Back to racing - AL USATF meet report

First race in 10 weeks.   No great times, but good to be back and healthy.   Considering I have done almost no speed work since my injury, it went ok.  No injuries or strains.

400m - 56.22
200m - 25.29

The USATF AL assoc. meet was at Hoover HS at the Mary Birdwell track.  Conditions were tough but typical for summer.  Air temp was in the upper 80ºs but it felt hotter around the artificial turf field.   There was actually an area air quality alert for ozone and humidity.   The track was not real good, a typical high school track in bad need of a resurfacing.

Real happy to have competition, Marcus and Paul were there.  Turns out, we were really evenly matched, made for some great races.

400m
The first 200m felt slow.  I had lane 3 with Marcus and Paul in 4 and 5.  We rounded the last turn and hit the home stretch shoulder to shoulder, with Paul a step behind.  Hard to stay with those guys - (both over 6'4") in the last 100m.   Marcus beat me by a step and Paul out leaned me in a dead heat, ahead by 0.02.

200m
I fully intended to scratch this race because I was feeling soreness in my injury area Friday night, but it felt ok after the 400m.   I got a decent start in lane 3 and passed Marcus who was in lane 4 by the time we hit the straight.  This race was a carbon copy of the end of the 400m.  Marcus surged ahead by a step and Paul (again!) came back and out leaned me at the line by 0.02.   Funny, Paul and I ran faster indoors the last time we raced.

I went to the Sewanee track Friday night and realized I was a bit sore after my first full speed event runs on Thurs.  I probably should not have pushed it that hard for the first time 2 days before a race, but the race itself was good training.   The 400 was particularly exhausting, moreso than usual, probably due to the heat and the fact I didn't sleep much last 2 nights.

Well, next meet is TN State Games in 2 weeks, also on a bad black HS track.  Hope to make some progress by then.

Thanks to Mary Birdwell of USATF AL.   At, 78 ... she's an iron woman, coach, and champion of track and field for more than 50 yrs in AL.   She was probably there at 6:30 am, and sat at that table handing out packets and medals to kids in the hot sun all day long, like she has done so many times before.  Track and field would not be what it is today without Mary and people like her.  Nice to run on the Mary Birdwell Track today.

I didn't collect my medals, more for the kids.