--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The 3-minute mile goal is to teach…" description: "\"The 3-minute mile goal is to teach runners that the impossible is where goals should be set.\" — Gerry Lindgren" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/692/gerry-lindgren-16444_goal_the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runne_3162741.png" --- # The 3-minute mile goal is to teach runners that the… ![“The 3-minute mile goal is to teach runners that the impossible is where goals should be set.” quote by Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/692/gerry-lindgren-16444_goal_the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runne_3162741.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/692/gerry-lindgren-16444_goal_the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runne_3162741.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/692/gerry-lindgren-16444_goal_the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runne_3162741.png) > “The 3-minute mile goal is to teach runners that the impossible is where goals should be set.” [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Setting seemingly impossible goals, like a 3‑minute mile, pushes runners to expand their perceived limits. **In simple terms:** Impossible goals stretch ability. Key Takeaway Set stretch goals to grow. Themes achievement determination mindset Mood motivational energetic Type inspirational advice When to use this quote - track training - marathon preparation - personal fitness challenges - team sports coaching Key Concepts goal setting performance psychology Questions to Reflect On - What “impossible” goal could you pursue? - How do you balance ambition with realism? A Different Perspective Unrealistic goals can cause burnout if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Runners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/runners/) ## Related quotes > [“I think impossible goals are demotivating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/i-think-impossible-goals-are-demotivating/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Steady progress toward seemingly impossible goals will win the day. Setbacks are temporary. Naysayers are best ignored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/steady-progress-toward-seemingly-impossible-goals-will-win-the-day/) [Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/) > [I think, as an artist, the overall goal is to teach and educate no matter what the song is about. Somewhere where a listener…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-think-as-an-artist-the-overall-goal-is-to-teach-and-educate-no/) Gza > [My goal is to teach readers how to treat and respect themselves and each other in an entertaining way. I do that in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisi-harrison/my-goal-is-to-teach-readers-how-to-treat-and-respect-themselves-and/) [Lisi Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisi-harrison/) > [Don't try to make all things possible.stay with one goal and it will teach you everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-try-to-make-all-things-possible-stay-with-one-goal-and-it-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The goal is to teach in such a way as to produce the most learning from the least teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-papert/the-goal-is-to-teach-in-such-a-way-as-to-produce-the-most-learning/) [Seymour Papert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-papert/) > [There are champions in every neighborhood. Anyone can run to the very top. ANYONE! But you have to (a) start right, (b) think right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/there-are-champions-in-every-neighborhood-anyone-can-run-to-the-very/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Based on my experience; I would develop fast speed before anything else. Get your young runners so they can run and teach them speed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/based-on-my-experience-i-would-develop-fast-speed-before-anything/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Speedwork is terribly overrated! I remember talking to runners after distance races and someone is sure to say they were able to run fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/speedwork-is-terribly-overrated-i-remember-talking-to-runners-after/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Ideally I would start by racing my athletes once every two weeks. But, such a program has to be flexible because some runners improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/ideally-i-would-start-by-racing-my-athletes-once-every-two-weeks-but/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [When you hit a certain spot you Sprint no matter how you feel inside or what your co-runner thinks. You just go! In training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/when-you-hit-a-certain-spot-you-sprint-no-matter-how-you-feel-inside/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [The best runners every year are those who race out way too fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/the-best-runners-every-year-are-those-who-race-out-way-too-fast/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chetan-bhagat/nature-designed-with-a-random-set-of-genes-and-circumstances-in-which/) [Chetan Bhagat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chetan-bhagat/) > [At the end of every week review the goals you had set out to accomplish. Check off the ones you accomplish, sit down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mly-ab/at-the-end-of-every-week-review-the-goals-you-had-set-out-to/) MlY AB > [In youth, everything seems possible; but we reach a point in the middle years when we realize that we are never going to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adlai-e-stevenson-2/in-youth-everything-seems-possible-but-we-reach-a-point-in-the-middle/) [Adlai E Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson-2/) ## More by Gerry Lindgren > [I always enjoyed the training more than I did the racing. There was a high level of anxiety in racing that I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/i-always-enjoyed-the-training-more-than-i-did-the-racing-there-was-a/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [We didn't keep track of how many miles we ran back then. We just ran. If you LOVE to run with the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/we-didn-t-keep-track-of-how-many-miles-we-ran-back-then-we-just-ran/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [I