The tightness was still there this morning so I elected to do strength training and run tomorrow morning and give myself a rest day. As I write this tonight its turning out to be a good decision.
I am going to need the right person to be my coach next year for the 2016 Akron Marathon. Of course its a way off considering I have a shorter range goal but I think I have just the guy for 2016. If you ask most runners today, "Who is Bill Rodgers?" most folks will know him probably from reading about him, meeting him at numerous race expos, or perhaps what their dads and moms told them. Certainly Rodgers is a legendary runner and deservedly so. Most dedicated runners will know Frank Shorter, Bart Yasso, Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley. as well as many others from the golden era of the North America marathon running up until the mid-1980's in the 20th Century. It was a time when Americans and Canadians ruled the marathon roads. Ask someone at a running expo any place outside the Boston area today who Randy Thomas is, and the reaction will go something like this:
"Who?"
"What's that name again?"
"Never heard of him."
I said to Bill Rodgers at the first Akron Marathon Expo, "Bill, I know a friend of yours, Randy Thomas." Bill's response, "You know Randy? He was my rival. He was really good."
In the height of the Greater Boston Track Club's popularity in the late '70's and early 80's, New Balance had posters of Randy and other notable runners who were sponsored by what was then a relatively new company. Randy was in a running store buying something. His life size poster was on the wall right behind the register. Randy asked pointing to the poster, "Do you know that guy?" The clerk said, "No." He didn't make the connection! My guess is that the employee wasn't a runner.
The Boston Globe back around 1979 did a feature article I recall entitled, "He's Always Chasing Rodgers." The article talked about the numerous times that Randy in key races came close and how good a runner he really was. Randy came so close to beating Boston Billy and certainly did from time to time or tied him, or so I am told.
A picture from that time period. Randy Thomas on the left and Bill Rodgers on the right. I can't recall another picture I have ever seen of Bill Rodgers with a tie on let alone a three piece suit. I'm sure they exist. I just don't remember seeing them.
Back in the 1980, Pepsi sponsored a national 10K running series with the championships in Purchase, New York. Sports Illustrated covered the championship event that year. There in a fantastic finish line photo was Rodgers crossing the line in first and Randy just slightly behind him but only by an incredibly small margin.
To Boston and knowledgeable runners during this era, Rodgers and Thomas were like Lennon and McCartney. Jagger and Richards. Hall and Oates. Working together they made each other better under the coaching of Bill Squires and a quite historic group of Greater Boston Track Club teammates. To think of Randy as a sparing partner would be a gross distortion of history. Randy was hugely successful in his own right. How successful? Try this partial list on for size:
- World-Record Holder for 30-Kilometer Run
- Previous-Record Holder for the 10 mile and 20-Kilometer Distances
- Previous American Record Holder for the 15 Kilometer, 10-mile, 20-Kilometer and 30-Kilometer Distances
- Winner of Numerous Races at All Distances Across the Country
- Fifth-place finishes in the 1977 and 1978 Boston Marathon
- Course record holder for the Cape Cod Marathon. A record that has stood for 29 years.
For the past nineteen years, Randy has been either the men's and women's cross-country and track coach for Boston College, and more recently has coached just the women's program. In the life following his active running career, Randy's teams have captured Big East cross-country titles, and he himself has been recognized as Coach of the Year at several levels of recognition. His former athletes hold him in the highest regard. I know. I've run into a couple of his former team members from time to time. Musical artist and guitarist Ellis Paul was coached by Randy. He's "RT" to most but to Mari and me he's Randy. We don't see him that often but Randy and Marcy are family as far as I'm concerned.
This picture of support was sent to Randy prior to the trials with Grover the Muppet, the Hailer boys at ages 2 and 1 respectively, and a Misha the Bear latch hook rug which was the logo of the Russian Olympics prior to the decision being made to boycott. The famous RT New Balance poster is in the background. I think the poster got destroyed about five years later when the boys imitating young Jedi warriors were using Wiffle ball bats like Star Wars light sabers and well...bye, bye poster.
As I disclosed earlier to my friends on Facebook, my second son is named after Randy. I had this theory that it was important to have strong names for our boys and hopefully the names of men I held in high regard and would remain so just in case anything every happened to me when the boys were younger. My thinking was there would be positive points of reference in their names to help guide them. Both Randys grew to be men of honor and integrity. Mari and I got it right.
I knew as Randy Thomas was operating in the shadows behind Rodgers that he would make a great coach. When I would talk with him whether he realized it or not, he was always talking about race strategy and the teachings of Coach Bill Squires. Every runner Randy talked about that he thought was special before they became famous, became famous. He has an eye for running talent and character in a runner. He roomed with Greg Meyer who went on to win the Boston Marathon. Randy when he talked about other runners would tell me what their strengths and weaknesses were. That's what coaches do. He learned a lot from Coach Squires. You don't last and succeed nineteen years in college coaching at the same great university like Boston College unless you truly know what you're doing and care more about the athletes and the school than you care about yourself.
At a New York City Marathon, Randy figured out that Finnish marathon great Lasse Viren was not seriously competing in the race and and surmised that Viren was only in town for the appearance money. Randy saw Viren eating a big breakfast. He tipped off his fellow teammates so that they wouldn't burn themselves out trying to stay with Finn. Randy could have kept the information to himself but if he was going to win, he was going to win with his best or not at all. Randy was competitive as hell as a runner and begrudged nobody who left it all on the course who bested him on any day. Randy knew there was never a shortcut to greatness.
The great Lasse Viren from Finland. before he mailed it in in New York for the appearance money. I don't think that is something Steve Prefontaine would ever have done. Just my opinion.
