Steve Prefontaine is the greatest American runner of all time. He was short, one leg longer than the other, didnt have the "kick" of long legged runners, but he had the largest heart and lungs of anyone on the planet (according to his coach). He came in fourth at the 1972 Olympics in the 5000, was boxed in the final turn, pace was slow, favored the kickers. Prefontaine felt that he ran the pack's race, not his own. he preferred to run flat out, every race, to see how fast he could finish. It wasnt winning, it was running his best time that was important to him. had he run HIS race in 1972, he could have won the 5000. he died in a freak car accident before he could complete in the 76 Olympics. Here are some quotes of his:
A lot of people run a race 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.
Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.
You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
No comments:
Post a Comment