Posted by The Flash on March 12, 2007 at 11:40:02:
I guess I agree with Marty on this whole dialogue. Those carefree days decades ago when gas was 75 cents, the recession was still years away, and according to some old timers, Martling pond ran clear as Poland Spring water. It was a different world from present time . Are the runners from the seventies and eighties a physically higher evolved runner than the those of present day? Of course not. There were simply more of them pushing each other harder through rigorous group training. There is a reason that in race results on S.I there is a very select pack of elites.. Lamorte, Dorsey,Mio,Ballou,Herrera,etc.that come in well ahead of the other competition. The the rest of us mere mortals packed together within seconds/minutes of on of another. The presence of a supportive, competitive training group cannot be denied. Without my crew of workout buddies I would not be nearly as motivated to strive to the next level. It's what we all should push for. There is always Scotty ,Terry, or Dorsey, or for our veteran runners, Ray Coco on the horizon infront of you.
To Ryan and Alma, no blood lost. I just had to represent my demographic. It's true the world is harder for post collegiate runners as a growing competition in the work force coupled with longer hours and less pay in realation to cost of living makes it a hard knock life for us youngbloods. While it cannot be denied that times were faster 25 years ago, it too cannot be disproven that NEARLY all of the present elite runners in SI work on S.I and luckily don't have to contend with long, harried Manhattan commutes. This is not trying to downplay the achievements of those amazing athletes. They have families and responsibilites too but working close to home does give extra time to train. To run eighty miles a week (as many did back then) when you leave the house at 6:30 in the morning and don't get home till close to 8:00 at night is a regimen for a more steely reserved person than I.
Race on S.I, and don't look back! - The Flash