Wednesday, April 6, 2016

On Pre

Steve Prefontaine. If you are a runner of track or cross country, you know his name and his story. You know that he is from Coos Bay, Oregon and made Hayward Field in Eugene legendary. You know that he was a total guts runner. You know that his running philosophy was to take the lead and hold it. You know that Bill Bowerman, then coach at Oregon, kept giving him shoes he made in his wife’s waffle iron that had a weird swoosh on the side. You know that at one time, Pre held every American distance record from 2,000 meters to 10,000 meters. You know that long before WWJD was popular, What Would Pre Do? was said when you needed inspiration, motivation, or a kick in the pants. You probably dream of running in the Steve Prefontaine Classic or the Eugene Marathon, whose course takes you along the Pre Trail and finishes in that famed stadium of Hayward Field. You know.

I remember three things from the 1972 Olympics: the horrific hostage ordeal; Olga Korbut’s bar routine; and Pre. I remember he raced after the Israeli wrestlers had been killed; a day or so after the games began again. I remember being in another room and hearing my Dad hooting and hollering. I raced in to see what was happening and there was this kid with long hair and a mustache pounding away in the 5000. I remember my Dad saying, “Someone didn’t tell that kid he’s not supposed to win! Look at him go!” I watched in excitement as he led the field, noticing how awkward his gait was, and noticing the look in his eye. Wow! He was super focused and yet so electric. He lost in the last 100 meters or so and placed 4th…which I still thought was amazing. I was captured by his toughness and grit. What a runner! They talked how he would dominate in the ’76 games and I looked forward to seeing him race again.

And then, the next time I heard about him, it was about how he had died. Three years later, in 1975 at the age of 24, he died in a car accident. I remember feeling so sad for him. Feeling sad that I would never get to see him race again.

In ’77 I went out for my junior high track team; it was my 8th grade year. I was a sprinter and I was fast. I loved the feeling of running fast…it drove me and fed me in a way nothing else, not even gymnastics, had ever done. I had just won the 110 and 220 in our first meet and had come from behind in the 220 to win. I was wearing a pair of red Nike spikes; borrowed from the boy I loved, at a time when we both wore the same sized shoe. The next day at school, my coach asked me what was going through my mind while I was running; what made me surge past everyone. I really didn’t know how to answer her, but said I knew how fast I could run and if I didn’t run that fast, I wasn’t using my ability right. I finished by saying it would be wrong to not run as fast as I could. And she called me Little Pre. She showed me a poster of him saying something close to what I had said about running. Little Pre. It was one of the best nicknames I have ever had.

When Jon and I were getting to know one another he used a Pre quote. And I waited, my head cocked to the side. Jon: “What?” Me: “Plagiarist!” Jon: “I was quoting Pre.” Me: “I know and you said the quote wrong!” He later told me that was the moment he knew he loved me. Jon loved Pre. They were so similar; both rebels, both gutsy and tenacious.  Jon would ask himself, “What would Pre do?” regularly.  It gave him motivation and courage to stare down the ever present ALS affecting his body. I remember Michael coming home from track practice and telling Jon that his coach was impressed that he knew who Pre was and could quote him. A proud moment, to be sure.

Pre has been brought to my mind these last few days as I am being sent to Eugene, Oregon for work. This is where he lived; where he went to school; where he ran; and where he died. Upon learning I would be spending time there I started texting people who would get it. And their excitement has been infectious. It is thrilling to know that I will be there. I want to run a mile at Hayward Field. I want to run along Pre’s Trail. I might go to Pre’s Rock, the tragic spot where he died…although I am much more interested in going to the places where he lived.

Pre has been dead for 40 years now. 41 next month, actually. And yet, he is still revered; still talked about; still quoted. His feats are still amazing. All those records? The last one fell in 2012. Galen Rupp beat his 5000k record by 0.13 seconds. He changed track and field into what we know today. He fought hard for the sport that he loved and the injustices in it and we all reap the benefits of his battles. If you have ever owned a pair of Nikes…thank Pre. If you have ever run a 5k…thank Pre. His contributions go much, much deeper than that, of course, and yet, I keep asking myself why are we, the people who know, still so enraptured by him? Was it his guts? Was it his youthful swagger? Was it that his life was cut so tragically short? Or was it because he was an everyman who just dug deep inside himself and disregarded the pain digging deep brings and kept going anyway?

I’m not sure I can put into words what he means to me personally. He is so wrapped up in the back story of my life. Too entangled in my love of sport; my love of running; and my love for the people in my life who have loved him, too. Standing where he stood will be powerful for me. And I know this…if I ever get to Israel, I will probably cry the entire time. Standing where Pre stood will be amazing; but standing where Jesus stood? I can barely fathom it.

Running, as most of you know, is not something I can do anymore. My back is twisted and one leg is shorter than the other. And then I remembered. Pre also had a twisted back and one leg was longer than the other. (his description) As I stand in Hayward Field or stand on Pre’s Trail,I will ponder the pain running will do to my back and weigh the pros and cons. Remind myself that I am there to tackle a mountain of work and how back pain could potentially knock me out for a few days.

Then, I will ask myself that famed question…What Would Pre Do?

Well, Pre would run.


Pre would run.