Running with The Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross-Country Team
- Book Review,
by Chris Lear
From Library Journal
Colorado-based cross-country runner Lear follows the University of Colorado cross-country team, the Buffaloes, through its 1998 season, one with many high points but also marked by the tragic death of one of its team members in a bike accident. The University of Colorado's cross-country program is one of the best in the country and, unlike most major cross-country powers, relies mainly on locally born athletes. The book minutely details the training and coaching techniques used to produce a team that is a constant contender for the NCAA championship. At times, the author provides almost too much detail, but the reader must marvel at the dedication and self-motivation of these young men as they run more than 100 miles a week for nearly seven months. In 1998, Colorado won the individual NCAA cross-country championship and finished third in the team competition. Apart from instructionals, few books cover cross-country; this one will appeal to high school athletes and is recommended for both school and public libraries. William Scheeren, Hempfield Area H.S. Lib., Greensburg, PA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
USA Today
"Running with the Buffaloes" is to cross country what John Feinstein's "A Season on the Brink" is to college basketball.
Book Description
A celebration of sports that follows the University of Colorado cross country team during one unforgettable NCAA season.
From the Back Cover
At the outset, the 1998 cross country season appeared to hold magnificent promise for the men of the University of Colorado. With 2000 Olympic hopeful Adam Goucher poised for his first-ever NCAA cross country title and the Buffaloes shooting for their first-ever national team title, it seemed that nothing could stand in the way of their victory. But in the rigorous world of top-level collegiate sports, blind misfortune can sabotage the dreams of individuals and teams alike. Plagued by the onset of numerous injuries and the tragic loss of a beloved teammate, the Buffaloes found themselves challenged in ways they could not have foreseen. What they managed to achieve in the face of such adversity is the stuff of legend and glory. In Running with the Buffaloes, writer Chris Lear follows the University of Colorado cross country team during one unforgettable NCAA season. Through unparalleled access to team practices, private moments with the athletes, and the beliefs and teachings of Mark Wetmore - one of the country''s most renowned and enigmatic coaches - Lear provides an unprecedented look a the triumphs and heartaches of a perennial national championship contender and the men who will stop at nothing in their quest for excellence. He captures the lives of these young men and offers a glimpse of what drives a gifted runner like Goucher and an iconoclastic coach like Wetmore. Running with the Buffaloes, is, at once, a celebration of a sport and an inspiration to anyone who has ever had the courage to beat the odds and follow a dream. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 280 pages, b&w photos)
About the Author
Chris Lear attended the Pingry School in New Jersey. A runner, he capped his senior season with a 4:09 mile at the Golden West Invitational. The time made him New Jersey's fastest high-school miler of the 1990s. He graduated from Princeton University in 1996 where he earned All-Ivy, All-East, and All-American honors, and was two-time cross-country captain. He lives in Colorado.
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