The big stage. The world's eye. These were simply too much for Pre, despite the fact he may have been the most talented athlete on the planet. This is reflective of the day my team and I had at the New Balance Manchester Invitational this morning.
While many teams run quite a few races in september, our cross country program held out and made this the first true competetion of the long season. It pitted us, the undervalued dynasty of New Hampshire athletics, against ten of the best teams in New England. From this eleven team field, we placed ninth. It was an embarassment. If it could have gone wrong, it did. I was hurt leading up to race day, much like Perfontaine having to deal with a well rested Lasse Viren instead of a tired one he had expected to race. Another runner got sick and did not show up at all. Prefontaine was boxed in when he wanted to make an early move to the lead. One of our top guys felt bad and began walking, running a slower time as a junior than he had as a freshman. Pre got stuck in the outside lane in a four way fight on the last lap, finishing last in that group and being denied a medal.
Individually, I should have been in the top ten today, but was forced to settle for fourteenth. Worse was our favorited team sliding near the bottom.
The first time we see Steve Prefontaine race after the olympiad is at his home track of Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. He is not optimistic going in, predicting a poor showing. Despite this lack of confidence, he utilizes the group running with a close friend and roar of the crowd to puch him through to an easy win and new american record in the 5000m run. Next week, we race on an even bigger stage in North Carolina. Hopefully matching Pre's turnaround.
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