Do you know the Way to Hot? Sacamento! Outdoor 2024.

 

USATF Masters Outdoor Championships 2024 Sacramento

I took the wrong entrance to lot 4.  Cemetery Rd is the shuttle bus entrance.  So then quandary. Can’t exit if never entered.  I parked near the vehicle entrance and walked over thinking maybe I could scan the code even though I was not in the car. Fortunately, 2 RDU workers there gave me the telno for the parking people who then opened the exit gate so I could drive out and then back to the entrance.  In

by around 10:15.

Learned that if TSA has white tunnel looking scanner one does not have to remove clear bag with liquids to be scanned separately. 

Angela Staab’s flight from Denver to Sacramento got canceled but she found a flight leaving 3 hours later (making her too late for packet pickup.) 

However, she ended up in a middle seat (she had been in first class on the original flight).  The problem being that the lady next to her spilled her coffee onto Angela’s white pants!  So not a good trip for her.  My flight from Dallas to Sacramento was delayed by 45 minutes.  That was okay but the changes to departure gate seven times was no fun.

I had opted to take a Lyft from the airport.  However I did not know where it would show up - in the lane adjacent to baggage claim terminal A or across the roadway to the public bus lane area.  I walked over there then decided no. but I then got a notification that the driver was there and would leave in 4 minutes if I did not show up (And I would probably be charged.). I was going to try to contact the driver  -  somehow we got in touch. He tried to explain to me where he was and kept saying go right from the baggage area.  Eventually, I understood.  Because of the competition between taxis and the private driver groups, they are not allowed to pull up by the baggage area but instead are in a small lot on the side of the building.  He saw me before I saw him.  He could also see that my suitcase was purple,  good eyes.

One unfortunate thing about arriving at the Doubletree hotel around 9pm was that there was no coffee to be had.

Mary Trotto arrived right after me and Angela said Mary would give me a ride. (I did not see Mary’s response to my text until after I arrived at the hotel).  She had flown in from Hawaii and rented a car.

The next morning at breakfast was a meet track compatriots time. Always a fun time.

Thursday July 18 

The Meet was conducted at American River College.  The competition area was pretty sprawling in terms of where the throwing circles were. Ran into Linda and Nicole Kelly right at the entrance. 

We sort of caught up.  And then our amazing Athlete Rep, Colleen Barney appeared.  So cheerful.  Don’t know how she can keep her even disposition, sometimes in the midst of chaos.

101 today while we were doing javelin, starting at 3:45.  Tough on officials.  I saw many track pals.  Such a great community.  Christel Donley, w85, threw great despite being handicapped with limited shoulder motion after shoulder replacement a few years ago..  Dreadful looking shaft down arm.  I expect her doc would not recommend her throwing activities.  She had Elspeth Padia in the same age group.  Elspeth threw an astounding 18.68m (61.3 feet!) such that Christel came in second of three, throwing 9.02m.

the 70-89 Jav group

Kathy Bergen in my AG threw 14.25m to get first, Virginia Henshaw threw 10.88m to come in second while I threw 10.11m, Catherine Radle 9.64m and Angela Staab 9.34m.

Mary Trotto along with a TNT teammate Nancy Berger did the pentathlon early in the morning. Both in their 70s.

When we went to get the shuttle bus back to the hotel, I realized I had left my neck cooler scarf back at the javelin throw area.  I had to sort of run back there and return to the bus.  I could not do much more than jog walk and was nonetheless gasping by the time I got back to the bus.  Not a good sign for the two races coming up on Friday, the 100 and 400.

Colleen Barney & Robert Thomas supporting the athletes

We ate at the hotel. I had creole salad with salmon and a coke. Yes, with sugar. Nancy Berger had leg cramps from her activities. We suggested she try the mustard that was on the table. It helped.

Friday July 18

The distant weight & hammer circle is at upper right edge

My first event was the 100m at 10:00. It was only 86 degrees with a decent dew point of 55.  (Not like NC’s high dew points) . I had had leg cramps during the night.  Unusual.  My first task was to find my way around the event site. Fortunately USATF had huge maps on the welcome table.

  There was a practice area (a baseball field) somewhat behind the far side of the track.    On the way there, one passed the check in table, passed through a gate, turned right walking behind the far curve to a path that passed by a parking deck (a cool place to shelter I later found) and by an area also used for shot put then right behind that to an entrance to the baseball field.  