started running in Junior High School. I was so slow and uncoordinated the coach set me up with a paper route so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/i-started-running-in-junior-high-school-i-was-so-slow-and/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Wanting to win races is detrimental to courage. You tend to run too conservatively because you want to wait and sprint. If you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/wanting-to-win-races-is-detrimental-to-courage-you-tend-to-run-too/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [The best runners every year are those who race out way too fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/the-best-runners-every-year-are-those-who-race-out-way-too-fast/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Humans are a TOUGH animal! We can do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/humans-are-a-tough-animal-we-can-do-anything/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Kids as young as twelve CAN run 90 minutes, and they can train hard to run fast, BUT they lose something in training hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/kids-as-young-as-twelve-can-run-90-minutes-and-they-can-train-hard-to/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [This life is made to change all reality. We are here for the benefit, happiness, and welfare of a new reality; a new direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/this-life-is-made-to-change-all-reality-we-are-here-for-the-benefit/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [If you KNOW dehydration is a problem in long runs it becomes a problem in long runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/if-you-know-dehydration-is-a-problem-in-long-runs-it-becomes-a/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Set a new standard. Change reality. Break ground to something new and different. That achievement will live forever just because you WERE somebody special!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/set-a-new-standard-change-reality-break-ground-to-something-new-and/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [COURAGE is not a quality you teach. Courage is the by-product of self-discipline. It is an ATTITUDE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/courage-is-not-a-quality-you-teach-courage-is-the-by-product-of-self/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [When you hit a certain spot you Sprint no matter how you feel inside or what your co-runner thinks. You just go! In training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/when-you-hit-a-certain-spot-you-sprint-no-matter-how-you-feel-inside/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Set a master goal for your running and for your life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/set-a-master-goal-for-your-running-and-for-your-life/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [There is NOTHING you can do with your running time that is better for you than running. Any other activity only pulls you down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/there-is-nothing-you-can-do-with-your-running-time-that-is-better-for/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) > [Kids are afraid that if they race too fast they will get tired. Way too much fear and way too little COURAGE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/kids-are-afraid-that-if-they-race-too-fast-they-will-get-tired-way/) [Gerry Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) [Explore all 40 Gerry Lindgren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/) ## More Goal quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“my role my goal my dream my life not yours -all mine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emi-sisk/my-role-my-goal-my-dream-my-life-not-yours-all-mine/) Emi Sisk > [Eugenic goals are most likely to be attained under another name than eugenics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-osborn/eugenic-goals-are-most-likely-to-be-attained-under-another-name-than/) [Frederick Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-osborn/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Everybody tries to score a great goal, and I am lucky I have netted a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/everybody-tries-to-score-a-great-goal-and-i-am-lucky-i-have-netted-a/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [When you look around the room during meetings and practice, you see that everyone has the same goal. It's obvious by the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kendricks/when-you-look-around-the-room-during-meetings-and-practice-you-see/) Eric Kendricks > [I like to wake up and just feel gratitude. Gratitude for waking up, for my health, for my kids, for my family. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/i-like-to-wake-up-and-just-feel-gratitude-gratitude-for-waking-up-for/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) Dayana > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) [Browse all 9,890 Goal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The 3-minute mile goal is to teach runners that the impossible is where goals should be set.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gerry Lindgren" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runners-that-the-impossible-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runners-that-the-impossible-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/692/gerry-lindgren-16444_goal_the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runne_3162741.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/692/gerry-lindgren-16444_goal_the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runne_3162741.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/692/gerry-lindgren-16444_goal_the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runne_3162741.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The 3-minute mile goal is to teach runners that the impossible is where goals should be set.” — Gerry Lindgren", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gerry Lindgren", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-lindgren/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The 3-minute mile goal is to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runners-that-the-impossible-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-lindgren/the-3-minute-mile-goal-is-to-teach-runners-that-the-impossible-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```