Online Preview of Master's Track & Field Book

If you've ever wanted to explore the history of the master's track and field movement, you can read an online preview of Masters Track and Field: A History by Leonard T. Olson (Preface: 3 pages; Ch. 1, 3 pages; Ch. 2, 3 pages, Ch. 3, 2 pages, Ch. 4, 1 page) in order to determine whether or not the hefty ($65.00) price of the hardback is worth it.


From Amazon.com:

Book Description
It all began in 1968, when prominent civil lawyer David Pain introduced and implemented the idea of age-group competition for track and field. What began as a special mile run soon expanded into North American, then world, meets. This is the first book-length account of how the Masters Track and Field program (for men over the age of 40 and women over 35) was started, how it developed nationally and internationally, and where it is headed in the future. Key pioneer promoters of the sport are profiled. In addition to covering how the movement grew and spread, the work reviews the effects of aging on performance and how the event standards and scoring were adjusted to accommodate aging. Current leaders discuss the most recent plans for the future of Masters Track and Field.

About the Author
Leonard T. Olson has been involved with the Masters since 1970 both as an award-winning competitor and administrator. A retired electronic engineer with extensive experience in technical writing, he lives in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Interview with Masters Runner/Blogger Jon Waldron

I recently stumbled across an impressive blog devoted primarily to High School Track and Cross-Country called NNHS Track and Cross-Country. The blogger is "almost 50" year old Jon Waldron, a part-time high school coach at Newton North High School in Newton, MA who also works for a software company. Waldron is an accomplished masters middle-distance runner who is preparing to advance to the national level once he hits the M50 age group. The more I get to know about this remarkable man, the more I'm struck by his unique and admirable approach to life. He seems to be a man who approaches everything he does – blogging, coaching, running – from the perspective that sees life in much the same way as does Colin Powell, who said that, "excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude." Here's what Waldron had to say in our recent interview:

Do you coach full time or do you have another career in addition to coaching?

I work at a small software company that makes speech recognition software for cell phones. My work schedule is flexible, but demanding, and it means I can only coach part-time. I don't coach at all during the winter.

What are your greatest rewards in coaching high school athletes? Challenges?

I enjoy the company of high school kids. I find them to be very eager and curious and open-minded. I'm biased, of course, but I think track and field is the perfect sport for teenagers because every single athlete can experience first-hand the connection between effort and improvement. Everyone can improve! I think the greatest reward is the moment when an athlete suddenly realizes that it is in their power to become better than they ever thought they could be. Tremendous!

The biggest challenge is, without a doubt, the fact that so many kids are over-scheduled. Their lives seem so booked with classes and activities that I wonder if they have any free time at all. I like to think that running can be free time for them, or at least a kind of release, but I worry that it will become just one more activity that has to be slotted into a schedule that would make a CEO weep.

What are your events? PRs? Titles? Competitive goals?

I have always run well at middle distances, especially 1M and 3000m. I had a really good year a few years ago and ran 4:33 for the mile as a 45-year-old. But I still feel like I can train smarter and race better. I'd like to be competitive at the national level in the 50-54 age group when I turn 50 next year.

What led you to blogging?

I've always liked to write. I also wanted a place to post news, results, etc. for the teams I have coached. Keeping up a web site became very time-consuming, but blogging was perfect.

How have you managed to persist in your blogging for nearly two years? That's not easy to do.

Well, I've had dry spells where I couldn't keep it up. I guess I try to have one or two "essay-style" posts a week on topics that really interest me in a deep way. The rest of the time, I just try to pass on news or respond to some event that has just taken place.

How do you get inspiration for the topics you write about?

I think I just find runners and running interesting for some reason. Every single day something happens that makes me think about the sport in a new way. Of course, I'm not always able to translate that feeling into something that would be interesting for others to read. Actually, I have started dozens of essays that I have never posted because I just haven't felt that I've found the right perspective or the right words to express my thoughts.

Do you have any other suggestions for new bloggers?

No. Well...actually Yes. I would suggest trying to write about 75% about other people and 25% about yourself.

What's your take on the state of track and field/running blogging in general?

I love the fact that there is so much information available online. I have always loved numbers as the language of track and field, and it is wonderful to have access to so much data. As for the state of track and field, that's way too big a question for me.

