Larry Olsen Lives wrote:
Hodgie-I always remembered that you made a big jump that day, but was just flabergasted that you came in with a 2:28 PR and got it down to 2:12? That is unbelieveable!
Is there one single thing or a number of factors that you think led to such improvement? Were your just destroying your workouts leading up to Boston? What kind of mileage/workouts were you doing that year?
RIP Larry.
I don't think that I ever "destroyed" any "workouts" that is really the key.
Squires called the workout destroyers "cinderfellas" and we took care of them on race day.
You can view my logs & history here:
http://www.bunnhill.com/bobhodge/TrainingLogs/training79.htmWhat led to my breakthrough was a natural progression in my fitness and just feeling the joy & exhilaration that comes with being a young man and being in command, ready to roll. Having little fear and even a bit of recklessness.
I sometimes think todays runners are constipated by all the talk talk, the gadgetry the svengali coaches.
The one thing I think we missed out on was good physical therapy from knowlegeable folks. I think other countries, the Finns, Japanese, Germans, Russians etc were way ahed of us.
Sports medicine did not really exist in the 70's as far as I could tell. Even if it did I never would have been able to afford the treatments!