Landon Lamar was at the check-in table.  Always good to see Landon. Outwardly happy fellow who keeps everything under control.

Some people were warming up on the grass. I swung the leg 100 times then walked the circumference of the field on the warning track. Near the border of the outfield was a muddy spot on both sides. I stopped and back tracked.  I did this a few times as well as walk backwards.  I stayed close to where there was a bit of shade on one side.  I encountered Brenda Steele Mathews and her trainer.  Brenda was in a boot,  she had arrived injured and had aggravated it.  They had decided she would not run again since she wanted to compete in Sweden.

I did my five or so short sprints and though I had 15 minutes before I had to check in,I stopped and went up there.  I met Christel Donley and Catherine Radle.  Patricia Berg was there with her husband and another lady I had never met, Alice Johnson.  Alice had not run a 100 before. Speedy Kathy Bergen arrived as we were putting our stuff into baskets. We carried them down to the track and left them by the wall for pickup after the race.

Alice was In lane 6, I was in 5 and Catherine was in 4.  Alice was confused by the curved and solid lines.  I told her to follow the straight lines and look straight ahead. 

Once the race began she was fine.  Kathy used blocks and was well away by the time the rest of us got into gear.  When I began running, my right arm hurt in bicep area. Try as I might, I could not catch Catherine so I came in 3rd.  The right biceps continued hurting throughout the Meet but I was able to throw later.

Hammer at 11:15

97 degrees so not too bad. I was hoping for a good throw, one more than 16m.  That did not happen.  Myrle Mensey was antsy to get started. She threw far.  

Elspeth Padia throwing hammer

400 at 2:35

I knew Angela was dreading the 400 because of the heat.  It was now about 105 degrees, but still a comfortable dew point. The 400. A true ugh. Once again I had to force myself to keep going.  Mary Smith was off and away before I had five steps in.  I struggled breathing-wise to get to the finish. I did not walk but sure had a slow run pace. I was still in oxygen deficit as I walked along the side towards the exit area. The heat did not bother me but I welcomed the bag of ice Mary Trotto, spectating above, handed down to  me.  So welcome!  I put it on my head and continued my stagger forward. The volunteers got me to sit down.  Based upon subsequent photos from Sweden, I can imagine how bad I looked.  That ice helped cool me down while I worked at getting to normal breathing.  My time was the best I have had in a long time, 2:13.89.  But at what cost.

Mary Trotto positioned to give ice bag 

Angela and I discovered the protein smoothy truck and became addicted to the Spartans selection.

Nearby, at the entrance to the track area was the USATF merchandise tent and almost straight ahead the set of steps going up to where one could get their earned medals and, maybe more importantly, actual bathrooms! But those steps! Zounds. If one had an injury or was feeble, they were a challenge. (But, of course, this is a College! Youth! ) The stairs seemed to lead up to the sky. I wish I'd taken a photo.

Dinner at the hotel was a bust.  I ordered salmon.  Others received their meal yet I had not.  Even a late arrival to our table got hers but I hadn't.  Someone reminded the waitress, again, that mine had not arrived. After a while, I said to hell with it and left and told them if my dinner arrived, it was too late.  I went upstairs (taking the mustard jar with me!) and sulked, eating some left over crackers. 

Eventually Angela returned with a container with salmon etc that Christel had insisted they give me per gratis.  So considerate! However, the salmon was not only. cold but still frozen in the center.  I only ate a smidgeon of the cold portion.

Saturday, July 20.

Shot

A bust.  The only good aspect is the socialization with the other throwers.  The shot area was down behind the back side of the track.  The weather was warm, only 82 in the morning.  While waiting for the shot I watched April Lund in white shorts run the 1500 so far ahead of everyone else.

