How to run a mile in 4 minutes and 41 seconds

It's tempting to say that to run a 4:41 mile, all you need is a pair of Nikes and a spiffy track uniform. That's all I had the day I ran in Boston this past winter. On second thought, I had more. Of course, I had a great team, a great coach and great training. Even more than that, though, I was in the perfect race. I ran the last leg of Princeton's distance medley relay, a relay in which each person runs a different distance with the last running a mile. The other girls on my team had each run fabulously, and I got the baton within striking distance of Georgetown's last runner. It was a chase. For a runner, there's nothing better; it's like that perfect setup for a spike in volleyball or having your offensive line keep a hole open for you to run down the football field. You don't even think; you just run.

I guess I should clarify that — I did think. But it was a different kind of thinking from usual. Running itself becomes a thought, an extension of your mind. Like practicing the piano or memorizing lyrics, training for the mile prepares you for a performance, making you intimately aware of each corner of the track, each fraction of a second and each muscle in your body. This awareness gives you the ability to run 400 meters in 70 seconds when your coach asks you to.

So how did I run a 4:41 mile? Or how can you run the fastest mile that you can? First, get a pair of Nikes — and use them. Good training will teach you your abilities and your limits. Second, run smart, which means run evenly. In Boston that day, I ran 70 seconds for 400 meters four times in a row. The answer is simple: Keep it steady. But Aesop must forgive us a slight revision to his racing tactics: Keep it quick too!