Doubles by Jai Black, Terry Howell top results from Striders
Results are now posted for last Saturday’s Southern California Striders Meet of Champions, where Nadine O’Connor set her latest vault record. Lots of great marks, including M45 Willie Gault’s 11.08 into a wind in the 100. Marks that popped out for me include the 200 and 400 by San Diego’s Jai Black, 46. Amid windy conditons, she clocked 27.22 and 58.71 (although she ran 57.8 earlier this season). And Terry Howell, 53, is credited with an amazing 1:59.56 in the 800 and 4:30.90 for 1500. Terry’s 800 is a second off Nolan Shaheed’s listed M50 world record of 1:58.65. (Update on Terry: He writes me that he didn’t run the 800 at Striders. Also, the results are messed up in the M50 400. So stay tuned for other possible corrections.)
South Africa’s Monty Hacker quits as WMA acting president
Monty Hacker is about 74.
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Winston Thomas of World Masters Athletics, reports: “As WMA Secretary, I have received a letter from WMA Executive Vice-President and acting WMA President Monty Hacker notifying of his need, for health reasons, to immediately resign from both of those positions. I would like to point out that WMA has a procedure for this situation written in its Constitution. This procedure involves the WMA Council nominating candidates and then electing a temporary replacement for both the positions in question. And that process is now being implemented and will be done in a relatively short period of time. It is anticipated that this will have little, or no, impact on the upcoming WMA Championships in Lahti, Finland.”
Nadine O’Connor wins 3rd USATF Athlete of the Week honor
Nadine O’Connor’s latest vault WR got some attention after all. Today, the folks in Indy named her USATF Athlete of the Week. It’s her third such honor — probably a masters record. She also won in March 2007 and August 2006. Nadine, 67, lives in Del Mar, California, with fellow vault record-holder Bud Held. We’ve always known Nadine is the best. Now the world is catching on.
Mary Harada: ‘Racing 90% psychological and 10% physical’
Mary running in 2006.
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Mary Harada, the W70 distance star and frequent commenter on this blog, shared some of her running wisdom with Carmel Papworth-Barnum in this recent interview. I liked this especially: “I try to use that sense of anxiety before a race to make myself focus on my race plan. If I don’t feel a bit anxious, I’m not serious about the race. If this happens at an international meet, I remind myself that it’s not a local all-comers. That I haven’t spent all that money and time to just jog around the track. Racing is 90% psychological and 10% physical. If my head’s not in the race, neither is my body.” Wish she had been at my side last Saturday at Striders (when I started the 400 on a hungry stomach and quit after 150 meters). Oh well. Thanks for the reminder, Mary. For more on Mary, revisit this 2006 post that quoted her.
Update: Chuck McMahon meet canceled for 2009, will return
Seven hours earlier today, I posted this note: “Oy vey. Folks in the San Diego-Imperial USATF Association apparently got my note about the mystery meet (open to officials but not athletes). They have now set the Chuck McMahon Memorial / San Diego USATF Association Masters Championships for Saturday, July 11. (See the schedule here.) But apparently they didn’t get the memo that July 11 is Day 3 of the USATF National Masters Outdoor Championships in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Still can’t find an entry form anywhere on the SDUSATF site. So you can plan for a CSU San Marcos meet that day, but forget about actually entering it. Nobody in the San Diego USATF has written me with an explanation for the change. Sigh.” Not long after posting this, I got official word: The McMahon meet has been canceled this year. How come? “Due to work constrictions, the meet director had to resign,” I was told. And time didn’t allow someone else to pick up the baton.
