1976

by Billy Squires, legendary coach of the Greater Boston Track Club, which in 1979 - the year I ran Boston - placed five runners in the top 10, led by Bill Rodgers' American record 2:09:27.

Squires called his training system "SWIP" - strength with intensity process.

Sometime in the late '70s or early '80s, Squires was invited by a group in Portugal to give a presentation about his training system.

"How did it go?" I asked.

"They were disappointed," Squires replied. "It was too simple."