Bob Hodge’s Serial Running Novella
Finishing Out 1979
In September, I moved to Scituate, Massachusetts, taking up residence on Lighthouse Road near Scituate Harbor. My employer and friend Sharpless and I moved into a winter rental until Memorial Day weekend. It is a beautiful spot, with the ocean on one side of the street and the harbor on the other. The back of the house sat right on the harbor, and we had a few small boats in which to tool around.
When my friend Brad came down, we took a dinghy out on the water and were spotted by Sharpless, who was rowing backwards. He laughed, shook his head at us, and said, “Lowell Yacht Club!” It was also a house and an area that had seen many fierce storms, including the Blizzard of 1978 in which someone had perished trying to escape the fury. But in September the temperatures were still warm and the breezes were gentle, with no hint of winter’s coming wrath.
I was already planning a trip south to Florida for January/February so I would miss the most difficult months of New England weather. It was an important year, with the Olympic Marathon Trials set for 24 May 1980 in Buffalo, New York, and I was going all in to prepare. What kind of chance would I have of making the team?
I had just turned twenty-four and had made great progress with my running: I was ranked eighth among Americans by Track & Field News. On the other hand, I had only run two marathons, the 1977 Boston in 2:28 and the 1979 Boston in 2:12. My chances rated a pull-out-all-the-stops approach. I hoped to continue to compete for a long while, but also a few bad races or a severe injury and it was over. This might be my only chance to ever make an Olympic Team, the pinnacle for all of us top-level runners. Making that team meant everything to me as an innocent, not yet jaded and resigned to the fates.
Besides, I was having a blast being a vagabond runner. I loved the lifestyle. Now with a bit of success, I had a bit more financial security than I did in my former life on a shoestring. And I had that 1969 Mustang, which I planned to drive to Florida. I did not yet know it, but December 1979 was the pinnacle of that soon-to-be-dope-slapped dream.
I recently rediscovered my journal covering that period, including my lead-up to the Buffalo Olympic Marathon Trials. In looking back, I see that December was the ultimate high point of my naïve hopes and dreams, but at the time I was wearing rose-colored glasses. In part I was young, with an optimistic future in front of me and a bumpy road to a modest success behind me. The future is indeed in the future, and thus is inscrutable.
In the rest of this book I will from time to time include excerpts from that journal, unedited except for spelling and punctuation, to help the reader run with me on my journey to the Olympic trials. Here is the first entry.
December 9th—Decided to begin keeping a journal on my preparations for the Olympic Trials on May 24th, 1980 in Buffalo, NY. I have been doing steady mileage training for the last two weeks since the AAU Cross Country. My plans right now are to stick with roughly 110 miles a week until the middle of January with only fartlek or easy track and hill workouts. My next race will be a five-miler road race at the Runners World Invitational and a 15K track race on Jan. 2nd neither of which I will train specifically for. In January I will drive down to Clearwater FL where I will train for three months. In February I will do the Ohme 30K in Japan. In late March track workouts and races specifically toward the Penn Relays 10K for qualifying time for trials. I hope to keep this journal of each day’s proceedings for the next 5 months as a general reference point for the future. I am sure that some days will be more complete than others due to lack of time or maybe enthusiasm.
Youth was a factor in my success, but also experience. I was lucky I had a great coach in Bill Squires and been able to train with some of the best. That’s why I was now heading to Florida to run with some of those best and to be entirely focused in a winter-friendly environment. I never thought to go to altitude; if Florida was good enough for Bill Rodgers, Tom Fleming (two-time New York City Marathon winner), et al., it would do for me. I had no contacts or experience with altitude training at that time; otherwise I might have made a different choice.
December 9th continued—Ran 22 miles alone; usual 17 loop, plus usual 5. Other guys never showed so went out at noon. Legs heavy from 14 on, windy and cold. Longest run since running Buffalo Marathon on October 18th (this was a trial run I made over the Trials course). Longest week mileage-wise since August 26th. Ate some brown bread and butter, crackers and cheese, and drinking pot of tea. Took a short nap on the couch. Planning on a quiet night and maybe a few beers. I’ve got this girl on my mind, which is kind of nice and kind of a nightmare.
Girls: I was afraid of them, I had no experience with them, I did not go to the prom, I had one blind date once, and I just “hung out” with a few friendly girls in my Lowell neighborhood. Correction, I did have few actual dates with a woman just before I met Frannie, God bless her.
That woman joined the Peace Corps, and I never saw her again. My roommate Sharpy was a lady’s man and had nicknames for many of his girlfriends. One was the “Blister” – “You see Hodgie, it’s like this; you know, when you get that constant irritation.”
