Autobiography of Roger Bannister
Pretty smart guy. Surprisingly vague actually about his training regimen. Lots of intervals, quarters in particular and workouts of less than an hour. Usually people are vague because they don't want to share their secrets to success. Didn't seem to be the case with Bannister. Basically Bannister says to avoid being exhausted the next day. And otherwise interval training is very good. And tons and tons of slower stuff (such is the norm now) maybe isn't what being a well balanced individual is all about.

What more interests me is that the first time he was clocked in the mile he was already breaking 5 minutes and within 8 months of that managed 4:24. It then took him 7 years of hard training to shave off 25 seconds. (Genetics).

What else? Back in the day at least in the UK it was important that you didn't appear to be really trying to be good at something unless you were indeed very successful at it. Don't appear to try and fail. Either try and succeed or don't try. At least concerning appearances. Furtive trying is perhaps OK.