Writing on the Run

The Steve Prefontaine Olympic Race and Video

 

This is the second of three recent posts about the late Steve Prefontaine

 

 

Prefontaine’s fourth place finish in the Munich Olympic’s 5000 meter final remains a testament to the courage and fortitude to which all distance runners aspire.  His age and lack of international racing experience made him an underdog in the thirteen-man field, but to him, none of that mattered.  Consistent with his aggressive approach to all his races, he knew that if he didn’t win, he would surely make the winner earn the gold medal.  “Somebody may beat me,” he said back then.  “But they’re going to have to bleed to do it.”

      

The YouTube video shows that with four laps remaining, Prefontaine took the lead and upped the pace, eventually dropping most of the other runners.  With two laps to go, Lasse Viren of Finland went ahead briefly before Prefontaine reasserted his place at the front.  With one lap remaining, Viren moved into first place, while Prefontaine fell back with Mohammad Gammoudi of Tunisia.  Prefontaine surged in the backstretch trying to regain the lead, and once again in the final straight, going for the gold instead of perhaps saving what little he had left for the silver or bronze. 

Each time his aggressive move was answered by Viren and Gammoudi.  With nothing left, he staggered the final few meters, totally spent, and was nipped at the finish for the bronze by a late-charging Ian Stewart of Great Britain.  Sadly, the great Steve Prefontaine, known as “Pre” by his adoring legion of fans, died before getting the chance to compete in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.  

 

Be A Race Day Volunteer

For once, why not help out at your local race instead of running it? 

Volunteers are the unsung heroes of any organized race.  Simply put, there would be no race without those individuals who would rather give than receive.  And it’s not just about handing out water. 

Just look at a partial list of the volunteer opportunities at the Salt Lake City Marathon:

• Registration: Assist with registration materials and packet pick-up.
• Course Set-Up: Drop off supplies at aid stations. Place mile markers, setup
  course signage, place barricades/cones, and remove after race.
• Aid Station: Groups of 20 needed.  Must be qualified.
• Gear Bag Duty: Assist runners with items to be put in bags, label bags, transport bags to the finish line, aid runners in locating their bags.
• Race Start: Set-up of starting line, distribute Gatorade/warming blankets, help with runner/crowd control, tear down starting line.
• Course Safety: Ensure safety of event participants in heavy traffic areas.
• Race Traffic: Direct runners around course and down finish lanes.
• Finish Line: Pre-package refreshment bags for runners.  Set-up finish line area, medical tents and chip guider/collectors, pass out water and heat sheets to finishers, chip removal.
• Massage: Give free massages to marathoners (must be licensed).
• Medical: Doctors, Nurses, EMTS, etc. are needed at finish.
• Awards: Set up awards tent, awards, display, distribute medals to winners.
• Post Events: Clean up of finish line festival area after participants have left.

Many popular races have a volunteer’s link on their Web sites for those who want to sign up.  The link at the Marine Corps Marathon Web site offers volunteers “a great way to get in the race day trenches with the Marines.”  The New York City Marathon Web site lists a wide range of volunteer assignments along with a description of each. 

“Most go through our Web site and sign up there,” says Edwin Ortiz Jr., Assistant Manager for Volunteers and Community Outreach for the New York Road Runners, the group behind the New York City Marathon and other races.  “As long as they are over 14, we accept volunteers of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds.  We also get a large amount of groups - - whether from high schools, colleges, large corporations, or small community organizations - - who volunteer for us as part of their community service requirements.  

“Our ideal volunteer,” says Ortiz, “is someone who is willing to do anything to help our organization succeed at that week’s race.”  That includes the job of Race Marshall, an assignment he says is the most difficult to fill.  “It’s not the most fun thing to do because it involves telling people to either keep moving or to not go to a certain spot, but it is a necessary position in order to maintain order at our events.”

At the New York City Marathon, 6,000 volunteered to help the multitudes of runners navigate safely through the city’s five boroughs.  “That seemed to be enough to get the job done,” says Ortiz, “but we could always use more.”

 

Remembering Steve Prefontaine

 

          “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift.”
                                                        - Steve Prefontaine

 

Next week marks the 37^th anniversary of the death of Steve Prefontaine at the peak of his running career. 

