Rich Elliott is a writer living in Valparaiso, Indiana. His background as a runner, coach, English teacher, and writer equips him with a unique perspective on the subject of distance running. Elliott was a national-class distance runner in high school and at Kansas University. He coached high school track and cross country and taught English for twelve years in suburban Chicago. He has coached numerous All-State runners and two All-Americans. He was Illinois Distance Coach of the Year in 1976. He later coached cross country at Dominican University. Elliott was the editor and co-founder of Illinois Runner, the state's first running magazine, before working in educational publishing as a textbook editor and technology producer. He now is a writer of sports and historical nonfiction as well as fictional short stories. You can contact him and see more of his work at www.richelliottproductions.com. The Competitive Edge: Mental Preparation for Distance Running was first published by Prentice Hall in 1984; it was reprinted by Track and Field News Press in 1991 and praised as "the best work on the subject available. A must for every coach and runner."