One ounce sliced off a pair of shoes, he said, is equivalent to 55 pounds over one mile. He wasnt kidding. His math was solid. You take the average mans stride of six feet, spread it out over a mile (5,280 feet), you get 880 steps. Remove one ounce from each stepthats 55 pounds on the button. Lightness, Bowerman believed, directly translated to less burden, which meant more energy, which meant more speed. And speed equaled winning. Bowerman didnt like to lose. (I got it from him.) Thus lightness was his constant goal. Goal

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight