Pat Porter's Development

I do recall (a very long time ago) an article on him. I can't remember if he was at Adams St. or after. But I do recall a typical week workout which included one repeat miles wo and one repeat 800 meters wo. Of course all training done at altitude. When he won those several xc titles he would blast from the opening gun and just dare anyone to stick with him. Usually by two miles he was all alone. He would sometimes run all out for 2 miles in a workout at altitude which made the first 2 miles of a race at sea level seemed easier. Yes he was a stud. Finally towards the tail end of a fine xc career a guy named Todd Williams beat him.

if i remember correctly he actually went to another school his freshman year but decided to trasfer after getting like 16th in some xc race and being the first non-adams guy across the line. anyway he finished out the year at his first school and ran around 15 flat for 5k then went to adams. anyway thats how i heard it.

Porter's development was probably normal, or whatever. All that matters was his progession to 9(?) or whatever national XC wins. All-time best X-C American!!(or maybe Virgin?..) Problem with this sport is, the athlete needs to make a living from it (if at TOP level). Usually, this means peaking post-college. All you can do is give a hand to winners at every level (which nowadays ends at NCAA.. hope I'll be proven wrong come Athens-time)

Am i correct in remembering that Porter has the record for most American national xc titles? That says a lot. I loved him in the Prefontaine movie. Crazy Pat Porter. He is proof positive that there is hope for us guys with faster hs pr's than himself.

Sorry kids. Lynn Jennings has the most national titles in cross: 9. And this was before a runner could run the short and long course races at a single nationals and get two titles.

Jennings is the most credentialed American ever at cross: nine national titles, eight straight world appearances and five world medals (three gold, one silver and one bronze).

Gotta love that.

I ran in the same district as Pat during h.s. though he was a year ahead of me. He ran for evergreen highschool. I don't recall him ever running even that fast in h.s. I beleive most the time he was more like on c squad! for real. He was a no name in a district with some of the best H.S runners in the country at the time.

His first year he went to Metro State in Denver I think. He started to show his talent but nothing great.

He then transfered to Adams. His first year in XC he just barely made the traveling team. Under Vigil's programs (our training has been covered on another thread pretty extensively) and the teammates not letting him be lazy he started to bloom. It should be known that during the summer before he won his first XC championship in college that two other outstanding runners, Tommy White and Randy Cooper, got him a job where they could train together (the infamous beekeeping, live in a treehouse job several ASC runners enjoyed) and MADE Pat get up and train every day...or it never would have happened.

By the way we were all taught to train and go out fast like that as Adam's runner still do...one reason why we were known to do longer than normal warm ups ...

Also, Yes Pat won more National XC Championships that any other but did not do as well at World's at Virgin did. The best Pat did was 4th. Virgin won it at least a couple times. Pat did make it two Olympics though.

That's the jest. Some of my comrades with a better head for details may correct where necessary.

wasn't porter 3rd in '84 xc behind lopes?

I may be wrong but as I remember it in 1984 Steve Jones was third, Pat Porter was fourth.

One Keg wrote:

I may be wrong but as I remember it in 1984 Steve Jones was third, Pat Porter was fourth.

1st. Lopes

2nd. Hutchings

3rd. Jones

???

Sorry, i should have specified, i meant men's titles.