A Collective Effort to Maximizing Potential...or at least to reach the trials

What you are proposing has tremendous potential. Some have described what you are talking about as creating a mastermind. Basically, this entails the joining of two or more minds to achieve what almost no amount of individuals could do alone, as the two minds fill the gaps/voids that lie in the other person and keep them from achieving their goals. Based on that, even if you came to Eugene and accepted the incredible amount of power I willingly offer to you, you would be better off than training alone. Of course, due to our aerobic capacities lying on different ends of the spectrum, my training with you would have to be creative, but neither of us are lacking there.

I'm not interested in problems so much as solutions, but there is one that must be addressed. Those that come together, if it is anymore than three, need to find a leader they can put absolute trust in and make the commitment to keep that trust for a predetermined amount of time, possibly a year as you have suggested. All doubt in that leader must be banished from the mind otherwise the goal will not be achieved.

Eugene, by the way, has an incredible amount of energy within it's boundaries. As far as communities go, what is going on at Breitenbush Hotsprings is what you are truly looking for, though it is not athletics based. There are definitely some top caliber athletes living in the city of Eugene, but it is the incredible amount of healers that could possibly be a suprise source of energy to you. The type that could pull better results out of you off of 100 miles a week than you could get at 140 miles a week without them. If you don't find a way to form a community, please consider that I have incredible amounts of time, energy, inspiration, and faith in you that you can reach the trials due to the fact that I have faith that even I (a 5:39 high school miler)can make the trials (though more likely in 2012, when i'm at my physical peak)once my mind is up to speed and am no longer levying that great tax of the power plants on my body. A community has to start somewhere, possibly the two of us could be that initial hub. Another great benefit in cruising up to Eugene is that you could exercise the mastermind principle with me and in doing so we would probably determine it would be best for you to not work, and since I could cover rent and nearly all of our food you would only need work 20 - 30 hours a month. Anyways man, let me know if it's something you have/or will be considering.

I would love to hear from others who have faith in the mastermind principle and wish to go out on a limb to achieve a goal that is worthwhile.

I think this is a great idea but a better one-maybe I should say more realistic one- is to pull all the runners in your area together and do it on a smaller scale. Form a club with the same ideas and goals you mentioned in mind. If every state had 2 or 3 of these I guarantee we would have better results and a lot more depth very quickly.

Count me in-I am in Eugene already-there is so much here-a real leg up in my mind on alot of other places in terms of training-weather-cheap ways to live. I want to achieve and reach my potential anyway I can and this is one of the best routes to do so. Success is something I think can definitely be reached together. Who else is with us?

let's do it!!! we'll call ourselves "athletics west"...

So Legalizit--are you saying you could take care of the majority of the finances? Kind of like the Hansons do for that group?

I'll let you guys know right up front that I would be seriously interested in something like this. I'm single, just graduated from college, and really have almost nothing tying me down. Unfortunately, I live a long way from Oregon (in VA), but if you all actually decide to take action on this idea, count me in. I am not training for marathons yet, but think eventually this will be my best event. I think financing would probably be the biggest hurdle to something like this working, and once you figure out a way to deal with that, what's stopping this from working? I think we're all dedicated enough to our athletic goals to make something like this work.

So if we put together this kind of group, would we require a focus on a specific event? Or any kind of time standards?

This is a good idea, but another problem is finding somebody who can be the leader everyone else will have faith in and be fully committed to. But truly, an excellent idea.

I think the other thing that would be helpful is, finances allowing, to go over to Europe for the indoor/cross country season, where it is more competitive than here, as well as the summer. Only when we have the courage to consistently (rather than, say, once a year for World Cross) race the best in the world can we start to think of beating those people.

count me in too, this is something i've been looking for, i'm graduating in may and have to plans whatsoever. I'm more of a 5k/10k guy though.

What I was saying is that I can take care of the majority of finances for LBSteeple04, but if this is to be a true community with a single goal it couldn't be looked at like that. It would be more like pooling our money/resources so that we would be taking care of the part of ourselves that just happens to be in a different body. The place i'm living in has pretty nice potential for this idea. I live in an eightplex that runs $380/month for each one bedroom apartment. The turnover at the place is fairly high as well. It would only take about a year to two years until all eight apartments, accomadating a total of anywhere from 8 to 24 people, could have serious athletes living in them. There are awesome places to get live/real/non genetically enhanced food within walking distance, the new library is only two blocks away and sounds like it will be incredible, there are infinite roads to ride your bikes on around here, there are several pools in the area, there is a gym with a sauna and all the other regular stuff that is just a half mile from the complex and Hayward Field is only a 20 minute walk away. Hopefully LBSteeple04 will bite and the vortex of energy we create will suck in others.

There was a guy who posted on here who was taking early retirement (age 47) and was asking about how he could set up a running camp. This sounds like something me might want to get involved with... It was probably 3 weeks or more ago, I can't remember the guy's name. I'll do a search.

I found the thread. It seems the early retirement guy wants to work with HS kids... but I posted the link below regardless.

Move to Madison, WI. I'm willing to run with anyone who is willing to put lots of work in to get to the trials. I'm looking to get a house of runners together around august when my lease is up.

Eugene is the place in mind for this to happen-Madison was a great place to live and train-I just think Eugene is a little better-endless trails-favorable weather year round to train in. Legit alititude potential with the mountains 70miles away. 60 miles to the coast. Very liberal city with plenty of ways and places to live cheap. Alot of people say they are committed to doing whatever it takes to get this done, anyone who is serious I will help any way possible be it getting situated here in Eugene, any logistics-anything I can do to facilitate a group all committed to going after their goals and achieving what they can will get any help I can give them. Everyday when I drive down the hill past Pre's rock I think about how great it would be to resurrect this city to what it used to be. It is possible-its time to do this. Anyone truly committed to this let me know and I will do whatever is needed to facilitate this in any way possible.

what type of resources do you have at your disposal that you feel would help?

You need a leader, I am that-I have an MBA, I am a master of finances, and I have a great marketing and PR ability-I have alot of fund raising exprience and have the ability to organize and oversee this thing. The one thing I don't have at this time yet is enough money to bank roll this thing, but I think there are alot of ways to raise funds and be creative initially to make this work. I have the business mind and experience in this deal. I would need a little help if there were truly top end guys to jump in as how to get them into very large legit meets, atleast initially. I am very serious about doing this and helping anyone out I can. If you are serious about this thing-let me hear from you people.

I have done what you are proposing. My experience was not good. Think about living with 4 or 5 people who are willing to stop at nothing to reach an olympic berth.

Yeah, I can imagine it-people committed to achieving their goals, maximizing the ability that god gave them, taking a chance to be something and accomplish something meaningful that they can carry with them their entire life. Where is the down side to this again?

Hey, NOLIMIT, and the rest of you. This opportunity sounds exciting. I'm definitely interested in what you have to offer and have the running tools and desire to reach the 04 trials and beyond. Let's make it happen, or at least fail in giving it a shot. Let me know.

Eugene, OR is the place to be for sure, especially coming from a guy who has had to battle snow and cold the last decade of training.

at least in the winter and early spring that is