December 11th—Went out last night with Frannie to see the movie Breaking Away; afterwards had dinner, fish and vegetables and five beers. Went for run at 9 A.M. this morning over to Jamaica Pond; ran 10 miles 68 minutes; felt good. Weather has warmed in the 50’s; feels balmy after the cold weekend. Went to Boston College and had a shower; talked with Jack MacDonald, who is considering working with Reebok Shoes, which would be great. Had breakfast at Aegean Fare in Cleveland Circle; cheese omelet, toast, and coffee. Meeting Dickie and Chuck Riley for a run later at BC. Will head to Eliot afterwards.
After a long weekend in Boston, staying at Frannie’s house in Brookline, I headed back to Scituate. I lived very hermitlike on the weekdays and visited Boston on the weekends. I was not getting on the track much now, just building consistent trials of miles for the Olympic TRIALS!
December 12th—Weighed myself today for first time since August, weighed in at 124. My ankle tendon on my right foot has been sore, icing and aspirin. I had a short nap this afternoon, then did 10 miler; feeling sluggish in the warmish weather. Had some soup and salad for dinner, then hit the hay.
Winter was settling in, and the chilly wind and snow were whipping across Scituate Harbor. After a noontime 17-mile run over through Cohasset with training partner and friend Earle, I was headed up to Boston to go to the Greater Boston Track Club Christmas party with Frannie.
December 16th—Stayed over in Boston at Frannie’s house; party was a wild time. Woke up at 8 on Sunday morning after getting to bed at 3. Drove down to Earle’s and then went to Patriots football game. Spent the entire day just eating and drinking; roast beef, and later sandwiches, ice cream, etc.; got home at 10 and went right to bed. Did not run; day off.
December 17th—Got up at 8 and went for 8-mile run. Brutally cold and windy. Temperature at 25 with 30-mile gusts of wind. Legs ache. My consolation on these days is my pending trip to FLA. For the entire miserable winter. Did some weight work: curls and, benches. Cereal and bananas for breakfast.
At this time I was living quite the gypsy life and had been for several years. As described earlier, I moved to the South Shore of Massachusetts from Lowell in the spring of 1978, not long after a ten-month trip around the country. I initially lived in the basement of the sporting goods store where I was employed in Hanover and later in an apartment in Hanover before I moved to Scituate, a seasonal rental.
In January I would leave for Florida for two months or more, including a ten-day stay in Japan in February. I was living large, doing something I loved, competing with the best, and avoiding for now the inevitable grind of a conventional life.
But it was not all fun and games.
December 18th—Went up to Reebok in Hingham for a run from the office there, 8 miles. Got some new shoes and got paid, so I now feel like it’s official. Had a good talk with Paul Fireman and Jim Barclay, the principals in Reebok USA, and I now have a better understanding of what is going on with this venture I have signed on with. I think that things will go smoother now, better communication etc. I plan to write to Joe Foster in England, the founder of Reebok, and thank him for the shoes he made for me, which feel great and should work out well. Went out for dinner; had fish for dinner many nights in a row now and vegetables, two beers, soup, etc. A celebration kick-off with Reebok.
The running shoe wars were well alive with Adidas and Puma vying for the top athletes in Olympic track & field long before the American running boom. The top athletes received payments, usually cash, in violation of amateur rules. Everyone was aware; hypocrisy was rampant. In the late 1970s I had decided to “go for it” and try to make the Olympic Team and/or win the Boston Marathon – my ultimate goals. There were not too many people with whom I could share my goals, as they were not practical and did not involve a “real” profession. I would need to find a job, and right from the beginning that involved shoes.
First, I worked in a shoe factory in Lowell, which had nothing to do with athletic shoes. I’m not sure how long I might have continued working there, although it did mesh okay with my athletic pursuits, but I needed to show solid progress toward my running goals to make the drudge of honest work at minimum wage bearable. By then I was a member of the Greater Boston Track Club, a group started by athletes for athletes in pursuit of goals beyond collegiate competition. Our common goal was to win the National Cross Country Championship, which we attained in 1979 as you know.
In 1978, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., in Boston offered me a small contract to run in their shoes. New Balance had been supportive and provided me with shoes and clothing for training and competition. I had competed well against other athletes under contract there, and so I suppose they figured I was also worthy of support.
Then I won the Bay to Breakers Road Race in San Francisco and also won the invitation to Sydney to compete in the City to Surf Road Race, a sister race. New Balance invited me in to talk about my contract. I expected at least double the $5,000 I was currently making as I knew what other athletes made and thought I should now be paid accordingly.
