Mental Tenacity

The one trait Pre's multitude of fans, coaches, friends, and competitors cite as Pre's defining characteristic is his "gutsiness," his mental tenacity, his ability to somehow will his body to victory. Some would remember Pre's "killer instinct," his ability to sense his competitor's weakness and initiate a spurt at just the right moment to unnerve and defeat his opponent. There was also Pre's legendary focus, a singular ability that not only allowed Pre to endure the boredom, tedium, and pain of large and frequent training sessions, but which allowed Pre to fight injury and illness and to never be intimidated by an opponent. Pre only failed to finish one race in his career due to injury (some time before the race he had run on a "field burning day" on which dangerous inhalants were in the air, damaging his lungs).

Pre's training sessions were legendary. He would...