"Olympic Champion on Aisle Four..." (My Favorite Runners, episode 27)

I love the Olympics. It is still the grandest stage for an athlete. I can't fathom the dedication and drive it takes to focus on an event for years and years. It comes down to one race, one chance, no errors or mistakes. On that day one athlete rises to the occasion and is the best on the planet at their particular event. That is special: Olympic Gold Medalist. I have had occasion to meet a few Olympic Champions and it always leaves an impression. This is my favorite:

1972 Olympics in Munich. This is the first Olympics I remember watching on tv. I was 8 years old and there were only 4 TV channels. The Olympics were a BIG deal. This was the Olympics that produced Gold Medals for Frank Shorter in the marathon and Mark Spitz in the pool. It was also marred by the slaughter of Israeli athletes by terrorists. One race in particular stands out. The men's 800 meters. I clearly remember my dad yelling "here comes the American kid in the golf hat!!" That American kid was Dave Wottle and he ran one of the more memorable races in Olympic history. Despite world-class credentials he was clearly not a favorite.

I heard Dave give a presentation several years ago where he showed the attached video and then walked us through the story. I still get chills every time I watch the video and hear Jim McKay's classic commentary. Dave spoke of being right in the middle of the Olympic Village during the Israeli hostage ordeal and of hanging out with Frank Shorter and Steve Prefontaine. When his Olympic opportunity presented itself he ran one of the most perfectly paced races in history. The video shows that he quickly goes to the back of the pack and appears to be out of the race in the first lap. Then he makes an amazing kick to win the gold in the very last meter of the race. In reality he never changed gears. He ran almost dead even splits. Everyone else went out very fast and faded. Dave stuck to his own race and it worked! On that day he was the best in the world.

Now to my "brush with greatness". Dave lives in Memphis and has worked at Rhodes College for years. I was walking through Target and I see a familiar face sitting in the lawn furniture department obviously waiting on his wife to retrieve him. Holy cow... that is Dave Wottle, Olympic Champion! I could not pass up the chance to say hello and tell him how much I enjoyed his presentation. And how many times do you run into Olympic Champions in the lawn furniture department? He was as gracious and friendly as you could ever hope. I told him that he was mentioned in a book I had just completed, "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon". It is about Bill Bowerman, legendary track coach at Oregon, co-founder of Nike and 1972 Olympic coach. Dave went on to reminisce about Bowerman, Pre and the Olympics. I was in heaven. I could have sat there all day and listened.

Need to get motivated? Watch this clip of his Olympic race and listen to Jim McKay announce. Classic.

Dave Wottle 1972 Olympics

Only 11 weeks to go until the Chicago Marathon. I trust that everyone's training is on track and going well.

We are getting into the meat of the training schedule now. Weekly mileage and long runs are really starting to add up. Use these next few long runs to really experiment with your hydration and nutrition plan. Try to figure out what your stomach can handle. The timing of fuel can be as important as the content.

Also, make sure your shoes are in good shape as your mileage is increasing. If you can't remember when you bought new shoes... it is probably time.

Now is the time to really focus on your training plan. If you miss a workout don't panic and don't try to squeeze it in. Let it go and get back on schedule.

Ya Gotta Believe

Coach Kevin, Team McGraw