Tweet
Ok, Let's switch the title so we don't have any NCAA rules violations.
This thread will continue from another thread, for those just picking it up.
Why does 3:54 sound so fast today? Does one think that Jason Lunn is not training to race faster? Yes, I can honestly say, that coach Gags has been one of my mentors. John McDonell and Al Carius (N. Central college, d3) I would also like to include in that title, of being humble and people that have taken me under their wing. I feel honored that Coach Gags has asked me to fly out to SFO and speak to the kids he is coaching in December. In some ways, I will speak what I want to hear, if I was there age. . . yet,not sure I would have listened. At age 25-30, you think you are going to make Olympic teams for the rest of your life.
Concerning the money issue, I always wanted to run not for the money, but for personal reasons. I found that while in a Grand Prix final, and if you pass one more person you win $2000 more, I could never be motivated for dollars. Don't feel bad for js - in 1988, between Nike, Olymipic USOC stipend ($1500/mo - based upon winning the bronze medal in 1987), a HMO sponsorship, and regualr race money, I was low 6-figure income. Nike did make the correct business decision in 1989, by offering me significantly less for a contract: I was 29, and injured. I believe that is why I switched to Asics for $0 - I wanted to prove to Nike that I was still viable, and could run 3:49 again. I was able to support my family from 1983-1997 on running income, and Asics played a huge part of that from 1991-1998.
In 1986, I knew I was in great shape, and had run 10x400 in 57-58 with 200m job between. I ran 1:48 solo 800 in practice a week before Oslo. I knew I was fit, and went over a week early to get adjusted to the time difference. All the big guns were running the dream mile, including the World record holder Cram and AR Scott.
We would race the dream mile at 1120pm Oslo time, so it could be shown on the ABC Wide world of sports live. Visualize, completely dark, except the stadium of 15,000, small by European standards. The track only has 6 lanes in the backstretch, with the bricked wall 3-4 feet high for spectators to sit behind. They had metal billboards placed on the brick walls, and kids would lay their chests on the brick walls, and beat out a "bang-bang-bang" in unision as you ran by. Each group would pick up the sound as you flew along the track. It was so loud, that I could not hear myself breathe.
My log book is at school, so I can't give you the splits, but it was fast through the 3/4 mile mark - something like 2:52.5(yards). Cram hammered the 3rd 440, and put a gap on the rest of the field. With a lap to go, I dug in and saw Cram starting to come back. This made me think more positive, and I pressed on the back stretch. I thought I could catch him with 200 to go, then Scotty flew by me like a train, and almost caught Cram. I tightened up, and I can remember to this day, the lactic acid the last 80 meters - my head was swimming. The line could not have come soon enough. I went through the line, and thought, I bet I ran under 3:50, because this is what it should feel like.
I did not find out from the Athletic West's agent, Pete Petersons, until we were back in the hotel, what my time was. I remember him standing outside the hotel, and I asked him what my time was. He did not know, but had the results. He found the page, and I scanned down and all I saw was 3:4 . . .I did not even register the last digit. It did not matter. I went for a warm-down, and just so you know that all milers are not the stoic, no pain type, I remember warming down, and stopping, dropping to one knee, after 1am in the morning, and crying. I can remember thinking, why did I deserve to run so fast. Ok, it sounds a bit silly, but I did wonder this. Everyone trains. Everyone trains hard. I was only putting in 55-65 miles per week in the spring, and I am sure I was in the 40-50 range before the race. Maybe . . . my head was still swimming in the lactic!
Postline: In 1983, after finishing 2nd in 3:50.59, I received $300, and no appearance money.
I gave it back to Pete, and said that if this was all I was worth, please give it back to the meet director. He came back the next morning, and gave me the original 300 plus $200 kroners (Norway) "This was all he had Jim." 1986 - $1000 in appearance money, "No bonus money Jim."
I switched agents in 1987 to Kim McDonald, and my income that year tripled. Ok, I did run fast, but he was the best and what he did. I think Kim was only able to get $1000 or $1500 to show up in 1986, but I remember him telling me - "that't the last time. The meet director no realizes that he is no longer dealing with Pete." In 1988 - I had a stress fracture from a pair of defective air-bag Nike shoes, and missed 4.27-5.24 in training. I ran 3:56.7 at Pepsi after 2 weeks of training, and Mike said, "You will run 3:50 at Olso." I ran 3:59 at Lausanne to finish 3rd, not giving me any confidence for Oslo. But you do have to believe in our coach. 8th at Oslo I believe, 3:50.8 and $5000 to show.
Bonus money from Nike:
I found my 1988 Nike contract upstairs, dated 12.8.87. Here was the bonus structure:
sub 3:50.00 $500
sub 3:49.00 $1500
sub 3:48.00 $2000
sub 3:47.69 $2500
sub 3:47.30 $3000
sub 3:46.80 $5,000
js
This thread will continue from another thread, for those just picking it up.
