Bill Bowerman Quotes

• 'God determines how fast you're going to run; I can help only with the mechanics.'
• 'Several of my critics have said: 'Bowerman just tacks up a piece of paper in the locker room and turns his runners loose.' They're partially right. I do give the athletes a relatively free rein and for good reason. One of my principles is: Don't overcoach.''
• 'I still bother with runners I call hamburgers. They're never going to run any record times. But they can fulfill their own potential.'
• 'A teacher is never too smart to learn from his pupils. But while runners differ, basic principles never change. So it's a matter of fitting your current practices to fit the event and the individual. See, what's good for you might not be worth a darn for the next guy.'
• 'I think people can handle 150 to 200 miles a week. But something has to give somewhere. If he's a student, how's he going to study? He may be at the age of chasing and courtship, and that's an important form of sport and recreation, too.'
• 'If someone says, 'Hey, I ran 100 miles this week. How far did you run?' Ignore him! What the hell difference does it make? The magic is in the man, not the 100 miles.'

bill bowerman