Harold Morioka goes under the knife: 5th knee surgery
Masters sprint/hurdles legend Harold Morioka of British Columbia reports that he had knee surgery a week ago. And last Wednesday he said: “I’m feeling better and optimistic that I’ll still be able to compete again, not at the level I was able to before, but hopefully to be competitive. I have to be very careful with my knees when I train. Last winter I probably did too much trying to get back in shape for our relay team.” Harold, meanwhile, provided results of the British Columbia masters championships held late last month, and Doug Smith shared them. See the results here. Some of these folks will compete at Spokane masters nationals.
Masters track jumps on Facebook bandwagon (barely)
Your kids use Facebook. Your neighbors use Facebook. All God’s chillin use Facebook, it seems. And now “master’s track.” Facebook — a social-networking site for students and adults — is the latest outpost for age-groupers. Check out this nascent page, brought to our attention by M40 middle-distance runner Mark Alexander of Seattle. Tiny by Facebook standards, the masters track page is just more evidence of our hunger to connect. (Masters Athlete Daily also has an “online community.”) Of course, that’s what this blog (and our related Forum) are all about. But Facebook has some tools we don’t, so good for them!
Headwinds hamper times, not efforts, at West Regionals
Bucking headwinds on the home stretch, dozens of runners and sprinters still recorded some nice marks at the USATF West Region Masters Championships over the weekend at Cal State San Marcos, where Steve Scott coaches. Complete results are posted here, thanks to the Flash Results timing team led by former masters steeplechaser Don Chadez. Among many notable marks was a discus throw by M80 age-group newbie Bud Held, the Masters (and national T&F) Hall of Famer. Bud threw 36.82 (120-9), just short of the listed American age-group record of 121-8 by Ross Carter in 1994. The listed WR is 37.86 (124-2) by Finland’s Osmo Renvall in 1991. Bill Fitzpatrick did a marvelous job as meet announcer, working from the timing crew’s shade tent at the finish line.
Young, Lawrence featured in photo galleries from Trials
Tony Young was Tony Young at the Olympic Trials — a predictable and powerful victor in the masters men’s 3000 exhibition in Eugene. But Donna Lawrence of Texas was a delightful surprise as the come-from-behind winner of the masters women’s 200. Now you can see how both emerged as gold medalists. Click here for my men’s 3000 photos. Click here for the women’s 200 series. As always, the best way to view these shots is via the slide show function. (Click on the first photo, then look for the slide-show buttons at the upper left.) Bon appetit! Also: USATF posted its own set of 3K shots (but, alas, not 200-meter photos).
M35 steeplechase star Simon Vroeman fails drug test
Dutch runner Simon Vroeman, who earlier had suggested he might shoot for the M40 steeplechase world record in 2009, has tested positive for an illegal performance enhancing substance — methandienone. Simon, in revealing the dope test, says he is shocked and wonders if the “result (is) from polluted meat that I ate on my travels outside Europe? I can only guess.” In any case, he has decided against competing in the Beijing Olympics.
Results posted from Chuck McMahon meet in California
Paul Baum of San Diego has graciously shared results from the annual Chuck McMahon Memorial Masters Meet held June 28 at Cal State San Marcos — north of San Diego. The same venue is hosting the two-day USATF West Region Masters Championships this weekend. Results may eventually show up at this archive site. These folks also provided timing at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. (In fact, former masters steeplechaser Don Chadez of FinishLynx is doing computer work at San Marcos a week after being in Eugene.) Now if only someone would provide results from the USATF masters deca and hep championships — three weeks ago!
Seattle Times features Steve Robbins, Tony Young
Our friends Steve Robbins and Tony Young have been residents of the Seattle area for years. But better late than never for a major write-up in the local paper. Check out this story in today’s Seattle Times. Steve is a hoot, especially. Speaking of the tendency for masters to suffer injuries, he says: “I often joke, if you want to meet someone or bond with them and you don’t know anything about them, all you have to do is say, ‘So, tell me about your injuries,’ and they’ll go for an hour. I’ve never had anyone tell me, ‘I don’t have any injuries.’ ”
Masters were crucial to a spectacular Olympic Trials
If you took everyone with ties to masters track out of Eugene, Oregon, for the period June 27 through July 6, you could not have had an Olympic Trials. Period. From the Oregon Track Club Masters members who showed visitors how to find the airport shuttles to the meet officials (including our own Rex Harvey) to the spectators themselves — you had one superduper reunion of masters track. Phil Raschker, Jim Barrineau and Sid Howard were among many masters stars in the house. (Plus locals like Becky Sisley, Sandy Pashkin and Frank Lulich.) Two masters exhibition races impressed thousands at Hayward Field. A free all-comers meet on Rest Day 2 featured hundreds of age-groupers. (Three events were held: 100, 400 and mile).
Wildfires ravage area near Spokane masters nationals
This isn’t likely to affect our meet, but folks in the Spokane Valley were being evacuated from the path of an out-of-control wildfire tonight. Here’s one story on the situation. My best friend Rick (a high school track teammate) wrote me: “Several wildfires started in the high winds and low humidity in Spokane today. One is near our home. The terrain is hilly, so the firefighters on the ground are having a hard time putting a line around it. The high winds kept aircraft out of the sky so there was no air support. . . . Red Cross set up the shelter at a high school gym about 7 miles from our house. I spent a few hours volunteering at the shelter near the fire, both to help out and to be closer to the fire to monitor its whereabouts.” Let’s hope fire crews snuff this sucker soon!
Masters motives change over time, university pair find
Masters have been guinea pigs for academic and medical researchers for decades, but a study conducted at the 2004 masters nationals in Decatur, Illinois, (and the Canadian counterpart) touches on the heart of what matters: Why do masters run, jump and throw? The answers found in a Canadian research project aren’t surprising: We compete for fitness, medals, PRs, fellowship, etc. But one interesting finding is that our motives change over time. Click here to review a summary of the latest masters research. Click here for a rundown on earlier masters studies.
