New Balance team circa 70s - attn Hodgie-san

Yeah, I'm curious, because we still have a good number of the old-timers still racing. Steve Scott, Thom Hunt and Alan Scharsu still duke it out here in local races occasionally, although Thom and Al don't seem to be as durable as Steve, not surprisingly.

in San Diego wrote:

Yeah, I'm curious, because we still have a good number of the old-timers still racing. Steve Scott, Thom Hunt and Alan Scharsu still duke it out here in local races occasionally, although Thom and Al don't seem to be as durable as Steve, not surprisingly.

Now remember, this was the senior women's team. Based on the places listed, it would have been:

14. Lynn Kanuka

18. Monica Joyce

21. Eva Ernstrom

22. Regina Joyce

41. Liz Baker

Hodgie,

Wasn't there a TAC Nats where a brawl broke out?

hmmmmmmm.... there was one where Coach Squires woke up with a no parking sign attached to a pole in his bed.

Hate to combine topics but they're all present in this thread:

Hodgie-san, I vaguely recall Thomas telling a Parking pole sign story to us in college. How did it go?

Also, Liz Baker is still ripping it up in SD.

Lastly, when did the Jamul Toads win Nationals and who was on the team?

It was the highlight of my day. Fancy waking up to find yourself dead. I knew I was invisible, got that mastered long ago, but dead, never tried that before.

Still a bum, lots of walking, birdwatching, exploring rain forests, even a bit of body surfing earlier this year in Mexico. Unfortunately I have to work to pay for it, but no more than I really have to.

No running at all, legs packed up on me in 1988. Knees started aching badly. As my achilles were a total mess already, decided to call it a day. Big shame as I truly loved running. I wanted to run until I really did drop.

Two operations on achilles and calves kept me mobile but no help for running.

I met the real Zatopek in Budapest in 1982. I thought he was dead also, ooops.

The TAC XC in 1981 really was a fab field. The starter was Wilt Chamberlain, BIG guy. The field went off like a rocket, never experienced a start like it. I always preferred a slow start then work my way through. But for once I went with the leaders from the gun. A BIG BIG gamble but it worked. I had already gambled a lot on going to LA for the race. Not a lot of $$ in the kitty back then. But as I had done well in 1980 at Pocatello, I had to go back to win. Sounds arrogant but that was the plan. Having Alberto there was icing on the cake. The atrocious weather, rain all night and day was ideal for me, lovely cool conditions, fabulous running surface, I loved racing on US golf courses. The muddy UK XC courses at the time were totally unsuitable to me.

Finishing the race my excitement got the better of me. Any negative comments were aimed at the media not Alberto. I was sick to death of them making him out to be so incredible. He certainly was a great marathoner, no problems there. My comments were totally lost on the gentlemen of the press. The same thing happened with Ovett/Coe/Cram/Thompson, all incredible athletes but the media really do overdo it.

Anybody can be beaten! A lot of western athletes seem not to know this and the Africans kick their butts everytime. My attitude was a long term learning curve. I'd lose, learn from my weaknesses, analyse the opposition, then come back and win. Worked for years. Total belief in ones abilities is needed, just needs time, experience.

Well, I hope that answers a few questions, poses a few more? This is what I love about the internet, cuts out the middleman (media) and their version of the truth.

Adrian,

Can you enlighten us on the best 10,00) I ever saw, the '84 Mt. SAC race in which you and five other guys (four Africans, I believe) hammered each other and all ended up 27:30-40?

God, that was some running!

Thanks, Adrian. I Googled you to find out when you died, and coincidentally found another guy with your exact same name doing some birdwatching. Fancy that; you must be living in a parallel universe.

Bummer about the legs. My old nagging injuries seem minor compared to yours.

Loved your comments about believing in your abilities. That's the other great thing about the 'net - guys like you, Hodgie, malmo and the rest can pass along some wisdom. Whether the young grasshoppers take to it or not is another matter, but at least they will have been told.

Hi, that was 83. By 84 I was a sick wreck.

Mt Sac was a happy hunting ground for me, 2 very enjoyable races there, 5000m in '82, 10k in '83. Also the pleasure of watching some truly world class athletes, especially in the sprints. Standing on the in field watching the worlds best sprinters break the tape in about 10.00 is awesome. Chatting with Bert Cameroon, most excellent.

