BLOG 40 STEVE PREFONTAINE

BLOG 40 STEVE PREFONTAINE

Steve Prefontaine is considered the greatest long distance runner of all time. He is an icon in the running world. I have a huge framed poster of him in the studio with one of his well-known quotes, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”. Prefontaine’s fierce determination to win and amazing talent fueled a running career like no other. The man had guts. His style was to start out strong at the head of the pack and never give up the lead. So I’d like to share his story with you.

Prefontaine was born and bred in Oregon, so he truly was a hometown hero. He began his career Marshfield High School where he broke 19 national high school records in track and set a national high school record in the two mile race.  He then began his legacy at the University of Oregon in 1969. During his time there, he won 7 NCAA titles, which included both cross country and track events. In track and field he ran mostly middle distance events with the 3 and 2 mile. Remarkably, he ran a 3:57 mile time his freshman year. He set 9 collegiate track records. In summary, “He never lost a race more than a mile in length” (http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=30594). So it’s no surprise that, “He owned every (8) American record between 2,000 and 10,000 meters and between two miles and six miles”( http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=30594). Can you imagine having an undefeated college running career?? In his lifetime, he ran 153 races and won 120 of them. (http://www.biography.com/people/steve-prefontaine-224908#record-breaking-accomplishment).

I can remember in high school with my cross country team watching the movie about him called, Without Limits. Talk about motivation the night before a big race. I’m sure that Prefontaine was gifted with incredible athletic talents, but rightfully so, he had to have had the mental toughness and sheer determination to win each race. He must have had quite the tolerance for pain and ability to push beyond his limits when threated by competition.

Prefontaine also had ties to the creation of the first Nike running shoe apparel. Bill Bowerman coached him and was co-founder of Nike along with CEO, Phil Knight. The need for a quality, better shoe, was due in part to Prefontaine’s running.

Sadly, his life was taken short at the age of 24 in a car crash. I’ll say it again because it’s so impressive: “At the time of his death, he held every American record from 2,000 to 10,000 meters and was a favorite to win at least one gold medal in the 1976 Olympics” (http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/why-pre-still-matters). His life is detailed in a few movies and books, but the legend of his running career speaks for itself.

There’s an interesting story behind the poster you see hanging at the studio. One early morning, while in the middle of a training session, a fellow stopped by whom I had seen around the neighborhood from time to time and always said a friendly hello to. There are people who I have regularly see each day while I’m with clients walking the hills or jogging. On this particular morning he startled us during the session and asked if he could donate something to the studio. Not knowing how to respond I just froze, so he went to his car and returned with this huge, framed posted of Prefontaine. Just a nice gesture from someone who had nothing but the items in his car to his name and he thought of me.

Prefontaine pushed his physical limits and I am always inspired and brought to tears when I watch his movie. I marvel at his talents and sheer running ability. It’s a pleasant reminder that when we push out of our comfort zones, we can achieve greatness. One rep a time, we can push harder, lift heavier, run faster, and make better choices. Challenging the body and mind sets us up for the results we have set as our goals.