Who is the greatest Track & Field athlete of all time and why?

I think there are too many different sets of criteria in play to come up with a meaningful answer. I will say that I have always been fascinated by those athletes who changed the way other people looked at the sport or a particular event. I like the innovators.

What question did I not ask you that I should have asked?

How has the experience of training and racing changed for you since you were a high school runner yourself?

I would answer by saying that I am surprised and happy to be enjoying running as much now as I did when I was 17. Of course, I'm much slower. But when I was a kid I was always worried about how I FELT -- I mean, whether this or that muscle ached, whether I was over-matched or tired from a previous race. If I didn't feel just right, then I didn't think I could train well or race well. As I have grown older, I've realized that to a large extent we choose how we want to feel. Last night I did a track workout, and before the workout I was feeling pretty tired and I started worrying that I wouldn't be able to complete the workout that I had planned. Then I started laughing because I realized that I've felt that way before probably 90% of the track workouts I've ever done. I relaxed and the workout went fine. I think that kind of perspective is one of the things you learn with age and experience.

The kids at Newton North are lucky to have a coach like Jon Waldron. We're lucky to be able to get a glimpse into his world through his blogging. I highly recommend that you stop by and check it out.

Shorter-Rodgers Rivalry Renewed in Middletown

I love stories like this one. Running legends Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers are both 59 years old now, yet neither one can stand to lose to the other after all these years! I remember reading about their rivalry at the Middletown, NY Orange Classic 10K in SI when I was a kid in the early 1980s. (Man, those Kenny Moore articles were great, weren't they?) I remember Shorter being hampered by injuries all the time back then while Rodgers was in his prime. Yet Shorter always seemed to muster the courage to run through those injuries and win that race in his hometown. I was stunned to read that they're both still at each other a quarter of a century later! Shorter took it yet again, winning in 47:38 to Rodgers' 49:31.

Perhaps the better story is Ed Whitlock, age 76, who was way ahead of both Shorter and Rodgers in the Classic with a 70th place (out of 783 finishers) in a time of 41:14. Whitlock runs three hours a day when training for marathons. Truly Phenomenal.

Windy, Drizzly 2007 Prefontaine Classic

Drizzly, windy conditions kept the Prefontaine Classic from being as good a meet as it could have been. Both Alan Webb and Bernard Lagat ran disappointing races, while Matt Tegenkamp and Nick Symmonds both stepped up to the world stage. Let's go over the highlights:

The men's 800m run was taken out with an insane sub 49 second fist lap, leaving Olympic Gold Medalist Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia in last place some 15 meters back for most of the lap. With the rest of the entire field, including Khadevis Robinson, suffering from oxygen debt and lactic acidosis during the second lap, Borzakovskiy overtook the entire field. Symmonds stayed on his shoulder, though, and outkicked him for the win in a PB of 1:44.54 to Borzakovskiy's 1:44.71. Robinson finished 3rd in 1:44.99. Symmonds now has to be considered the favorite to win the 800m at the U.S. Championships.

During the men's 2 mile post-race interview, Craig Mottram of Australia colorfully explained that the race came down to the size of certain parts of the male anatomy. His anatomy was apparently the most favorably endowed because he won the race, outkicking Tariku Bekele to win in 8:03.50 to Bekele's 8:04.83. Matt Tegenkamp became America's middle-distance heir apparent, running a 3rd place American record of 8:07.07, smashing Alan Webb's record by nearly 4 1/2 seconds. The three men broke the all-comer's record of 8:07.68, set last year by Eliud Kipchoge at the Pre Classic. Webb had switched to the 2 mile to take advantage of his fitness level and break his record. He looked completely flat, however, and was never a factor in the race. He finished in 9th place with a time of 8:23.97.

Bernard Lagat looked flat, too, being outkicked by Daniel Komen in the Bowerman Mile. Despite not having an answer to Komen's kick, Lagat finished in a fine time of 3:50.56 to Komen's world-leading time of 3:48.28, a U.S. all-comer's record. Lagat has said that the reason he was outkicked by Webb at the Reebok Grand Prix mile was because he had just come down from training at 7,000 foot altitude in Flagstaff, AZ. His 3:50 proved that the altitude training is certainly paying off. Now he just needs to begin his taper to peak in time for Osaka. He is so strong that the National Championships should be his for the taking even without the benefit of a kick right now. Webb can't be discounted, though. After all, he did outkick Lagat a couple of weeks ago. Maybe this was just a bad day for him. It happens.

