Ready for the Southeastern US Masters Championships

Dean Hayes track at sunset was inhabited tonight by an old white guy (me) and one very polite Nigerian sprinter. I told him that I knew the secret entrance... and he smiled and said, "yes, one of the chosen few."

A badly needed thunderstorm cooled down the temp and it was a pleasant light workout.

1200m warm up, dynamic stretches, drills

400m in training shoes, 70% effort - 71 sec

spikes on

2 x 100m sprint jog from blocks

6 block starts - reacting to hand clap from my Nigerian friend (who attempted to coach me a little but it was hard to understand him with his heavy Brit/African accent).

100m at 85% - 13.5

200m at 85% - 26.5

training shoes on

400m sprint jog

Weight is good: 137.8

The Southeastern US Masters Championships is oldest continuously contested Masters Track meet in the US - in it's 41st year. It is very unusual because it offers prize money and special awards based on a Masters grading system - which I really don't understand. It is age dependent. Too bad that can't count me as 51 (less than a month away), because I'd score higher.

The major masters teams will be there - Atlanta, NCTC, Maryland, etc... I'm hoping to run against the great Oscar Peyton who at age 58 can run well under 12 in the 100m.

There will definitely be competition. Since there will likely be only one heat per age group, I hope to win some medals. If not, I'd be happy with a PR in any event. I have 3 chances since I'm doing a triple: 100m, 400m, and 200m in that order. The NC weather says it's going to be a bit cooler, 'only' 90º.

It should be a really fun time because there is an awards banquet afterward ... and I know I must be with like-minded people since the only 2 menu choices are: "chicken" or "vegetarian." Great. I'll see my friends from Atlanta track club that I met in Sewanee at the indoor meets.

I feel ready, no strains, no issues. Ready to blast and my boarding pass is printed. I'll be taking my guitar since I'm a week away from a concert in Miami that I leave for a week from today.

Tomorrow - stretch, jog, travel. Results update Saturday night from Raleigh.

UPDATE NOTE:

The venue where this track meet is being held is at St. Augustine College where a new track has apparently just been installed. Last published update from March said the track would be installed 'in a few weeks.' On Google, the satellite photo shows a pile of dirt where the track is. So ... I'll be running on a brand spanking new track. Lets hope it's a Mondo track. George Williams, the coach at St. Augustine is a legendary track coach. He was a former Olympic track coach, NCAA Div. II coach of the year, coached 32 Olympians including 3 Gold medalists ... so I would think he would want the best track since it is named after him.

Sounds good.