Alternate Reality wrote:
wheatshuk wrote:
I don't know but I've heard those tracks were decently fast. They were banked and had springs under the boards that were the inspiration for Nike's efforts at studying shoes.
I used to run on these tracks.
There were no "springs".
The tracks were made up from sections that were pieced together for the meet.
Some were softer, some harder.
Some sections on the same track were harder, some springier.
Different tracks at different venues could be massively different.
Different geometry on all the corners.
Even with the banking, the corners were very tight and you could not hug the inside.
I went to the LA Times Indoor meet when it was on a short, banked, wooden track. Saw Doug Padilla break the American indoor record for 2 miles. I don't remember his time. He showed he had some practice at it though. You really have to time everything from speed, leaning, when you pass, knowing where you are in the race/how far to go etc... I believe Billy Konchella ran the same night and it was obvious he was seriously out of his element as he careened wildly on the turns. I thought he was going to fly up over the top a couple times.
Eamon Coghlan was truly the Chairman of the Boards for a reason. He was the master at negotiating not only the track but the competition, which was usually some pretty great milers such as Steve Scott, Ray Flynn, Thomas Wessinhage, Marcus O'Sullivan etc... Dude was nearly impossible to beat indoors. What a great but sad story about his journey from indoor greatness, through injury, 5k World Outdoor Champion and back to injury prior to the 84 games where he would have been one of the favorites. 3:49 indoors is dangerous at 5k outdoors for sure. He trained for 5k but raced the mile during those years. Injury could have been caused from tight indoor tracks though.
I always wanted to go to the Milrose Games at MSG just to get that experience but it's now held in the Armory on a 200 track. I started paying attention to track because of the indoor meets they had on tv. SanDiego Sunkist, LA Times, Milrose Games etc.... Houston McTear, Coghlan, Rod Milburn etc...