More lessons about never being too old

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_8801497

More lessons about never being too old

CCT Staff
Article Launched: 04/03/2008 05:55:21 PM PDT

If you ever have the opportunity to see one of our National Masters Track and Field Meets, you'll be impressed by the performances of our "older" participants. Better yet, maybe you will be entered. I'm sure my friend and former City Councilman Lil Arnerich can still long jump farther than any other 70-plus guy on the planet!
A team of our 60-plus athletes could give an average high school team a real contest in a track meet and a 50-plus bunch would be capable of beating most high schools. Check these stats: Gary Hunter, 52, can pole vault more than 16 feet. Bill Collins, at 57, can run 200 meters in less than 24 seconds. My good friend from New Jersey, Sid Howard, ran 800 meters (a half mile) in 2:14 at age 65. And another Social-Security eligible fellow named Frank Condon circled the indoor 200 meter track eight times running a mile in 5:11. Also, how about a guy, 60, long-jumping more than 18 feet? And a man, 60, putting the shot out beyond 50 feet?
For some reason, the TV decision-makers have avoided our meets. If they do show a scene of a senior performer, it's usually some rickety-legged old character kalumping along the track like it's the first day without his walker. Not so, Kimo Sabe! For most events, it's swift competition out there.
I don't want to discourage anyone in reader-land who feels the urge to give masters competition a try. Incidentally, masters competition is tougher than Senior Olympics

most of the time and you don't have to run in qualifying meets to get in.
I do it because it's a chance to be a kid again. Maybe some of you can, too. Mileage has to be logged and unwanted fat trimmed from the food intake.
Then, start entering local or regional meets to test the waters. (There are masters and seniors in swimming meets also — Barry Parker and Ash Jones are two I know who are superb aquatic performers.)
Finally, it's race day! Serious do it time! I usually have every hour planned from wake-up to the starter's gun. Each hour is listed. When to eat an energy bar; when to arrive at the track; when to begin warming up; when to finalize warm-ups with half a dozen wind-sprints. (That's right! Short wind-sprints 15 to 20 minutes before a race to shift the body into its heavy breathing mode before the gun goes off.) If the day isn't planned it's too easy to get sidetracked standing around conversing with friends, etc. I train myself the same way I trained runners.
Something to remember about getting in shape: anyone who has put on much weight should start getting most of it down before working hard. I've figured extra weight is three times the slow-down factor age is. My formula estimates that each pound above ideal weight will add two seconds per mile — 10 pounds overweight equals 20 seconds per mile slower. That means two minutes slower for a 10K (6.1 miles).
So, give yourself a long-range target date and get busy!