My wife steps up her game: She’s tackling 60-mile 3-Day Walk
Many of you know my wife, Chris. She thinks big. Her recent adventures include photographing masters nationals, working at the Democratic National Convention and attending the Obama inauguration. Now she’s taking on a major athletic challenge: the San Diego 3-Day — a 60-mile walk six months from now. It’s a legendary fundraiser for the Susan. G. Komen breast-cancer fight. Chris is committed. And I’m very proud of her. She’ll be training weekly, putting in hundreds of miles of walks. But the event requires all participants to raise at least $2,300. So here’s my appeal. If you appreciate Chris and her photo coverage of masters track (or just think she’s a great gal), make a donation at Chris’ online page. Chris competes in throws as well as sprints. But she’s also run the Carlsbad 5000 several times. So she’s capable of 60 miles over three days. We’d be grateful for your support!
Chris was center of attention at a Chuck McMahon meet a few years ago.
Eugene nationals loom, but masters women’s 1,500 at risk
Last year’s Olympic Trials featured two masters exhibition races — a men’s 3000 with several dozen studs won by Tony Young and an exciting women’s 200, won by Donna Lawrence after coming from behind in the last 20 meters. A month from now, the USATF open championships return to Eugene, Oregon. And they’ll see masters as well. Or maybe not in the women’s case. As of this writing, only one woman — Aeron Arlin Genet — is entered in the masters 1500 exhibition. Five men are entered in the masters 400. (See the Status of Entries page.) Invitational events coordinator Mark Cleary isn’t quite sweating spikes, but he’s considering lowering the qualifying standards in both races to assure all lanes are filled. The current standards are 53.0 for men and 5:10/5:33 (1500/mile) for women.
More world records for golden 65-69 group: men’s shot, 4×4
Guess it’s great to be just north of 65. Nadine O’Connor’s vault record is the tip of the iceberg. Germany’s Kurt Goldschmidt, throwing at a Hamburg meet on May 21, put the shot 15.90 meters (52-2), raising his own M65 world record of 15.78 (51-9 1/4) from last year. Kurt also tossed the discus 50.55 (165-10) (Results are here.) Halfway around the world, the M65 Aussie quartet of Neville McIntyre, Heinz Steinmann, Col Buyers and Tony Ireland set a world record in the 4×4 of 4:02.62 in April at Aussie nationals in Adelaide, beating the listed record of 4:09.08 by a German squad in 2005. (See results here.) The same squad (with Rob McDonald replacing Ireland) also set a national record in the 4×1 of 50.5, missing the world age-group record of 50.13. Nice efforts, gents!
From left are Heinz Steinmann, Tony Ireland, Nev McIntyre and Col Buyers.
Pete Magill quits Fluffy Bunny Track Club in dustup with Nike
Pete Magill, the M45 distance champ and blogger deluxe, revealed on a letsrun.com message board yesterday that he has up and quit the powerhouse track club he helped anchor for several years. The chief Fluffy Bunny is hopping away, perhaps to form a new track club not beholden to Nike. Apparently, a Nike rep went ballistic when he (actually, she) spotted Pete wearing Adidas during a Sunday training run. Pete (profiled here) was aghast at the Nike nitpicking. So he separated from the Fluffies — founded, after all, in rebellious reaction to the over-the-top seriousness of other running clubs. Upon hearing that Pete was now available, mile star Tony Young chimed in: “Man, you’d look great in an ‘Orange’ singlet (denoting Club Northwest). What are you — an XL?”
Pete Magill may start his own club now. Suggestion: The YLFOLR Rebels.
Masters Athlete blogger seeks 50-plus athletes for interviews
Don McGrath writes at Masters Athlete magazine: “I’m a lifelong athlete who is turning 46 years old this year, and still very passionate about my sport. I am looking around the bend to my fifties and beyond and thinking about how I can continue to enjoy this important part of my life. I have embarked on a project to interview at least 50 athletes over 50 years old towards the goals of understanding the challenges facing older athletes, understanding successful strategies employed by them, and compiling their stories such that we can gain inspiration to look down the road with excitement and anticipation.” If you are interested in taking part, write Don at don@50interviews.com. He’s associated with www.50interviews.com.
