Written June 4, 2008
by April Galvan

Early morning, you wake up to cloudy skies. You eat oatmeal, check
your email, and by now are ready to start your busy day. After putting
in your best effort at a rigorous practice, you are ready to eat lunch
and relax. You prepare yourself the standard roast beef sandwich, a
good source of iron, before you leave for work. Your long, hard day is
done and nothing sounds better than cooking a healthy dinner, and
settling in with some American Idol.

This is a typical day in the life of Will Leer, a member of the Oregon
Track Club Elite. Earlier this year, at the University of Washington's
Indoor Preview, Leer ran a remarkable 3:59.83, making him the 296th
American to break the mile in less than 4 minutes. Leer's passion for
running sparked during his senior year at Minnetonka High School in
Minnesota. Leer says that his former coach, Jeff Renlund, and being
part of such an enthusiastic team, were two of the biggest influences
on his passion for running. Leer continued his successful running
career at Pomona College in Claremont, California. In 2006, his
4:06.42 mile won him the, NCAA DIII indoor mile title.

Today, Leer is training in Eugene with the Oregon Track Club Elite.
The move has been challenging because of the drastic change in
weather conditions from southern California to Oregon. But, Leer
says that that was one of the perks of a team. A person can push
themselves so far, but it is easier with the support of others,
especially in the winter. He goes on saying, "It makes getting out the
door in the morning easier." You can catch Leer at the Pre Classic this
weekend at Hayward Field. He will be competing the mile,
determined to make the Olympic Team later at the Olympic Trials at
the end of June.