Randy lead the Olympic Trials on the old Skylon Marathon course from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1980 for a while. The truth was that the Trials that year was a race that would lead to nowhere for the American team. The United States was boycotting the Moscow Olympics. Mari and I were there to support Randy at Fort Erie on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge out of Buffalo.
Randy is in the New Balance singlet at the trials along the Niagara River:
This picture of support was sent to Randy prior to the trials with Grover the Muppet, the Hailer boys at ages 2 and 1 respectively, and a Misha the Bear latch hook rug which was the logo of the Russian Olympics prior to the decision being made to boycott. The famous RT New Balance poster is in the background. I think the poster got destroyed about five years later when the boys imitating young Jedi warriors were using Wiffle ball bats like Star Wars light sabers and well...bye, bye poster.
As I disclosed earlier to my friends on Facebook, my second son is named after Randy. I had this theory that it was important to have strong names for our boys and hopefully the names of men I held in high regard and would remain so just in case anything every happened to me when the boys were younger. My thinking was there would be positive points of reference in their names to help guide them. Both Randys grew to be men of honor and integrity. Mari and I got it right.
I knew as Randy Thomas was operating in the shadows behind Rodgers that he would make a great coach. When I would talk with him whether he realized it or not, he was always talking about race strategy and the teachings of Coach Bill Squires. Every runner Randy talked about that he thought was special before they became famous, became famous. He has an eye for running talent and character in a runner. He roomed with Greg Meyer who went on to win the Boston Marathon. Randy when he talked about other runners would tell me what their strengths and weaknesses were. That's what coaches do. He learned a lot from Coach Squires. You don't last and succeed nineteen years in college coaching at the same great university like Boston College unless you truly know what you're doing and care more about the athletes and the school than you care about yourself.
At a New York City Marathon, Randy figured out that Finnish marathon great Lasse Viren was not seriously competing in the race and and surmised that Viren was only in town for the appearance money. Randy saw Viren eating a big breakfast. He tipped off his fellow teammates so that they wouldn't burn themselves out trying to stay with Finn. Randy could have kept the information to himself but if he was going to win, he was going to win with his best or not at all. Randy was competitive as hell as a runner and begrudged nobody who left it all on the course who bested him on any day. Randy knew there was never a shortcut to greatness.
The great Lasse Viren from Finland. before he mailed it in in New York for the appearance money. I don't think that is something Steve Prefontaine would ever have done. Just my opinion.
Randy lead the Olympic Trials on the old Skylon Marathon course from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1980 for a while. The truth was that the Trials that year was a race that would lead to nowhere for the American team. The United States was boycotting the Moscow Olympics. Mari and I were there to support Randy at Fort Erie on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge out of Buffalo.
Randy is in the New Balance singlet at the trials along the Niagara River:
Fifteen years later, Randy and his wife Marcy, along with Mari would be at the 13.1 mile mark when I had to drop out of the Cape Cod Marathon with a muscle strain at the half-way point. I hated to but it wasn't my day and the truth is, I wasn't properly prepared. I've always appreciated that particular moment of support when I run. To me, while a DNF beats a DNS, (Did Not Finish and Did Not Start), it still sucks and leaves an empty feeling when you don't finish a race. It's one of the moments in my running career that is driving me in this period of my running life and keeping me from mailing it in at work as I close in on retirement. I've got too much pride to do that and people are counting on me to give my best. The good news however from that day on Cape Cod for you RT fans. is that I left Randy's Cape Cod Marathon course record intact. Lucky for him!
If you know Randy or meet him sometime and are wondering how to start up a conversation, here's a couple of ideas:
If you know Randy or meet him sometime and are wondering how to start up a conversation, here's a couple of ideas:
- Ask him about dining at "Swifty's" near the Toledo airport.
- Ask him if he's ever been to Wapakoneta, the home of Neil Armstrong.
- Ask him if he can name the starting lineup the '67 Red Sox in the World Series.
- Ask him who won the first Tawa 10K in Ottawa, Ohio
My granddaughter loves cross country and track. Nobody knows if she will run in college. If she does and if it isn't for Randy, I hope its for a coach just like him.
Well friends, you don't have to spend a whole lot of time with someone for them to have a positive effect on your life. Coaches at most have four years, and usually less than that with the members of their team, but they can really make a positive difference in someone. It's a difference that may even last a lifetime. I'm no Steve Prefontaine but we have the same first name. It's a start. I will need a really good coach after this base marathon stuff is done. I think I have just the guy. Hope he says, "Yes." It's all about life in the long run.
And while we are on the subject coaches, let me place the help wanted ad now for my coach for The 2016 Akron Marathon:
"Help Wanted: Coach for a 66 year old runner in the spring of 2016 through the last Saturday in September 2016. Will accept applications from world record holders and successful college coaching experience is a must. Applicant must be able to motivated dumb old guy behavior like eating Oreos and struggling make smart nutrition decisions. Will need to work with runner's spouse to get him to stay and keep on the straight and narrow path to excellence. Coaching can be done by providing a schedule and occasional long distance phone calls from time to time. Anyone not having the initials R.T. need not apply."
Here's a picture from October 7, 1978 after the Tawa 10K. (So this coaching thing wouldn't be the first time we worked on something together!)
Here's a picture from October 7, 1978 after the Tawa 10K. (So this coaching thing wouldn't be the first time we worked on something together!)
Well friends, you don't have to spend a whole lot of time with someone for them to have a positive effect on your life. Coaches at most have four years, and usually less than that with the members of their team, but they can really make a positive difference in someone. It's a difference that may even last a lifetime. I'm no Steve Prefontaine but we have the same first name. It's a start. I will need a really good coach after this base marathon stuff is done. I think I have just the guy. Hope he says, "Yes." It's all about life in the long run.
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