split 600, 150s

Kind of a dark moist day on the bluff, but at the track, a little sun and mild temps, about 60º with a light S wind at the Sewanee track.  Last warm day. Temps are predicted to drop 20º tomorrow by afternoon with the cold front.  But, the weather looks good for the next 2 training days on Tues and Thurs but a bit cooler.  

Did both overdistance and some speed. 

Hoka trainers on

stretches, drills, 2 x 100m

'split 600m' - 500m - 83.50 / 90 sec rest /  100m -14.5

160m - 20.93

150m - 19.07

My first '150m' was surprisingly slow for the effort and sure enough, I put the cone in the wrong place, it was a 160m.  The second one may have been a meter or 2 short.  I didn't measure it, just paced off the last 30m.  

Wanted to do more but 900m is fine.  I've been keeping the every other day regime up and it's ok.  

Still planning to race in a week.  The fat is definitely coming off, but more to go.  141.6 lbs after workout.

USATF Annual Masters Awards

In the M60 age group awards, I was thinking Allan T., M60 100m Champion who ran an 11.79 and ranked #1 in the world in both the 100 and 200m would get the award.  Even possibly Reggie G. who ranked #1 in the world in both long and short hurdles.  I thought I might be considered.   Allan told me he thought I was a 'shoo-in' for the award based on Nationals.  

BUT... unknown to me when I first looked... due to the pandemic, they were considering two years - not just 2021, but also 2020 for the single award.  The award winner Anselm L. ran just one race this yr ranking just #4 in the world (800m), that's why I was initially puzzled.  But, he set a world indoor record for the 800m in 2020 (2:11), and of course...  a WR is a 'trump card' to any and all other achievements, even though he only ran in 3 meets in 2 years.    Anselm hasn't run at a USATF Nationals in several yrs to my knowledge, not a drug tested meet since Lyon in 2015.   My luck ... one of the only Masters WRs set in the past 2 yrs by a US person would be set in MY age group... by someone who rarely races.  Based on this, he surely is deserving and no complaints from me.   I had a great year.  Happy to still be able to train.  

But... to toot my own horn... there will always be World Records set every year, but when is the next time you'll see someone in M60 medal in 100, 200, 400, 800 at a USATF Nationals, or in any age group where all of the sprints had semis and finals (and multiple heat finals in the 800m)?  Probably never.  I don't know that its been ever done before in my age group, or in any age group where there were enough competitors to have semis / finals / multiple heats in all 4 events.  Certainly in age groups over 80, where participation is sparse and mere participation warrants a medal, it may have been done, but with the caveat I previously stated regarding participation... I believe it is a singular achievement and I invite anyone to prove me wrong.  All sprint events in the M60 age group at USATF Nationals in Ames, IA yielded a World #1 rank, so the competition level was high.  

There were, in my view, many other inconsistencies.   In M55, Francois B world ranked 2,2,4 in all the sprints and won 2 gold and a silver at Nat'ls, but the AoY award went to a thrower ... who only did one event... the shotput.  M50 award was also a thrower who was not particularly outstanding - didn't rank #1 in any event, except the "throws pentathlon"... and I'm not sure that's even an event at Nationals.  Interesting that the W45 award also went to a thrower, despite Angee Henry-Nott setting a WR in the W45 400m.  The W45 thrower / pole vaulter won several golds at Nationals but participation in her events was tiny, 2-4 people in most of her events.   Not hard to see who was pulling for all these throwers.