By Chris Lear
Alan Webb's decision to turn pro has had a major impact on the American running system, paving the way for other star collegiate and high school runners such as Dathan Ritzenhein and Galen Rupp to forgo part of or all of their collegiate careers and join the professional ranks. Much of the American running community was critical of Webb when he made his decision to leave the University of Michigan and return to his home in Virginia to train under his high school coach, yet few really knew much about his experiences at Michigan and his motivation for turning pro. In his book Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile (St. Martin's Press 2003, $22.95) Chris Lear follows Alan Webb and the University of Michigan Men's Track Team through their 2002 season and helps to give an analysis of Webb's season and his reasons for leaving the collegiate system.

Lear begins his book giving a background of the importance of Webb's sub-four-minute mile in high school and his breaking of Jim Ryun's high school record. Webb's performance caused a resurgence in interest in distance running and Webb became the hope for the future of American miling. Lear outlines Webb's choice to attend the University of Michigan due to the reputation of Coach Ron Warhurst, coach of Brian Diemer, the last American middle-distance runner to win an Olympic medal, and the presence of other star athletes such as teammate Nate Brennan, and Warhurst-coached pro runners Tim Broe, Scott McMullen, and Kevin Sullivan. Following this background, Lear joins Webb and his teammates and begins to chronicle their season. The unique aspect of Lear's book, similar to his Running with the Buffaloes, which followed the University of Colorado Cross-Country Team, is that he actually lives in Michigan and follows the runners at a personal level, providing an almost daily insight into their lives and experiences.

When Lear's story picks up in the track season of March of 2002, Webb has missed the indoor season due to an Achilles injury and is beginning to doubt both himself and the Michigan program. Lear gives a great description of the psychological consequences of injury and how Webb's disappointment and frustration with his running causes his academic performance to suffer and this exacerbates the adjustment issues he faces as a college freshman. As Lear states, for Webb running "defines his being." As a result, when his ability to run is taken away due to the injury, he is forced to try to find an identity outside of running. Lear interviews Webb's professors, teammates, coaches, as well as Webb himself to provide several viewpoints about his situation. While the book is primarily about Webb, it is also about his teammates. The story of his teammate and roommate Canadian Nate Brennan, who also ran a sub 4:00 minute mile in high school but does not have the same media pressure, serves an important contrast to Webb.

When Webb finally returns to health, his season is one of ups and downs. While he runs poor races at Mt. Sac and the Jesse Owens meet at Ohio State, he is able to redeem himself with a win at the Big Ten Championships. These inconsistent performances mirror Webb's tenuous confidence in the collegiate system. A fourth place finish at the NCAA National Track and Field Championships is one of the final straws that causes Webb to make his decision to leave Michigan. Webb is not totally critical of Michigan, but he feels that this program is not helping him to reach his goals. As Webb says, "It's hard for me to think of these races as hardships...when in reality I have it so much easier than a lot of people. I have a full scholarship, I've done some pretty cool things...It's not like fourth in NCAAs is the end of the world, but it's not what I want. I want to win, and I want to fun fast."

It is a complicated story in that in many ways, Webb is just like any college freshman runner trying to adjust to collegiate racing. He must learn that he will no longer be able to "go out and kill everybody" in every race. Webb must hone his race tactics while learning patience. At the same time, he is unlike other college freshman runners with the huge pressure placed on him to become America's next great runner. The book is about Webb, but it is also about the entire collegiate system and American media involvement in sports. Lear provides interviews with both Bernard Lagat and Hicham El Guerrouj, two of the world's best milers, about what Webb's course of action should be. Lagat believes that the college system is the best place for Webb, stating "The best thing is experience. He can run 4 years in college and still have a lot of years ahead of him because he's a young guy." El Guerrouj provides conflicting advice, though, believing that the system of having three seasons of competition wears a runner out and the best option is to turn professional and race sparingly while getting in solid training. The conflicting opinions seem to be characteristic of Webb's entire year at Michigan and his uncertainty about what program will help him to develop to his full potential.

Webb's great performance at last year's US Olympic Trials seemed to suggest that he had made the correct decision in turning pro, but his elimination in Olympic Games showed that he still has a lot to learn. As Lear says, "Only time will yield those answers" as to whether the collegiate system or turning pro at a young age is the best road to success for American athletes. This book is a quick read and provides a great look at the transition from high school to collegiate running.

Editor note: Elaine Binkley is an avid reader and is a sophomore at Denison University where she has earned NCAA Division III All American honors twice in cross-country. Elaine also earned All State honors in Cross Country and Track at Bishop Watterson High School.

The RUNOHIO's Book Review - A Closer Look at - explores various running books and is a regular column in RUNOHIO. - To have your book considered for reviewed, please send a copy to: Matt McGowan, c/o RUNOHIO, 330 Spellman Street, Granville, OH 43023