Nolan Shaheed, Kevin Forde among late scratches from Lahti
Nolan Shaheed
|
Lahti worlds has lost some of its luster. In recent weeks, we’ve learned of the death of Aussie masters great and many times WAVA champ Shirley Brasher and a cruel injury to M45 miler Kevin Forde. Now comes word that world masters champ Nolan Shaheed won’t compete either. Noting that injuries are a masters athlete’s worst enemy, Nolan writes from Pasadena: “My enemy has struck. A pain in my ankle that has been bothering me since March is getting worse and I tried to hang on one more meet before I got it checked out, but the pain is too much. I won’t be going to Finland but have a nice non-refundable single B&B hotel room I’d like to sell to anyone who is interested. It’s from July 29 through August 9. I can be contacted through this e-mail address. Good luck to you and all of the USA team.” Bummer, man! Nolan turned 60 just a week ago and was hoping to make his age-group debut a record-smashing one. It’s late to change lodging (and the meet starts in only four days), but if you want to improve your Finland digs, please write my friend.
Carmel Papworth-Barnum, our Aussie friend in Reno, also recently wrote:
Got word from an Aussie mate that pentathlete Shirley Brasher (82) died from a stroke on Sunday, July 12. Shirley was due to fly to Finland this week to compete in the World Masters Games. Just last week Shirley was officiating at an All Schools cross country meeting. She’d been annoyed that a broken arm meant she couldn’t run that weekend.
Shirley’s friendly face was a regular fixture on the masters circuit. She loved competing, officiating and hanging with her running friends. Shirley held Australian Records in the W75 and W80 New/Oceania Pentathlon (100m, Shot, Long Jump, Javelin, 800m) and the W80 Old Pentathlon (Long Jump, Javelin, 200m, Discus, 800m).
Kevin Forde, a marvelous miler and an even more courageous blogger, has been describing his Lahti letdown in the most brutally honest terms.
In this entry from a month ago, Kevin wrote:
I’ve had a hard time coming to terms w/ the fact that not only is my outdoor track season now shut down but also my dream of being World Champion has also been taken away from me.
Linford Christie once said and I quote “as an athlete you’re always injured” and it’s true but this tendon injury just refuses to go away, despite numerous treatments and lay offs. I was bothered by it right after my last workout, that after I hadn’t ran for two weeks,I realized then that to go to Lahti for Worlds was pointless, I’d missed four weeks of training, three weeks where I couldn’t run at all and 1 week of easy miles to get back into the swing of things.
In his latest entry, Wednesday, Kevin wrote:
Another visit to Physical Therapy today and hopefully another step closer to returning to the track. Right now it’s small steps,I got a bunch of new stretches today to help my Achilles tendon hopefully get stronger,along w/ an ultrasound, 5 mins on an elliptical trainer and some ice afterwards,the acid test is going to be how well my tendon reacts to my first run,it’s very much a wait and see game at the moment but I feel I’m heading in the right direction at least. W/ any luck tomorrow should see another jaunt around the drives on my bike and another day closer to the moment of truth.
Kevin, shown at 2007 Maine nationals, was entered in the 8 and 15 at Lahti.
Finally, one athlete’s absence should not go unremarked. Bob Fine, who died in that tragic early morning running accident at Reno last December, would have been competing in his 18th world masters outdoor meet. He’d been to them all as a founder of the World Association of Veteran Athletes, now WMA. I hope he’ll be remembered in some fashion in Lahti. His spirit will live on.
15 Responses
My heart goes out to the families of those we have lost but will remember. It is a normal accurance in the masters circuit that we loose more than we gain, but that which we gain is inspiration from each other to continue knowing we all share most of the same pains in overcoming something to reach our goals.
I also sufferd some of the pains of the lower leg which has slowed and stop some of my progress. Most of which could have been prevented with less training and proper foot support on and off the track. Does anyone have any information on how not taking care of your feet cause leg problems?
Don’t have any advice on injuries, but I will give an update to Nolan Shaheed and Kevin Forde. They’re both colorful characters as well as great athletes, and we have missed them (actually, the update is mostly for Nolan).
Nolan, in some ways, things haven’t changed too much since you have been gone from the scene. I’ll give you some updates on two areas that are of great interest to me (and to you):
1. Records: As you know so well (you were there), John Hinton ran 4:20.18 for an M45 world mark at Cornell University’s indoor track in January 2008. It’s now 18 months later, and John still hasn’t been given his world mark, even with a “pending” designation.
Contrast that with marks made at Landover in March 2009, several of which are already official world marks even though the quality of timing there could not even remotely compare with the timing at Cornell. And, as you know, the overall quality of the meet at Cornell was far superior to that of the Landover meet.
As you know, Aaron Thigpen ran 10.60 FAT at Mt. SAC in 2007 for the 100 (legal wind). Tom Surber of the USATF office, among others, wrote about it. Nolan, I must tell you that Aaron never got his record (this was an American record).
In June 2008, Kay Glynn broke the world record in the pole vault for W55 at the USATF Pacific Assoc. champs. There was no doubt whatsoever about this mark; the referee signed off on it, it was a USATF championship, etc., etc. Nolan, I must tell you that Kay Glynn never got her record.
In April 2006, Alisa Harvey broke the American mark for the 1500 outdoors (W40) at the Penn Relays. As you know, Alisa ran 4:26.49 FAT. Alisa never got credit for her mark, but neither did anyone else get credit for breaking the existing mark either before or after Alisa broke it (4:32.73 by Joan Nesbit). Thus, I must tell you, Nolan, that the listed 1500 outdoor mark for W40 is now somewhere between 13th and 20th on the all-time list, but it still shows as a record with nothing even pending.
