Ok, You:ve Gotten Your Wish:

[EPelle]

Exclusive coverage, excitement, news print, a magasine cover, and photos in nearly every large paper.

Deena Wins. Gatlins Sets WR. Jones Not a Flash in the Pan.

Do these happenings help get new American kids to the starting lines, or just put a little feel-good into the current ones?

[tandfman]

Re: Ok, You:ve Gotten Your Wish:

Exclusive coverage, excitement, news print, a magasine cover, and photos in nearly every large paper.

Deena Wins. Gatlins Sets WR. Jones Not a Flash in the Pan.

Do these happenings help get new American kids to the starting lines, or just put a little feel-good into the current ones?

Hey, maybe both! Why does it have to be one or the other?

[EPelle]

Ok. How long does the feel-good last before a new person comes into the sport as a result of that?

[tandfman]

Ok. How long does the feel-good last before a new person comes into the sport as a result of that?

We may never know. It could be an 11-year old kid, or perhaps a high schooler who had quit the sport for a year and now sees that comebacks are possible. It could also be more than one. And they may not ever tell us that the turning point in their lives was what happened this Spring. They may not even be aware of it themselves.

But it seems to me that a positive image of the sport as one in which Americans can be successful and in which great achievements are well publicized and celebrated should help our sport's environment in every way, including its impact on people who may or may not come into the sport.

[EPelle]

How many non-track and field fans did you tell about this race? How many will you tell at work tomorrow?

[tandfman]

How many non-track and field fans did you tell about this race? How many will you tell at work tomorrow?

I've made it a lifelong habit not to initiate conversations about track with non-track friends or co-workers. Most of them (like most people) are not very interested. They all know about my involvement with the sport. If they want to talk about it, fine--I'm glad to. And they sometimes do. But otherwise I've preferred not to risk either boring my friends and office colleagues or appearing to them to be uni-dimensional.

[tafnut]

How many non-track and field fans did you tell about this race? How many will you tell at work tomorrow?

I've made it a lifelong habit not to initiate conversations about track with non-track friends or co-workers. Most of them (like most people) are not very interested. They all know about my involvement with the sport. If they want to talk about it, fine--I'm glad to. And they sometimes do. But otherwise I've preferred not to risk either boring my friends and office colleagues or appearing to them to be uni-dimensional.

I gave up long ago trying to talk track with ANYBODY, including fellow track coaches. At a BIG meet yesterday, I mentioned Gatlin's WR to some coaches and most said "Gatlin who?" and he's from FLORIDA (state I'm in)! That should begin to explain why I'm at seven bajillion posts.

[MJD]

I had to see a medical professional the other day and he was asking me about my activities so I told him that I run. He started to ask me about it and I reluctantly started to answer his questions when he started to ask how far and times, etc. I thought he was your typical person who thought finishing a marathon is impressive but we ended up talking for 20 minutes before he got down to business. Turns out that he was a provincial level athlete in HS, we knew some of the same people and that we had won the same race:

http://www.adultlearningcentres.ca/race.php

Trophy has some national class runners on it who have won the race over the years. We agreed the years he and I won were clearly soft.

[Guest]

I had to see a medical professional the other day and he was asking me about my activities so I told him that I run. He started to ask me about it and I reluctantly started to answer his questions when he started to ask how far and times, etc. I thought he was your typical person who thought finishing a marathon is impressive but we ended up talking for 20 minutes before he got down to business.

I often have such discussions with my doctor, who is also a runner. The last time I was there I had the first appointment of the day and he told me that I was probably the only person he would see all day who wasn't overweight.

[eldrick]

i think i trump you guyz

last time i got to talk to anyone about athletics was in '98 when a guy mentioned :
"that ato guy has a big mouth & is full of s%!^"

i replied
"yeah"

the topic conversation ended at that point


the guy i was talking to ?

my brother

[Daisy]

How many non-track and field fans did you tell about this race? How many will you tell at work tomorrow?

I've made it a lifelong habit not to initiate conversations about track with non-track friends or co-workers. Most of them (like most people) are not very interested. They all know about my involvement with the sport. If they want to talk about it, fine--I'm glad to. And they sometimes do. But otherwise I've preferred not to risk either boring my friends and office colleagues or appearing to them to be uni-dimensional.

I gave up long ago trying to talk track with ANYBODY, including fellow track coaches. At a BIG meet yesterday, I mentioned Gatlin's WR to some coaches and most said "Gatlin who?" and he's from FLORIDA (state I'm in)! That should begin to explain why I'm at seven bajillion posts.

I'm amazed that some who coaches in track would not know or care about Gatlin. I can only assume they are in track to scout for football or their kids happpen to be good and s/he will move on as a coach when they leave the sport.

I also never talk about track with people. A bright point. My new neighbour loves to talk about distance racing and has even heard of Bob Kennedy!! Even then, i have been careful not to over do chatting to him. i don't want him to think I am obsessed by the sport.
__________
Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous. Confucius

[jeremyp]

How many non-track and field fans did you tell about this race? How many will you tell at work tomorrow?

I told my wife about Marion and she rolled her eyes. :wink: no-one else in my social group would care.

[Half Miler]

"I gave up long ago trying to talk track with ANYBODY, including fellow track coaches. At a BIG meet yesterday, I mentioned Gatlin's WR to some coaches and most said "Gatlin who?" and he's from FLORIDA (state I'm in)! That should begin to explain why I'm at seven bajillion posts."


Pat...you serious? This is really hard to imagine the way you described it.

[Half Miler]

Forgot to mention what happened to me a little over a month ago:

Normally I avoid bringing up t&f in conversation as well. But on my return flight from Turkey in April after viewing the eclipse I sat next to a gentleman who was fiddling with his iPod. This provided an opening as I had mine as well, and he mentioned it was great to use while he was "getting back into running". Hey, really? So was I. Turns out, we had both specilaized in the 8 and had similar PRs in many events, although he was clearly the superior athlete. But still, the coincidence was not lost on me considering this was the first time in probably 20 years I had met a stranger who knew antything about track.

He told me some good stories about Joachim Cruz as well (his coach at SD State).

[EPelle]

I am a bit surprised at some of you. This is your big chance to show off your sport, and not wait for the paltry news coverage to attempt to do it for you. What happened to being an earth-shaker and getting the word out?

Obvsiously, I am not asking if you guys/gals stand on street corners next to a local zip code-less inhabitant selling yesterday:s news.

But this is your big chance. You have athletes in the limelight. Are most of you not assertive? Must be the sales part in my background that would make me ask that question of a stranger reading the Gatlin article in a local coffee shop. But then again, we are not so keen on open coversation with strangers, either, hence our elevator-esque, dry, humble personalities.