March, 2007
Teammates & Friends: Things are usually quiet around this time. There aren't many meets in February and everyone is gearing up for the Indoor Nationals in late March and/or trying to shake off the injuries. There are a number of us who are on the Injured Reserve list or worse, as you will read in the Notable Quotes section. If misery loves company, then I've got the company. After learning about the problems of others I won't complain (as much) about my knee that may never be the same again. Gail Johns-Rees has been very supportive. In talking about coming back from injury or pain, Gail wrote "I almost gave up sprinting, thinking that I’d never be able to do it ‘pain free’. I’m glad I didn’t but it was a tough road back because I had to stop sprinting for several months in order to recover. It’s taken a couple years for me to get back to where I was…..probably sounds depressing…..but it wasn’t that bad, watching the times get faster and faster again. It was worth it!!! Go for it! As Mary Harada says, what other options are there…couch potato?? Gotta love her!!!!"
Every time I start a new Newsletter I think I'll never find enough stuff to put in. This month was no exception. But as I started to put in articles like Kim's commentary on the Maine Indoor Championships, Notable Quotes, info on the upcoming Nationals, Reminders, videos of the USATF-NE Indoor Championships, a blurb about the MAC / NJ Championships and a heads-up on the 2007 Penn Relays, I realized that once again, the MVTC Newsletter is chock-full of good stuff. So here we go ...
"Just when I felt I was getting into great shape an unforeseen injury has knocked me out of the game. I tore my left Achilles tendon while warming up for the long jump last Sunday. Not a complete tear, but partial. I'll need to stop training for 3-4 weeks. There goes the remainder of the indoor season." - Ken Effler "This years indoor season has been a struggle from the start. I was hopeful, after working through some back issues. My training has been further derailed by a particularly virulent viral infection, which has yet to abate. I have missed three weeks training and may miss at least one more. I will not be able to regain fitness before the nationals. Certainly I will be in attendance to support the teams efforts in spirit rather than performance." - Charlie Kelley "My running career may be over, as I have been diagnosed (finally, after all these months) with post-tibial tendinitis. It happens most commonly to people with flat feet (like me) as they get older and is made worse by running, jumping, etc. Essentially, it's pain in the arch area. The doc says yet another pair of orthotics (my third) and PT may help, or it might be a permanent condition. So, I'll be doing mostly biking and swimming (if possible) to stay in shape while I rehab, and time will tell if and when I can run competitively again. It's not really the pain that is that bad or stopping me. It's more the location of it, at the arch that supports your whole body and that if we don't get the tendinitis under control, worse damage could occur there---or the tendon itself might just snap someday. That's why I have to be extra careful, like you would with an Achilles problem. " - Bob Segal "Hope the recovery is going well! I have been dealing with a foot sprain that I sustained at Dartmouth Relays. Have run a few good races since then but the foot won’t allow me to train the way I want…frustrating. See you at the Nationals!" - Gail Johns-Rees ---------- "Hi guys, just wanted to congratulate you on a great team effort and great race at Millrose. I was so proud of MVTC while watching the video. Recently I completed at the Reebok Indoor Games in the corporate relay. It was similar only in that we were kept out in a warm-up gym and then brought to the track minutes before our event – officials screaming and hustling us out quickly – then bang the gun goes off and you have to run in front of a packed house on an unfamiliar track. In a little way I can imagine what it must have been like. What a great experience it must have been! Thanks for putting MVTC on the map!" - Kim Williams
USATF-NE Vice President and MVTC member, John Oleski came up with a suggestion that was enthusiastically endorsed by many. John wrote "I think it would be great publicity for Mass Velocity to to pick a sprint event (I'd suggest the 400 not only because we have alot of competitors in the 4, but because it takes place on Saturday when the crowd is biggest) for both genders. Right now the benefits are 1) event sponsors will be listed in a special insert supplement for the meet program, 2) event sponsors will be able to put up signage at the event while it is being contested, 3) sponsors will be able to put something in the "goodie bags" that all competitors receive, 4) sponsors can have photos taken with winners of their event. Other benefits may be available on request." I agree with John that it would be great publicity for our club, but it's also a way for our club to give something back to the New England Association. They have been very supportive of our team. The cost of the sponsorship and a new, big MVTC logo banner will likely drain our meager checking account. Many have volunteered to donate a small amount towards this worthy effort. If you would like to help out please click on the donate button below and you will be taken to a PayPal page where you can use your PayPal account - or your regular credit or debit card. Please note that your charge will be from NextGen Websites (that's me).
I hope to see as many Mass Velocity folks in uniform on Saturday afternoon when the Mass Velocity "Red Tide" sweeps through the Reggie in a wave of red just prior to the 400m. If anyone in the Masters track and field community hasn't yet heard of Mass Velocity, they will come March 24th. The word on the track is that one of the traditional powerhouse teams from the west is worried about MVTC grabbing the top spot away from them in team scoring at Nationals. I agree - they should be worried. The Indoor Nationals are only a few weeks away. If you haven't gotten your club affiliation straightened out, you still have a little time left. You can't score for the team if USATF doesn't recognize you as a team member. We will also be scoring points with our relay teams. We will not put any Ad-Hoc relays on the track (one in which one or more relay runners are not affiliated with MVTC) and give up points like we did last year. If you have any question or problem with your club affiliation please contact me right away. There is still time to get it fixed.
