USATF New England Indoor Track & Field Championships Masters 800M

As a runner in recent years, I have neglected the "speed" discipline of interval sessions. You know, for example, run 6 times 800M at 5K race pace with 400M or 2 minute recovery stuff once a week. Thus, I get into trouble when I get a birdbrain idea to run, uh race, a track race. I have barely averaged one track race a year for the last decade.

I have to thank the incentive or schedule of the All Terrain Runner Series hosted by USATF New England. Over each of the last five years or so, the series has consisted of a snowshoe, trail, road, cross country, mountain, and indoor or outdoor track race. The lack of snow has usually found the snowshoe event getting cancelled. However, all other disciplines have been staples.

The track event within the 2019 ATR series was an 800M which had to be run at one of three meets: USATF New England Indoor Masters meet in January (Providence, RI), USATF New England Indoor Open Championship (Harvard), or USATF New England Open Outdoor Championships in July (Holy Cross). I selected the meet at Harvard late this week.

I ran a 4 X 400M workout on the treadmill late in the week. The 400's we're run at a mild 6:00 per mile clip (about my 5K race pace). I entered the meet with a 2:34 seed time which was #12 or at the cutoff for the men's masters "fast" heat. I was good with that. The alternative was a combined men's and women's 800M heat. I watched Harris Hardy win that heat with a 2:36 before I walked onto the Harvard oval up on the outside lane next to Bill Newsham (GBTC) and Jon Waldron (CSU).

The gun went off and followed Jon around for lap one. There was no competitor behind me. Pressure on. My stride was not smooth as I tried to get around Jon but failed. I did pass before 400M and put dropped the gauntlet I guess putting all my eggs in that 3rd lap. I caught Bill entering the final lap and moved into 8th place. I caught one runner. Now my stride was really clumsy. No kick here friends. Form failure lights went off. I was lucky to stay upright and keep moving forward in lane one. 

So much for looking good for the finish line. Dust settled at 2:29.5, 7th place. I really had a blast. It was not pretty but I managed a smile and fist bumps for the finishers next to me. Wish I had another chance for a 800M soon. Shall I take another crack in July?

http://www.newengland.usatf.org/USATF_ASSOC_2/files/01/01c8b127-323a-4aa8-9e5d-8be968876370.txt

Photos and video by Krissy