Customer Reviews

Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Alan Webb story is an intriguing one. He flashed on the running scene and broke Jim Ryun's high school mile record. Those of us in Michigan were excited by his arrival at U of M. But after one year he's gone. Lear does an excellent job of telling the tale of that year. Webb's intensity, immaturity and lack of patience come through loud and clear even though Lear does an excellent job of presenting both sides of the arguement. This one does not quite measure up to "Running with the Buffaloes" but that is a classic. Great, quick read if you are a runner or a fan of the sport.

A great read for anyone interested in Track & Field or runnng in general. This books brings to life the trials and tribulations of Webb and the Michigan track team in the spring of'02. What makes it especially interesting are the behind the scenes stories of Webb, his teammates and coach that Lear delivers, as only he can. Warhurst and Brannen also emerge as very intriguing characters. I can't wait to see how Webb and Brannen do in the years to come, as they are huge talents with speed to burn. Any competitve runner can tell Lear has been there before and writes like he is with Webb every step of the way. He has definitely developed a knack for capturing the emotion and drama of competition. A very impessive second book that was tough to put down.

Most people have only so much time and money to devote to pleasure reading. So, in that light, I would not recommend this book. It's not terrible, by any means, but I think your time and money would be better spend on another book. I would, however, recommend his other book, Running with the Buffaloes.

Not as good as Running with the Buffaloes, but a good read if you like to read about running and college sports.

at the end of the book i actually disliked Webb. it was a story about someone who was not patient enough and thougt of himself as above everyone, i actually think him running such great times as a highschooler hurt him,he did not give the coach at michigan a fair chance and found ways to make everything a drama. the part i did enjoy though was reading about the other people from michigan and the fact that chris lear is such a great writer and really connects with the reader.

Chris Lear has done it again! Following an exellent debut with "Running With the Buffaloes" he comes back with "Sub 4:00" -- a great account of Alan Webb's first and only season at the University of Michigan.

Lear is the only guy out there writing about the collegiate running scene as most books in the running section at your bookstore revolve around training logs or how to run your first 10K. It's about time someone took a different path and I'm glad Lear has done so.

Webb's tumultuous season at UM is well-depicted. The tough workouts, the injuries, and most importantly, the hot and cold relationship Webb has with his collegiate coach. Webb is pulled in a couple of different directions, whether to turn pro and go back and train under his high school coach, where he had great success; or stay at UM where he has friends and training partners. After awhile one can tell where Webb is going to end up.

What makes Lear's books so good is he gets right into the action. Just like his first book, he has intimate access to the team, it's workouts, meetings, and private moments. He's with Webb in the residence halls, on solitary and team workouts, at the meets, and even on the road in his car. Lear isn't an outside observer, he's right there. Also, the main supporting character, Brannen, gets his fair share of coverage.

This isn't just a book for runners, but anyone interested in athletics, particularly college athletics and how the system works and how coaches are under pressure to win -- yes, even so-called minor sport track and field coaches.

I highly recommend this excellent book and hope Lear has more coming down the road.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I don't think the casual jogger will enjoy it but if you competed in track at all in your life then you should enjoy this book. The book goes by kind of fast but still enjoyable.

This is an exciting book about two young track stars by Chris Lear, author of "Running with the Buffaloes". This book is more concise than Buffaloes but I think Lear does a more articulate job strengthened by his excellent race coverage and detailed observations of the super workouts that the super freshman, Brannan and Webb run as teammates and as quiet rivals. The book also frames the efforts of famed miler head coach Warhurst to make his runners elites through gradual build-ups along with quick studies of the premier pro athletes he coaches such as Tim Broe, Kevin Sullivan and the great horse, Paul McMullen. many of the runners, Webb and Brannan included run the fine line between superb conditioning to injury and in fact both battle injuries through their freshman year struggling to over come these pitfalls as they quickly approach the NCACC finals their first year. Lear captures well not only their personal feelings while tackling their frustration with trying to get back in their elite shape and particular Webb who is under pressure as the next super miler. Lear underlines all this frustration with the growing speculation that Webb will turn pro and leave Michigan, which increases the overall team tension. In the background, never confirmed, are pressures to leave from Webb's former HS and now current coach Raczko to Raczko's mentor, John Cook who has great disdain for college programs. Cook is a noted professional coach, still today (Shalane Flanagan) known for his great George Mason teams and not mentioned by Lear but also a highly successful HS coach at Edison in VA. One of Cook's HS multi-state champions is the current distance coach at Tennessee today. The writing is crisp, highly descriptive and the race play by play thrilling, capturing not only the movements of the runners but the tactics and the overall action. The book peaks with the NCAA finals as Brannan shines and Webb does well but he is frustrated. The only criticisms of the book is that Lear always seem to neglect how these great collegiate athletes make it academically when they train at such levels. Not to dwell on it but it would be interesting to know how they cope academically while fueling their passion. An edit gaffe is the listing of finishes in the NCAA mile o the same page of the thrilling race descriptions. It ruins the suspense and the list could have been on another turned page. Although the book is covering material that is over 6 years old, it is still exciting to read and it is relevant today as Webb currently is experiencing the same frustrations that he felt during his only year at Michigan. In addition, where is the nimble Brannan, once roommate/teammate of Webb's? Brannan burst through a sea of Kenyans at the 2009 Prefontaine Classic to garner 3rd place in a PR 3:52 while Webb struggled in 10th with a very creditable 3:55, which was not satisfactory for Webb personally. Great book, it makes an old trackster want to get back on the track and run!

I found the book very interesting and factual of how good prospective high school athletes can be ground up like chopped beef. The USA top division I coaches have a bad repretation for running and competing the good prospective Olympic athlete in the ground from European coaches. The book was exciting when the races were described and very dissappointing when the results of the biggest and last races of the year were not there because there were thirty-three pages missing in the book and of course at the dmost interesting part. Very dissappointing. WMW

In a space of several months in 2001, Alan Webb ran the fastest indoor mile by a U.S. high school athlete and then set a national high school record for the magical distance, breaking a mark that reigned supreme for 36 years by the legendary Jim Ryun.

Author Chris Lear takes the reader on the rocky journey Webb runs while carrying his fantastic prep record to the college ranks and beyond. In particular interest is how Webb deals with coaching legend Ron Warhurst at the University of Michigan.

The pressure on Webb from outside the confines of the college campus are chronicled without editorial comment from Lear. It is my feeling Webb comes across as a boorish teenage tennis player or figure skater that must have things his/her way and coaches last about as long as a pair of training shoes for an ultra-marathoner.

Webb's "team" that was around him when rewrote the prep record book seemingly derailed Warhurst's efforts before his star runner went on his first workout as a Wolverine. One must wonder if they had the best interest of Webb in mind or if dollar signs were circling that track.

There was the lure of professional money from shoe companies and race promoters who were certainly salivating at the chance to have the great American star wear its logo or compete on the domestic/international stage.

But the blame for being swayed by so many voices clearly falls on Webb. And if this tug-of-war would have been in a bigger profile collegiate sport, it would have been as big a national story as - for example - Maurice Clarett's public battles with the Ohio State brass and coaches from a few years ago.

Sometimes the biggest search for a young world-class athlete is for those who will provide good advice over what can be profitable today. For every Tiger Woods or John McEnroe - who used brief collegiate careers as a springboard to professional success - there are hundreds like Webb that want it all now, but end up with fleeting glimpses of brilliance.