WMA World Championships - day 4

I had the easy heat in the 400m semis.   The Brit scratched and so it was just me and James - veteran of many national and world championships.  He was in lane 5 and me in 4.  He went out hard, too hard and I followed him.  Mistake.  I paid for it in the end and ran a slower time than in the prelims: 56.00.  It beat me up a bit, since I was rigging at the end... but I won the heat, making it a perfect 4 wins in my preliminary heats of this meet, although this was the slowest heat.

I liked the track at this stadium much better than the main stadium and ... the warmup are was actually beautiful.  A park setting with a shady lane and a dirt path where I did my warmups.  Much better than the jr soccer field of artificial turf at the main stadium.

Looks like it's going to be between France, Brazil, Germany, and me in the finals which is back to the main stadium tomorrow.

WMA World Championships - day 3

My third day of competition went well.

Fastest qualifier in the 400m.  See the list here.  

55.46

Feeling good, confident that I'm ready.   My execution was good in the prelims.  The track at Rhone Stadium is faster than Balmont Stadium, where we ran the 200s.  It was the 4th fastest 400m I've run, and by far the easiest race I've run in the 55's.  I was not totally spent afterward, no rigging at all.  I think I could've even run faster.  My form down the stretch was quite good - the top photo was taken in the last 50m.

With a day off (Thurs) between the prelims and semis, I wanted to run hard to test my race plan, and to simply get a good training run in for the next two rounds.  The next round will have to be a maximum effort if I want to win it.

I was in the very first of 10 heats, so I'm sure some of my competitors got a good look at me ... and a message.  I think many observers would see this as a wasted effort, not a smart race, winning a prelim by 40m.  But I really think I needed to do this.  I felt no stress or soreness afterward.  It was good for me.  Alan T. said to my dad that he thought I should have 'shut it down' coming down the stretch.  I just stayed relaxed and did my thing.

I love this track ... there are big electronic race clock displays at 200m and 300m.   I saw my 200m split and was surprised to see how fast I was moving.  It occurred to me I that I might try for a PR, but that would be too much, so I just stayed relaxed and floated in.  No one else except Gerhard ran this strong in the prelims, and even he was .36 behind me.

They haven't published the start list for tomorrow's semis, but if they seed it as expected, I should have Rob, the defending World Champ from 2013 in my heat, probably me in lane 4, him in 5.  He doesn't concern me as much as 2 others.   He, Gerhard, but more likely Benoit from France and Ferreira from Brazil should be my main competition, assuming I make the finals.

Here are photos of my heat in the M55 400m prelims.  You can see my competitors at the edges of the photos.  (In the second photo, there is a competitor in lane 5 not yet in the photo).

WMA World Championships - day 2

World Championship Bronze Medal
200m M55 - 25.08

My first World Medal.  I didn't expect to medal in the 200m, but happy to collect.  My times didn't come close to the 200s I ran in Jacksonville on that warm wind-assisted SX Mondo track. That seemed the rule among other sprinters that were here, and at the Jacksonville Nationals.  The track at Balmont Stadium is the typical granular red track, a little mushy.   Plus, I am totally sleep deprived. My third night here and I have yet to be able to sleep a complete night.

We had semis in the morning at 10:10am and finals in the evening at 5:15pm.   The weather was great, actually even chilly in the morning. Cloudy, 60ºs.   I was really excited about the semis and sort of lost my head and forgot my race plan.  I went out burning on the turn and rigged in the end, losing a lot of time.  I still won my heat - the slowest of 3, but almost got nipped at the end by my countryman Don S., who I think ran a PR.   My time sucked, 25.24, but it got me third seed for the finals and a good lane - lane 3 with the competition on the outside of me (Bruno and Ric).  Went back to the hotel for a little food and sleep.

The finals.  There was excitement and tension in the air.  Not a lot of smiles in the warm up area.  It was serious business.  I have not run in a stadium this full since the Penn Relays.  The atmosphere was electric with an enthusiastic crowd, choreographed music playing in between introductions of athletes at the starting blocks in 2 languages.  It felt like the Olympics ... or something.

I was determined to run a smarter race and not let myself get out of hand.  Bruno from France had run a smokin' 24.5 in the semis and was the favorite - also having won bronze in the 100m.  He was just to my outside in lane 4.  The dude is fast... but you'd never expect that by his appearance.  Not a particularly athletic looking guy, white, balding with wire rimmed glasses, (sort of looked like the "Radar O'Reilly" character from MASH).  However, he holds the 100m M50 European Record at 11.37.  A respected serious veteran sprinter.  In lane 5 was Ric from England, ran the fastest time in the prelims.

I got a good start and relaxed into cruise mode.  I pulled within one step behind Bruno and Ric a the top of the straight.  Bruno just ran away from Ric and I.   I fought down the stretch with Ric and he got me by a step.  I felt the S. African, Thomas close to me and knew it would be close for the bronze.  I leaned real hard and got it!   James C. was a close 5th and Gerhard Z. 6th.   Bruno crossed the line celebrating with his finger in the air, comfortably ahead.  It was very close for the bronze... 3rd-6th place was separated by just 0.18 sec.

My dad was pleased.  We decided to go back to the hotel and change for the medal ceremony, which was very professional, with all the pomp and circumstance... I stood for the French National Anthem, which the locals belted out raucously.   It was held on a stage in the indoor track arena next to the stadium.  Back stage in the 'medalists only' area, I got to chat with Ric and the W50 200m medalist who all spoke English (an Aussie, New Zealander, and a Dutch).   It was a memorable occasion.

I feel fortunate to have a medal.   Besides Lee who won bronze in M45, many of the big guns of the USA Masters missed getting any hardware.  There were 3 USA men that won medals in the 200m dash, none of 'em gold -  Antwon, Lee and I.

