I remember as a 7th Grader watching Footlocker Finalist (12th 1991) Jason Uhlman battle, litterally battle against Spokane's legendary Ty Whitten in an epic two mile.

You know, we all have legends that cause us to dream. What could we do? We look around the battlefield we are standing on and we see our local pre-legends, kids who will become Uhlman's and Whitten's in our future age. For me it was guys like Ryun Carver, Kenny Benjamin and Paul Abernathy.

Paul was from my school, he ran a 5:11 mile as a 7th grader and seemed destined for greatness. He was the Herb Elliott of our region and had a fearless streak that caused him to for reasons unknown go out in 60 second first laps, in 7th grade! NO ONE was breathing easy after that and the race was always about guts. Then there was Kenny Benjamin... he was the Liquori of Central Idaho. So smooth, with a stride that made you question if he was even feeling pain. Then there was the head bobbing national junior olympic age group champion Ryun Carver who coincidentally was named after Jim Ryun.

I remember when I was in 8th grade finishing 4th in a middle school bi-state championship in a respectable 5:17 mile. Ryun won in the mid 4:40s, Kenny and Paul were somewhere in between me and him. But the point is we all have guys like that around us.

Most runners aren't legends or even on anyone's radar to become one. But that is what is special about this sport. Everyday, little guys who are getting the crap kicked out of them by more talented athletes are laying in bed at night, staring out the window at stars dreaming of being legends. We live out fantasies everyday as we stuggle to pass female runners on high school freshman practice runs of being the legend.

We persist and at times dream of miracles and then it happens. One special day we realize that while the measure of a champion is found in the ability to stand ready when a moment of opportunity comes, hard work is the prerequisite. We dream of impossible things even when at times we are the only ones and the improbable becomes our posible reality as we persist.

At the end of the day when the jerseys come off the only difference between you and the kid winning medals across the street is he works harder. Sure, they may have the talent, but you have the dream and the willpower to persist. SO, drag your body out onto those streets and chase down your local legends until you are that Jason Uhlman for your area, the guy winning state and humbly going to nationals to gain all-american status.

Here is a secret: Most guys at nationals were really not that good when they started, and had the guys who were whooping them back then had half the heart they did, Kenyans would be an after thought.

SO, be a dreamer, be a hard worker and be measured by your fortitude, by your ability to overcome pain and adversity with courage and heart.

Dream the improbable and make it possible... one day at a time.