On another thread a media source was cited purporting that a famous actor/singer (Michael Crawford) ran a 4:23 mile after three weeks training in preparation for a film role. I dismiss the claim as patently absurd and impossible.
But it got me to wondering what IS possible on first efforts and what notable first efforts folks might have seen. For example, years ago when I was coaching cross country, a 10th grader showed up saying he was bored with the marching band and he thought he could run distances because he had his friend time him run a mile. I was sucker enough to ask him all about it and he told me he had run 4:42 all by himself in his first ever mile in tennis shoes on the lumpy old dirt track at our high school. I knew the kid well enough to think he wasn't lying, so I assumed his friend had mistimed or maybe he had only run three laps by mistake. But he eventually made me a believer... by the time he graduated he won the California State Meet 1600m in 4:08 and ran a 14:38 5k on on the track.
So, anyone else have similar stories about extraordinary first efforts on the track or in the field?
But it got me to wondering what IS possible on first efforts and what notable first efforts folks might have seen. For example, years ago when I was coaching cross country, a 10th grader showed up saying he was bored with the marching band and he thought he could run distances because he had his friend time him run a mile. I was sucker enough to ask him all about it and he told me he had run 4:42 all by himself in his first ever mile in tennis shoes on the lumpy old dirt track at our high school. I knew the kid well enough to think he wasn't lying, so I assumed his friend had mistimed or maybe he had only run three laps by mistake. But he eventually made me a believer... by the time he graduated he won the California State Meet 1600m in 4:08 and ran a 14:38 5k on on the track.
So, anyone else have similar stories about extraordinary first efforts on the track or in the field?
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