Relatively interesting: His and hers 13.33s at San Clemente
Rita Hanscom of San Diego is a sprint phenom at age 51. I’m a sprint wannabe who turns 51 in three weeks. What do we have in common besides age group and event? Well, today we delighted in running the identical time in the 100 meters at the inaugural San Clemente Masters Meet at San Clemente High School in south Orange County, California. In separate races, we both clocked 13.33.
It leads me to reflect on what I’ll call the Masters Theory of Relativity.
In track, everything is relative to its context and perception.
A 13.33 for a W50 sprinter is all-world. Rita’s best 100 last year (as listed by Dave Clingan’s 2004 outdoor rankings) was 13.42 — the No. 2 mark in the nation last year behind Cindy Steenbergen’s 13.09. As judged by the 1994 Age Graded Tables (about to be superseded by a new set of charts), her time has an achievement level of 92.8 percent, where any mark over 90 percent is considered world-class.
A 13.33 for an M50 sprinter, however, is appreciably lower on the same scale — 82.8 percent. That’s considered “national class” by the AGT, but the odds of it qualifying you for a masters nationals final are near zero.
Rita, a deputy district attorney (aka prosecutor) in San Diego County and a law school professor over the years, would probably object to my tut-tutting of my time. She’s an “up” person (as befits a national-class pole vaulter) who wouldn’t denigrate anyone’s honest efforts on the track. But it’s the truth — she cleaned my clock in the 100, relatively speaking.
About two hours later, we both held down lane 3 in the 200. She went first, flying down the track with an aiding sea breeze to win by a mile in 27.62 . A few minutes later, under the same conditions, I took second in my age group in 28.43. Exhausted by my celebrations after the 100, no doubt.
Here Rita was hands-down superior.
My consolation? Relying again on the Masters Theory of Relativity, I keep in mind that no 50-year-old at my company — or in most companies — could stay with me in that race.
Gotta find satisfaction where you can in this sport.
Of special note:
M40 high jumper Tom Van Zandt of Redondo Beach, a 6-11 jumper for Dartmouth in 1984, cleared 6-6 on his last try at today’s San Clemente meet. His best last year was about 6-4. He was third at the 2004 Decatur masters nationals, but stamps himself as a favorite for San Sebastian worlds, when he’ll be 43. He’s entered in the Spain meet, he tells me.
One Response
Great article, Ken. Not only is Rita an awesome athlete, but her enthusiasm for track and field is highly contagious. Many times I have been ready to quit, but Rita¬?s great joy in the training, competition and camaraderie of the sport renews my spirit and brings me back.
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