"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."-Steve Prefontaine
Last night I watched Without Limits, a movie about the life of the man known as Pre. I have been a runner since about the age of 12, and I always knew the name Pre, but until watching this movie, I never really knew anything about who he was. I learned that he didn't just run, he gave it his all. "Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." He was cocky and arrogant, but he didn't just care about winning, he cared most about the way he won. If he won without giving everything he had, he wouldn't be satisfied. He believed in effort. He believed in putting it all on the line. Pushing the envelope. Achieving more.
This attitude has inspired and motivated me to become better, to reach my potential, to push a little harder. And not just in my running, but in other aspects of my life. Sometimes I feel there is more that I can do, whether it be on a run, at work, at home. In those times, I may not be giving my best, just hanging back, coasting, taking it easy. It's times like these when I'm sacrificing my abilities, my talents, "the gift." Pre commented that "A race is a work of art." A life can be that way too. Thanks to Pre for reminding me of that.
For more info on Pre visit the official Steve Prefontaine site.
Another cool Pre site at Nike.
3 comments:
I can't wait to watch the movie with you! :-)
Pre was certainly a courageous runner who didn't waste "The Gift." Had he lived long enough, he might have discovered the difficulty of qualifying for Boston as a new parent. A post or two on this feat would be particularly interesting for the rest of us running parents. Nice post on Pre and best wishes on your Boston training.
Thanks for your comment Everyrunner. Qualifying for Boston is already on my list of things to blog, and my family was definitely a part of that. Check back soon for a new post.
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