Before meeting with them, I was quite unexpectedly approached by a consultant working with upstart Reebok USA. This person owned a regional running publication and I think sold Reebok on the idea I was the next Bill Rodgers. I met with Paul Fireman and Jim Barclay, who were partners in this venture. They offered me $10,000.
At the meeting with New Balance, they offered me $8,000. Not being a person overly interested in money beyond my basic needs, I lacked the subtle art of negotiation wherein I would then ask for 12 and they would say 9 and we would settle on $10,000. So I walked out and signed with Reebok. It was a bit of an ordeal over the next few years I was with them, but I ran some good races, had some lifetime personal records, and also hit rock bottom with injury. Every grand plan has a few bumps in the road.
The Christmas Season was upon us now and I had no use for it. I always hated the commercialization, hysteria and hoopla. It interfered with my little hermit running life, and so I could not wait for it to be over.
December 19th—Went to Assinippi General Store [in Hanover] for breakfast of pancakes and made some phone calls. Made it up to Boston around noon and went for 15-mile run with Billy and Vinny. After, went to lunch with Greg and Bill Roach at Aegean Fare and got Greg’s check to him for travel to AAU Cross Country. Went on the Jingle Bell run from BC.
Reebok put a lot into it, hiring a Rolls Royce, but I think it gave them some notice and good will. They are trying to woo Bill Rodgers to run for them, which would be great. Had quite a few beers and then hit the sack with Frannie.
December 20th—Got up early and went to Lowell with Vinnie and Randy to do a talk for the local Chamber of Commerce at a restaurant, JP Donahue. Rob McGregor was also there. It was pretty low key, with us talking while everyone ate breakfast. My Uncle Charlie was there, which was a nice surprise, with his son Ed’s wife. Felt tired all day with sore throat. Drove back from Lowell to Melrose, where we went for a 7-mile run on which I never felt good. After, Vinnie and I went to a shopping mall to do the dreaded Christmas shop doodoo. Met Frannie later and gave her a ride to the airport; she is headed to Indianapolis for Christmas with family. Traffic was crazy; finally made it home, made some pasta, and put feet up with ice on ankles. Planning lots of zzz’s tonight.
We all have a peak of power, a peak of innocence, and a peak of wonder. Until we are old and mature, we are not sure when and what that peak was or whether we have hit it yet. For me, 1979/1980 at age 23/24 was a big turning point in my life.
December 22nd—Got up at 9:00 which was a bit of a struggle after going to the Celtics game last night and not getting home until 2. I met some old friends from Lowell at the game and went out for beers. I was supposed to go to Vinnie’s house for a party after the game, but I thought too much: I can’t burn the candle at both ends, as I find out time and again. Got in 10 miler this morning, going out again at three for another 10. I have bad sore throat; drinking lots of tea and honey. Went out to the bank, made some calls, and finished the shopping doo doo.
December 23rd—Good night’s sleep last night; did 20-miler this morning with Gene Morris, went out at 11:00. Sore throat persistent and feeling tired. Heading up to Lowell soon for Christmas with family and friends.
December 25th—Went over to Stevie’s house last night and ate, drank, and talked with old friends; got home around 2. Got up at 11 and opened gifts with my parents; went out for 10-miler at noon; felt good. Throat still raw and having some coughing fits. Spent all day at brother Mike’s house eating and drinking like mad. Went to visit Stevie for a while, then came back and took parents home. Hit the hay at 11.
It was always nice but odd to be back in Lowell visiting family. Since I had moved away and run so well at Boston and then traveled to Europe and Australia, coming back reminded me of my old life, and I was focused on the future. I never thought of Lowell as so bad ass, but whenever I told people on the South Shore I grew up in Lowell their reaction would be mock horror.
December 27th—Slept 11 hours last night, much needed. Went for 8-miler this morning; need to run some errands and finish article for New England Running. Met Earle at three in the afternoon and jogged over to Norwell High School track, not too cold but very windy. Ran five repeat miles at an average of 4:50; working hard but good to get it in.
December 28th—Got up at 8 and went out to buy a newspaper. I had a bit of a rough time sleeping last night with a bad cough. Went out for breakfast at the Assinippi General Store, then went to Reebok office for a meeting. I got some shoes and a running suit for my trip. Went out at one with Earle for 17 miler through Cohasset; extremely windy. Heading up to Boston tonight to stay at Frannie’s; leave for California RW National Running Week events tomorrow.