Club dues paid via PayPal is the preferred method because they renew automatically every 12 months. Very little bookkeeping for me. Sometimes our members forget that a payment to NextGen Websites is actually for Mass Velocity and they cancel the payment or they had paid by mailing a check. Would the following folks check their records against mine and see if they have made their annual $15 dues payment sometime during the past three months: Bob Brown - Ed Faison - Liz Riordan - Tom Ranuga - Tom Cunningham - Mike Needham - Charlie - Tim Mitchitson - Paula Fortuna. I very well could have failed to record your payment by check. If not, please consider payment via PayPal or send a $15 check to: Mass Velocity Track Club 56 Riverview Street Springfield, MA 01108 The following folks will be coming up for renewal in the next few weeks: David Westover - John Polevy - Dan Maloney - John Osbon - James Morton - John Olseki - Jim Schoffman, so keep a lookout for the PayPal renewal. For everyone else, especially those who paid by check, please check your records to see if it's time to send another one. By the end of this year, I propose that Mass Velocity dues follow the lead of USATF and that membership will follow the calendar year. This will make record-keeping much easier.
One of the better meets in February was the USATF-NE Indoor Championships which featured a number of Masters-only events, including the 60m, 200m, 800m and Long Jump. The meet was very well attended and well run. MVTC represented 10 out of the 15 competitors in to 60m and 8 out the 11 in the 200m. Below are videos of both Masters 200m heats. Use the playlist to select the video. In the first heat, watch the start carefully and tell me Neil Steinberg didn't false start. [Neil: if you were a member of Mass Velocity, this never would have been mentioned!]
Use Fast Broadband Connection for Best Results
For more 200m action, Bob Pomeroy has this Masters 200m heat from the GBTC Invitational posted on YouTube.
On Sunday February 25 I traveled up to Orono Maine, a 150 mile trip, to compete in the USATF Maine Indoor Championships. I hadn't been to Orono before and this was going to be my second-to-last indoor event this year and my final competition before the Nationals in Boston. I got there early as I usually do. The huge field house was imposing; a large blue M on the front, the building towering over a snowy field. It was cold and sunny. The building itself is old, the track was built in 1933. For some reason the track is more than 200 meters, more than 220 yards even. It's a strange sticky spongy surface, four lanes on the oval with a slight banking. The field events were first and as this was my second try at the long jump, something I decided to add to my limited repertoire, I was anxious to get it underway. There was a large crowd of young people in the 8-14 age group. They were fun to watch, they were so enthusiastic and earnest. And I was glad they were there since the only female I bested on the long jump was a seven year old girl. Oh well, she's probably been doing it longer. There were quite a few high school and college age competitors. The men were amazing in the long jump. To my dismay I ended up in the same flight as men jumping nearly out of the pit. I should have waited and jumped later when the crowd died down. As it was, the full long jump contingent was sitting politely at the side of the runway watching each attempt. I would have preferred no one watching. I never faulted, but I took off on the wrong foot twice. And kind of forgot to jump, concentrating as I was on the take off. I guess I have a lot to learn. I had hoped for a meet with some good competition in the Masters events. As is turned out, there were two other over-30 women. The only other sprinter was Susan from Freeport, a friend from corporate track. She runs for a competitor corporate team and is a recent Mass Velocity Track Club member. The other master woman I do not know but have seen at many meets. She runs distance events and competes for Liberty Athletic Club. I don't think she is from Maine so she must have had a long ride here and it's too bad she had to compete alone in the masters category. It's fun to win, but it's a hollow victory when you have no competition. After the 55 meter lanes were cleared - the baseball team had set up nets and rolled out carpeting which all had to be taken up - we were ready for the sprints. Susan is faster than I am so, to make it interesting, we decided to base our competition on our block starts. Neither of us feel that we are quick out of the blocks. We chose a line about 10 feet out and set up a friend with a digital camera at that mark. He was assigned to take a picture at the 10 foot line and see who was ahead at that point. Loser will buy the winner a Gatorade at the next meet. We lined up, the officials were joking with us and acting quite relaxed. The meet was progressing slowly but no one seemed in much of a hurry. Susan and I took our marks, the gun went up, then the bang! We both shot out of the blocks, I don't remember my start so that means it was not too bad. When I mess it up I remember how it felt. I thought we were shoulder to shoulder at the 10 foot line. As usual, I forgot about my drive phase and stood up too fast. I'm still learning to be a sprinter. Susan slowly pulled away from me as we drove down the track and finished at 8.80 to my 9.39. It's a PR for me though! The digital camera showed that she was about 5 inches ahead of me at the 10 foot line. Oh well. Next time I'll get her. She said she is notoriously slow out of the blocks, and told me if she could beat me there I definitely need some work. Nice to know what to focus on. Susan is planning to try the indoor pentathlon at Nationals, so she went off to do high jump and shot put while I hung around for what seemed like hours before the 200 was