Feeling like summer at the Gladiators Track Lab meet in Douglasville, GA. This was a 2-day meet geared toward multi-eventers (decathlete, pentathletes) with some individual events mixed in. I originally planned to race both the 400 and 200 on Sat, but cancelled the 200 because it would have been into a significant headwind. So, I decided to run the 800m instead of training on Sunday... and as punishment for not improving my time from last week.
I had low expectations for this meet. Was about 2 lbs heavier than last meet, slept only 3 hrs, the late season aches and pains, and the conditions... windy, hot and humid. It was my 3rd consecutive weekend of racing, 4th 400m race in 5 weeks, 9th 400m race this year. Despite all that, I did OK.
400m - 57.54
800m - 2:19.22
It was the second fastest 400m time in the world M60, (I have top 8 fastest M60 times this yr including indoor), and my 800m was #3 in the world M60. Not too bad for someone who hasn't raced an 800m in 6+ yrs, and who doesn't train for it. Only the second FAT timed 800m I've ever run in my life, and my PR.
I didn't hate this 800m as much as I thought I would. Great thing about an 800 is, since I'm never running faster than 16-17 sec / 100m, doesn't require a serious warmup like a sprint event. I got there 15 min before race time. I really think I could run a faster 800m if I focused on it. In the race, I had a high school kid in front of me the whole time. I was really holding a lot in reserve for the last 100m, where I passed him. I was racing with my Gymboss beeping timer, setting my pace at 68/72. 17sec/100m - first 400m, 18sec/100m - second 400m. I stayed right on pace til the last 100m where I fell behind slightly, but I was able to sprint the last 100m in about 16.5ish to make up the time. No rigging. It was fine. I don't know how other people run the 800m, but I run it like a sprint, my heels never touch the ground, ever. And, I use the same spikes as I would for the 100m or any other sprint. Seems like a lot of runners were heel striking out there today.
My 400m race was essentially a time trial. There was just 2 of us in the heat. Me and a 48 yr old masters who ran over a minute. I was in lane 4, he in 5. I never saw him after the first 40m. I executed pretty well, very little rigging, and have no doubt that it would've been a few tenths faster without the strong headwind on the home stretch. But who knows, maybe it helped me on the back stretch.
Anyway, interesting the people I meet at these meets...
I see a lot of the same people at these meets. Not many masters and open athletes here at this meet. Just a few. I noticed a very attractive young woman, very fast, and older than high school. She was also at last years meets at Life U. We chatted quite a bit. (She seemed fairly shocked when I told her my age). She speaks the Queen's English, grew up in Surrey, but since her mother is Italian, she is trying to make the Italian Olympic team in the 400 and 200 (maybe easier than the UK team?). She ran 54 at the meet, which probably wouldn't make the team, but who knows. Turns out this person is Maya B... she's a young pro athlete. I looked her up. She won the U20 European Championship in the 200m in '17. She apparently lives/works in ATL. I think she even has sponsorship. I hope she makes the team. Tough to be a pro track athlete with the talent out there today.
This is Maya:
Great work on your 800, which is my event from 40-50 years(but I came the other direction: in college I ran 6 marathons and even at 40 I was primarily a road guy. I managed to work from 2:22 to 2:06, and 2:10 age 50 before my achilles went south. I hope to start racing this summer at 4/800.
ReplyDeleteAnd 57 with all those hindrances..WhooHoo that must be encouraging!