Day three - 2017 USATF Masters National Outdoor Championships

Again, to the chagrin of many (and even one belligerent protest), we took the 200m prelims indoors today at the USATF Outdoor Masters Championships due to an extended lightning delay.   We were minutes from taking the track to run outdoors when the weather delay began.  Of course I was digging the idea of racing indoors, but many were not.   At least one top athlete declined to race.   Grant it, the indoor 200m on an unbanked track is tough.  I narrowly won my heat but ran a slow time, more than a full second slower than in Korea.  (25.88) Surprisingly, it was 3rd fastest qualifying time in a very competitive semi.  I narrowly beat Rob, the 60m World Champion, but he was at a tremendous disadvantage having lane one.  With just 3 guys in the heat, don't know why they didn't run lanes 3, 4, 5.  

This 200m final tomorrow, I could easily take 5th... the way I've been running.   My chances for a medal are slim with 4 guys in the race having run 11.8. - 11.9 in the 100m, much faster than I've run.  Derek lost to World Champion Don by an eyelash in the 100m, 11.87 to 11.88, both blazing times.  They have the fastest qualifying times and will likely be Gold and Silver.  Val ran 11.92 in the prelims, but double false started and DQd in the 100m final.  Although I beat him last yr., he's in better form this year.  So, I'd have to beat both him and Rob to get the Bronze, and I doubt that will happen.  I have lane 3 with Don, Derek, and Val to my outside.  Don ran a blazing 24.99 in prelims ... on this track, that's fast.  Derek eased up and ran 25.79, Val easily won his heat in 26.02.

200m prelim M55 heat one

I think we'll get this race in before the rain since it's early, 10:30 am.   I'm supposed to race a 4x400m relay with the M45 guys at 1:45pm and I need to leave for the airport no later than 2:45pm, so if there's a delay, no relay.

AWARDS Banquet

Tonight was the awards banquet and seafood was on the menu.  It was good.  This was the 50th year of USATF Masters Track Championships and so it was a nice occasion.   I enjoyed the heartfelt speech by Bill Collins, overall Masters Athlete of the Year who despite having Guillain-Barré syndrome, has continued to set World Records as he did again today... running 12.34 100m into a headwind, at age 66.   Here are some photos...

Bill Collins overall Masters Athlete of the Year Award

Bill Collins, hero

Sandy and Cheryl

Emma, double World Champion sprinter

Ladies of Masters Track

Looking at the awards list, I was reminded that if I had not fallen one meter from the finish in the 400m final in Perth and gotten a medal, with 2 National Titles that year, I may have won another award.  However, there are inconsistencies... I remember a new comer at Nationals in 2014 winning the 400, 800, and 1500 and not getting this award.  Probably because no one knew his name, it was his first Nationals.  It seemed to me that the criteria was in 2015, you needed: '3 points' and any one of these would count as a point: National title, World Record, American Record, World Medal (any).  I had 2 titles and two WMA Medals that yr.

This year, there were the usual obvious awards, people who had many more 'points' than they needed, but a few had just two. Also, there were National Titles 'earned' when they were the only person in the race!  (Which I can't see how that would count).  I really do think there are some politics involved.  Perhaps it will become more uniform in the future.  If they go by the same system as 2015, I have '3 points', Indoor title, Gold and Silver in Daegu.  I also have a shot to add to this in Toronto, which will count toward the total.   I guess I even think about this since that disaster in Perth was so costly in an otherwise very good year, and this is the last year I had a good shot at winning Nationals and Worlds til I go up to M60.  But, being elite in this sport is extremely fragile.  One minor injury, not at your best, makes room for the next fastest guy.  And there are always talented newcomers entering, as we've seen this year.

Anyway, better sleep, tomorrow is my earliest race of the meet.