Training Log: maprunner

Exercising in the hotel gym after driving to St Louis. It was too hot outside.

KS Senior Games 100m=17.3
3rd in F55

I had no expectations for this race, since I haven't been training for sprints lately. All I needed to do was finish in the top 3, to qualify for the National Senior Games next year. It was a hot day (low 30s; up to mid 30s by afternoon) so I took it easy in the warm up. I had a good start, then faded around 80 meters, as has happened to me a lot lately. Still, this was my best time in 2018.

I was smoked by the two other women in my age class/heat. They finished in 15.01 and 15.69. We talked afterwards about going to Nationals next year, and maybe finding an older KS woman to join us in a relay team. That would be fun.

My plan this year was to hang out in my car between races, read my book, eat lunch, maybe take a nap. But even with all the windows open, it was just too hot in the car. I needed to cool off.

So I decided to get my oil changed (it was due, and I'm driving to St Louis tomorrow). That was a good decision.

KS Senior Games 50m=8.83
3rd in F55

When I got back to the track, it was really hot and the track and artificial turf were just radiating heat. It was awful. So I sat in the shade for a bit and watched some 200m heats and listened to a blowhard elite competitor from Oklahoma (who was sitting near me) go on and on about how good he was.

When it was time to start warming up for my race, I went and found some shady grass to run on instead of the infield. Glad I did that. It was super hot even standing around for a few minutes before the race.

I finished third again, but I was much closer to number 2 this time. I peeked at the timer's computer to see my time, but didn't see the other times (and I went home before they were posted). This was my first 50m race that was electronically timed, so it was a PR by default. I was happy to be under 9 seconds. And when I put this time into an age-adjusted calculator, it says I am "national class" in this distance for F55. That's pretty cool.

It's fun to go to these senior track events. People take them very seriously, so you see lots of very fit older people. Cracks me up that the leanest men always take off their shirts, and the leanest women always wear sports bras and shorts that reveal their amazing abs. I notice this because I am very jealous of people older than me who manage to stay so lean!

I'm also inspired by the 91 year old woman who ran the 100 with us; and the injured competitors who walk their distance so they can qualify for next year.

C • National class! 4

Short shuffle on west campus in the heat. I saw no animals and only one pedestrian.

Got outside at lunchtime on this beautiful day for a short ride to the movie theater and back. So fine!