1991premilechamp wrote:
[quote]mikehammer wrote:
Who's your pick out of Coe Cram and ovett ?
Met Ovett a couple of years ago at a pre race VIP function---I obviously had to 'know someone ' to get in---and he was incredibly modest and real nice guy
1991premilechamp wrote:
[quote]mikehammer wrote:
Who's your pick out of Coe Cram and ovett ?
Met Ovett a couple of years ago at a pre race VIP function---I obviously had to 'know someone ' to get in---and he was incredibly modest and real nice guy
PS...9 pages in, thought you would have mastered the 'Quote' button by now :-)
...and great to have a fun and serious thread that most of the trollers can't contribute to..
...and no hobby joggers bragging too
I am Sam wrote:
PS...9 pages in, thought you would have mastered the 'Quote' button by now :-)
...and great to have a fun and serious thread that most of the trollers can't contribute to..
...and no hobby joggers bragging too
1) don’t ever underestimate my stupidity.
2) thanks. Trollers and hobby joggers are people too. They are just not allowed to play in the big boy sand box.
1991premilechamp wrote:
Armstronglivs wrote:
I interviewed Walker many years ago. He agreed that his 2000m record was his best run in terms of time. He wasn't that far off his best mile for the last 4 laps.
Do you stay in touch? Sadly, his health isn't great these days.
Two stories about Walker.
A bunch of us ran some road mile in Phoenix in conjunction with the Fiesta Bowl. The run actually went down the fiesta bowl parade route. It was not raining so fortunately nobody got “ pissed on “ in this particular parade. :)
Since the race was the morning of December 31st, and we had to stick around to watch the Fiesta Bowl the next day ( West Virginia VS Notre Dame) we all went out that night, New Years Eve. Well, while I was talking with Walker I noticed two women checking us ( him) out. I mentioned it to him. He said, “ well, you are single, let me help you out here “.
So, I am now chatting up two girls with pretty much my boyhood hero, a living legend. To the girls it was kinda like he was a perfectly cooked, juicy hamburger with grade A meat, dripping cheese, and a special sauce they were dying to explore. I was like a burnt French fry on the corner of the plate without even ketchup nearby.
Walker was great trying to help me out, they loved his accent, and had recognized him from Montreal, although they thought he would be bigger in person. We chatted for quite a bit but to make a long story short, nobody wanted the burnt French fry that night.
Second story was I think the same race. Now I had beaten John a number of times, him being way, way past his prime, but at this particular race he got me at the line ( maybe 6 and 7th place out of say 11 or 12). He told me to warm down with him. We chatted and talked a bit about nothing. Then all of a sudden he yells my name and stops. So I stop. Then he proceeds to yell at my as to why the F he beat me today!! WTF am I doing? No way he should beat me anymore. It was kinda surreal having your hero berate you for losing to him but it was a great motivator. Only a caring competitor would do something like that.
So John is my favorite. Followed by Ovett. After that it is David Egan.
Fun stories. I so wish he (and the field) hadn't let Bayi get that runaway lead in the Christchurch Games of '74! He so nearly caught him in the home straight - but a bridge too far. One of my heroes, too.
Armstronglivs wrote:
Fun stories. I so wish he (and the field) hadn't let Bayi get that runaway lead in the Christchurch Games of '74! He so nearly caught him in the home straight - but a bridge too far. One of my heroes, too.
Letting Bayi go was probably the only option they had. Bayi faded a bit from 300 to go to 100 to go BUT he still broke the world record. So did the two guys who finished behind him. The world record was 3:33 and Bayi went out in 1:51. They go with Bayi at 1:51 and my guess is they die.
Bayi, Walker, Dixon, Crouch etc all ran their best races that day, but Bayi was just better. 76 would have been epic if Bayi was there. But what do I know. I never even ran a marathon
Just like the Tall Canadian OP, this thread was a lot of fun but now appears to be getting old and slowing down.
How about a good Oasis story? Having been there a couple of times myself, I know there's a lot to talk about. And I don't remember anyone ever saying "what happens at the Oasis stays at the Oasis". In fact I'm sure many things were caught at the Oasis and spread throughout the Bay Area (and likely further).
OldandSlowDog wrote:
Just like the Tall Canadian OP, this thread was a lot of fun but now appears to be getting old and slowing down.
How about a good Oasis story? Having been there a couple of times myself, I know there's a lot to talk about. And I don't remember anyone ever saying "what happens at the Oasis stays at the Oasis". In fact I'm sure many things were caught at the Oasis and spread throughout the Bay Area (and likely further).
Everything has its time. It was fun while it lasted. File it next to “ Smoking Joe memories “.
