I had a nice chat yesterday with a reporter in Florida, who produced this nice summary of masters sports. Thomas Becnel writes: “In Englewood, 80-year-old David Rider has set records in everything from the high jump to the 5,000-meter. To match his rivals, the former track coach runs four days a week and lifts weights or stretches on his off days. ‘We all take it pretty seriously,’ he says. ‘Just like a younger guy would.’ Rider holds Florida Senior Games records in the 80-85 age group for the high jump (3 feet, 8 inches) and pole vault (6 feet). He won a national championship as an 80-year-old with a 5K time of 31 minutes, 8 seconds. How long does he expect those marks to last? ‘Not very long,’ Rider says, laughing.” Love it (despite the 80-85 booboo. Common error.)

Andy Hecker, director of the annual Southern California Indoor Meet Held Outdoors, has posted results. See them here. Besides the Nolan Shaheed M60 American record for 3,000, the meet saw M60 Jim Stevens long jump 5.85 meters (19-2 1/2). How good is that? The listed WR is 6.07 (19-11) by Southern California’s Tom Patsalis way back in 1982. So who is Jim Stevens? I haven’t a clue. His name doesn’t turn up in my results searches. But I love the prospect of out-of-the-woodwork track stars over 60.

Running a little outside their comfort zones, milers Marie-Louise Michelsohn and Nolan Shaheed notched a pair of American records over the weekend: W70 Marie-Louise clocked a 3:04.69 for 800 (indoors) and Nolan a 9:57.46 for 3000 meters (outdoors). MLM ran the 800 at the Armory on Monday night in a USATF association championships, and Nolan was at Andy Hecker’s traditional “Southern California Indoor Meet . . . Outdoors“ Sunday at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, south of Los Angeles. Between them, they have about a half-dozen records this season. I’ve lost count. MLM smashed the listed AR of 3:09.74 by Jeanne Daprano at Landover nationals in 2009, and Nolan’s mark shatters the listed AR of 10:11.24 by Douglas Winn in 2010.

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It was Mother’s Day on the Net this week. The Associated Press had a story on elite high jumpers prepping for London Olympics after giving birth. And a Fox Sports West site talked about long hurdler Lashinda Demus pointing for the Games as a mother of 4-year-old twins. Don’t mention that grandmothers and great-grandmothers also jump (if not hurdle). In the HJ report, Tia Hellebaut at almost 34 is one focus. Tia says: “Tests show that when it comes to pure power, I am stronger than four years ago.” But: “I gained 25 kilos (55 pounds) — twice, I lost 25 kilos — twice. In three years, my body was a constant hormonal yo-yo.” Sounds like something masters tricksters know something about. Any advice for the elite kidlets, Joy and Nadine? (Also Kathy, Kay, Rita and Marie.)

This is crazy! Several dozen people were sent this court document filed Thursday asking a judge to hold a hearing on a possible order to block the USATF National Masters Indoor Championships in Bloomington, Indiana. I don’t yet know the issues involved, but this opens a Dumpster-full of worms. Apparently, this is the fallout from an earlier legal fight in which M50 distancer Charlie Mosbrucker sued the Indiana USATF association for the right to inspect its financial records. See the original lawsuit. A January 2012 legal action names our own Robert Thomas (vice chairman of the national Masters Track & Field Committee) as a defendant in the case. (See it here.) I have no idea why this fight has such wide potential collateral damage.

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In the past few hours, I’ve traded noetes with a half-dozen people on the delicate matter of Val Barnwell’s entry at Bloomington masters nationals in March. The bottom line: He may not compete until he jumps through some hoops. USATF media honcho Jill Geer writes: “Mr. Barnwell has entered our championships and we are in the process of determining his eligibility to compete. Eligibility depends on completing USADA-mandated reinstatement testing and returning his medal from ’09 Worlds.” Masters track national chairman Gary Snyder says: “The MTF Committee is not involved in any of the decision process and in fact is on the receiving end regarding status of athletes.” And a USATFer who didn’t want to be named said: “Once an athlete completes his or her suspension, reinstatement and right to compete is not automatic. The athlete must apply for reinstatement and undergo several processes, which include out-of-competition testing, at the athlete’s expense, I’m told. If the athlete has not been reinstated by the federation, he or she cannot compete.” Another source who didn’t want name divulged wrote me that Val hasn’t applied for reinstatement.

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Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A superstud smashes a WR, then worries if it’ll ever make the record books. So it goes with Anselm LeBourne, who writes: “I have not seen anything written about my new world record that was established at the Boston Terrier Classic meet on the weekend of January 28, 2012. The time of 1:59.62 broke the published world record of 1:59.74 as well as my previous American Record of 1:59.92, which was also established at the same meet last year and has not been ratified by Sandy Pashkin. I have a serious problem with how masters records are ratified. My two indoor American records (800 and 1500 meters) have not been ratified by USATF even though I sent in all the paperwork one year ago. I am wondering why is it when a USA masters runner establishes a new world or American record they have to jump through hoops to get those records.”

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According to a USATF email blast, online entry deadline for indoor masters nationals in Bloomington, Indiana, is 4 p.m. Eastern time Friday, Feb. 17. And: “Drug testing will be conducted at this event. Please review the information on drug testing on the meet website so you learn whether any medications you are taking may require a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) or are banned.” According to the Status of Entries page, 19 men in the M50 age group are entered in the 60. One is Val Barnwell, who recently completed a two-year drug suspension from 2009 Lahti worlds. He has entered NT — no time — as a qualifying mark. He’s also in the 200. This should be interesting.

Masters track lovebirds Nadine O’Connor and Bud Held — both vault world-record holders — have launched a website devoted to knee replacements. Bud has a keen interest in this since he’s battled knee problems for years. Nadine writes: “We have launched a site www.SuperKnee.com to help us gather information about athletes who have had or are considering knee replacement. Initially, we want to gather information for a data base of personal experiences, good or bad, which will reflect the current status of knee replacements in athletes. To see the specific information we are looking for, click on the More Info page on our site. We will also be investigating whether or not there is a demand for lighter weight implants.”

Nadine continues:

One of our dreams is to get a clinical trial for a BIOLOX Delta
ceramic femoral component with a titanium rotating tibia platform,
specifically involving athletes. At this point it appears that such a
study would have to be made in Europe as BIOLOX Delta for knees is not
approved in the U.S. This would be a follow up to the current BIOLOX
Delta clinical trials in Europe. (See our website.)

This could prove to be big progress in the knee wars, if tests bear out efficacy. Say a prayer for the pair.

A gentleman wrote me the other day about his experience with androgen gel, “under the direction of my physician, [which] is totally legal under general law. If I were to just buy it on the black market, and use it without a doctor’s control, it would be illegal. Medical advancements, especially when it comes to issues of aging, have made it possible to correct conditions that were untreatable in the past. As Mr. Robbins points out, the rules of track and field with regard to masters, are still stuck someplace in the 20th century.” The athlete, who didn’t want to be identified for fear of putting a “target on my back,” shared a chronology of sprint marks along with another man he ran with. They both slowed down the same over the years. So he contends the gel didn’t help him. He also wrote me a long note (see below). What do you think of his arguments?

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