Jeff Laynes, the fastest masters sprinter in the world (35 and over), isn’t ready to utter the M-word. Profiled by a San Francisco Bay Area sportswriter, Jeff says: “I’m not retired,” alluding to the typical status of masters runners. “I train myself mentally and physically to be able to run against anyone.” (Jeff doesn’t realize that most masters aren’t retired. Whatever.) Here’s the article, which weakly challenges Jeff on his sub-10 dreams. Jeff will compete Sunday at the Mt. SAC Relays. Hope he gets a chance to see the masters run — and asks what their work status is.

Jeff’s heat Sunday is at 4 p.m., just before the featured race with Kaaron Conwright, Chris Williams and Wallace Spearman:
Event 656 Men 100 Meter Dash OD U/O
Sunday 4/15/2007 – 4:00 PM
Section 1 Timed Finals
2 6496 Martin, Rodney Nike
3 5081 Buchanan, Anthony Unat
4 6128 Laynes, Jeff Brooks
5 5989 Henry, Anson Nike
6 6499 Norman, Joshua Hsinternational
7 6495 Dixon, Leroy Nike
8 6439 Kojima, Shigeyuki Asics Internatio
9 6500 Smith, Winston Jamaica
Here’s the story, in case the link vanishes:

Oakland sprinter, 36, dreams of Olympics Article Last Updated:04/11/2007 07:25:02 AM PDT
By Jeff Faraudo
STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND — There is one topic sprinter Jeff Laynes would just as soon not talk about.
“You don’t have to mention my age in the newspaper,” he suggested.
Sorry. Laynes, a 1989 graduate of Oakland High, is 36 years old.
And still, he has big track and field dreams.
Laynes believes that he can break 10 seconds in the 100-meter dash this summer and that he can qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, by which time he will be just a couple of months shy of 38.
He believes it despite the fact that no one his age has accomplished those feats.
“They are attainable for me,” he said. “I can achieve them. It’s not far-fetched. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. I definitely don’t look at (my age) as a handicap.”
Laynes is more comfortable even talking about the two-year ban from track and field he was issued in 2001 after testing positive twice for steroids at track meets in Europe and, according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, admitting to manipulating USADA documents while trying to earn a spot on the U.S. national bobsled team.
Laynes maintains he never — knowingly or not — used a banned substance, that he was caught in the middle of USADA’s pursuit of the BALCO laboratory and anyone connected to it.
“I still say I didn’t do it,” said Laynes, whose fastest time in 2001 was a relatively modest 10.19 performance. “Look at me. I’ve been consistent. I didn’t run under 10 seconds.” Curtis Taylor, who agreed to coach Laynes after his reinstatement in 2003, initially had concerns. Taylor is the successful coach at Laney College and with the East Oakland Youth Development Center, and worried that any connection to an athlete involved with drugs could taint the achievements of the others he’s tutored.
“He’s come and talked to me about what really happened,” Taylor said. “He’s served his time, and he knows how I feel. I believe in giving him a second chance. He’s executed himself as a model track and field citizen to this point.”
These days, Laynes is all about looking ahead.
“Making the World Championship team, making the Olympic team … that’s been my dream,” he said. “You have hurdles in your life, you overcome them. I truly think I have the talent, I have the training base, and I have the coach to help me reach those goals.”
Under Taylor’s coaching, Laynes does less running, substituting a weight program that builds explosiveness. Taylor also has reworked Laynes’ technique, focusing on his start and helping him to more consistently run with a correct body angle.
“We did a lot of stuff he’s never done before,” Taylor said. “He’s motivated, he listens, he’s willing to learn.”
It’s been 11 years since Laynes ran his personal-best 10.01 seconds. Last spring, he ran 10.17, a time that ranked him as the 18th-fastest sprinter in the United States. None of the 17 faster than him is older than 29.
That time also was the fastest in the world in 2006 by a masters runner, an athlete 35 years or older. It’s a distinction that holds no interest for Laynes.
“I’m not retired,” he said, alluding to the typical status of masters runners. “I train myself mentally and physically to be able to run against anyone.”
So he doesn’t wonder sometimes about the guy in the next lane who might be 15 years younger?
“You can’t do that,” Laynes said. “You’ll lose.”
Taylor has stopped trying to motivate Laynes by reminding him of his lofty position in the world of 35-and-over sprinters.
“He still has his mind-set on running a particular time and being in a particular category,” Taylor said.
Laynes believes 10.17 was merely a starting point, that he will continue to run faster as he becomes more comfortable with his new way of doing things.
“I’m being retaught how to run,” he said.
His quest isn’t easy. Laynes works part time in an after-school program for middle-school kids in the Oakland public schools. He has limited sponsorship help and said he needs to raise about $30,000 to fund his training.
In his first outdoor race this season, two weeks ago at Stanford, Laynes ran 10.34. He’s encouraged that the time is faster than he ran at the same stage a year ago.
Next up is the Mt. SAC Relays this weekend in Walnut. He has three other meets on his calendar, including the Modesto Relays, before the June 22-25 USA nationals in Indianapolis.
At Indianapolis, Laynes will run for a top-three spot in the 100 and 200, which would secure him a berth in the IAAF World Championships, beginning Aug. 25 in Osaka, Japan.
From any point of view, Laynes’ pursuit is a longshot. In three tries at the Olympic trials — in 1992,’96 and 2000 — he never has reached the finals.
Taylor, while acknowledging that “coaches are grounded in reality,” refuses to put limits on Laynes’ goals.
“You have to let athletes have dreams,” he said.