Back after a week

On the track to test the legs.  I am thinking at this point I will not race this Sunday but I will make a last minute call.  I have a hip issue that probably resulted from running fast too soon and doing glute ham raises with weight.

Hoka trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:39 

400m - 66.5

I was actually going to run a 500m but bailed after 400m.   Although this was my fastest 800 in this preseason, it was hard, very out of shape.

Being so active as a masters sprinter with long seasons and many meets is beginning to take it's toll.  The Perth meet in Nov. last yr was the killer.  Never really got much of a break from training.  At this point, it makes sense to not try and race in an early season Dec college meet, although I'd like to.  Don't want to nurse an injury throughout the season.

When I look at successful masters 55+, virtually none of them run the number of meets I do, next to none run college meets, let alone the 51 I have over age 50.  Guys like Bob Lida, Charles Allie, and Bill Collins pretty much run masters meets only and just a very few each year, like the Nationals, Worlds, and maybe Penn.  I need to perhaps follow these great athlete's examples if I want to keep racing, race less, and plan on a focused peak.

Awards

As I recently heard from Peter on my post about awards, the athletes that come out and produce a record or world best performance in their one or two appearances seem to get awards and are most successful... rather than those who medal in every championship meet... and then some.  In a way, I think it's a bit of a red herring to post a Masters Awards point system, apparently as a carrot to encourage achievement and participation, then have the voting members pretty much ignore it, (as Peter mentioned).  With all the talent in the 50-59, record setters, world leaders, masters awards are probably clear without a point system.

Anyway, if I don't race anymore this year, I'll do a season summary soon.  I guess I may need more time to get back into full scale training.  My weight is still high but OK... about 146.5 after workout.

I think '17 was in all ways, my best year ever.  Particularly the Daegu WMACi meet:

• World Silver Medal 400m - 55.17, fastest indoor 400m by an M55 American in 9 yrs (since Bill Collins in '08), #2 World Rank indoor, fastest 400m indoor or outdoor in the USA M55 

• World Champion indoor 200m, 24.82, #2 World Rank indoor

Both these performances were markedly faster than my Bronze medal times in Lyon when I won an Athlete of the Yr Award in '15.