Other than the top four runners, the Bowerman Mile was just ordinary with 5th through 10th places being run in times ranging from 3:56.21 to 4:00.07. Jim Sorensen might have had an excellent chance at making history in being the first master to break 4 minutes outdoors. Meet director Tom Jordan blew the call by not inviting him to compete.

In the men's shot put, Christian Cantwell continued his domination of the event, posting the world's 3rd furthest throw of the year in 71 feet 7 1/2 inches. Reese Hoffa also threw well with a 71' 0 1/2", the world's 5th furthest throw of the year.

In the women's 800m, Maria Mutola continued her reign as the Hayward Field 800m queen with her 15th straight win at the Pre Classic in a time of 1:58.33. Behind her, Alice Schmidt ran the fastest time by an American this year to finish in 3rd place with a solid time of 1:58.75. Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica finished second in 1:58.61.

Paul Koech of Kenya won the men's 3000m Steeplechase by nearly half a lap. Considering he ran by himself almost the entire way, his winning time of 8:08.10 was outstanding.

The windy, wet conditions were not favorable to sprinters, so there were no notable performances in those events, other than Sanya Richards' comeback with a victory in the 400m dash. She finished her first race of 2007 with a decent time of 50.74. Complete results of the Prefontaine Classic can be found here.

Tom Jordan Blows a Big Chance at History

I should have dug a little deeper before I posted a few minutes ago. Dave Clingan posted a comment over on Masterstrack.com blog revealing that Tom Jordan has made his decision to NOT invite Jim Sorensen to race in the Prefontaine Classic Bowerman Mile. He's reasoning is that inviting Sorensen:

"...doesn't fit in with the Bowerman Mile. We've assembled a full field of sub-3:50 milers, and there really isn't anyone else in the 4-minute category. No HS athletes trying to break 4, for example. Jim would be by himself, running 50-60 meters behind the pack. Not only would that make it very tough to break 4, but it wouldn't be a good show. In my opinion, Jim needs to organize a mile race in the next few weeks that is specifically aimed at his breaking 4-minutes. That will be his best shot."

I don't buy Jordan's reasoning. The ExxonMobil Bislett Games Dream Mile on June 15th will have a field of 18 runners, five more than the start list at Pre. Jordan hasn't "assembled a full field" as he claims.

I put together a chart showing all of the times (in seconds) of the past 10 Bowerman Miles. A 3:59.9 finish (in bold), which is what Sorensen hopes to accomplish, would have finished as high as 8th place and never would have finished last in comparison to actual historical times. Not only that, but there have been as many as 17 contestants in the past. None of Jordan's reasons for declining to invite Sorensen seem to hold any water:

Let's hope that the entire field can rise to the occasion and not prove Jordan wrong. If the history of the Bowerman mile is any indication, quite a few runners will run in the 3:58 to 4:10 range. If that's the case, as it probably will be, then he'll need to explain why he doesn't seem to support the masters track and field community, which – I might add – is a HUGE part of the track and field fan base in the United States. Jordan just might be shooting himself – and U.S. track and field – in the foot.

Pre's Tom Jordan May Miss a Chance at History in the Bowerman Mile

I took a peek just now at the start list for the Prefontaine Classic Bowerman Mile and I still didn't see Jim Sorensen's name listed among the entrants, which – as of today – include the following runners:

BOWERMAN MILE
Bernard Lagat
Alex Kipchirchir (Kenya)
Daniel K. Komen (Kenya)
Shedrack Korir (Kenya)
Chris Lukezic
Kevin Sullivan (Canada)
Said Ahmed
Nicholas Kemboi (Kenya)
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)
Rob Myers
Ryan McKenzie (Canada)
Geoffrey Rono (Kenya)—pace
Ross Krempley—pace

Start time for the Bowerman Mile is 2:52PM Pacific Time tomorrow, just over 24 hours from now. Let's hope meet director Tom Jordan is still considering extending an invitation to Sorensen, who – if given an opportunity to race tomorrow's elite field – could set the world M40 record and be the first master to go under 4 minutes outdoors.