So easily distracted. The 10k. I was down to do the 5k but changed to the 10k when I saw the line up, HOT. The 82 race was the fast one when several went under 27.40. I was hoping for a repeat performance. We ended up in about 27.55 but a very close finish. I just pipped Shahanga on the line. Similar to '82 5k when I did the same with Nyambui, fun guy!! A certain Henry Rono was in the field but dropped out. He was cheering me on, most gratifying. I'd raced with Henry a few times, Eugene in '82 the big one, also with Alberto and loads of big names. In the rain also, perfect conditions once I had gotten over the thought of it. I watched Henry destroy a world class 10k field in Oslo over a few laps but lost it to Carlos Lopes I believe towards the end. Such talent! Unfortunately wasted, even with 4 world records, barely tapped.

Next question. I'm on a roll :)

Adrian

Describe your training during your prime, if you would. Mileage, seasonal cycles, any non-running supplemental stuff, etc. Were you self-coached?

The "Google" birdwatcher with my name is me. I've taken to dabbling with web design as much to keep my brain active. Not sure if other birders bother looking at it or not. The "Google" photographer is also me. There is a another Adrian Royle or Royal athlete, Navy guy I think??

cheers

Born to be a bum wrote:The "Google" birdwatcher with my name is me. I've taken to dabbling with web design as much to keep my brain active. Not sure if other birders bother looking at it or not. The "Google" photographer is also me. There is a another Adrian Royle or Royal athlete, Navy guy I think??

cheers

Yeah, I figured that out. I was trying to be ironic given that you were supposedly dead.

Anybody can be beaten! A lot of western athletes seem not to know this and the Africans kick their butts everytime. My attitude was a long term learning curve. I'd lose, learn from my weaknesses, analyse the opposition, then come back and win. Worked for years. Total belief in ones abilities is needed, just needs time, experience.

Great stuff - thanks and keep it coming.

Never-wuzzer

Training in my prime was an absolute joy. I was based in Reno, so living at altitude, big bonus!!

A morning run Mon-Sat 6:30a.m. 5-6 miles, slow start to get the body going but could get quite quick by the end. Lots of hills.

Afternoon would be 10-15 miles on the mountains around Reno, either in the desert or up in the Sierras.

Interval training 3x/week. 4xmile, 30 secs jog recovery was common. Usually on a golf course. Also 8x400m another regular one.

Sunday a long 20 mile run before breakfast in the mountains. There were times up in the Sierras when I felt ready to take off vertically. I'm flying dude.

Gym work also 2-3 times a week.

A MASSIVE plus was my training partner for about a year. Domingo Tibaduiza, an animal!! Great guy, also his brother Miguel. We would hammer each other, on the mountains, roads, around Virginia Lake in Reno. I remember Domingo coming back from a world class marathon in Columbus, I think ?? and kicking my ass on a hard training run in the desert, next day! Amazing guy.

Above all we really enjoyed it. It was fun, not a job but just the most fun we could have with or without clothes. Endorphins kicked in regularly, totally legally stoned for years :)

Absolutely NO supplements. Just good food. Lots of carbs. I frequently polished off a 6 pack of glazed donuts the morning of a race. Got it wrong several times and my blood sugar levels when loopy and I bombed badly.

As for coaching, pretty much self coached. I had club coaches in UK, basically guys that held the stopwatch and told the whole group what we were going to do to each other that night :) In the US college coaches couldn't really claim to be doing much. They got me over there, gave me a fabulous opportunity, so many thanks for that. The rest was up to me.

Time for bed here. Plenty more over the weekend if wanted.

cheers

Adrian

Thanks, Adrian. Keep the training info comin'. I hope the grasshoppers will note the absence of altitude tents, underwater treadmills and blood lactate monitors from your description.

Adrian, someone put up your PRs on the All-Wejo team. What other PRs can you report?

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=409179&page=1

I once googled myself and learned that I'd been dead since 1968 when I died in a submarine accident. Glad to see that death is working out for you as well as it is for me. I recall a photo of you in that 10,000 in the rain. Where are you,uh, buried, these days?

Now that I'm dead I must speak with the tax man, perhaps hold a seance.

I'm back in the UK now, I had 4 wonderful years in the US, another 5 in Finland after "retiring". Wonderful cemetery there. Definitely a bit of a tart, get about a bit:) I lived in Loughborough UK for 5 years, training with Jack Buckner (Euro 5000m champ). I could handle him in training but in races forget it. He had far more speed than me and he hadn't reached his sell by date. All good fun though.

I'll look them up, some pretty obscure distances. Will get back to you.