Here me out, as this is a fact.
When I was in high school, the lightest spike on the market was the nike zoom miler at 4.8 ounces. At this time in history, there were only a handful of Americans of any age
that have broken the 4 minute mile barrier. Then BOOM.
Nike invented flywire technology and the zoom victory, which weighs under 3.5 ounces. All of the sudden now in 2018 we have over 200 Americans that have ran under 4 minutes for the mile. And they didn't do it in 5 ounce zoom milers. They did it in zoom victories or mutumbos.
So here's the deal. Mentality didn't evolve. Physicality didn't evolve. And our society or coaching didn't evolve. All that evolved was technology. That is the cause if the recent boom and explosion of sub 4 milers.
Man oh man. Hath flywire had been invented whilst I was still in high school, I would have broken 4:00 for the 1500 barrier. My oh my how times have changed.
You new milers need to feel so blessed that you have the technology that you have. All of my times were ran of pure guts and passion and a 5 ounce zoom miler spike, not the space age futuristic alien technology that you use.
Alan Webb would have easily ran 345 in high school hath flywire been invented yet.