SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2017

Two recent articles on runblogrun.com1,2 by Jeff Benjamin (brought to my attention by Coach Jim Spivey) offer fun retrospectives on racing by Olympic Marathon gold medalist Frank Shorter and multiple Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers.

We (meaning Frank, Bill and I) are the same age, with Frank a few months older than me and Bill a day younger than me. And, we are all runners and Frank and I have both competed successfully in multisport events. (OK, I was not duathlon masters world champion like Frank.) I have actually completed with both Bill and Frank in races. (I know, the idea of me being in their class is a bit ludicrous.)

I turned to Wikipedia for a summary of my peers' achievements (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Rodgers_(runner), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Shorter).

Bill Rodgers

William Henry "Bill" Rodgers is an American runner and former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for his four victories in the Boston Marathon, including three straight 1978-1980

Born: December 23, 1947 (age 69), Hartford, CT

Height: 5′ 9″

Nationality: American

Education: Wesleyan University, Boston College

Quotes

The marathon can humble you.

Anybody can be a runner... We were meant to move. We were meant to run. It's the easiest sport.

My whole feeling in terms of racing is that you have to be very bold. You sometimes have to be aggressive and gamble.

The starting line of the New York Marathon is kind of like a giant time bomb behind you about to go off. It is the most spectacular start in sport.

I believe you'll develop speed via strength work which includes hill running, either repeats, or running hilly courses as the Kenyans do on a steady basis.

Frank Shorter

Olympic athlete

Frank Charles Shorter is an American former long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics

Born: October 31, 1947 (age 69), Munich, Germany

Height: 5′ 10″

Weight: 134 lbs

Gold medal: Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon

Quotes

A good athlete always mentally replays a competition over and over, even in victory, to see what might be done to improve the performance the next time.

In other words we have marketed our way into this health crisis.

I think it is that parents just don't kick their kids out the door as much as they used to. I think the demise of sandlot sports has had a lot to do with it.

I looked me up in Wikipedia...and found nothing. But here's what my Wikipedia reference, if it existed, might say about the weak link in this trio of 69-year-old runners:

Lee Crumbaugh

Runner and triathlete

Lee Forrest Crumbaugh is an amateur runner, Ironman triathlete and former short-track speed skater who has not achieved the heights of his same-aged peers Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter, but has raced with them (Boston Marathon 2009 with Rogers, who beat him by 14 minutes -see http://www.masters-runner.com/2009/04/race-report-boston-maathon-2009.html- and Coors Light Duathlon in Chicago in 1991 with Shorter, who left him in the dust.)

Born: December 22, 1947 (age 69), Chicago, IL

Height: 5′ 7″

Nationality: American

Education: Colorado State University, University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Indiana University.

Quotes

Our limits are mostly self-imposed. Only by going beyond them can we know what we are capable of.

I've never regretted a workout after I've completed it.

If you are feeling bad on the run, run faster.

Being a successful athlete is a lifestyle. Successful athletes continually work on improving their game across the spectrum, including form, fitness, mindset, nutrition and fueling, rest and sleep, recovery, heart-rate training, cross training, strength training, speed work, endurance, equipment and clothing, training progression and much more.

When athletes train with the best, they are pulled and pushed to raise their game. "The best" offer role models and sources of great learning about how to be better and get better results.

Running should be fun. When it isn't, reset your attitude and/or your training. If running is not your job, don't treat it like work.

Running is a privilege. We are blessed to be healthy and able to run and compete. Appreciate that blessing and share it!

I see life in general similar to racing an Ironman or marathon. Starting is the act 99% of people who ought to be pushing at their limits do not risk. But by starting, we create great possibilities of learning new and important things, and of finding fresh vistas and opportunities. So right there, by committing to start, we are way ahead of the pack. And then we have the long, hilly, hard journey, pushing on, sometimes a exhilarating ride, sometimes a challenging test, but with the promise of great insights and great reward.

1 http://www.runblogrun.com/2017/08/frank-shorter-reminisces-about-nb-falmouth.html?utm_content=buffere22ff&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.WZavUAzt9Vo.buffer

2 http://www.runblogrun.com/2017/08/bill-rodgers-talks-about-what-new-balance-falmouth-means-to-him.html?utm_content=bufferadaef&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.WZaxLpnRSiQ.buffer

3 Shorter photo reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frank_Shorter_at_Boston_2002.jpg