“Pre” is remembered as one of America’s greatest distance runners, although he never fully realized his potential.  When his life ended tragically in 1975, he held every American record from the 2,000 to the 10,000 meters.  From his record-breaking performances in high school through his years at the University of Oregon and beyond, Prefontaine won 119 of 151 outdoor races.  His rare losses were typically run with the aggressiveness he was known for, including his memorable fourth-place finish in the 5000 meter final at the 1972 Olympics. 

“A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see
who has the most guts.”

During that time, Prefontaine was one of the first to speak out for athlete’s rights against the Amateur Athletic Union which disbanded after his death.  Though he has been dead for over thirty years, his legacy is alive and well.  In the last decade alone, a documentary, two Hollywood movies, and a biography have paid tribute to this talented, cocky, determined runner who influenced many on and off the track.

Olympian and author Jeff Galloway put it well when he wrote me via e-mail: “Thousands of elite U.S. athletes have come and gone but none have exuded the excitement of Pre.  He was a good friend and inspired all of us to do our best.”

I will have more on Steve Prefontaine in the coming days. 

 

U.S. Olympic Marathoner Abdi Abdirahman's Unique Training Philosophy

 

Shouldn’t running be fun?  Of course, but then running isn’t how most of us make our living.  Still, many of the elite, world-class, and Olympian runners I spoke with for my book think that running should be enjoyable, that it shouldn’t be taken too seriously, and that we shouldn’t hesitate to add adequate rest into our running routines. 

For a refreshing look at an elite runner’s training philosophy, check out this article from the Wall Street Journal on 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathoner, Abdi Abdirahman (on the right in the photo above). 

Even his coach says, “You have to enjoy what you’re doing.  If it’s drudgery to get  out of bed for a 13-mile run, that’s not going to help you in the long run.”

 

 

Half-Marathon Still the Most Popular Race Distance

 

The Half-Marathon remains the fastest growing and favorite race distance for runners, according to Running USA’s National Running Survey.  Last year, U.S. half-marathons had an estimated 1.6 million finishers (a new high), a 16.2% increase from 2010 (1,385,000 to 1,610,000).

 

The 13.1 mile distance is also the favorite distance to run for both genders (35% men and 39% women) and also the road race distance that runners are most interested in entering in 2012 (70% men and 77% women). 

More half-marathon facts from Running USA:

• Since 2003, the half-marathon has been the fastest growing road race distance in the United States.

 

• For six consecutive years (2006–11), the number of 13.1 mile finishers has grown by 10% or more each year. No other U.S. road distance comes close to this growth rate.

 

• Since 2000, the number of half-marathon finishers in this country has more than tripled (482,000 to 1,610,000), an increase of 234%.

 

• 59% of half-marathon finishers were females (approximately 950,000, a record).

 

• In 2011, there were a record number of 30 U.S. half-marathons with 10,000 or more finishers. This has nearly doubled since 2009 when there were 17 with 10,000-plus finishers; in 2000, there was only one.

 

• Like the past 5 years, there were more than 30 inaugural half-marathons in the U.S. last year, and 2011 produced the largest debut annual half-marathon ever, Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah, with 14,163 finishers.

 

Run Across the Golden Gate Bridge this Anniversary Year

 

About 1,300 individuals have thrown themselves from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge since it opened in 1937; I'm just suggesting you run across it.

If you can make it to San Francisco, crossing the world famous 1.7 mile-long span which links San Francisco with Marin County is a must for any runner, and on my list of the "100 Things all Runners Should do Before they die" as featured in my book.   

This year it's even more special, because if you do the math, you'll realize the Golden Gate Bridge is celebrating its 75th anniversary (this month to be exact).  

The bridge attracts about nine million people annually from around the world, but many don’t realize that the actual “golden gate” is the name for the entrance to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. 

The bridge's orange vermillion color is technically known as “International Orange.”  A good paint store should be able to mix a gallon of PMS code 173 to cover your bedroom walls as a lasting reminder of your bridge crossing. 

Without a doubt, that run will be one of the highlights of your running career.     

 

 

 

Attend or Volunteer at the 2012 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials

No summer plans yet?  Consider visiting Eugene, Oregon for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials (either as a spectator or as a volunteer) from June 22 - July 1 at the University of Oregon.  Being there is on my list of 100 things all runners should do before they die.  

