Spending the spring traveling the country, competing in big-time track meets and trying to become one of the few high school runners to break the four-minute mile sounds incredibly glamorous.

Except it’s not.

A little background: Ever since Jim Ryun ran a sub-four minute mile in 1964, it’s been the sexy mark for any high school runner. Of course, only a handful of athletes have done it. Until Alan Webb broke Ryun’s record of 3:55 two years ago, it had been nearly 30 years since any prep ran that fast.

Every middle-distance runner has dreamed of running the sub-four mile. Few have taken the steps of Liberty (Mo.) High senior Adam Perkins. Then again, few have Perkins’ ability.

Perkins, who ran against Webb in the men’s invitational mile Saturday in the Kansas Relays, isn’t running with his high school squad this spring in an attempt at the sub-four. That’s because the Missouri High School Activities Assn. bans long travel for its athletes, which would hurt Perkins’ chances at breaking four minutes. When Ryun ran, he finished fourth in his race; Webb was fifth in an international field when he ran 3:53.

Saturday would have been an ideal race setting — running against Webb and former KU standout Charlie Gruber — but nasty weather prevented that. Perkins was third, timed at 4:10.12, slightly slower than his personal best of 4:07.

Free State senior Adrian Ludwig is among the fastest 800-meter runners in Kansas, and a pretty fair miler, too, but he was agog at the notion of a prep running sub-four. He also liked the idea of traveling the country to run in big-time meet after big-time meet.

I did too, until talking with Perkins later that night.

This athlete — who carries a 4.0 GPA and has no trouble articulating answers to detailed questions — wasn’t down on himself, but he certainly wasn’t hyped.

“My decision has been a lot of stress,” Perkins said. “But I’m a firm believer in doing what’s right for your life. I feel bad that I’m not running with my high school team, but they’ve been supportive of me in this.”

Besides, the Relays was only the second big-time meet Perkins has been to this year.

Her ran in the John McDonald Invitational a couple of weeks ago at the University of Arkansas, and was set to run in the Drake Relays this weekend, but had to cancel. He’ll accept a scholarship from Verizon Wireless at the Penn Relays instead. He would run there, but the meet prohibits high schoolers from competing.

There’s anther meet May 3, but that’s also his high school prom. Perkins isn’t going to miss that. He might hit a meet the next week in Wisconsin, but he wasn’t sure.

Which brings up the financial aspect.

“No one’s paying for me to go to these meets,” he said. “Most of the meets so far have been pretty close.”

Perkins has retained his amateur status — he’s headed to Arkansas next fall — and tries to hold down a job, too. He works for a real estate broker and has a job at Hy-Vee, though he hasn’t had time for it in months.

Who knew trying for a sub-four mile would be such an ordeal?

Still, there have been some perks. Perkins loved running with Webb and Gruber, and being part of an all-star distance medley relay Friday with Webb, Calvin Davis and Andy Downin.

“It was fun,” he said. “I knew a lot of the high school runners out there, so I got to relax a bit. I was just glad to see some people I know.”

Maybe the whole thing is worth it. It goes beyond wanting your name in the record books and pushes Perkins toward his ultimate goal of competing on the world stage.

And that would make all this worthwhile.