October 14, 1979 (Sunday)

From running log:
Ran about 4 miles around downtown Baraboo with Todd Coolidge. It's warming up a little bit. We ran a decent pace, and talked. He says that Connors is finally healthy after some minor injuries ... but can he run well on Thursday? I think that I'm peaking perfectly. Our team must win! Go Todd, Tim, Ben, Mike, Chris, Ken, and me!

30 years later:
My old training partner Todd was now running for UW-Oshkosh. Pushed by talented teammates, he was in better shape than I was. But on this day, running with him, I felt light on my feet and capable of any pace or distance. It was a good thing that we took it easy, which wasn't typical of our runs together. Perhaps he'd raced the day before, frankly I don't recall.

While I was of course concerned about all of my competitors for the conference title on Thursday, to be honest the news that Terry Connors was finally feeling good didn't worry me too much. After a full season, it seemed pretty clear to me that Jim Boehm was going to be the guy who would push me. We had raced each other all season long, it seemed, and we had a pattern of running together. I'd be in front, he would be right on my heels pushing me the whole way. We'd used this tactic to run away from the field in our last race, and I expected more of the same on Thursday. Please don't take that as a sign of disrespect for Terry; he was a tough runner and if he'd been healthy all season I think he would have been my number one worry. But running is a sport in which the strongest win, and for the 1979 cross country season Terry Connors just wasn't the strongest.