Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1983)
Running Pre’s Trail & Beyond The Bowerman System is the title of a new book authored by Chris Walsh of Eugene and pub lished by the book division of the magazine U.S. Track & Field. The book is just out (1983 copyright) and will be available locally at the Book Mark, B. Dalton, and the U of O Book store, among others, for $7.50 or available from Tafnews Press, Box 296, Los Altos, Calif. Chris Walsh, a former student of Bill Bowerman, researched in formation (now in the book) as part of preparation for a master’s degree thesis at the U of O P.E. department and then added to the book with addi tional research. For those of us who have watched, admired, and appre ciated the work of Bill Bower man through the years, Walsh presents a “no nonsense” and abbreviated Bowerman. The book reflects the ideas behind the thinking of an Oregon ori ginal who in typical Bowerman style calls his system the “Oregon System” and gives credit to his own coach. Bill Hayward, for much of the wis dom, experience and ideas that he has retained and passed on to others—including his own students such as Bill Dellinger (present U of O Track Coach). The book is well illustrated with many Track & Field magazine photos, taken through the years. It also presents a num ber of original quotes to catch the flavor of the Bowerman character which is always direct (straight from the shoulder) with no mincing of the facts, waffel ing, or other rhetoric. A good example is a comment about diet: “Bowerman has little use for vitamins: ‘They’re about as magical as sawdust. If a guy thinks that this is going to help him and he can afford it, go ahead. All he’s probably going to get out of it is expensive urine.’” The book The Bowerman Sys tem has any number of good ideas for the individual runner/ by Jack Craig jogger and gives historical per spective to persons interested in fitness, wellness and condition ing as a way of life. The book is not a time-taker and is a valu able contribution to and for those interested in track and field, physical fitness, running, jogging and in Bill Bowerman in particular. On the subject of local run ning, construction crews are put ting “our” Pre’s Trail in shape this summer, laying down a gravel and drainage system in the “wet” spots on the trail, making it one of the truly out standing running trails in the country. Many of us who have run on the trail during the winter, spring and late fall have experienced some very wet feet on occasion, but with the trail improvements this should be a rarity, even during the wettest of the wet periods. Those who wish to help with the paying of bills for the im provement should sign up for the annual Pre’s Trail Run on Labor Day. Money taken in dur ing this event goes toward pay ing costs for Pre’s Trail main tenance and upkeep through the sale of T-shirts and donations. Finally, a comment about the Butte-to-Butte run of July 4th, as the run results are now avail able at the Nike store and in dividual participants should be getting their placement results in the mail. The organization and conduct of this year’s run was much improved and about the only thing lacking was compe tition in individual age groups. Doubtlessly, the new Race run had a good effect on the Butte to-Butte. It would seem that both events will be bigger and better as a result. More next week about up coming runs including the Scan dia run and others. (Jack Craig is available for runn ing guidance, information and assis tance by telephoning 686-0812. He is now in his 7th year of daily running and contributes articles to running magazines.) EL SOMBRERO MEXICAN RESTAURANT Live Evening Entertainment C TUESDAY Peter Thomas Classical Guitar PP WEDNESDAY 4 4 Latin Folk Music (3 2 Sandunga l We have Taco Salads Beer & Wine 146 E. 11th 344-6634 J 0000000 0(9W 29 Willie Nelson visits with Barbara Walters on The Barbara Walters Summer Special, airing Tuesday, August 2, at 10 pm, on KEZI-TV Channel 9, Cable 10._____ In Review Hen’s Teeth and Horse’s Toes Further Reflections in Natural History By Stephen Jay Gould, WW Norton & Co., NY& London, 1983, 515.50. 385 pages. Exhibiting his usual aplomb, in this fourth book of essays, Gould sets forth his crystalline reflections on aspects of natural history integrally tied with evo lution and evolutionary theory. The essays in this latest col lection come largely from a monthly colum in Natural His tory Magazine. “Darwin and evolutionary theory have been the focal point of all my writing in this series,” Gould states. A lecturer and instructor in geology, biology, and the history of science at Harvard Univer sity, Gould is widely acclaimed as one of the foremost science writers in the United States. The subjects of his essays range from a harangue on “. . . the political resurgence of the pseudoscience known to its sup porters as ‘scientific creation ism’,’’ to an explanation of the phenomenon of the ring of feces certain birds spread around their flat-land nesting area. The essays all have some rela tionship to the ongoing change of organisms through natural selection, inheritance, mutation, and other tools of evolution. The glue that binds the various essays is that remarkable ability Gouki has for presenting what could be excruciatingly dull scientific surmise in a way which at once challenges and satisfies our innate curiosity and teaches us. The essays are far from stodgy presentations of scientific the ory. Many age-old myths and theories held sacred by the sci entific community receive vigor ous trouncing in this collection of essays. Gould delights in presenting such scientifically based evidence as whether the zebra is a white animal with black stripes or a black animal with white stripes. He uses levity to spark interest in otherwise unpalatable extrapolated scientific theory. “These issues are all ab stract,” says Gould, “but my vehicle for raising them remains the peculiar and mysterious par ticulars of nature. I have never been able to raise much per sonal enthusiasm for disem bodied theory.” Far from disembodied theory, Gould’s latest collection of writings contains myriad ex amples of the uniqueness of specific species illustrating theories of change. Gould follows evolutionary develop ment using such diverse models of evolution as the hyena and mosquitoes. He questions why the sex organs of the male and female hyena look identical. He ponders over a breed of mosqui toes unable to sting. Gould satis Ties our desire to know, at least with some certainty, the mys teries of evolution. The collection is well worth reading. It inspires a view of science in which all life forms reflect that ever evolving para dox which is life. —Sandra Bishop ( BOOKS ) r T i ) ^tar/in^ Ooer New and Nearly New Apparel • Antiquities • Adornments Featuring... Women's and Men's Quality Contemporary and Vintage Apparel Specializing ... In the Consigning and Buying of Your Quality Clothing 1077 Willamette For more information call 343-1413 next to LCC Downtown
