A lifelong friend of his found my blog post and told Coach Bastian about it. (Bastian avoids computers, his friend is a "computer expert.") The friend emailed me, asking me to call Bastian, who read a printed copy of my post. I reached him and we had a nice long conversation. After almost three decades, I was finally able to give him my heartfelt thanks for inspiring me to take up running. We reminisced about the long runs back and forth over the Bayonne Bridge and around Clove Lake and its dreaded "Cardiac Hill."
Unfortunately, he's not coaching now because of a controversial (and apparently trumped-up) firing from the school by the New York City Department of Education. Long story, big mess, but he'll have his day in federal court soon, and hopefully be reinstated to his job. I'm going to write a letter for him, vouching for his character. It's the least I can do.
This is a Polaroid photo of me from Christmas Day 1978. I'm wearing either my high school track suit, or a new Christmas-gift track suit: I don't remember. Red and white are the official colors of my high school, and the team name is the "Red Raiders." That's "Kitty" on my shoulder, and those two sticks are my skinny legs (which have, fortunately, filled out a bit over the years).
Ah, memories ... I really must resume my "Wayback Wednesday" series.
Yes, Ben Stiller mocked this look a couple decades later as Chas Tenenbaum, but I swear, this was somewhat cool in 1978.Running's come a long way since then. No one seriously wears these track suits any more. But putting one foot in front of the other, repeating, quickly, over and over, is the essence of running and has not really changed since ancient times. Only now, we do it for health and the "runner's high" instead of escaping that saber-tooth tiger.
