What made Frank Slorter so good?

Shorter was also one of the first Americans to train at altitude. Early in his career he alternated between altitude and the Florida heat.

Psycho wrote:

malmo wrote:

Shorter had an ideal body type, and trained ... a lot. Focused ... a lot. For years. He raced... a lot. He ran track races and road races, indoors, cross country, and marathons.

Did I mention he trained he trained a lot? ... and kept his eyes on the ball?

As an amateur psychologist, I would say he also showed signs of obsessive compulsive disorder, likely due to his alcoholic father's unpredictable behavior.

He found confidence and stability with his Florida training partner, Jack Bachelor.

Probably yes but it takes a little OCD to train at that level and Shorter certainly has had a successful and productive life so not like he should shamed for some assumed personality trait.

OCD

I should have been a runner. I would have kicked everyone's ass.

Big Red wrote:

Once read an article about one of Shorter's victories at Fukuoka. Execs from Onitsuka (Tigers) followed him around and fell over themselves catering to Frank, presenting him with custom made shoes. Maybe it was in Sports Illustrated.

Yeah I'm a nerd, in high school in the 70s I haunted the library and consumed their archives, magazine room, microfiche (I know, what is that), any and all resources to ferret out every last crumb of running and distance running lore and history I could get my hands on.

It was really fun, but honestly I shoulda used all that time to add a second run per day!

I did that, too. One library I visited had archives of Runner's World going back to the mid-60s, I read all those, too.

He used de-fizzed Coca-Cola for his hydration concoction at marathon aid stations.