I heard that 70s marathoner Tom Fleming, was writing a book. Does anyone know if that rumor is true?
I heard that 70s marathoner Tom Fleming, was writing a book. Does anyone know if that rumor is true?
True
yes ... true .... 217 pages at the last edit ...
Title: "No Dirt in My Waffles" ... ALL true stories of the early running boom years, the NYRRC's cash cow, the pre-Lebow era, the NYAC glory years of track and x-c, the first NYC marathon and other BIG city road races around America and the world (early 70's through 1986 when I finally retire from racing) ... I actually laugh now because I couldn't make these stories up!
The real "pro/am marathon circuit" in 1980, and road racing deals under the table and dealing with the AAU/TAC shame-amateur system that made some of us over $100,000 per year!
Not sure of the publisher at this time ... not sure when the time is right to release the book ... however, I'm thinking about the 40th NYC Marathon Celebration in 16 months!
Go live your dreams ... TF
The Flemster is currently shopping his book with several publishers. So far, no bites, but if he takes a cut on margin, he may have a couple of interested, albeit, smaller publishers interested. I should be a good read. Beantown Flem rules!
http://www.whalesandwolves.com/images/running/tn_tomfleming.jpg
Sham does not have an "e" on the end of it.
Why not self publish the book?
Thanks for the info, Tom. Good luck in finishing and publishing... I'll be one of the first to place an order.
TFFlyer wrote:
yes ... true .... 217 pages at the last edit ...
Title: "No Dirt in My Waffles" ... ALL true stories of the early running boom years, the NYRRC's cash cow, the pre-Lebow era, the NYAC glory years of track and x-c, the first NYC marathon and other BIG city road races around America and the world (early 70's through 1986 when I finally retire from racing) ... I actually laugh now because I couldn't make these stories up!
The real "pro/am marathon circuit" in 1980, and road racing deals under the table and dealing with the AAU/TAC shame-amateur system that made some of us over $100,000 per year!
Not sure of the publisher at this time ... not sure when the time is right to release the book ... however, I'm thinking about the 40th NYC Marathon Celebration in 16 months!
Go live your dreams ... TF
Yes you are right grammarian ... it was both a "shame" and a "sham" at times with our great sport of road running.
best wishes, TF
Tom are you still planning to release it this November?
Sun. a.m. - longish run 20-21 miles at 6:00 to 6:10 pace.
p.m. - easy run, 6 miles at 6:20 pace.
Mon. A.M. - easy run 8 miles; P.M. - steady effort 8-10 miles.
Tues. A.M. - 6-10 mile run; P.M. two mile warmup, 6xmile, 4:35-4:40 w 400 in between
Wed. A.M. 10 miles steady; P.M. 10 miles steady
Thursday A.M. - 6 miles easy; P.M. 15 miles good effort
Fri. A.M. - 10 mile run relaxed; P.M. 10 mile run moderate effort
Sat. A.M. 10 miles w 4 miles in 19:00 en route; P.M. easy 6-8 miles
A Tom Fleming week as recorded in Road Racers and Their Training
tom, if you are out there, please know there are a bunch of us that REALLY want to read your book. i met you in exeter, n.h. after boston one april.
I can't wait to read this, Tom. Finally a book that ISN'T a love letter to everyone that has run the sport for the last 40 years. I'd assume that some people at Nike, the NYRRC, and other places will not like it in the least.....GOOD. If your book manages to pull back the curtain a bit to expose the little people pulling the levers, that'll be a good thing.
I would like to know if he really ran in Jordache shoes or if they were NB of Nike with the logos covered up. Once when i was in Tom's store he told me a story of how it was actually him who invented the Pegasus Racer. Nike made him custom flays back in the 80's and then in 89 I believe the Pegasus racer made its debut. Tom and Bill Rodgers and another friend of mine who used to work for Rodale Press were training together one summer for a week. The 3 of them decided to have a mileage contest. It was on the honor sysetm and the rules were to run more miles than the next person but not to tell them what you ran when you were running on your own. My friend said that several runs that were suppose to be 10 turned into 15 milers so no one would lose the bet. I forgot who won, but the 3 of them had a week somewhere in the high 150's- high 160's.
Does Tom live in Jersey these days? I may have finished right ahead of him at the 2003 Ridgewood 10K. Sadly I am much slower now.
Peg Racer was a late '90 or early '91 shoe.
Do it, Tom! We need books along those lines. You know how fast it would go? Old timers, runners looking to emulate, armchair runners, etc., it ain't like there isn't a market.
I'm pretty sure it was 89.
Yea, I think your right. Released in late 90 to speciality running stores ( Super Runners Shop sold a lot during NYC Marathon week ).
I'm surprised by the number of running books that are still coming out, many of them quite innocuous and without much of a sense of purpose or an obvious target audience. Given that, I don't see how Fleming's book, which could actually have some impact, should have any trouble finding a publisher.
Thanks for the kind words and cheers ... I'm still in my beloved NJ .. coaching HS kids and post college runners ... don't like to run much .. but love to play basketball (over 55 yo league) ... these running shoes today don't make you fast, but your training paradigm does ... my book will come out at the "right time!"
best wishes to you all, TF
ps my ears were burning
TFFlyer wrote:
Thanks for the kind words and cheers ... I'm still in my beloved NJ .. coaching HS kids and post college runners ... don't like to run much .. but love to play basketball (over 55 yo league) ... these running shoes today don't make you fast, but your training paradigm does ... my book will come out at the "right time!"
best wishes to you all, TF
ps my ears were burning
man, it is good to hear from a great one!
looking forward to the book.
