The four tops (SMTC, WCE, HSI, and MTC) might be the main WC/Oly medal winning clubs in America but I'm always suprised with the dozens of unknown L.A. coaches who carry guys to medals like Demus, Clay, etc. That kind of depth in T&F can only be found in Los Angeles.
That's why L.A. is the Track and Field Capitol of the World with the Olympics and Outdoor World's medals to back up that claim.
Hahaha indeed......I was training with him in his "formative" years, when he was "only" running in the 1:45 to 1:46 range. I recall a 600 we ran at the end of a workout, JG broke the existing unofficial WR, I came in around 1:15, quite a ways back. At that time I was in my late 20's he was still a kid. Sonny was pretty fast also, he runs Masters still quite fast. Once I was pretty much done running in competition I started lifting and swimming in competition again, now am up around 190........been doing 30 - 40 or so miles/week the past few years tough at this bodyweight as you can imagine. Time to lay off the beer perhaps but you know how that goes :)
I remember Gray running a 2:50-1320 time trail at the
end of his workout! For those youngsters,thats 1320 YARDS
ON A DIRT TRACK!. I remember a workout I did with you-
20x440 in 68 which was "fresh pace" in Igoli-speak.I use
to love hammer with the fellas' on San Vincente. I recall
one workout were Merle gave us 4easy 4fresh and I ran the
4 fresh in 20:08....about 20 seconds behind the others...
I had a bad day!...still drank four beers!
Joe had me running 165 miles at the high point all at SMCC track. Thriteen workouts in a week. Good times both on and off the track. My best racing years.
Thanks Joe.
Ghost of Igloi aka Reid Harter
Old SMTC SOB wrote:
Hey yes I remember the old dirt track, tough on the legs we used to run on the inside grass unless we were doing timed stuff. They put in a new tartan track for the 84 olympics, as the location was identified as an "olymipc training site". That track was as hard as the dirt, I ended up with a stress fracture in early 84 from doing hard intervals on it in spikes.I used to run on occasion with Clyde, he loved to train hard......I was a half/mile runner and he a marathoner so I just ran with him for strength training.
I remember a workout with Clyde where we were racing a bus down Ocean Boulevard! The Mondo surface was hard, but not as bad as the dirt. In '83, I wore out three pair of spikes even though we only wore them about once a week. Funny, I was talking about SMTC days in class just this week.
Remember the "rain loops" along Pearl and Ocean Park.We
use to surge at the lights and see who had the guts to run
through a red light.In those days,I'd rather get hit by a car than "lose" to Clyde! My diet in those days was beer
and egg Macmuffins for breakfast,dinner was burger and
pitcher of beer,usually at the Oarhouse(contrary to
popular myth,I did not receive my mail there).I always
drank Ole' No 7 Jack Daniels(the only man I ever lusted
for)on weekends! I also use to drink Johnny Walker,both
Red and Black,and call it a three-way! The workouts were
so hard that I had to drink in order to numb the pain!One
Saturday i was so drunk I had to ask Merle if I had ran yet.
Apparently,I did a 14 mile workout of alternative 880's!
I also use to show for the early morning runs in shorts
and the previous nights dress shirt with red lipstick on
collars!.....fun days!
Hahahaah fresh indeed, these days it would be called "impossible".
I make my own beer these days, cheaper :)
I make my own beer these days, cheaper :)
Prertty insane mileage, my high was 120, I did the best at 70 to 80. or so.
Good times those days, too bad we all had to get old and find paying jobs. Good thing my wife likes to train, she was a high jumper for URI, jumped 5'11" back in the late 80's. She drags me out to the track with her several times a week, forces me to run intervals :)
What an incredible story. SMTC rules.
Is there a book written about SMTC ?
Yeah, "It's Not About The Bike."
I recall Ghost of Ashenfelter jumping over cars at the intersection
of 14th and San Vincente.Joe use to get upset when Ghost or
Gray beat his runners.We use to have "guests" at are Saturday
Workouts.These were runners that trained on their own and then
Jumped into ours.
Did Joe Douglas teach high school when coaching SMTC ? Which high school ?
Joe Douglas was teaching math at Westchester High School near LAX until the late 70's/early 80's.
Iknow how that is because I ran for Merle also and I am the one who started the Merle megee burnout squad. trying to get in shape myself for the olympic trials.Who am I?
give you a hint. I trained with you when you came out for the club. I was the first one you ran with because Merle would give the new runners to run with me. I wasn't fast but I could run miles.I am good friends with Lon and the old gang.
pastes great