1991premilechamp wrote:
Armstronglivs wrote:
Fun stories. I so wish he (and the field) hadn't let Bayi get that runaway lead in the Christchurch Games of '74! He so nearly caught him in the home straight - but a bridge too far. One of my heroes, too.
Letting Bayi go was probably the only option they had. Bayi faded a bit from 300 to go to 100 to go BUT he still broke the world record. So did the two guys who finished behind him. The world record was 3:33 and Bayi went out in 1:51. They go with Bayi at 1:51 and my guess is they die.
Bayi, Walker, Dixon, Crouch etc all ran their best races that day, but Bayi was just better. 76 would have been epic if Bayi was there. But what do I know. I never even ran a marathon
I wouldn't have suggested they should have gone with Bayi but not allowed him to get such a big break on the field. It left too much to do in the last lap. They probably thought Bayi couldn't last at that pace. But I doubt that John would have thought he would have to break Ryun's world mark just to medal.
I think in '75/76 John would have stayed closer to Bayi if they had met over a 1500/mile because he had hit his prime and was a more experienced and confident competitor. He was near untouchable at that time.
I wouldn't have suggested they should have gone with Bayi but not allowed him to get such a big break on the field. It left too much to do in the last lap. They probably thought Bayi couldn't last at that pace. But I doubt that John would have thought he would have to break Ryun's world mark just to medal.
I think in '75/76 John would have stayed closer to Bayi if they had met over a 1500/mile because he had hit his prime and was a more experienced and confident competitor. He was near untouchable at that time.[/quote]
I agree that Walker in 75/76 would have beaten Bayi in that 74 race. BUT we can’t rule out Bayi also being in better shape in 75/76 so who knows?
1:51 is 3:29 pace, and the world record was 3:33. So it isn’t surprising they let him go by so much. And like in a bike race, it comes a point of whom leads the chase pack then ?
1991premilechamp wrote:
I wouldn't have suggested they should have gone with Bayi but not allowed him to get such a big break on the field. It left too much to do in the last lap. They probably thought Bayi couldn't last at that pace. But I doubt that John would have thought he would have to break Ryun's world mark just to medal.
I think in '75/76 John would have stayed closer to Bayi if they had met over a 1500/mile because he had hit his prime and was a more experienced and confident competitor. He was near untouchable at that time.
I agree that Walker in 75/76 would have beaten Bayi in that 74 race. BUT we can’t rule out Bayi also being in better shape in 75/76 so who knows?
1:51 is 3:29 pace, and the world record was 3:33. So it isn’t surprising they let him go by so much. And like in a bike race, it comes a point of whom leads the chase pack then ?[/quote]
The suspense in that race was amazing. Seeing a runner make such a huge break on the field, as Bayi did, and then wondering whether they could reel him - as they almost did - and Bayi and Walker destroying a really tough world mark while dragging others to career bests was something to see. It's a shame that Bayi fell ill in '75. Then there was the boycott. I'm sure John would have relished the chance for revenge at Montreal. It sure would have been a different final if Bayi had run.
Another intriguing hypothetical. If you'd been in the Tokyo 1500 won by Snell how would you have run it?
Happy Milrose Day!!!
I was taking a trip down Milrose memory lane and thinking about one of your rivals, Mike Stahr. I was lucky enough to be in attendance at the 1983 edition with my club team (John Carlotti was our club's entrant in the HS boys mile). Anyhow, that Jumbo Elliot HS Mile was the most exciting indoor race I've ever witnessed. Madison Square Garden was packed full and the crowd was going absolutely insane on the final lap. I can watch this race over and over again and it never gets old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5EHy_oPoec
Enjoy!
Armstronglivs wrote:
Another intriguing hypothetical. If you'd been in the Tokyo 1500 won by Snell how would you have run it?
If I had been in Tokyo that means my formative years would have been in the 1950’s and I would have been born late 30’s or early 40’s. With the depression and WW11 so fresh in my parents minds, they wouldn’t have let me do such frivolous things as run. They would have saved to put me through college, then bought me an Aloha Romeo as a graduating presents, then I would have declined an offer to get into “ plastics”, done some questionable things to Mrs. Robinson but still get the girl in the end.
So I wouldn’t even have been a runner.
But I’d be a famous actor.
And all the young guys out there have no idea what I am talking about, which is awesome.
Koo-koo-kachoo Mrs. Robinson...
What happened to Canada's miler pipeline? From you to Kerr to Hood to Sully to Brannen you guys were plenty strong for a couple of decades and it's been a pretty dry spell with really only Knight picking up the mantle though he's now on his way to marathons... Any insights?
Grassrunner wrote:
Happy Milrose Day!!!
