Coach Terrence Mahon joins BAA to coach a high performance distance running initiative ?

Or Alberto Salazar

Bob hodge

Randy Thomas

Etc etc

winter sux.. wrote:

At least they have good areas to train on, dirt roads and trails. What are you gonna do in Boston, run up and down the charles?

You're not really from Boston, are you?

Franklin Park

The Arboretum

Sheepshead reservation

Jamaica Pond

And so on:

Compared to other big cities I've lived in, Boston's great for running.

I assume they'll go to altitude most of the bad winter months. It's MA, not Maine or New Hampshire - the snow is generally only an issue for 2-3 months out of the year (late Dec - March). No way in hell they'll be here in Jan or Feb for more than a couple weeks, though.

There are some great places to train. Tons and tons of woods/trails in the areas surrounding Boston.

I love Canadian football wrote:

The big question is can he surpass Mike Mahon as the top "Mahon" on Boston's running scene?

It will be tough, they'll have to do a sing off of the National anthem, before the next Mayor's cup.

Daily double wrote:

Or Alberto Salazar

Bob hodge

Randy Thomas

Etc etc

Exactly. The list goes on and on. At some point you just throw in an "etc." and are done. Everyone now is so focused on ideal conditions that they forget about mental toughness.

Shovey wrote:

you mean like when you have to do a 10-mile tempo run and 2 feet of snow were just dumped overnight and it's 10 degrees out? your tempo gets canceled but your competitors training in arizona or san diego get to do their workouts as planned.

Boy that would make it much easier if it wasn't cold or if there wasn't snow. SO YOUR GOAL IS TO MAKE YOUR TRAINING EASIER. Got it. I am sure you are going to be a champion.

I am only slightly making fun of you. I believe that you think like most current top level Americans. Which is why the depth has fallen of so drastically over the last 30 years.

Let Us Run wrote:

winter sux.. wrote:

At least they have good areas to train on, dirt roads and trails. What are you gonna do in Boston, run up and down the charles?

You're not really from Boston, are you?

Franklin Park

The Arboretum

Sheepshead reservation

Jamaica Pond

And so on:

http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-boston-massachusetts

Compared to other big cities I've lived in, Boston's great for running.

Who wants to live in a big city to train? Drive out to every run?

And franklin Park is small, not doing much there but repeating yourself alot. I did race there back in the late 70's and loved it, but come on...

Jamaica Pond is maybe a mile around, I know Billy did many loops there in the winter when he was coming up, but you can do better than that..

I run out in Lincoln now on weekends, nice and soft, but feels pretty small after a while, but it is nice, just needs a few real hills.

I have lived in Boulder, spent a winter in Gainesville, spent a little time in Bend and Eugene, visited Portland, Flagstaff, and Albuquerque. If I was young and serious again, knowing what I know, I would not come to Boston to train unless the money and support was real good.

It's only tough here 6 weeks per year. Mid January through February. Train in warmer climate for then if you are that soft.

Meanwhile. I commend the BAA for this effort and hope that it allows for the development of young talent. Lately, it seems like the news around the country is that clubs are shutting it down because of funding. But here comes a trend reversal and I for one welcome it!!!!

I get a kick out of how people whine about all that is wrong with the professional/competitive side of running. Now the BAA makes a great move and the whining shifts to the weather.

Old school rocks wrote:

Shovey wrote:

you mean like when you have to do a 10-mile tempo run and 2 feet of snow were just dumped overnight and it's 10 degrees out? your tempo gets canceled but your competitors training in arizona or san diego get to do their workouts as planned.

Boy that would make it much easier if it wasn't cold or if there wasn't snow. SO YOUR GOAL IS TO MAKE YOUR TRAINING EASIER. Got it. I am sure you are going to be a champion.

I am only slightly making fun of you. I believe that you think like most current top level Americans. Which is why the depth has fallen of so drastically over the last 30 years.

easier? NO workout is a lot easier than the workout you are supposed to do. there is a reason why 99% of the top runners in the world don't train in the winter in cold places. sweden sure has great trails to run on -- in the summer when they aren't buried under 3 feet of snow.

your "i am so tough because i like to train in cold snowy conditions" doesn't cut it at the elite level when guys like rupp, mo, all of the kenyans and all of the ethiopians are training in places where the weather doesn't massively disrupt and cancel workouts for months on end.

also, if the guys 30 years ago were so great, then why did they run so slowly? your heroes like BR, ASal, etc wouldn't be able to stay within 5 minutes of the top guys today. then again, they were doing their workouts in the cold and on ice, which should have given them the mental toughness to hang with 2:03 kenyans despite barely breaking 2:10 on their best days.

He should leave, the town is only big enough for one Mahon. Michael P. Mahon: The Canman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enF5uYjSzxE

Shovey wrote:

also, if the guys 30 years ago were so great, then why did they run so slowly? your heroes like BR, ASal, etc wouldn't be able to stay within 5 minutes of the top guys today.

My Heroes were the 100th ranked American guys in the marathon in the early 80's. How does that compare with the 100th ranked American today? Yep, you lose again.

Directly comparing times is just ignorant. A race with no pacemakers in a world where nobody's run under 2:08 is obviously going to be slower than today's paced races with 10 2:06 guys to block the wind.

Let Us Run wrote:

Directly comparing times is just ignorant. A race with no pacemakers in a world where nobody's run under 2:08 is obviously going to be slower than today's paced races with 10 2:06 guys to block the wind.

ignorant? there are no pacemakers in the olympics and NYC and they run A LOT faster today than 30 years ago. wake up and get a clue.

Old school rocks wrote:

The location is meaningless.

So that whole altitude training thing is bullshit?

BR, ASal, etc were winning races with the times they ran. Today, it's the 2:03 Kenyans who are training on sloppy, rutted dirt roads at altitude and scraping by.

Shovey wrote:

Let Us Run wrote:

Directly comparing times is just ignorant. A race with no pacemakers in a world where nobody's run under 2:08 is obviously going to be slower than today's paced races with 10 2:06 guys to block the wind.

ignorant? there are no pacemakers in the olympics and NYC and they run A LOT faster today than 30 years ago. wake up and get a clue.

GBTC top marathon performers:

1. 2.09.27 Bill Rodgers – Boston, 1979

2. 2.09.41 Alberto Salazar – New York, 1980 [a little short]

3. 2.10.59 Bob Hodge – Nike OTC, 1980

4. 2.11.25 Randy Thomas – Boston, 1978

5. 2.14.36 Richard Mahoney – Boston, 1979

6. 2.14.49 Tim Donovan – Boston, 1978

7. 2.16.25 Andy Palmer – BostonFest, 1983

8. 2.17.30 Bob Clifford – Boston, 1981

9. 2.18.37 Vin Fleming – Boston, 1977

Top 3 are faster than Jason Hartman who finished 4th in Boston the past two years. Randy Thomas ran faster than Hartman at Boston.

I love Canadian football wrote:

The big question is can he surpass Mike Mahon as the top "Mahon" on Boston's running scene?

hurtin wrote:

It will be tough, they'll have to do a sing off of the National anthem, before the next Mayor's cup.

Can't beat this...

Winters aren't as tough as Mammouth. Traffic and expensive.