To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.
Steve Prefontaine
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.
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.
It's not who's the best - it's who can take the most pain.
I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it.
Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative.
A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they're capable of understanding.
My philosophy is that I'm an artist. I perform an art not with a paint brush or a camera. I perform with bodily movement. Instead of exhibiting my art in a museum or a book or on canvas, I exhibit my art in front of the multitudes.
If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself. But if it's a slow pace, and I get beaten by a kicker who leaches off the front, then I'll always wonder, 'What if...?'
Every once in a while I think, 'What am I doing out here running, busting myself up? Life could be so much easier. The other guys are out having fun, doing other things, why not me?'
Something inside of me just said 'Hey, wait a minute, I want to beat him,' and I just took off.
I have a positive mental attitude, and I think I'm divine, but I also think it takes a heck of a lot of blood, sweat and tears.
When people go to a track meet, they're looking for something, a world record, something that hasn't been done before. You get all this magnetic energy, people focusing on one thing at the same time. I really get excited about it. It makes me want to compete even more. It makes it all worthwhile, all the hours of hard work.
I knew I had to show everybody that I could excel at something. But I didn't know what.
I don't just go out there and run. I like to give people watching something exciting.
What I like most about track is the feeling I get inside after a good run.
Nobody likes tainted victories.
I decided that if I was going to continue in track, that I didn't want to lose, that I wasn't going to lose.
If anybody wants to beat me, let them run a world record.
It doesn't feel that good when you're ahead the whole way.
I like to be able to go out to dinner once in a while. I like to be able to drive my MG up the McKenzie River on a weekday afternoon. I like to be able to pay my bills on time.
Did you ever run behind a slow pack? You get a trailing wind and a lot of body odor.
I know places you better speak low if you've been to college. Men will come across the room and cold-deck you if you hold your glass wrong.
What I want is to be number one.
The AAU doesn't care about the athletes; why should I care about them?
I'm the one who has made all the sacrifices. Those are my American records, not the country's.
No one will ever win a 5,000-meter by running an easy two miles. Not against me.
I've been in international competition, and now I know what the big boys can do. You don't go out and just run. There's an offense and a defense.
Why shouldn't I do what I want to do... I'm an American citizen.
If you can make money with your talents, why not?
If the Olympics come around, and I'm in shape, then I'll compete. But I won't be representing the United States; I'll be representing myself.
I used to say, 'Hey, man, what kind of a stupid question is that?' to a newspaperman asking me heavy things right after a race when I'm still in an emotional state. Now I at least try to answer.
You probably choose x-country because you were too small to play football.
To hell with love of country - I compete for myself.
It's hard to run a mile when you're not a miler and to kick when you've led all the way.
If I want to go to Europe and get thrashed by the Europeans, that's my business. Every race I lose I learn from and get tougher.
American athletes, especially distance runners, are at a big disadvantage against the rest of the world. We're expected to live by all the rules, like not being able to coach, but still train and make our own living.
If he's having a good day and running the right race, nobody can beat Frank Shorter at 10,000 meters... nobody except me.
I don't care about being on television.
What does it prove, running in the AAU meet?
Coos Bay is a sports-minded town. You had to be an athlete to be somebody.
World records at 19. I don't want that. Later, yes. And when it comes, I'll learn to live with it, but it won't be my first love.
Kids made fun of me because I was a slow learner, because I was hyperactive, because of a lot of things. Running gave me confidence.
People say I should be running for a gold medal for the old red, white and blue and all that bull, but it's not gonna be that way.
For me, running against the Poles and Czechs would be like running against high school kids. And I hate all this gung-ho, run-for-the-red-white-and-blue attitude that the AAU spouts. If that's important to some people, fine, more power to 'em. But, damn it, I wish they'd leave me alone to do what I want to do - run against the best.
This is my last year at Oregon, and it means a lot to me. The people have been great to me up there, so if I have to run three races to win the Pac-8 title, I'll do it. Oh, sure, I'll probably be tired, but the people shouting will carry me across the finish line.
