---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a question of spreading the…"
description: "\"It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you run one part too fast, you pay a price. If y..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/roger-bannister-11572_athlete_it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-availab_2779658.png"
---

#  It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic…

![“It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you run one part too fast, you pay a price. If you run another part more slowly your overall time is slower.” quote by Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/roger-bannister-11572_athlete_it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-availab_2779658.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/roger-bannister-11572_athlete_it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-availab_2779658.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/roger-bannister-11572_athlete_it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-availab_2779658.png)

> “It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you run one part too fast, you pay a price. If you run another part more slowly your overall time is slower.”

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Distribute effort evenly across a race; uneven pacing leads to slower overall performance.

**In simple terms:** Even pacing improves race times.

Key Takeaway

Maintain consistent speed throughout.

Themes

sports performance strategy discipline efficiency

Mood

motivational pragmatic

Type

practical inspirational

When to use this quote

- marathons
- track events
- training sessions
- coaching plans

Key Concepts

energy management tempo control endurance training

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you apply even pacing to daily tasks?
- What factors disrupt consistent effort?

A Different Perspective

Real-world conditions may force pacing adjustments.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/)

## Related quotes

> [Girls are like buses every 15 minutes they run](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassius-quantrell-ellison/girls-are-like-buses-every-15-minutes-they-run/)

[Cassius Quantrell Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassius-quantrell-ellison/)

> [See the minutes, how they run, How many make the hour full complete; How many hours bring about the day; How many days will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/see-the-minutes-how-they-run-how-many-make-the-hour-full-complete-how/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [It is truly amazing that, with much less neuroscientific knowledge available, Hayek's model comes closer, in some respects, to being neurophysiologically verifiable than those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-fuster/it-is-truly-amazing-that-with-much-less-neuroscientific-knowledge/)

Joaquin Fuster

> [The internal peace of every country depends upon the knowledge that force is available to uphold law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/the-internal-peace-of-every-country-depends-upon-the-knowledge-that/)

[Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/)

> [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I do worry because it takes all types to make our culture, to make our art. We need it to be available to all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-mcintosh/i-do-worry-because-it-takes-all-types-to-make-our-culture-to-make-our/)

[Neve McIntosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-mcintosh/)

> [I m Single , Eligible But Not Available .. Limited Edition :D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faisal-khan-neal/i-m-single-eligible-but-not-available-limited-edition-d/)

Faisal Khan Neal

> [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/)

[Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/)

> [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [I used practically all the money I had available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-ebbers/i-used-practically-all-the-money-i-had-available/)

[Bernard Ebbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-ebbers/)

> [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/)

[Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/)

> [Tell the truth about your wound, and then you will get a truthful picture of the remedy to apply to it. Don't pack whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/tell-the-truth-about-your-wound-and-then-you-will-get-a-truthful/)

[Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/)

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/)

[Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/)

## More by Roger Bannister

> [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Mothers, unless they were very poor, didn't work. Both of my parents had to leave education. My mother had to work in a cotton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/mothers-unless-they-were-very-poor-didn-t-work-both-of-my-parents-had/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [My concentration was really on getting to university and becoming a doctor. My parents let me know that school marks were important. Achievement was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-concentration-was-really-on-getting-to-university-and-becoming-a/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [If there was the opportunity to climb a mountain, or to go ballooning, or some adventurous activity, I would always be keen to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/if-there-was-the-opportunity-to-climb-a-mountain-or-to-go-ballooning/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool. Sport as about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/sport-is-not-about-being-wrapped-up-in-cotton-wool-sport-as-about/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [The mile has all the elements of a drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/the-mile-has-all-the-elements-of-a-drama/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [May is a very early time in the year and the weather is usually bad. You cannot run a fast mile race if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/may-is-a-very-early-time-in-the-year-and-the-weather-is-usually-bad/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [My family actually lived in the same village for about 400 years. They had great stability until the last century. People lived and intermarried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-family-actually-lived-in-the-same-village-for-about-400-years-they/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [The human spirit is indomitable. No one can ever say you must not run faster than this or jump higher than that. There will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/the-human-spirit-is-indomitable-no-one-can-ever-say-you-must-not-run/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Doctors and scientists said breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/doctors-and-scientists-said-breaking-the-four-minute-mile-was/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Beating John Landy was my defining race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/beating-john-landy-was-my-defining-race/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [I had always wanted to become a neurologist, which is one of the most demanding vocations in medicine. Where do you stop, after all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/i-had-always-wanted-to-become-a-neurologist-which-is-one-of-the-most/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/the-man-who-can-drive-himself-further-once-the-effort-gets-painful-is/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [I was playing rugby and the other games English school children do, and there was an event in which races were run, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/i-was-playing-rugby-and-the-other-games-english-school-children-do/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [If a man coaches himself, then he has only himself to blame when he is beaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/if-a-man-coaches-himself-then-he-has-only-himself-to-blame-when-he-is/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

[Explore all 59 Roger Bannister quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

## More Athlete quotes

> [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/)

[Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/)

> [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/)

[Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

> [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/)

[Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/)

> [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/)

[Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/)

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/)

[Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/)

> [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/)

[Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/)

> [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/)

[Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/)

> [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/)

[Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/)

> [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/)

[Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/)

> [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/)

[Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/)

> [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/)

[Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/)

> [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/)

[Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/)

[Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you run one part too fast, you pay a price. If you run another part more slowly your overall time is slower.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Roger Bannister"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-available-energy-aerobic-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Athlete"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-available-energy-aerobic-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/roger-bannister-11572_athlete_it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-availab_2779658.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/roger-bannister-11572_athlete_it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-availab_2779658.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/roger-bannister-11572_athlete_it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-availab_2779658.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you…” — Roger Bannister",
                "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": "Roger Bannister",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's a question of spreading the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-available-energy-aerobic-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/it-s-a-question-of-spreading-the-available-energy-aerobic-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