Prefontaine Classic Preview

In looking at the list of confirmed athletes for the Pre Classic I noticed a few things:

1. Jeremy Wariner could get beat by 5 meters (that's not something you see every day) in the 200m, or he could rise to the occasion and join the sub 20 second club. Asafa Powell (PB 19.90), Xavier Carter (PB 19.63), Wallace Spearmon (PB 19.65), Shawn Crawford (19.79), and Chris Williams (PB 20.02) are all confirmed, and all are faster than Wariner, whose PB is 20.19. If Wariner does crack the 20 second mark in Eugene then Michael's 400m world record of 43.18 is history at the National Championships in 3 weeks. If Wariner gets a new PB in the 20.00-20.18 range, then look for the first sub 44 of the season in Indianapolis. (note: I wonder why Wariner is not listed yet as an entrant for either the 200m or the 400m in the National Championships?). This should be a good speed tune-up for Wariner, but the real magic will be up front. Look for Spearmon to nip the X-Man and Powell at the tape with a sub 19.70. Wariner will provide his own magic three weeks from now.

2. Jim Sorensen, who just broke the masters M40 world record in the 1500m with a 3:44.06 (equivalent to a 4 minute mile) is still not invited to compete in the Bowerman Mile. Will meet director Tom Jordan extend an invitation to Sorensen? Let's hope so. This is the finest field of milers ever assembled in the United States. A masters miler has never broken the 4 minute barrier outdoors (Eamonn Coghlan has done it indoors). Why not invite the fastest masters miler in the world and create an opportunity for history?

3. Will Khadevis Robinson, Jonathan Johnson, Nick Symmonds, Jebreh Harris and David Krummenacker join the 2007 sub 1:45 club? Except for Robinson, American men's 800m running has not been very exciting for a few years. Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy is confirmed and his PB of 1:42.47 is most likely safe. He should win with a 1:44 point something. Let's hope he can pull a couple of Americans down close to that time, too.

Tragic Loss in Texas

I just read the following post and I felt obliged to post it on FLP just in case there happen to be any readers here who don't also frequent Masters Track's blog. Tragic loss:

M70 thrower dies in Texas after being hit by discus

My heart goes out to Chaunce Cook's family, meet director Seth Brower and the young man who made the unfortunate throw.

Update on Henry Rono

I reported the other day that legendary middle-distance runner Henry Rono was planning to run the Bay-to-Breakers race in San Francisco, CA in his comeback as a masters runner. Rono, nursing a sore hamstring, finished in 50:35. He also commented on the state of women's running, saying that, "it seems like the women are catching up to the men."

Read Rono's blog here.

Henry Rono Stuns Again

Henry Rono, the Kenyan superstar who stunned the track world back in 1978 by setting 4 world records in a span of 81 magical days, is making a comeback as a masters runner. Rono's record-setting streak (10000m in 27:22.5, 5000m in 13:08.4, 3000m SC in 8:05.4 and 3000m in 7:32.1) is "an achievement unparalleled in the history of distance running," according to wikipedia.com. He will run the Bay to Breakers 12K in San Francisco tomorrow, looking to best his Bloomsday time of 50:35 (a 6:47 pace) from a week ago.

He is currently ranked 7th in the M55 One Mile with a time of 5:45.8, which he ran on 5/12/07 at the Fountain of Youth Masters Mile in Camby, OR. He's a long way from the #1 ranking in his age group. Nolan Shaheed, who won the same race on May 12th in 4:42.7, holds that ranking.

Still, getting back to the top might not even be the point for Rono. The point may be running as far away from the bottom as he can. After that all-too-brief time at the top of the running world in the late 70s and early 80s, Rono drifted into alcoholism, ballooned to 220 lbs. and was even homeless for a while in 1994.

Some time after that, Rono made a decision to take back control of his life. He got treatment for his alcoholism, began a weight-loss program and started training again. He claims on his website that he is gunning for the M55 One Mile World Record at the 2007 World Master's Track & Field Championships in Italy, September 4 - 15, 2007. He is now a recovering alcoholic, he's lost 50 lbs. in the past 8 months, and he's thriving. Even if he never gets that record, Rono is stunning the world again with an amazing comeback of the human spirit.