I met with a former world record holder today.  Mel Batty.  He broke the world record for 10 miles back in April 1964, when he ran 47 minutes and 26.8 seconds for the distance.

I was amazed by the work that went in to his training and the equipment that he had to use to get him to his record.

Today we expect that latest hi tech equipment, best nutrition, scientific training methods and fast running surfaces.  I am sure that it was the same in those days, even thought it was not perceived in that way.

Pounding out mile after mile in training wearing running shoes that we would not consider as good as some beach shoes today, training without the aid of fancy heart rate monitors and computer analysis, Mel managed to push the boundary of human performance past the point any other human had ever been. 

Covering each mile in an average of 4 minutes and 44 seconds, possibly faster than anyone reading this blog has ever run one mile.  He set a new world record.

His achievement was bettered by others, but he was the first to reach that mark and his achievement provides us with a question.

What are we going to do to set the standard for others to follow.  What are we going to be remembered for and how are we going to be celebrated?

I hope that we can all strive to do something that raises the bar and set records of our own, I hope that we can leave our mark.