Gerry Lindgren's Book on Running [Paperback]

Gerry Lindgren is the greatest high school runner in history. In 1964, he was running within seconds of World Records and chasing the fastest runners in the world. He also won the Olympic Trials 10k. No high school runner before or since has come close to his accomplishments. He is also the closest any American has ever come to the World Record in the 3-mile/5000m, coming within 0.6 seconds of the world record in 1966. In 1965, he actually got the World Record in the 6-mile/10,000m. He logged 200 miles a week and inspired a generation of runners to excel. Selfless and tireless, Gerry broke barriers thought impossible and is a hero to thousands. He's finally written the first of two books on his life in running, and it is a treat for any fan of the golden era of American distance running, or for anyone wishing to be inspired to achieve personal excellence in running. A must-have.

This is a wonderfully strange and inticing little book. I came to the running revolution in the mid 70's with all the other boomers. 30 years, 23 marathons, hundreds of road races and 20+ years of coaching and I'm still addicted. My heroes were Ryun, Liquori, Prefontaine, Shorter and Rodgers. There was always this myth of a man named Gerry Lindgren who may have been the greatest high school runner ever. Legend had it that he ran ungodly mileage 150, 175, 200 miles a week. 50 mile runs, 80 mile runs. Lindgren has given us a special little book that recounts his high school years and his emergence as a world class runner. It is a beautiful window into his world. Writing it as his shadow allows him to use the third person which, in this case, works very well. His replays of his races and his internal dialogue are worth the price of the book. This is a great little read.

I wish I had this book when I ran high school cross country in the 1960s. Gerry's vivid race descriptions, as narrated by his Shadow, validate the running tips, principles, and strategies he describes in his book. His shadow has seen Gerry run over 200 miles in practice during a week. It has also seen him struggle with himself during races and overcome adversity. Gerry's story is not just about his high school running career, but more about dreaming a big dream and then achieving it. It is about working hard to attain that dream. It is about running for just the sheer joy of running and by doing so, freeing yourself to achieve great dreams.

This book is for runners who want to be better. It gives hope for those beginning to run in high school who come in last on the team and struggle to make it around the track without tripping or being pushed. That is how Gerry Lindgren started as a High School freshman. As a 5 foot 5-1/2, 118 pound, self-proclaimed "wimp" in High School, Gerry became a World record holder and Olympic veteran at 18 years of age. Some of his amazing high school records stood for over 40 years. Gerry Lindgren along with Frank Shorter and Steve Prefontaine got the country running and started the running revolution.

Gerry offers his running wisdom and experience to those like him who want to achieve their dreams. Through running Gerry did just that and so, he gives hope to those who are like him.