Four miles is longer than you would think

Madonna and Justin Timberlake only had four minutes to save the world. The other day, I only had four minutes to rush to class. Liam Boylan-Pett, however, only had four minutes to run a mile.

As impossible as running a sub-four-minute mile may sound, he did it, clocking 3:59.4 at the Penn State Invite two weeks ago. It was the same exact time Roger Bannister ran in 1954 when he became the first person ever to break the mythical four-minute mile mark. Destiny? Perhaps.

Boylan-Pett’s quest to break the four-minute mark began as soon as he picked up the sport. He presumed that since his older brother was good at it, he would be too.

From that point on, Boylan-Pett poured his heart and soul into the sport, running 4:10 in the mile in high school, a time that was more than good enough to get him recruited by Columbia University. At Columbia, Boylan-Pett made a strong impact, helping the Lions win multiple Ivy League titles. In track circles, though, Boylan-Pett is most famous for anchoring Columbia’s winning 4 x 800 meter relay team at the Penn Relays in 2007, a feat the school had not accomplished since 1938.

After finishing his undergraduate degree at Columbia, Boylan-Pett arrived at Georgetown, hungry to perform well on the national stage. With a strong distance program under the direction of Coach Pat Henner, Georgetown was the right fit for ambitious runner. Boylan-Penn, a first-year graduate student, has exhausted his indoor eligability and is competing with the Georgetown team unattached. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel like part of the squad.

“It has been a blast coming down here to D.C. and training with these guys,” Boylan-Pett said. “It’s funny how going on a 20-mile run on the Appalachian Trail will kind of force guys to be friends with you… It’s a bond because you suffered together, but it’s a bond nonetheless. “

This team chemistry is what helped Boylan-Pett in his assault on the elusive four-minute barrier. In his race on January 31, Boylan-Pett ran with Georgetown teammates Matt Debole and Sandy Roberts. He walked to the line focused, but not feeling too well. But Boylan-Pett said that “you don’t have to feel that great to run fast.” The gun went off, and he settled in behind the pacemaker, running in a constant rhythm of 29-30 sec. per 200-meter lap.

“It hurt like hell,” Boylan-Pett said.

But he knew he had to stay relaxed to prevent himself from slowing down too soon. Then, on the last lap, he blew past Debole, utilizing every ounce of strength to kick towards the finish line. As he crossed it, he lifted his arms in joy as he realized that he had broken the four-minute barrier, becoming just the seventh Hoya ever to do so.

“It was an extremely exciting and emotional day for me, and I was really glad to share it with all my teammates and coaches, current and past, and family and friends,” Boylan-Pett said. “Breaking four is a long and arduous journey. You receive a ton of help along the way, and I will forever be grateful to all of my coaches.”

Coach Henner expects even greater things from Boylan-Pett, who uses his indoor races to prepare for a strong outdoor season.

But what does Henner do to help Boylan-Pett prime himself for fast times? This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to work out with Boylan-Pett to see what it takes to become a four-minute miler. Needless to say, I was in over my head.

Compared to Boylan-Pett, I was a mediocre miler at best, with a 4:33 personal best. I was nervous, tired, and out of shape. As I warmed up, Andrew Bumbalough, a junior distance runner, gave me a few words of advice.

“We are doing 5 x 1 mile, starting at 4:56 going down to 4:36, with a few minutes rest in between,” Bumbalough said.

The first thing that came to my mind was, “Shit, I’m screwed.”

Boylan-Pett looked relaxed and ready, while I looked like a deer in the headlights. Then, Henner sent us off for the first repeat. I always dreamed of running for the Hoyas and, here I was, training with some of the Hoya’s best distance runners.

It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Boylan-Pett ran smoothly and effortlessly, while I struggled to stay with the pack. After what seemed like an eternity, I finished the first mile in a sluggish 4:57. Boylan-Pett looked like he’d just gone for a jog in the park, while I was gasping for air.

I wanted to stop. Then, Henner called everyone to the line again, and the pack took off. I barely stuck with them for the first 200 meters then dropped back slowly but surely. Boylan-Pett ran it in 4:54, while I struggled across in 5:27. It was at this point that I knew to stop. I asked Boylan-Pett how he felt.

“We were tired, but it’s not hard to finish up. You could tell we were all holding back a little bit,” Boylan-Pett said.

He was right. His last three splits were 4:49, 4:47, and 4:30.

Overall, it was a strong workout for Boylan-Pett and the distance crew.

“It’s fun to get rolling the last mile somewhat,” Boylan-Pett said.

Though he’s got the talent and work ethic necessary to accomplish great things, Boylan-Pett remains humble.

“Everybody works hard, and everybody has heart,” he said. “I know that I work my ass off and am willing to put myself out there, not caring whether I win or lose…Running isn’t the only thing in my life. Sure, it’s the most important thing in my life.”