Chapter 6 Summary and Analysis

The author maintains that, in order to be a world-class runner, one must possess three qualities: physical ability, mental tenacity, and hard work. Pre had all these in ample supply. Every morning at 6AM he would run several six-minute miles. He would never run more than 10 or 12 miles because he got bored. To fight boredom, Pre would always challenge his team members to find new running routes.

Pre had unbelievable physical endurance. His coach Bill Dellinger remarked that he never failed to show up at a meet due to injury or illness. On the track, Pre pushed himself until he nearly collapsed, leaving his track mates far behind. In any workout, Pre always had to be number one, or he would become angry, and at the next workout he would blow away the previous leader.