Gerry Lindgren was the top high school distance runner to of his time (early 1960s). He still holds the high school record for the 3-mile run @ 13:44. He attended Rogers High School in Spokane, and though he was a short, wimpy runt with a squeaky voice, son of an alcoholic father, and even though he didn't even start running until he was a sophomore in High School, he set many national records by the time he was a senior.
He was noted for his sprinting starts in distance races. People thought he was crazy, but he could keep up a sprint for 5 miles. His training was equally crazy. He would run 80 miles a day in three sessions. 1) A "heart" run (5-mile sprint) followed by a meal and a nap. 2) A "head" run, basically a 40-mile tempo run, mid-day, followed by lunch and a nap. And 3) a "leg" run, an easy midnight run of 20 or 30 miles, followed by a meal and bed.
He had a number of famous racing wins, including a win over Russia's best 3-milers, something no American had even come close to doing for years. He was invited to a number of prestigious indoor meets where he would come in second or third, but we're talking about a high school kid who would set a national record while pushing an international runner to a world record.
He eventually went on to run for WSU, but his best days were behind him. He developed stomach ulcers while there (most likely due to his high mileage running in high school) and his early promise faded quickly. He now lives and coaches in Hawaii. www.gerrylindgren.com
I should mention that the book is written from the perspective of Gerry's shadow, and at times reads like a children's book. A bit annoying, but still a very good read.