Notes from the T&F Nationals | Sacramento

Two Striders competed at the Nationals in July; here is Andy Anderson’s report from his 800M race (85-9):

Here is a summary of my race. I took the lead immediately. Once around the curve to the 1st straightaway I heard one set of footsteps right behind me, but by the time I was on the second straightaway for the first lap, they were gone. Since last year I won in 3:55.33 and the 2nd place runner was 4:30.10, that put him 35 seconds and over 100 meters behind me at the end. Yesterday I figured that whoever was keeping up with me during the 1st 200 meters had dropped way back so I would run alone again. I went through the 1st 400 in 1:48, but then apparently unintentionally slowed down. Halfway down the 1st straightaway on the 2nd 400, the footsteps were back! This was a serious competitor behind me! He was maintaining a steady pace while I had run the 1st 400 hard and had now slacked off. He had caught up with me. After the race we talked and he told me that he had thought about not passing me, but then decided that maybe I had burned myself out, so he passed me just before the beginning of the curve. I let him go by and then stayed right on him, ready to pass him in the final straightaway. Most of my major wins when I was younger were accomplished in the final 50 meters (then yards) of the race.

When we hit the final straightaway I immediately quickened my pace and started to go by him. But as soon as I went by, he revved up and regained a slight lead. This was a real competitor! With 50 meters to go I increased my pace again, lifting my knees higher and pumping my arms stronger. Again I passed him, but again he met the challenge and regained a small lead. So my thinking was this. I can get by him for a moment, but then he meets the challenge. I would wait until the final 3 meters, bolt ahead of him and he would have no time to re-challenge me. That is what I did, BUT he anticipated what I would do and bolted himself just as I was passing him. We crossed the finish line together and the announcer proclaimed that “It looks like the 800 ended in a tie!” But the electronic timer caught him 0.33 seconds ahead of me: he was 3:46.58 and I was 3:46.91. I was 8.42 seconds faster than last year, and still came in 2nd.

In retrospect I realize that I should never have let him pass me. If we have a follow-up next year at Nationals, I will recognize that he, Sherwood Sagedahl, 85, is a skilled competitor. Likewise, Sherwood said that it was a mistake for him to have thought that I “might have burned myself out”. He felt lucky to have held me off at the end. In any case, it was a great race and I loved it. Now there are two 800 races (a distance that I do not like; my love is the 400) that I have really enjoyed: this one and at Santa Monica on 2/10/24 when the teenagers lined the track cheering for the old man!

I do owe an SDS member an apology. I wrote in my 2/13/24 race report after Santa Monica that: “As we all know, every year you get slower …” In response, one SDS member strongly argued against that statement. I forget who it was. Now I look at my 800 times. My best 2022 time was: 4:08.98; my best 2023 time was: 3:54.23; my current 2024 best time is: 3:46.91. Okay, I admit I was wrong. I am certainly growing older, but I do not appear to be getting slower.

Mark Gookin was at Sacramento as well, and had a big battle with the heat. After leading his race (5000m, 65-9) with 2 laps to go, he wound up a DNF due to dehydration. Fortunately, he recovered to run the 1500M several days later, finishing 3rd in a conservatively-run race, finishing in 5:22.18.

Here is what Andy had to say about the heat:

It was beastly at Nationals. I was told that although the air temperature was “only” 107 degrees, the track surface was close to 140 degrees. Runners with metal spikes were getting serious burns on the bottom of their feet! When I ran on Saturday, we were all told to not wear metal spikes if possible. Personally, I like the heat. But it was really uncomfortable running just 2 laps around the track, much less what you, Mark, ran. At the end of each race on Saturday, personnel were at the finish with a small bucket of ice water containing a big sponge that they used to cool runners’ neck and back. Sherwood and I finished in a near tie but then there was a 1 minute 15 second gap before 3rd place. I asked if they needed the small bucket of ice water; the girl said: “No, do you want it over your head?” I said yes and boy, was that ice water wonderful! My dizziness immediately disappeared. So, Mark, I admire your courage in staying in the race as long as you could. Hopefully, that was a one-time tragedy that will never happen to you again.

Mark and Andy, congratulations to you both!