There are a few things that I get excited about: God, family, friends, boba but one thing that always gets me excited (of course God always gets me excited but get past your christianese, you know what I mean) is story. When I learn of an individual past or present that has an amazing story I'm going to learn all I can. Last fall during tour, I read three books all about Lance Armstrong because I was so amazed by the power of his story. (I you haven't read his book I highly recommend it, check it out here, but be warned that he has quite the ego). Today was a chance for me to visit the places of another story that has excited me. Steve Prefontaine.
Growing up in Coos Bay Oregon, a small lumber town off the coast he began to set records as a high school student in track. He caught the eye of University of Oregon coach and the would-be Nike founder Bill Bowerman. He started in school and made the cover of Sports Illustrated his freshman year. He was called "Americas Running Prodigy", and bringing the sport of running back to the attention of American families. He had a huge mouth, being known for his off-track interviews saying things like "someone may beat me, but they'll have to bleed to do it" but he had the results to match it. He ran in the 1972 olympics but failed to win as he and the rest of the country wanted. By his senior year, he had only lost 3 races at Hayward Field in Eugene Oregon and had managed to set every American record for every event from the 2000 to the 10000 meter run.
At the age of 24 he died in a tragic car accident, ending an era. Today, at the location of his death, there is a memorial to him called "Pre's Rock" where many runners come and visit. There are many track spikes, race numbers and folded letters put in the crevasses. Also, there is a trail called pre's trail that he had demanded be built. It is an ideal place to run being several large loops made of small wood chips and tucked away from the city, following the Willamette River (the only north-bound american river). Every year there is "Prefontaine Classic" which takes place in Eugene which features olympic hopefuls in all track and field sports. In 2001 one, High Schooler Alan Webb, became the first High Schooler to run a sub-four minute mile since Jim Ryun in 1964 with a time of 3:59 and several months later setting the H.S record with 3:54. There is so much in Eugene that still has his fingerprint, so being in Eugene I made a few stops including a visit to the legendary Hayward field and ran a little on Pre's trail. I would recommend the movie "Prefontaine" for anyone wanting to learn a little more about him. He has been an inspiration to me and many many others.
Some Pre quotes worth reading-
"A lot of people run to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more. Nobody is going to win a 5,000 meter race after running an easy 2 miles. Not with me. If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself."
"How does a kid from Coos Bay, with one leg longer than the other win races? All my life people have been telling me, 'You're too small Pre', 'You're not fast enough Pre', 'Give up your foolish dream Steve'. But they forgot something, I HAVE TO WIN."
"I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it."
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1 comment:
Pre's story is really quite amazing. There are a number of great books about him, too. As good as Alan Webb is, and for all he's achieved at such a young age, he doesn't quite capture the spirit of the country the way Pre did. I'd say that's been happening more with Ryan Hall, actually.
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