Why does 3:54 sound so fast today? Does one think that Jason Lunn is not training to race faster? Yes, I can honestly say, that coach Gags has been one of my mentors. John McDonell and Al Carius (N. Central college, d3) I would also like to include in that title, of being humble and people that have taken me under their wing. I feel honored that Coach Gags has asked me to fly out to SFO and speak to the kids he is coaching in December. In some ways, I will speak what I want to hear, if I was there age. . . yet,not sure I would have listened. At age 25-30, you think you are going to make Olympic teams for the rest of your life.
Concerning the money issue, I always wanted to run not for the money, but for personal reasons. I found that while in a Grand Prix final, and if you pass one more person you win $2000 more, I could never be motivated for dollars. Don't feel bad for js - in 1988, between Nike, Olymipic USOC stipend ($1500/mo - based upon winning the bronze medal in 1987), a HMO sponsorship, and regualr race money, I was low 6-figure income. Nike did make the correct business decision in 1989, by offering me significantly less for a contract: I was 29, and injured. I believe that is why I switched to Asics for $0 - I wanted to prove to Nike that I was still viable, and could run 3:49 again. I was able to support my family from 1983-1997 on running income, and Asics played a huge part of that from 1991-1998.
In 1986, I knew I was in great shape, and had run 10x400 in 57-58 with 200m job between. I ran 1:48 solo 800 in practice a week before Oslo. I knew I was fit, and went over a week early to get adjusted to the time difference. All the big guns were running the dream mile, including the World record holder Cram and AR Scott.
We would race the dream mile at 1120pm Oslo time, so it could be shown on the ABC Wide world of sports live. Visualize, completely dark, except the stadium of 15,000, small by European standards. The track only has 6 lanes in the backstretch, with the bricked wall 3-4 feet high for spectators to sit behind. They had metal billboards placed on the brick walls, and kids would lay their chests on the brick walls, and beat out a "bang-bang-bang" in unision as you ran by. Each group would pick up the sound as you flew along the track. It was so loud, that I could not hear myself breathe.
My log book is at school, so I can't give you the splits, but it was fast through the 3/4 mile mark - something like 2:52.5(yards). Cram hammered the 3rd 440, and put a gap on the rest of the field. With a lap to go, I dug in and saw Cram starting to come back. This made me think more positive, and I pressed on the back stretch. I thought I could catch him with 200 to go, then Scotty flew by me like a train, and almost caught Cram. I tightened up, and I can remember to this day, the lactic acid the last 80 meters - my head was swimming. The line could not have come soon enough. I went through the line, and thought, I bet I ran under 3:50, because this is what it should feel like.
I did not find out from the Athletic West's agent, Pete Petersons, until we were back in the hotel, what my time was. I remember him standing outside the hotel, and I asked him what my time was. He did not know, but had the results. He found the page, and I scanned down and all I saw was 3:4 . . .I did not even register the last digit. It did not matter. I went for a warm-down, and just so you know that all milers are not the stoic, no pain type, I remember warming down, and stopping, dropping to one knee, after 1am in the morning, and crying. I can remember thinking, why did I deserve to run so fast. Ok, it sounds a bit silly, but I did wonder this. Everyone trains. Everyone trains hard. I was only putting in 55-65 miles per week in the spring, and I am sure I was in the 40-50 range before the race. Maybe . . . my head was still swimming in the lactic!
Postline: In 1983, after finishing 2nd in 3:50.59, I received $300, and no appearance money.
I gave it back to Pete, and said that if this was all I was worth, please give it back to the meet director. He came back the next morning, and gave me the original 300 plus $200 kroners (Norway) "This was all he had Jim." 1986 - $1000 in appearance money, "No bonus money Jim."
I switched agents in 1987 to Kim McDonald, and my income that year tripled. Ok, I did run fast, but he was the best and what he did. I think Kim was only able to get $1000 or $1500 to show up in 1986, but I remember him telling me - "that't the last time. The meet director no realizes that he is no longer dealing with Pete." In 1988 - I had a stress fracture from a pair of defective air-bag Nike shoes, and missed 4.27-5.24 in training. I ran 3:56.7 at Pepsi after 2 weeks of training, and Mike said, "You will run 3:50 at Olso." I ran 3:59 at Lausanne to finish 3rd, not giving me any confidence for Oslo. But you do have to believe in our coach. 8th at Oslo I believe, 3:50.8 and $5000 to show.
Bonus money from Nike:
I found my 1988 Nike contract upstairs, dated 12.8.87. Here was the bonus structure:
sub 3:50.00 $500
sub 3:49.00 $1500
sub 3:48.00 $2000
sub 3:47.69 $2500
sub 3:47.30 $3000
sub 3:46.80 $5,000
js
Comment