Women’s Track & Field World
The only publication in the world devoted exclusively to Women’s Track & Field
May 1983 [Heavily edited for brevity. Shout outs to Charlotte Teske, Julie Isphording and Judi St. Hilaire]
On The Road Again
It is no easy task to write a monthly column. Honest. Even an effort such as the one you are reading places some onerous burdens upon its author. My editor has only two rules which he requests – note he hasn’t demanded – that I adhere. The first of these requirements is that the content should relate to women’s road racing. The second mandate is that time which will permit its inclusion in the forthcoming edition. In other words, literary aside, he doesn’t ask much. [And that’s what he gets. – Ed.]
A couple of months ago Mr. Reel moved and forgot (or so he claims) to notify me of his address change.
Last month, the victim of sloth, inertia and lethargy, not to mention lassitude, I failed to submit a column. I was vacationing in a retirement community in Florida and found myself with less energy than those long-toothed elderly by whom I was surrounded.
When this month’s deadline rolled around, I awoke in a quasi-honeymoon retreat, dismayed that I had overlooked yet another deadline. I had been real busy.
Writing has become a little too much like the training I once did to compete in marathons. I seem too alone often weighed down by too little enthusiasm and too much stress. I could respond similarly as I did then; I could stop trying to perform to the best of my ability, and just get fat.
No, I couldn’t. If I stop writing I’ll get obese in the head. Such rambling may violate Vince Reel Rule #1 but I am struck by the similarities between writing and racing/training. Both require energy, self-discipline, desire and maturity.
I feel infinitely better when I do both as well as I can. I promise to start now, but I’ll concentrate on writing first of all. My needs hardly ever ache when I write.
Wendy Smith Sly’s knees probably seem a little tender at times, but she felt no pain after winning the Gasparilla 15K (Tampa, Florida, Feb. 5) with a time of 48:18. The time is superlative, of course, but perhaps no more noteworthy was the name of the second place finisher – Grete Waitz. Sly pulled away from Mrs. Waitz with 300m remaining to win by 12 seconds. This was the first time Grete had lost an event in the USA. Said Sly, “I feel like a child at Christmas. Grete is an idol of mine and I respect hery very much, but it feels good to finally beat her.”
This month’s candidate for most-winnable marathon was the Phidippides of Oregon held in Salem on March 27th. Only Mary Russell could best 3:20 and she did it with but a second to spare.
The Mercer Island Half-Marathon (Seattle WA February 13) went to Gail Volk, a veteran competitor in her early twenties. Volk’s 1:16:50 was 23 seconds too quick for Linda Edgar, a neophyte – or is that ‘tyro’? – in her thirties. I don’t really think your knees care how old you are, but how you are old.
A 29-year-old woman should have more sense but after winning the Empire State Building Run Up (NYC, Feb. 17) Burke Koncelik said, “Athletes like to prove they can do things. I wanted to win.”
Normally admirable sentiments, but here we are reporting a race up 86 stories, as in 1575 steps, won in 13:40. We should petition to have this event added to the Olympics. Wouldn’t that get some East Europeans out of the marathon.
To ensure Vince Reel publishes this tardy submission, I will do what no other man has ever done before.
I hereby predict the winners of the 1983 Boston Marathon will be Greg Meyer and Eleanor Simonsick. I don’t know if either athlete is even entered in the race, but then again I don’t imagine that information would have much impact on my prognostication.
https://towerrunninguk.com/2018/11/26/a-history-of-esbru-1981-1983/