Macon County Senior Games

It is always a good thing for runners to experience new adventures - perhaps a new distance, a new location, unusual terrain.  Today Martha had many new experiences all at once as she completed the 5000-meter event in the Macon County Senior Games.

⧫ It was the first time she has ever run an event in the Senior Games, which are open to anyone in Macon County over the age of 50 and include many tracks events.  (I am not certain why this is off the radar for most of the runners we know, who are willing to drive long distances to run 5-K road races).

⧫ Although she has run many 5000-meter (5-K) road races, this was the first race she has ever competed on a track.

⧫ Although the field was not a large one, this is the first time she has ever come in first place in a race - not just in her age group, but overall.

This latter experience is something I have never experienced nor am likely to at my age.

I have run on a track before; I have run on this track before, although not in a race.  When I was working for the Town I would sometimes be called upon to attend a meeting in Franklin wearing one hat or another, and if the time worked out I would sometimes manage to wear my running shorts under my pants, trade in my shirt and tie for a singlet, and complete a hard track workout before heading back up the mountain.  One-quarter mile on the inside lap makes for endless variations in training!

The field was small - one woman was taking walking breaks and Martha lapped her several times - but this is actually a disadvantage in a track event.  Roger Bannister famously broke the four-minute mile on May 6, 1954 - coincidentally, the same day as today! - but he did it with the assistance of two pace-setters.  It is very difficult for a runner to maintain a hard pace running all by herself, as Martha often was today.

Another obstacle was the condition of the track, which our time-keeper told us had recently been resurfaced.  The resurfacing job had been a botch, however, and their were patches and bumps everywhere, which is not how a track should be.  So she often had to run in the second lane, losing time in the curves.

And finally, although she said she felt strong, that tough Flying Pirate Half Marathon was only three weeks ago.  Still, her finish time was 28:56, good enough for first place even if the field had been much larger.  As I stood proudly at the finish line with iPhone-stopwatch in hand, calling out splits to her at every lap (which she later told me was very helpful), I felt a pang of regret that I was not out there with her on this perfect morning, cool and overcast.  Next year, I tell myself.

Where do we go from here?  As a result of placing first in her age group, she advances to the State finals in September in Raleigh.  That  would be an exciting event to attend!  And another new experience.