“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”—Wilma Rudolph
What are the limits to human potential? Recently, Eliud Kipchoge, a 32-year-old Kenyan runner, ran the 26.2-mile marathon distance in 2:00:25. The run was on the Formula One track in Monza, Italy and is not an official world record, but…WOW! The pace necessary to run a 2-hour marathon is 4:34.5 per mile. Kipchoge averaged 4:35.7.
It is amazing to think that that on May 6, 1954 (coincidentally, I am writing this on May 6th) Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile. Today, a mere 63 years later, athletes are approaching this pace for a full marathon! It is utterly amazing.
The limits of human performance continue to fascinate me as a physiologist. “Can’t” is a useless word. Surely, we are coming ever-closer to the limits of the human potential, but no sooner do we say this than someone comes along and does the “impossible”.
We must not allow ourselves to be limited to the possibilities of today’s standard. We must continually seek to move the perceived asymptote of our potential. I wrote recently about eliminating the box that contains us (See “Think Outside the Box”). We have to see beyond the limits of our perception. We get to imagine possibilities that seem to the ordinary to be out of reach. We get to be (extra)ordinary—and beyond.
How are you and I limiting ourselves, today? Remove the limitation and seek the impossible. Eliud Kipochoge shot for the 4:34.5 per mile pace and fell short. He still ran 26.2 miles faster than anyone. In Roger Bannister’s day, the 4-minute mile was “impossible”. Bannister demonstrated that “Can’t” never does anything. Kipochoge demonstrated that we can continue to rebel against the impossible.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow!
Carpe momento!