Former ESPN sportscaster nails the mystery of masters track
Here’s the essay, in case the blog vanishes someday.
My husband Rich doesn’t just write about sports, he’s still a competitor. I know that’s a good chunk of the reason why so many sports readers relate to the characters in his novels. He’s been competing in track since middle school,through to state and national meets in university, and he hasn’t stopped. (Now he competes in masters track.) So it was no surprise when I’d asked him what he wanted to do on his 55th birthday yesterday, and he’d said “to compete.” But what was surprising for Rich, as it always seems to be, is why I’d be interested in coming along.
I’ve learned over the years from him that running is more than just going fast: it’s about the process, the daily commitment and struggle, until finally, you triumph.(Which no longer means winning, I’m told, but accomplishing your personal best by surpassing your previous personal bests, and if that means winning the race, then okay.)
Masters racers compete against themselves, against the misconceptions about what they can accomplish–those thoughts of self doubt that needle the brain–often brought on by society, or even youth. I’ve seen them watch in horror sometimes, waiting for their high school meets to start up later in the day, mumbling, “How can anyone go that slow?” instead of being filled with admiration or amazement at what an 80-year-old athlete is trying to accomplish. And no, that old man isn’t having a heart attack, he’s 70 years older than you.
It’s true that the clock is against masters track athletes from the start.
Maybe that’s why the personal victories are so sweet. And, don’t get me wrong, there are masters track and field record holders close to 70 who race faster than peers 20 years younger and keep shattering the world records.
They defy what old men are thought to look like by being ripped and fast and younger-looking than many middle-aged men. But the majority of masters track athletes are not former Olympians,nor have they ever competed for their country in national events when they were young.A good chunk of them have torsos that resemble a turtle’s more than an athlete’s, but just as many train hard–like Rich–who gets up at 6 every morning to run.
There are also nights when Rich will say to me that he’s going for a run, and I know it’s also to work out a story-line, a character, or a conflict he’s seeking an answer for. I suspect that other masters runners do the same, knowing those logged miles can be like an old friend or a new one(some masters athletes have taken up their sport at 60 or so), and something they can depend on, or hope to, for as long as possible.
So, after knowing all this, why wouldn’t I want to see Rich race?
I know if you asked masters competitors, they’d say they do this because it’s fun. But what I think they really mean is, they do this because it’s a part of who they are, and if they didn’t, they wouldn’t feel quite the same. From all my years as an observer sitting in the bleachers looking out at the cluster of events and the competitors they attract, it’s become evident to me that it’s more about tapping into that feeling and challenging yourself to dig it up, than kicking butt.
Sometimes they do this in dusty track shoes instead of spikes, wearing their favorite t-shirt, circa 1965. And those heavily-crested track jackets from the 50’s are surely a badge of honor and now, courage. Then there’s the runners who’ve finished their heat but linger by the finish line to cheer the others on, signaling a mutual understanding of why they’re all still doing this in the first place.
And when Rich raced across the finish line of his 200 meter heat in victory,(he’s now the USA Masters Track & Field East Region Champion), it must have resurrected that old feeling from his university days. And yet, when he came up to the stands to give me a hug, he whispered, “This is why I do this. To feel what it’s like to run fast. And to feel like I could keep going.”
13 Responses
Wonderful essay. Thank you. “To feel what it’s like to run fast”. Says it all for me.
Sandra…bingo….you hit it right on the head and wrote exactly what it is all about for us.
It is such a joy and honor to be able to compete as a masters athlete. And…..we compete as much with as against everyone in our races. Thanks for the wonderful article.
Along these same lines, I like the quote from Chariots of Fire: I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.
Cheers,
Jim
nice article…may the sun be on his face and the wind at his back, always.
Sandra,
Thank you for your insightful essay..it explains it beautifully.
Wonderful article! When I was in high school my Dad wanted me to play golf instead of pole vault. He said I could golf for my whole life. Which could be seen as a reason to pole vault then, but we were on the same page in understanding that youth is your chance to really focus and develop a skill. Anyway, I’ve spent the last 30 years proving that you can pole vault your whole life too. We all get our adrenaline rushes in our own ways. Masters Track is my favorite one!
To paraphrase: They also serve who sit & watch.
This article is so “right on” I enjoyed it very much.
At 62 years of age now, when I run, it still feels exactly the same as when I was running a four minute thirty five years ago and it’s not until I look at the clock that I realize I’m running much,much slower. I imagine this can be very frustration for a lot of elite athletes, but I never ran for money,metals or fame, but that wonderful feeling I get when I run my best, and as long as I can get that feeling, I will continue to run.
I think that’s why we all do it.
Great Article. It really summarizes why we go out to run..sometimes by ourselves on a track, trying to find a time when HS practice is over or they aren’t playing on tthe fields or in ptich dark. I think 90 percent of us are out there for the joy and I hope that other 10% gets that recognition they have been starving for if they misssed their glory days so they can join the rest of us and enjoy the sport in its purest form
Great and wonderful article. It speaks to my athletic-heart and like Tom Phillips: “to feel what it’s like to run fast” says it all for me. Thank you.
That was a great essay. I really enjoyed it.
Great article! And I should add that the article right before about adopting “Lucy” the dog really stole my heart.
I just turn 41 this year and have been running 5k races maybe one or two a year. Since my college days There has been something missing I found that I love the race the best at the end. I noticed it wasn’t because the race was over, it was because I got to run as fast as I can. Man does that feel good. I’m VERY glad I found this site. I will be finding a club a club here in AZ and get back to my happy place 200m & 400m races.
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