I learned a lesson one day as a track man in my prep school days. I was at the Pennsylvania Relays, a famous Eastern track meet, and our relay team was going to run in the championship race. I was the lead-off man and in the second lane. The man in the first lane held the 100-meter dash record for prep school runners at that time. He also held a record for arrogance because when I got to the line and we were putting our starting blocks down, he said, "May the best man win. I'll be waiting for you at the finish line."

We went into the blocks. The gun sounded. He took off, and the other seven of us settled in behind him. We went around the first turn and down the back stretch. About 180 meters into the race, I suddenly saw the record holder in front of me, holding his side, bent over, and groaning as he jogged along. We all passed him like he was standing still, and because I'm such a gentleman, I waited for him at the finish line.

At the end of the race my coach took me aside and said, "I hope you've learned a lesson today. It makes little difference whether you hold the record for the 100-meter dash if the race is 400-meters long."