So…..Nolan, even though you have been gone, not too much has changed on the records front (there are hundreds of other unratified marks to discuss, but I don’t have the time).
2. Getting thrown out. At least one Oshkosh competitor was thrown out of her event (and at least one man had all sorts of problems) because of declaration issues. Thus, masters T&F has not succeeded in solving this problem — how to attract inexperienced runners (which is does) while not throwing them out for stumbling in the declaration process (getting thrown out is a huge penalty, to say the least).
So, Nolan, I have to say that, at least on some fronts, you haven’t missed much. Hope to see you at the Hartshorne Mile in January 2010.
Peter “Re-Pete” Taylor, Love ya man but give it a rest. How many more times do we have to hear you re”pete” the Hinton and Harvey sagas when it does not change the outcome.
Well, Anonymous, I will give it another round in October or so, and then perhaps in January 2010 (to commemorate the Hartshorne Mile). It’s like getting an “F” from the teacher when you got every question on the final exam right; you might have to go back 100 times to get it straightened out, then go to the principal, the school superintendent, etc.
Don’t like to repeat myself so much, but the facts of these cases haven’t changed — they ran the times or jumped the heights in first-rate meets and can’t get the recognition. (My conclusion: something is wrong with masters T&F, not with the athletes or with Peter Taylor.) When the record-setters are recognized I will stop but, as noted above, I will go to a less frequent reiteration in the future.
Pete, thank you so much for the info and for your persistence regarding non-recognition of records set by our fellow comrades.
When a person sets a World record it means that no one in the history of the world had ever done it better. Your name gets in a record book and stays there until someone comes up and beats it. Then your name is erased and replaced and you are forgotten.
If your name is not recognized for a great record you set, then it’s as if you’ve never done it and all the hard work you put in and the sacrifices you made are for nothing.
Pete is one man crying out in the wilderness for justice. Not for himself but for those whom he knows made the sacrifices and never got the recognition they deserve.To ask Pete to stop is not fair to those who read the blog to be INFORMED on Masters athletes.
It Pete annoys you, consider that if the records NEVER do get ratified, EVERYONE will still know about Harvey and Hinton.
Nolan My good friend, I am really sorry to hear about your injury. You know how I feel about you as a person as well as one of the greatest master athletes of our time. You are always missed at the National and the Worlds where you have always been a shininig star for the United States for many years. Looking forward to seeing you back with a great force soon. My best for a speedy return also goes out to Kevin. All of the Houston Elite family send our prayers to Shirley Brasher’s family. Also, it would be nice if all the USA athletes could pin a black ribbon or band on their uniform to remember Bob Fine during the Worlds.
Bill Collins
Hey guys I can relate, I may not make it either to Lahti. My outdoor season has been a nightmare I can’t wake up from. Good Luck to you both.
Nolan my friend I’m so sorry to hear you won’t be going to Worlds,the M60-64 age group must be breathing a huge sigh of relife knowing they don’t have to face you.
Hopefully you and I can get healthy and tear it up at World Indoors in March.
Thank you to Pete Taylor,Bill Collins and Tony Echeandia fot their kind words also
Shaheed,
I’m also sorry to hear about your injuries during the season. I’ve been out since late June, and am just getting back to mild training due to calf problems. I know you and many others can relate to rounding in great condition, only to be stopped in your tracks !
See you all when I’m 50 ! Pete, I miss your voice, man !
Saladin (Sal)
Shaheed,
I’m also sorry to hear about your injuries during the season. I’ve been out since late June, and am just getting back to mild training due to calf problems. I know you and many others can relate to rounding in great condition, only to be stopped in your tracks !
See you all when I’m 50 ! Pete, I miss your voice, man !
Saladin (Sal)
Shaheed,
I’m also sorry to hear about your injuries during the season. I’ve been out since late June, and am just getting back to mild training due to calf problems. I know you and many others can relate to rounding in great condition, only to be stopped in your tracks !
See you all when I’m 50 ! Pete, I miss your voice, man !
Saladin (Sal)
I would like to thank Bill, Sal, Kevin, Pete and Tony for responding to this blog. Injuries are not only annoying but slightly depressing as well and In my funk,I’m reminded that I’m not alone in my disappointment.
I already miss seeing Kevin and his head bandanna sprinting in the last 150 meters giving it all he’s got while Pete is yelling how he’s past two runners and now two more.
I miss seeing Sal in the 800 running the first lap in 55 seconds effortlessly then going to work on that last lap while Pete is screaming ” he’s on world record pace”.
I hate not being able to see Bill run the one, the two, the four then anchoring one or two relays and hearing Pete shouting ” they’re off and Bill Collins takes the lead”.
Well fellows, I’m going to get ready for indoors next years and I want to apologize in advance for that foul feces-like odor that will be coming from my shoes but I plan on kicking a lot of Butt!!!!
What will your shoes smell like???
Peace, Nolan Shaheed
Injuries make us hungry. They are a part of our vet life. We deal with them all. But once in a while they wont let us get up on our toes. Wishing you all to run and not be weary soon.
Track guy injured since February: KP
Nolan check out that “But Doc, It Also Hurts Not To Run” and “That Helsinkin’ feeling, when you’re Finished for Finland” where you, Kevin Forde, Cindy Steenburgen and Coreen Steinbach are mentioned.
Thanks Larry, Great articles. You’re in the same boat as me. New age division, ready to kick butt at the world stage, then….
It’s amazing! When I’m running badly, I don’t feel like having sex, I can’t hit the high notes on my trumpet and I don’t sleep well at night.It’s a shame ’cause since I can’t sleep anyway, it would be nice to get in a little sex or maybe a 5 mile run, and it’s too late to blow the horn!!!!!
Leave a Reply