called. Many of the races were down to two or three competitors and one hurdler had to run alone. That must be difficult. We talked to a team from Nova Scotia who had driven nine hours to compete. I felt better about my two and a half hour drive. While waiting for my next race, I had taken my spikes on and off about three times. I have this fear of ending up in a panic trying to get my spikes on so I always drag them out and pull them on too early. Then I have to make a pit stop so off they come. Finally they called the 200 out. Susan and I were the last heat. After a long wait we lined up. The starter was patient while I rearranged my blocks in the lane. I like them to point towards the curve a little bit. It takes me a long time to get them right and if I rush I'm likely to get set up wrong. I drew lane 3 and Susan was in lane 2, so my goal was to stay ahead of her as long as I could. At the gun I drove for all I could and was turning into the long back straight when she powered by me. The lane lines were old and faded and at the back curve they actually disappeared. I had a moment of dismay as I tried to figure out where my lane was. I didn't think it would matter too much if I stepped inside, but since I was wearing a hip number that said 3 I didn't want to cross the finish line in 2. I tried to stay where I assumed the lane was and keep my focus into the final straight. I finished in 34.75. Not a PR for my indoor season, but a decent time for me. I can never tell how I did, so it's always a surprise when I see my time. They all feel difficult, from the PR to the slowest time all year. Always out of breath and starting to tie up at the end. Always thinking of that one spot where I could have pushed harder. After the 200 was over, I went to get my medals. I didn't feel right about it, since there was no competition. But my husband encouraged me to pick up a medal at least for a souvenir. When I got to the table they said they were all out of medals. Shoot. Since I am a Maine resident, I ended up with a nice Maine State Champion patch. Not completely satisfying, since I became the champion by just showing up. But oh well - it looks nice on the wall of my cubicle at work. So I packed up all my gear and changed into dry clothes and settled in for a long drive home. Competing at a meet is never a waste of time for me, since I have so much to learn. Every track is different - every race presents a new challenge and it's great to spend time with other competitors. I train alone and often the sprinter life feels very lonely. I'm glad Susan was there for the "Gatorade" challenge and all in all I enjoyed the day.
Impact Sports Strengthen Bones in Senior Athletes
Running, basketball and other high-impact sports may lead to stronger bones as people age, according to a new study presented today at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Measurements conducted on senior Olympic athletes found that the bone mineral density (BMD) for those who participated in impact sports was significantly greater than athletes who competed in low-impact sports like swimming and cycling. READ MORE ...
My sources tell me that the track at the NJ Armory was less than desirable - flat with long straights and sharp curves. The few Mass Velocity speedsters that made the trip must have found the number of competitors underwhelming but posted admirable results that included Cochise McBride taking 1st in the 60m and 2nd in the 200m, Dick Camp taking 2nd in the 60m and 1st in the 200m. James Morton was 2nd in the 400m in his age group as was Carroll Blake in his and Roger Pierce took 1st in his age-group 400m. My sources also told me that Jon Tetherly made the long trek to the Garden State only to fall ill and not run. Bummer!
The 2007 edition of the Penn Relays is not that far off (April 27, 28, 29). There is already talk about forming relays. To facilitate the process, Mass Velocity will have captains who will coordinate all the hopefuls by age-group and gender. Relays will be formed based on best times that can be verified. Last year we had A and B relays in a number of events and I see no reason why we can't do the same this year (I need three more guys for the C-Relay). The captains are: M40+: Dave Neumann M50+: Tucker Taft M60+: Warren Graff W50+: Gail Johns-Rees If you are interested in being on a Mass Velocity relay team that will compete at Penn, please click on the captain's e-mail link and provide your name, whether you are interested in the 4x100, 4x400 or both and if you'd like to submit an entry for the individual 100m event (which is VERY selective). Depending on events, please provide your best time(s) and the meet(s) you ran it in along with a link to the results, for verification if necessary. I will get back to everyone on entry fee information as it becomes available and will start accepting entry payments as the teams are formed.
I can't wait for the Indoor Nationals. From seemingly out of nowhere, Mass Velocity is on the verge of becoming a club synonymous with Masters track and field. We have assembled almost every master sprinter in the northeast along with a growing number of half-milers, jumpers and throwers. If each of you has your club affiliation in order, stays healthy and performs to your potential at Nationals, our club has a very good chance to be the top-scoring club. Even in we fall short of that lofty goal, the Nationals will be awash in MVTC red and it will be a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet all your teammates and to cheer everyone on. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend than with all of you at the Nationals. See you there!
The Mass Velocity Newsletter is an open-access publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. Users may freely copy, distribute, and display its contents, but must give credit to the original publication source and author.