The fence surrounding this track is weird, almost something you'd see at a NASCAR track.  Doesn't make for very good photos.   Ken Stone remarked on his blog, "The track fans of Lyon must be very dangerous to need a fence like this."

If I'm to do anything in the 400, I need to start sleeping!   It's supposed to e 95º for Wednesday's 400m prelims.

200M World Championship Final - M55

Dad and I after the medal ceremony

Medal ceremony

With the W50 women medalists representing Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands



The first 40 of 80+ competitors in the M55 Prelims - people from everywhere

Entering the call room, last stop before the track ... uniforms from many nations

Official post race photo: M55 200m finalists

WMA World Championships - day 1

25.04 - 200m prelims (2nd fastest qualifier)

After a number of travel disasters, including losing my new iPhone, only one hour of sleep 2 nights in a row, I hit the track at Balmont Stadium for the 200m prelims.  The weather was great, cloudy, low 70's.  After pinning my bibs to my USA speed suit, I went to the warmup area and was stunned at how small it was.   Just a 40 meter kids soccer field.  It was pretty crazy with people of every nation trying to get in striders.  With 83 competitors in my age group alone, the 200m is a huge event - hundreds.  I warmed up ahead of time and then went out on the area surrounding the stadium to run a few 80m striders.

It was nice to see my teammates Jim, Tony, David, Alan, and others...  and meet a whole bunch of people, many of whom I couldn't communicate with.   The call room and pre-race marshaling seemed very regimented - a specific place to sit in the call room for each heat, one guy to take us to the track, one guy to wait for us and check our names, one guy to lead us to the start, etc...

I got lane 4.  In my heat were sprinters from England, Ireland, Italy, Brazil, Germany, and the US.  I knew my competition would come from Ireland and US (Ken T).  After being 'green carded' (all told to 'stand up') for my jittery left leg, (as Randall had once warned me about), we got off on the second try and, I got a good start.   The three of us emerged ridiculously ahead of the the other 3 by the end of the turn.  I would say it was pretty relaxed but close to a maximum effort.

It turned out to be one of the faster heats.  (I saw some that were won in over 26).  Shane from Ireland told me he broke the M55 200m Ireland National record with his second place finish in the heat, 25.26 ... or something I think.   Ken finished a close third.

There is a lot of competition.  Watching the heats ... I thought "this is no Senior Games" ... a 'we're not in Kansas anymore' moment.  Several of us all within 0.2 sec.  Wish it were a timed final but, I have to run semis and finals tomorrow.  Haven't seen the complete list but I think team USA did ok, James won his heat, Ken and Tony qualified.  I could have run a second slower and still qualified, but the instinct to win pushed me, plus a guaranteed spot in the semis.  Plus, it was cool to hear the female announcer with the sexy French accent say over the stadium PA:  "William Yelverton from the United States - wins in a time of 25.04."  In masters events like this, it is an exercise in attrition... as the finals are sometimes slower than the semis.  Most give full effort to make the world finals and with the finals in the same day, it's hard to bring it twice.  With 3 semi heats, it's heat winners + next 5 fastest.

I'll post the data on the prelims when they make it available.

I'm good to go, no strains or issues, just need food and sleep.

separating the qualifiers from the participators

heat 3 of 11, M55 200m dash prelims

after the race, all systems go

Final workout

Pretty short and simple workout.  My final of the season.  Felt good.

Occurs to me that I have been at this now for 13 months - (due to those silly fall "Sr Games" events).  I've been training almost continuously since August '14 when I was doing foundational long sprint repeats and weights.  I kind of took a break in Feb and scaled back a bit, but came out in early March and ran a PR 200m.  Even after the injury on 3/29, I still continued to work, taking off only 5 days after that horrendous hip flexor tear.  I learned how to rehab.  Learned how to run a 400m.  Found a way to get faster as I get older.   The track has been a good place for me to be, truly a lifestyle, a challenge.

I took it easy today.  I ran in my Olympic Team USA speed suit supplied by the USATF.  Beautiful but humid, high 70ºs at the Dean Hayes track.   I got to share the track with 2 female sprinters from Ghana who will be racing in the African Championships soon.  They run similar times to mine in the 400/200m.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 60m striders 

Saucony spikes on 

3 x 30m from blocks 

200m event run from blocks (~400m race pace) - 25.75 

3 x 30m from blocks

Better eat something, too light... 141.4 after workout.  Off to France tomorrow for the World Championships, let the adventure begin.

It fits!

more event runs

This, one of my final workouts in Sewanee... the hottest day here since '12 but by sunset it had cooled to 84º and was quite nice.

I did everything fast ... from blocks.   Went well, felt good.  Spent a good long time warming up and dove into a fast 300m event run.

Saucony Trainers on 

600m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 100m striders 

Saucony spikes on 

2 x starts from blocks 

300m event run - 39.75 (25.75/14) 

3 x 200m - 25.75, 26, 26  

100m strider  

3 x starts from blocks

Felt a bit better than last time out.  Nailed the splits with less effort than last time.

I'll probably go out and do some technical stuff Thurs. night in my team USA uniform to see how it feels.

Ready to represent.

300 event runs

Perfect evening at the Sewanee track, mid 70ºs and low humidity.   I warmed up and did a few race pace 300s and a 200 from blocks.

The 300s I hit close to race pace, 40.25 and they felt a tad hard, perhaps stayed at full tilt a tad too long before backing off.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

50m strider, block starts 

Saucony spikes on 

2 x block starts 

2 x 300m - 40.25, 40.25 

200m - 26

Feeling like it's better to do less than more now, but always think it's not enough.  I'll race 200m prelims one week from today.  Will do some starts and fast 150s next time.

No physical issues, ridiculously light, probably not eating enough.  140.6 after workout.