Running with the Ducks
My Week at the University of Oregon Track Camp
Rays of sunlight were peeking in from behind the trees as we jogged in a single
file line towards the rock. As we strode closer, it grew dead silent, with the exception of a
voice belonging to legendary track Coach Pat Tyson. “He was driving along here,” Coach
Tyson explained, speaking of his college roommate, Steve Prefontaine, “When a car
came speeding past and he swerved, right into this rock.” The silence was a bit eerie as
we jogged even closer to a large rock adorned with a plaque and surrounded by shoes,
medals, race bibs, and notes left in respect to Steve Prefontaine, the legendary runner. It
was in this silence when I realized that this week I had spent at the University of Oregon
Track Camp would be one experience that I would remember for a long time.
The track camp was led by the coaches and athletes from the University of
Oregon. Every day, we had two sessions that were three hours long. Being both a 200
meter runner, and an 800 meter runner, I switched off between the sprinting group and
the distance group. In the sprinting group, I was surprised to learn how much we focused
on form, and some days we would spend the whole session without running more than 25
meters at a time. The distance group usually consisted of a difficult morning session that
included interval workouts and long runs. In the afternoons however, we went to the
luxurious Jaqua Student Athlete Center, and enjoyed the refreshing air conditioner and
Yellow Ferrari Leather Chairs while listening to talks about race plans, pre race rituals
and training from both the players and the coaches, including 9x NCAA Champion
Edward Cheserek.
Immediately following workout sessions, everyone from the broad shouldered
shot putters to the slender distance runners sat in Hayward Field’s iconic bleachers, while
listening to a guest speaker. We heard from coaches, athletic trainers, and college
recruiters, but one of my favorite opportunities was when all of the U of O athletes spread
out in the bleachers and were available to ask questions one on one. These athletes
included USA National Champions Jenna Prandini and Marcus Chambers. Between
workout sessions, campers could be seen engaged in soccer, volleyball or sitting in a
circle while playing mafia with some of the best athletes in the world.
While the training sessions and activities were absolutely amazing, the event that
stood out from the rest was the Steve Prefontaine run. Led by Gonzaga Head Coach and
Pre’s college roommate, Coach Tyson, we ran up a series of trails that, he explained, Pre
would often run up with him as late as 11:30 at night. We wound through a terrain that
consisted of both woodsy trails and the open road alike. Coach Tyson told stories about
Pre’s tenacious personality, the trailer the two shared, and about his breath-taking races.
Eventually, we were lead to a house, that we were told was Steve Prefontaine’s last stop
before dying in a car accident. We then proceeded to follow the same route Pre took that
night. From that point, the chatter amongst the runners came to a halt, and the silence of
the summer day was broken only by Coach Tyson’s commentary and the occasional
sound of a bird chirping. As we got closer and closer to the rock, we were told of how Pre
was driving along when a truck came from the opposite direction, right at Steve
Prefontaine’s car, causing him to swerve off, into the rock wall. Even the birds were
silent now as the large wall, about 15 feet tall, came into view. It was ornamented with
running shoes, bibs, figurines and notes explaining how Pre had inspired admirers
personally.
My week at the University of Oregon Track Camp was a special experience that
will not soon fade from memory. Everything that we did was superb, from playing soccer
with NCAA Champions, to tough training sessions, to hearing stories from Coach Tyson.
Overall, the camp was a terrific experience and a highlight of my summer. I hope it is
something I can do again in years to come.
file line towards the rock. As we strode closer, it grew dead silent, with the exception of a
voice belonging to legendary track Coach Pat Tyson. “He was driving along here,” Coach
Tyson explained, speaking of his college roommate, Steve Prefontaine, “When a car
came speeding past and he swerved, right into this rock.” The silence was a bit eerie as
we jogged even closer to a large rock adorned with a plaque and surrounded by shoes,
medals, race bibs, and notes left in respect to Steve Prefontaine, the legendary runner. It
was in this silence when I realized that this week I had spent at the University of Oregon
Track Camp would be one experience that I would remember for a long time.
The track camp was led by the coaches and athletes from the University of
Oregon. Every day, we had two sessions that were three hours long. Being both a 200
meter runner, and an 800 meter runner, I switched off between the sprinting group and
the distance group. In the sprinting group, I was surprised to learn how much we focused
on form, and some days we would spend the whole session without running more than 25
meters at a time. The distance group usually consisted of a difficult morning session that
included interval workouts and long runs. In the afternoons however, we went to the
luxurious Jaqua Student Athlete Center, and enjoyed the refreshing air conditioner and
Yellow Ferrari Leather Chairs while listening to talks about race plans, pre race rituals
and training from both the players and the coaches, including 9x NCAA Champion
Edward Cheserek.
Immediately following workout sessions, everyone from the broad shouldered
shot putters to the slender distance runners sat in Hayward Field’s iconic bleachers, while
listening to a guest speaker. We heard from coaches, athletic trainers, and college
recruiters, but one of my favorite opportunities was when all of the U of O athletes spread
out in the bleachers and were available to ask questions one on one. These athletes
included USA National Champions Jenna Prandini and Marcus Chambers. Between
workout sessions, campers could be seen engaged in soccer, volleyball or sitting in a
circle while playing mafia with some of the best athletes in the world.
While the training sessions and activities were absolutely amazing, the event that
stood out from the rest was the Steve Prefontaine run. Led by Gonzaga Head Coach and
Pre’s college roommate, Coach Tyson, we ran up a series of trails that, he explained, Pre
would often run up with him as late as 11:30 at night. We wound through a terrain that
consisted of both woodsy trails and the open road alike. Coach Tyson told stories about
Pre’s tenacious personality, the trailer the two shared, and about his breath-taking races.
Eventually, we were lead to a house, that we were told was Steve Prefontaine’s last stop
before dying in a car accident. We then proceeded to follow the same route Pre took that
night. From that point, the chatter amongst the runners came to a halt, and the silence of
the summer day was broken only by Coach Tyson’s commentary and the occasional
sound of a bird chirping. As we got closer and closer to the rock, we were told of how Pre
was driving along when a truck came from the opposite direction, right at Steve
Prefontaine’s car, causing him to swerve off, into the rock wall. Even the birds were
silent now as the large wall, about 15 feet tall, came into view. It was ornamented with
running shoes, bibs, figurines and notes explaining how Pre had inspired admirers
personally.
My week at the University of Oregon Track Camp was a special experience that
will not soon fade from memory. Everything that we did was superb, from playing soccer
with NCAA Champions, to tough training sessions, to hearing stories from Coach Tyson.
Overall, the camp was a terrific experience and a highlight of my summer. I hope it is
something I can do again in years to come.
