400m - 56.23
It was much more difficult and stressful to get into Canada due to the customs and covid than I expected, but it was nice to run one more 400m and finish with yet another world lead, and a season's best. This is the fastest 400m I've run since Korea in '17.
This meet was the 49th edition of the Canadian Masters Championships. I broke the legendary Earl Fee's 32 yr old meet record in the M60 400m, by a lot. Fee has a half dozen world records in the 400m and 800m, M65+.
I also won the 100m in 12.63, which tied the meet record. Not an improvement over Nationals.
In this meet, there was no live scoreboard, so we had to wait 15 - 20+ minutes after the race to get our times. I was actually not feeling it today. My hip was sore after the 100m, which was just an avg time, and with the wind, I didn't think the conditions were right to run a fast time. I would not have been surprised to have run 57 high by the way it felt. But, when the time came down, I had to check it a few times to believe it ... just a few tenths off 55. And, I did rig slightly toward the end. Felt overall pretty conservative in my first 200m and ran a decent second turn. Unlike even US Nationals, this meet was extremely well staffed and there were line watchers all over the place, at least 3 or 4 all the way around. The nearest competitor in my heat and age group, I beat by 150m+, he ran 82.
Anyway, pretty sore but hoping to run one last race tomorrow, the 200m. I came to get all 3 meet records and I should be able to. The meet record for the 200m is 25.96 I think.
The BIG NEWS of this meet happened in the heat just before mine in the 400m. Karla Del Grande became the first woman in history to 'run her age' in the 400m, 68.31 at age 68. Glad I was there to witness history. I knew it was fast because I saw her battling up the stretch against a 37 yr old who ran 65.
More on this meet later.
Congratulations, Bill, on your wonderful 400. I must acknowledge as well the extraordinary effort by the superb Karla Del Grande. What a career she has had, and she deserves every accolade. Also enjoyed your reference to the Great Earl Fee.
ReplyDeleteThe origin of his moniker? I met him at an indoor US masters nationals, and we talked amicably, with Earl seeming to present himself as an ordinary competitor. Finally I asked him his name. Earl: "Earl Fee." Peter Taylor:
"You're the great Earl Fee?" Ever after that I introduced him as "the Great Earl Fee," a title he certainly deserved.
Great 400. Is this your best age graded performance ever? 92.15%
ReplyDelete2017 would be 90.34%.
-Matt