Day 2 Running Schedule - Marathon Month's Away

Nice day in Colorado. About 30 degrees at the end of January in Colorado. I have 1.5 miles scheduled at the rec center tonight at 4:40 p.m. Should take me about a half hour.

I know that's extremely slow but I'm still a pretty big guy. Hopefully 6 months from now I'll be able to crank it out in less than 20 minutes.

Steve Prefontaine is still a popular U.S. running figure. I saw a movie about him a few years ago and it was great. I know he ran at Oregon in the early 70's and Nike still sells stuff with his name on it. Here's his rock or maybe it's his headstone.

According to Wikipedia he was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon, Prefontaine was primarily a long-distance runner who once held the American record in the seven distance track events from the 2000 meters to the 10,000 meters.[1] Prefontaine died at the age of 24 in a car accident. In the prime of his life.

The Eugene Register-Guard called his death "the end of an era". By the time of his death, Prefontaine was a popular athlete who, along with Frank Shorter and Bill Bowerman, was credited with sparking the running boom of the 1970s. His life story has been detailed in two films, 1997's Prefontaine and 1998's Without Limits, as well as the documentary "Fire on the Track". An annual track event, the Pre Classic, has been held in his honor since 1975.

Over his career, he won 120 of the 153 races he ran (78 percent). Prefontaine liked to say, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."

Pre's Rock is a memorial at the site of the roadside boulder where Prefontaine died. Many runners inspired by Prefontaine leave behind memorabilia to honor his memory and continued influence, such as race numbers, medals, and running shoes. Pre's Rock was dedicated in December 1997 and is maintained by Eugene Parks and Recreation as Prefontaine Memorial Park.[4] The rock is just across the Willamette River from the east end of Pre's Trail. The memorial features a plaque with a picture of Prefontaine that reads:

“ For your dedication and loyalty
To your principles and beliefs...
For your love, warmth, and friendship
For your family and friends...
You are missed by so many
And you will never be forgotten... ”

The Prefontaine Memorial, featuring a relief of his face, records, and date of birth, is located at the Coos Bay Visitor Center in Coos Bay. In 2008, ten memorial plaques were laid along the Prefontaine Memorial Race route, the former training grounds of Prefontaine. The plaques bear an image of Prefontaine from his high school year book and various quotes and records from his time in Coos Bay. The plaques were part of a grant from the Oregon Tourism Commission, the Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, and the Prefontaine Memorial Committee.

Each year on the third Saturday of September in Coos Bay, over 1000 runners engage in the Prefontaine Memorial Run, a 10k run honoring his accomplishments.[5]