Shirley Matson: dancer

In her 50s, Masters Hall of Famer Shirley Matson was unbeatable on the track, especially in the 5K. She still holds several American records. On the roads, she was a legend. But then she stopped a few years ago. Dropped out of the sport. Why? Now we know. Her local paper tells this story of how Shirley turned lemons into lemonade — and returned to another of her loves: dancing. “Over the years I have had Illiotibial band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, Piriformis syndrome, Achilles tendonitis, osteitis pubis, a stress fracture, and sprained ankles, to name a few,” Shirley told freelancer Barry Spitz. “I have seen orthopedics, podiatrists, chiropractors, osteopaths, masseurs, and physical therapists.” Her track career was toast.

Here’s the story, in case the link goes buh-bye:

By Barry Spitz
Article Launched: 10/19/2008 10:22:04 PM AKDT
IT WAS ON a run last April in Madrone Canyon, near her Larkspur home, that 67-year-old Shirley Matson’s life was markedly altered, possibly forever.
She fell out of love with running and in love with dancing. The decision was forced on her.
“I was just going easy on the trail when I twisted my right ankle and went down,” Matson said. “I got up and continued. Then I twisted my left ankle. I finally realized it was time to listen to what my body had been telling me for a long time, that it was time to change.”
Matson was perhaps the nation’s most honored age-group runner. For 13 years, she was recognized by USA Track & Field as the No. 1 women’s runner in the nation in her age group as she progressed through the 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, and 60-64 age brackets. She set 68 national road and track age-group records, many still standing. Her over-50 marathon record of 2:50:26 lasted 17 years, until finally broken this year by no less than an Olympic champion, Joan Benoit Samuelson.
Matson, who was inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 1998, has won enough gold at world championships to retire. And, in Marin, though not even fond of cross-country, she still managed to win the Dipsea trail race four times (1993, 2000, 2001, 2004) and finish second three times (1992, 2002, 2003).
Then a string of nasty injuries kept Matson from running hardly at all, much less competing, the past three years.
“Over the years I have had Illiotibial band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, Piriformis syndrome, Achilles tendonitis, osteitis pubis, a stress fracture, and sprained ankles, to name a few,” Matson said. “I have seen orthopedics, podiatrists, chiropractors, osteopaths, masseurs, and physical therapists.”
Yet this spring, the siren lure of the Dipsea and 24 head start minutes-she had 20 in her last try, in 2005-called as she set off on her fateful run.
Fortunately, Matson had something to fall back on. In short order, she had found a new outlet for her energy, all sorts of dancing, and she has thrown herself into it with the intensity that made her a champion runner. She takes adult beginner’s ballet at Roco in Mill Valley three times a week, and just had her first recital. Twice a week, she tap dances at Happy Feet, also in Mill Valley, and does jazz dance at Stage Door in Sausalito. She’s in Golden Gate Park each Sunday with the long-running lindy dance group. She takes ballroom dancing at Dance Arts in San Rafael, and is a regular at swing dance parties in Emeryville and the City.
There are also twice weekly yoga classes, and Feldenkrais Method movement sessions three times a week. She’s in a dance aerobics class called Neuromuscular Integrative Action (NIA), done to African music. Plus there are extras, such as a dance convention all last weekend in Burlingame. And this is just a partial list.
“I’ve always loved dance,” Matson said. “When I was 12, I remember watching Gene Kelly and saying I want to do that. In college and after, I ice skated and loved the movement to music. But I had to put dancing aside when I got into competitive running 35 years ago.”
The running-to-dance transition has been total, but not totally easy.
“Certainly I miss running,” Matson said. “To let go was a loss, like a death and saying good-bye. But dancing has been great for me. I use my body more completely, and the concentration involved in learning new movements is great for the brain.”
As to comparing her two worlds, Matson said, “Runners are more intense, and more fit than most in social dancing, where there are even smoking breaks. But dancers at the ‘elite’ level are some of the most fit athletes around, especially ballet dancers. Whether it’s tap, jazz, ballet, swing, or ballroom, dancing is a demanding sport that requires stamina, muscle strength, balance, and rapid change of weight, while maintaining body alignment and gracefulness.”
Mill Valley’s Russ Kiernan, who’s tangled with Matson many times on the Dipsea Trail while also winning four times, and hoofed with her on the dance floor, said Matson’s transformation is inspiring.
“Shirley doesn’t do anything half-heartedly. She proved that as a world record holder as a runner, and will certainly do it with dancing,” Kiernan said. “Shirley may parlay her runner fame into a stint on ‘Dancing With The Stars’!”
Matson won’t speculate on her future in running, however. She turns 68 on Nov. 7 and, down the road, could very well rewrite the nation’s over-70 age records if she returns. But she’s non-committal.
“I’ve done that, and done it well. I don’t have anything to prove, and I’d rather go out on a high note than a fizzle,” Matson said. “Now I’m just following my heart. And I’m having fun.”
Barry Spitz is a free-lance writer. His e-mail address is bzspitz@aol.com. Write to him care of Sports, Marin Independent Journal, P.O. Box 6150, Novato 94948-6150.