Steve Prefontaine - an unsung hero in many ways
Admittedly one of the least "sexy" sports is long distance running and it has been ever so - except for one brief period in the early '70s when a brash, no holds barred runner named Steve Prefontaine hit the scene.
While most runners (and coaches) employed strategy for a distance race, Pre's approach was to simply run as fast and hard as he could, holding nothing back and the one with the most guts would win. As long as he tried his best, he was satisfied.
I was a distance runner way back then and, like a lot of people, became fascinated with the dynamo. He, a lowly distance runner, even got on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His track record is stunningly impressive, especially in the United States where he broke record after record for any distance over a mile and to 10,000 meters.
On his home track he was never defeated! I may offend some folks, but it is my belief that if Pre had been allowed to run his style of race (which meant run your brains out-no strategy) at the Olympics and not some crazy pacing strategy forced upon him by his coach, he would have won the gold in the '72 Olympics.
Interestingly enough, his brash, give-everything-you've-got running style was also his style of living. He was passionate about everything and willing to pay any cost for what he believed in. He was honest and never played any games on or off the track.
He became very vocal about the abuse dished out by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) against amateur athletes, risking his own expulsion from racing. Slowly, his influence helped the AAU become more athlete friendly.
And (what this blog is really about), when Pre found out that great female athletes were not afforded any of the benefits male athletes had access to (scholarships; proper equipment and training, etc.), he became just as vocal and, according to many female athletes, he helped bring this injustice to light bringing important changes to the plight of female athletes.
His fearlessness both off and on the track is something I hope (and fail often) to emulate and I encourage everyone else to dive into that kind of mindset.
To those of you who have no idea who I am talking about - here are a few quotes to give you a sense of this amazing guy: “Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.”;
“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.”;
“A lot of people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, push himself even more.”
and my favorite: “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
While most runners (and coaches) employed strategy for a distance race, Pre's approach was to simply run as fast and hard as he could, holding nothing back and the one with the most guts would win. As long as he tried his best, he was satisfied.
I was a distance runner way back then and, like a lot of people, became fascinated with the dynamo. He, a lowly distance runner, even got on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His track record is stunningly impressive, especially in the United States where he broke record after record for any distance over a mile and to 10,000 meters.
On his home track he was never defeated! I may offend some folks, but it is my belief that if Pre had been allowed to run his style of race (which meant run your brains out-no strategy) at the Olympics and not some crazy pacing strategy forced upon him by his coach, he would have won the gold in the '72 Olympics.
Interestingly enough, his brash, give-everything-you've-got running style was also his style of living. He was passionate about everything and willing to pay any cost for what he believed in. He was honest and never played any games on or off the track.
He became very vocal about the abuse dished out by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) against amateur athletes, risking his own expulsion from racing. Slowly, his influence helped the AAU become more athlete friendly.
And (what this blog is really about), when Pre found out that great female athletes were not afforded any of the benefits male athletes had access to (scholarships; proper equipment and training, etc.), he became just as vocal and, according to many female athletes, he helped bring this injustice to light bringing important changes to the plight of female athletes.
His fearlessness both off and on the track is something I hope (and fail often) to emulate and I encourage everyone else to dive into that kind of mindset.
To those of you who have no idea who I am talking about - here are a few quotes to give you a sense of this amazing guy: “Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.”;
“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.”;
“A lot of people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, push himself even more.”
and my favorite: “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
No comments have been added yet.