I was taking a trip down Milrose memory lane and thinking about one of your rivals, Mike Stahr. I was lucky enough to be in attendance at the 1983 edition with my club team (John Carlotti was our club's entrant in the HS boys mile). Anyhow, that Jumbo Elliot HS Mile was the most exciting indoor race I've ever witnessed. Madison Square Garden was packed full and the crowd was going absolutely insane on the final lap. I can watch this race over and over again and it never gets old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5EHy_oPoecEnjoy!
Mike was a great runner and a nice guy. Mike and I are the same age, both being born in 1964. Also born in 1964 was Marc Olesen, whom was a local rival of mine. Marc was so good in high school he won Keebler in Grade 11 when he was 16 in 1981. When Mike Stahr was kicking our butts at Keebler in 1983 by running 4:06, Marc was off In Vancouver racing Eamon Coughlan and John Walker. Olesen ran 3:58.08. Same weekend.
Mike Stahr was a great high school runner, but he was no Marc Olesen. And he also wasn’t 4th in the Olympic Trials 800m as an earlier post mentioned. He was last in his semi. But he ran some incredible races and he was by far the best US high school miler in 1983. And he had a great finish. And he abused me in a relay one time which Miles Irish was nice enough to show my kids when I visited him. :)
What is the riddle to speed at 58 ?
1991premilechamp wrote:
Armstronglivs wrote:
Another intriguing hypothetical. If you'd been in the Tokyo 1500 won by Snell how would you have run it?
If I had been in Tokyo that means my formative years would have been in the 1950’s and I would have been born late 30’s or early 40’s. With the depression and WW11 so fresh in my parents minds, they wouldn’t have let me do such frivolous things as run. They would have saved to put me through college, then bought me an Aloha Romeo as a graduating presents, then I would have declined an offer to get into “ plastics”, done some questionable things to Mrs. Robinson but still get the girl in the end.
So I wouldn’t even have been a runner.
But I’d be a famous actor.
And all the young guys out there have no idea what I am talking about, which is awesome.
I fully endorse your enthusiasm for Mrs Robinson/Anne Bancroft but I think you might have been a little tall for the guy part. Dustin Hoffman is a midget. But he was a runner (if not a 3.35 guy). Marathon Man. I might have suggested a "spaghetti Western" for you.
pretzel man wrote:
What is the riddle to speed at 58 ?
3:35 1500m pace is 57 per lap average. I obviously have no idea what the 58 riddle is. Maybe as Graeme Fell?
BOHICA wrote:
Koo-koo-kachoo Mrs. Robinson...
What happened to Canada's miler pipeline? From you to Kerr to Hood to Sully to Brannen you guys were plenty strong for a couple of decades and it's been a pretty dry spell with really only Knight picking up the mantle though he's now on his way to marathons... Any insights?
Good analysis. Although we have Chuck now. He is typically in the mix in any North American mile race. Plus he has really cool hair, a hot wife ( obviously just copying me) and a hyphenated last name.
But you are correct. A down hill slide. I blame Sullivan. I mean I was courteous enough to set national records BUT leave ample room for improvement on them. Sully on the other hand just lowered them SO far, they are too tough a target. What an A hole.
But with the new spikes Hoods kids will one day bring us back to international prominence.
Armstronglivs wrote:
1991premilechamp wrote:
If I had been in Tokyo that means my formative years would have been in the 1950’s and I would have been born late 30’s or early 40’s. With the depression and WW11 so fresh in my parents minds, they wouldn’t have let me do such frivolous things as run. They would have saved to put me through college, then bought me an Aloha Romeo as a graduating presents, then I would have declined an offer to get into “ plastics”, done some questionable things to Mrs. Robinson but still get the girl in the end.
So I wouldn’t even have been a runner.
But I’d be a famous actor.
And all the young guys out there have no idea what I am talking about, which is awesome.
I fully endorse your enthusiasm for Mrs Robinson/Anne Bancroft but I think you might have been a little tall for the guy part. Dustin Hoffman is a midget. But he was a runner (if not a 3.35 guy). Marathon Man. I might have suggested a "spaghetti Western" for you.
I liked you when I saw your first post.
Since then I have liked you more, and more, and more.
Excellent analysis, The spaghetti western man is almost exactly my height and we both use the word punk effectively. Much better roles for me. Plus I met him in a bar at his golf course one time. Steve Agar ( a mere 3:36 guy I might add, why was I even there?) was getting married and his reception used the clubs bar for refreshments. He was slouching a bit, so kinda hard to tell, but I think exactly my height. I know watch his movies differently knowing he is 6’5”.
He is a big dog lover too, and dog is close to Doug, so ….