[Joe Bob]

Thanks....unfortunately my best times were non winning times. I got sucked along and then got lost in the afterburners of the elite guys.

I thought I was hot stuff in High School until I went to a good running college and found that I was run of the mill.....ended up fifth man in Cross Country on the Western State Conference Champ Team....and was the third leg on the 4x relays......I felt like a 912 or the third stringer on a SuperBowl team....along for the ride.

Lasted two years and I was toast...discovered beer, the beach and cars......One guy on my team was the AAU world champ in CrossCountry they ran it in Morrocco?....1974 or 75....Bobby Thomas, Dwight Stones the high jumper was also on our team....he was a nut job.

As to shoes....yes good shoes are important. I was given a free pair of Nikes when I was 14. Always wore them.

Then in College we had a shoe deal with Adidas. They never fit me right. Constant blisters. Then the knee problems and the first ACL went....rest is lost in a beer buzz.