Season best and worst

Three TN State Record Holders: Dave Schmanski M60, me, Grady Cash M65

I lowered my M50 400m TN State record from 2011 (56.09) to 55.85.  It was a season best officially timed (FAT).   But, I might have traded that and all 6 gold medals I won in KY and TN for just .004 seconds in the 200m.

The 200m State record stands at 25.7 ... since 1997.

This season, I've run:  25.06, 25.10, 25.16, 25.25, 25.30 .... so, surely a 25.7 would be easy, even on a bad day.   Right?  Hell yea, I've run faster 4 times indoors on a 200m track this season... I even ran a faster 200m on Sewanee's tiny 160m track.

Disaster.  25.71  The WORST (official FAT) 200m time in my masters outdoor track career... and what a time to do it!  Readers, prepare for some bitching.  It took me a while before I could even bring myself to write about this....

The timer looked again.  25.704 to be exact.   Not even a tie, rounds up to 25.71.  Now anyone who knows anything about track knows that 25.71 FAT is faster than 25.7(h).   But as far as the old crows that keep the TN record books, a time is a time ... and my time didn't make it.

So, I missed by .004 sec.   Four 1/1000s.   Probably about the width of a thumb.

Why so slow?   Fatigue, 95º heat, slow soft black track, slight injuries to quads and hip, went out like a 100m ... lost form and rigged in the end, was heavy for a track meet, weight about 143.8 lbs when I left the house.   Surely, 1/2 lb could have made the difference of .01.   I had no lift at all, I started really fatiguing and going bowlegged in the last 10-20m.   My hip was really hurting.  It's the nature of the sport.   Just a really bad day.  It was the first time this season I ran in serious heat.

Why does this bum me out so much?  I couldn't get this record in 2011 because of the pubalgia injury, 2012 - a hamstring,  2013 - broken foot, so ... I blew it.     Being so close made the agony even worse.   This ranks up there with my biggest track disappointments... losing a  Bronze in 2011 Nationals by .05 (my second worst 200m), and losing a Bronze at the 2014 indoor Nationals by .02.

There are few rewards in masters track.   Medals are a dime a dozen, but at least getting a state meet record provides some satisfaction for a guy like me who will never hold an American record.  

Saturday, I also failed to get the 100m record by 0.10, and I kind of expected that outcome.   They scheduled the 100m after the 400m (stupid!!!) and it's really hard to be sharp to run a 100m after running a 55.85 400m, even with hours rest.   I ran 12.42, record was 12.32.

Dejected on Sunday night, I was certain that my season was over.   Nothing to gain by racing in Birmingham this weekend.   But now, I've healed a bit and rested, I won't rule it out.   Have nothing else to do, but it is a 2 1/2 hr drive and I'd have to leave at 5:30 am... and it's going to be hot.   I think I'll go out for a workout Tuesday evening and see how it feels.  I have to make a decision by Wed night.   Hate to end my season on such a shitty note, but I've been pretty beat up by racing 3 triples in 3 weeks, not really solid enough to train... but I'm feeling pretty good after a days rest.

The worst 200m of my masters career, look how little lift I'm getting.   Even so, I won easily.