly satisfying effort in thought, feeling and hard work necessary to achieve this success."