Tony Plaster’s response to latest Boston remarks

Tony Plaster has asked me to post the following: “1. Yes, I was getting individual lap splits from my friend after the finish line. I went there with a time goal to try and get a medal , and wanted to know if I ran slower than 41.5 at any time.”


Tony continued:

2. If you can do the math taking your splits off an overhead scoreboard visible from the backstrtch only, good for you. It is beyond my capability.
3. I absolutely was NOT given any final to go designation. If, as Steve says, I had just been lapped by a 45-year-old runner and we were close together perhaps the official was tending to the runner in front.
4. While I did not expect that a bell would be rung in honor of my last lap, I have helped out at lots of local meets and pointed and called out one to go to different runners in the same field and expected it would be the same. My mistake.
5 This is the second 3000-meter race I have ever competed in. I am sure my inexperience played no small role in my misfortune. I assure you if I ever run it again I will drop breadcrumbs along the way.
6. As for knowing the route, RUN HARD TURN LEFT all I ever learned and all I want to know.
Now I want to say that I have had the best times of my running life over the years at this meet. I wish that the folks that put it on still felt the excitement that we do going there, but I think we all know that they are getting weary. I am going to miss running in Boston; they do this event well. They run good track up there.

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March 29, 2007

2 Responses

  1. Mary Harada - March 30, 2007

    re dropping breadcrumbs – over the years I have considered various ways of counting laps – while training, while racing , some have been – carrying a bunch of M & Ms in my hand – one for each lap, eat one each time I cross the start line, or gummi bears, or cliff shots, or a clicker that I could press to click off each lap, or count the splits on my wrist watch, or carry a stop watch in my hand. I try to keep track of my splits while training on the track – my problem is that it takes my focus away from what I am doing and I have a hard time reading my watch or a stop watch while running. As for eating m & Ms or gummi bears while running – nope – don’t eat them while not running. Maybe I could just toss them at the official at the finish line – not nice – re- the clicker – most likely – like my stop watch I would forget to punch it each lap as really I am thinking about my splits – not about the lap count. As for doing the math in my head – I am pretty good at that when sitting down and not in oxygen debt, but by about 1200 meters, I cannot add 2 and 2 together correctly, never mind doing multiplication or division in my head.
    The rules call for lap counters and lap sheets – not for doing it yourself. One reason I go to track meets is to have someone fire the gun and someone else get my finish time, and for the 3k or 5k – keep track of my laps, otherwise I could just go to the local track, do a time trial by myself and mail in the results.

  2. plasterer - April 18, 2009

    Boston MA ?

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