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I think I met Fleming a couple of times in the '80's, but did not know his history. Went into his store for one reason or another. Anyway, regarding those who say he overtrained, failed to rest, etc., I'd like to be a failure at racing the way he was.
Wayne
....that same winter in FLA. we stayed in a house in South Miami, very nice. A professor at the University who was on sabbatical let a small group stay there gratis while he was away.
After runs we would sit around exhausted in the yard and eat avocados that were laying all around in the yard, dropping off a few trees there.
We washed them down with Pepsi, water & whatnot.
Tom's wife was kind enough to do our laundry. Each week there would be a contest to see which athlete laundered the most underpants. (I always won with 2 pairs)
Tom would knock on my bedroom door each morning and announce, "time for your medicine."
The first few 14 milers I did with Tom I stopped and walked the last few miles after he ran me into the ground in the heat. I got him back later.
Tom & I both ran for New Balance in 78/79 and spent one Saturday there hanging insulation in the factory in between 10 mile runs.
Tom ran for William Paterson College in the 70's. I spent many an hour in his store, having just asked a "simple" question about BR or Joanie or the state of American running. Ask one question...Tom could talk for hours! Prob. the closest one could get to having a Bill Rodgers Running Center in NJ. Haven't seen Tom in about two or three years...great guy.
And Hodgie...thanks for the great stories!
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HRE wrote:
Right. Trained too hard. That's why there are so many guys these days who run so much faster than he did, especially guys who showed so little promise in high school that they ended up running for D II or D III schools.
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My question should have been posed "Who are all the mediocre high-schoolers, DII & DIII runners FROM THESE DAYS that are running faster than 2:12?".
Hodgie-san wrote:
Tom would knock on my bedroom door each morning and announce, "time for your medicine."
So that's where that came from? It should be noted that when staying at Hodgie's house, the Hodgie-alarm goes off at 7:00am and it sounds like this, "Hey malmo, time for your medicine."
Dammit, I wish I was born 20 years later, then I wouldn't have to run mornings.
"Time for your medicine"
Jack Nicholson in "Cuckoo's Nest"