The Shot group

April Lund in action

However at 2:15 when Angela had to run the 800, usually her favorite, it was now about 102 degrees.  For sure well beyond a temp when she would normally be outside.  Never mind running in a wide open area!  A Chapel Hill Carolina Godiva lady, in her late 80s Martha Klopfer was also running the 800, as was the unstoppable, it seems, Lynn Hurrell. At the younger end of the mixed age group 800 was Coreen Steinbach just at the beginning of her 70s.  As expected, Coreen won her AG (in  3:12.6). 

the 800m 70-89 AG at start line

Excellence in 2023 Award Dinner 

Sue McDonald was awarded Masters Athlete of the Year for excelling in all of her track events. For the second year in a row, both Kathleen Frable and Mary Robinson received Age Group Athlete of the Year awards for their 2023 achievements. (Mary was not there, having competed instead at the Pan Am Games in Cleveland a week prior.)   I sat at a table with Mary Trotto, Angela Staab, Christel Donley, Flo Meiler, Nancy Berger and Mary Smith plus two others.  Christel also received AG Athlete of the Year. as did April Lund.  Shows the diversity of talent to be found in both the younger and the older. 

Meiler, Donley, argh - memory fails me

Shopping.

Oh, yes, I bought a shirt.  Pink sort of but with wide V neck though, which I usually don’t wear so I ill wear it over another shirt. In honor of Elspeth Padia who had also bought the same shirt with intent to wear at Huntsman in Utah.

Elspeth in her new shirt

Neringa, Phelps, Christa D

Sunday

Angela and I had the 1500m at 7:30.  It was my first 1500 and the only reason I had signed up for it was because I had signed up for it in Gothenburg. Why?  Well, when I registered for the Gothenburg WMA, there were only two others registered for it, one of whom was Angela.  That changed such that of the other six who had registered, all had seed times much faster than I could even approach. 

So for about four weeks or so before our Outdoors, I tried to run a mile on Wednesday mornings on the packed sand American Tobacco Trail.  I could not run more than say 200m before having to walk, running out of energy or air.  It was pitiful.  I think I took an average of 14 minutes for the mile.  One time I was so bad that I was losing my balance from perhaps leaning too far forward.

 So, come the time of the 1500 in Sacramento, I dreaded it.  Fortunately, it was early in the day and cooler, 67 degrees.  We had to hustle to the weight throw circle way in the back of the complex so we could check in since the weight throw was at 8.  Then hustle back for the 1500. Our trip was saved by getting a lift from the folks operating the go carts In the 1500, we were in a mixed age group so I expected I would be lagging way in the back.  I would do what Angela suggested, run the straights and walk the curves.  We started off and I trotted towards the first curve – I continued trotting around it but then a quarter way down the straight, I ran out of gas though not running fast.  So I walked the rest of the way only trotting just before the curve, then walking around it so I could get into the pattern of jog then walk.  I did manage to finish in 11:37.68.  Nowhere near what those competing in Sweden would be running.

Weight

Again Myrle Mensey threw a record.  The weight is my worst event .I don’t know why I sign up for it.

Mary Trotto taped up my biceps to alleviate the discomfort.

In our walk back from the distant throwing circle, i relented and was persuaded to join TNT, a team with Mary Trotto, Angela Staab, Cora Hill, and Barbara Warren, my track buddies.  I spend so much time with them.  I elicited a promise that I would not have to run in something if not up to it (knees being an issue never mind the darn breathing) 

Trotto, Staab, guardino

The 200 was okay.  Manageable in terms of breathing.  And it was relatively cool.  Only in the low 80s.

Discus

I was not so hot and I am not referring to body temp.  Myrle of course won her new age group.  I sympathize with Mary Trotto and Barbara Warren (who was not there) having to contend with a superstar now in their AG.  Elspeth was there to keep the mood light while Myrle chafed at what she considered a delay (she wanted to start early.) 

The TNT ladies did not run any relays as one of their runners had airline snafus and never made it.  This may have been one time Angela was okay with not running a relay (her favorite).  The heat was really sapping her.

While waiting for the shuttle I happened to see on my phone that Biden had decided to drop out of the presidential race.  yay,  he ought to have done that way back - I.e. not run for reelection at all.  Subsequent news that Kamala was running.  A better choice.

Getting home turned out to be interesting for Angela who was staying longer so she could spend time with family. It was the weekend of the bad patch by a third party to a Microsoft component that resulted in all airline booking and flight systems plus other industry software taking a dive.  I was going home on American Airlines, Angela on Delta.  My flights went off without a hitch. 

Not so for Angela.  Her flight was supposed to leave at around 10pm.  It was canceled.  The next flight on the next day also canceled.  Eventually she got home, but ending up in a middle seat (again).

 

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