LIVE LIKE PRE

Steve Prefontaine was an American middle and long distance Olympic runner who broke multiple records in his short life. He was credited as the inspiration behind much of the running boom of the 1970's. After his tragic death in 1975, runners across the nation mourned the loss of this positive, humble man. I can thank my High School Track coaches for introducing me to the legend that is Steve Prefontaine's legacy. They would tell us to "Live Like Pre." For many runners like myself, Pre's motivational quotes tend to cross the mind often because they ring so true when it comes to relating to real life.

One of my favorite Pre quotes is "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Now I'm sure you can imagine how this sounded coming from the mouth of a single, weird, middle-aged high school gym teacher/track coach. It was usually shouted at us as we ran by him on our warm-up lap in a strained voice. If you could mange a quick look as you ran by, you would notice the blood vessel popping out of his forehead from behind his thick, yellowed glasses. But since I've done some growing up since high school, I've come to realize that this quote goes way beyond just being a motivation to keep running. I interpret this quote as, if you give anything less than your best in your task at hand, you are essentially just selling yourself short. You must always believe in yourself and know that you have the potential to achieve anything goal you can dream up. You are capable of doing great things with this life, and you shouldn't rob the world of your talents.

I titled this blog The Extra Mile so that I could have the opportunity to share some of my own personal inspiration with you all. I encourage anyone reading this looking for a new inspirational figure to learn about to look into Steve Prefontaine. For a quick biography, click here!

What's Your Favorite Brand?

Hello everyone!

I thought it would be fun to conduct a survey to see what brands you guys like to wear! As a long-distance runner, you can imagine the amount of running shoes I've collected over the years! In fact, my mom yells at me for keeping them; any runner knows they are our trophies. Please follow this link to take my survey on running brands: Click Here!

As far as I go? I'm a Brooks running fan. Brooks have been around for many years and are quickly growing in popularity. As a shoe salesman, I often recommend Brooks to runners of all shapes and sizes. What I like about Brooks is their ability to combine the perfect amount of cushioning with maximum support. As I've mentioned before, I have a ton of running shoes, and they span multiple brands.

Here's a look into my closet (these shoes were free and do not necessarily represent personal taste):

These are the New Balance 980's; they are good for those looking for maximum cushioning. The "FreshFoam" technology offers a cushioning system throughout the mid-sole that provides maximum comfort. I highly recommend!

These are the Under Armour Speedforms; they are a great lightweight option for race day. Although I wouldn't recommend running many miles in these shoes, their superior design adequately mimics barefoot running. Barefoot running is a ground-breaking concept that almost ALL companies are beginning to explore. 

Since I've owned 2 pairs of the Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3's, I can confidently say they are the best running shoes on the market. Of course this is my own opinion, but if you've never tried Mizuno shoes before, I HIGHLY recommend them. The innovative wave plate offers maximum shock absorption to reduce the impact of running on your knees, legs, and feet. I highly recommend the Wave Prophecy 3's! Originally $210 on sale for $94; they are totally worth it!

Leave comments if you have any questions!

Cheers!