Running down a dream

It would be wrong to say that Michael Armon is on a mission.

First, it would incorrectly infer that the Coeur d’Alene High sophomore is consumed with long-distance running.

Second, something for which he derives the most satisfaction can’t be all work, right?

“I don’t eat and sleep running,” said Armon, who finished second in the State 5A cross country meet last year as a freshman, “but I’m definitely into it.”

Call it more of a journey that, in his dream of dreams, will lead him someday to the Olympics.

It’s understandable, however, why his coach is taking a one-mile-at-a-time approach to her young phenomenon.

“He’s going to leave a big mark in the running community, no doubt,” CdA coach Cathy Compton said. “But this is just one stepping stone in his life. We need to keep it in perspective. This is a learning time. Michael is an exceptional sophomore. He’s done 10 times more racing already than most kids his age. But he’s still a sophomore, and he definitely has sophomore moments.”

In other words, Compton doesn’t want Armon or anyone close to him to forget he’s still just a kid at heart.

To look at Armon, one might think he’s out of place roaming the halls of CdA High. At 5-foot-6 and 116 pounds with his running shoes on, and with his signature long blond curly locks, he could walk back into seventh grade today and not be out of place.

But don’t be quick to slap the born-to-run stereotype on him based on physical appearances alone. He has more natural athletic ability in him than meets the eye.

If he hadn’t spurned all sports for running the summer before his freshman year, Armon could be one of the top golfers (he bagged a hole-in-one three years ago) or tennis players at CdA. Or he could perhaps be a standout in basketball.

Armon started tagging along with his father, Mic, an avid runner in his youth in Montana, at age 9 as something for father and son to do together. When son beat his dad for the first time at Bloomsday in 2000, the hook was set.

After placing second at state last fall, he posted the top time among all freshmen in the nation at Footlocker in December. He placed fifth this summer in his age group in the 3,000 meters at the National Junior Olympics track meet at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Armon said running at Hayward Field – where one of his heroes, the late Steve Prefontaine once ran – was a bit surreal.

“The day before I raced, I remember running (at Hayward) and thinking ‘Maybe this is where Prefontaine stepped,’ ” Armon said.

Armon, who hasn’t had a soda in nearly 16 months, swore off most foods with sugar last month until early December. He plans to run among the nation’s elite runners at Footlocker and try to qualify for the national finals.

First, however, is his goal at hand. He wants to become CdA’s first male state cross country champ. Barring injury, he’d like to become the region’s first three-time state champ since Jason Uhlman of Lewiston (1989-91).

As the top returning state placer, Armon knows he won’t have the element of surprise when state rolls around. No problem.

“I like being the one everybody is shooting for,” Armon said.

Training has been more challenging for Armon this fall. He ran side-by-side with senior Taylor Neal last year, but he has no one to push him at practice this season.

So he’s had to create his own challenge. His top 3.1-mile time is 16 minutes, 25 seconds – 7 seconds behind the school record. His goal is to crack the 16-minute mark.

While running can be mostly individual, Armon enjoys the team aspect, too.

“Being part of a team motivates me,” he said. “It’s good to know when you’re working out that you’re not alone – that your teammates are doing the workout too.”