 

 

Craig Virgin (3-time 10K Olympian) and Mark Coogan (’96 Olympic Marathoner), who were contributors to my book, say that attending a U.S. Olympic Trials track meet is a must for any runner during their lifetime.   Each survived the disasters, upsets, and disappointments common to all Olympic Trials to finish in the top three in their events, guaranteeing their places on the Olympic team.

 

The hallowed University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene with the famous covered wooden grandstands was the site of the 1972, ’76, ’80, and 2008 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, and will again play host to the trials this year.  Track fans know first-hand that the anticipation and excitement this event generates is not found in the stands of any other sporting event.   

 

For the 2008 trials, 2,300 volunteers helped make the experience an unforgettable one for athletes and spectators alike.  Sound like fun?  Learn more about being a volunteer here.    

 

Many former Olympians return regularly to the trials to see the future of U.S. Track and Field up-close and to relive past glory.  “It is just an unbelievably entertaining ten days of action and drama for anybody who loves running,” says Craig Virgin.  “Many people think it is even better than the Olympic Games themselves.” 

  

Navy SEALS, Running, and Bin Laden

 

Here is a previous post from a year ago to celebrate the anniversaary of the capture of Osama bin Laden and acknowledge the heroics and commitment of the Navy SEALS. 

*    *    *

It’s not too much of a stretch to find a connection between running and the recent capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.

Well, in terms of bin Laden, one can say he was always running away. But reading up on the Navy SEALs, I guess it comes as no surprise that running is a big part of the mental and physical training that enabled them to carry out that mission. Timed 4-mile runs in soft sand and runs in the mountains carrying 40-pound packs are among the training regimens you can read about in this Wall Street Journal article.

 

I especially like the part where author Eric Greitens (a former SEAL) discusses the types of individuals that typically don’t survive SEAL training: "the weight-lifting meatheads who think that the size of their biceps is an indication of their strength, the kids covered in tattoos announcing to the world how tough they are, the preening leaders who don't want to get dirty, and the look-at-me former athletes who have always been told they are stars but have never been pushed beyond the envelope of their talent to the core of their character. In short, those who fail are the ones who focus on show.”

Sure, I may be biased, but I would think long distance runners would have an advantage in SEAL training over other types by their ability to repeatedly encounter and endure mental and physical fatigue in their quest to achieve the desired goal. “The vicious beauty of Hell Week’” says the author, “is that you either survive or fail, you endure or you quit, you do—or you do not.” Sound like that last marathon you ran?

Another connection to running and the bin Laden capture has to be General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Afghanistan. It was announced recently that Petraeus would soon replace Leon Panetta as C.I.A. director when Panetta becomes Defense Secretary. Petraeus has been a serious runner most of his life, according to this article from Runner's World. I especially like the part when he discusses bringing in a new guy to his command. “I take him out for a run," says Petraeus. “I'll go out hard, then ramp it up around five miles to try to waste him. I want to know how he'll react and respond to the challenge, what his strength of character is.” Gotta love it!

 

 

 

Gain Entry into the 2012 New York City Marathon by Running for Charity

 

According to New York Road Runners, overall applications for the ING New York City Marathon grew from 102,500 in 2009 to 140,000 in 2011, in order to be one of the 47,000 official runners.  The field is expected to be the same again this year due in part to concerns about the safety and overall enjoyment of the runners. 

The deadline to apply for the November 4, 2012 race (either for guaranteed runners or for those hoping to gain entry by the lottery process) has passed.  But all hope is not lost!  If you hurry, you can still gain entry into the 2012 race by joining and raising money for one of these participating charities, including Fred's Team and Team for Kids.  

Good luck.   

 

   

Amantle Montsho: Botswana's Olympic Hopeful

 

 

 

 “Women in Botswana don’t like sports, they like modeling. They don’t
like the look of muscles.”  (Amantle Montsho)

“Women in Botswana are too scared to run. You have to go through pain to get where Amantle is.  They hear of this pain and they stop.” (Pako Seribe) 

 

I was fortunate to visit Botswana on a photo safari many years ago when Amantle Montsho was a little girl and probably just beginning to realize a love of running.

You can read an inspiring article from the New York Times about her, now one of the fastest women in the world. She is the reigning world champion in the 400 meters, and a favorite to win gold at the Summer Games in London, despite growing up in poverty in Botswana.