Thoughts on Scoring the Decathlon for Masters...

Haven't written in quite a while, I thought maybe I would start up again by putting my thoughts on decathlon scores for masters down on paper. It's easy for anyone to see by looking at the records and reasonably deep all-time lists that scores are lower for masters, even after age adjustments, than for the open-aged. The average world best using the age groups 40-75, which are the 8 age groups that really count for masters, is 8069. Now, 8069 is a decent score for a 25 year old, but it's nearly 1000 points (10.6%) under the open world record. When I look at the marks necessary for me in the 45 age group to score 9026, it seems inhumanly possible. For anyone to even have those 10 performances as PB's after 45 would be extremely difficult, let alone doing them all at once. Furthermore, I compared the total score for the world best mark by young decathletes in each decathlon event(decs over 8k) for the open guys and get 10319; for the same 8 masters age groups as above I get an average of 9200. Actually I was surprised it's even over 9k. The difference there is 10.8%. Furtherfurthermore, I compared a decathlon score using last year's best overall marks from each age group in each decathlon event between masters and the open bests, and the difference here is 11892 to an average of 10760, a difference of 9.5%.
My assertion is that the current age graded tables might be fine for single events(or each decathlon event taken singly), and certainly fine for fairly determining the order of finish for any particular competition, but it's not a sufficient or fair means for comparing a decathlon score by a master to an open score.
The reasons, in my opinion, are(in some/no particular order): 1) it's harder to train for 10 events as a master than when young. The older body is slower to recover from workouts, which affects every athlete past 40, but I would submit the effect is exaggerated for decathletes. 2) The functional career span for the open decathlete is around 14 years(20-34), but once you're over the hill, your body is constantly deteriorating. In other words, you're at your peak or near it for several years, but you're only 45 or 67 for one year. Although I haven’t calculated the average number of decathlons the young guys do at/near their peak, but certainly at least 20, and some do many more than that. Roman Sebrle did 39 decathlons over 8000 points between the ages of 22-32 We masters can only do at most 4-5 during the first two years in any particular age group. 3) Larger/heavier athletes tend to have a tougher time with the running and jumping events as they age, but young athletes overcome this with their energy and elasticity, and in fact use it to their advantage in the throwing events.

The first issue at hand is, why age grade at all? The answer is that in the higher age groups, some athletes weren't able to get any points for their performance in certain events using the open tables, so they would just start the event, but then not finish. This satisfies the requirement that each event be attempted, but ruins the spirit of the competition. Age grading allows the older athlete who wants to do a decathlon, and runs 22 seconds in the hurdles, to get some real points for the effort. Handicapping for age does make sense and lends some elegance and authority to the whole affair, and the people involved with doing the statistics and math to come up the current tables have been very diligent and come up with numbers that are probably meaningful. The alternative to age grading each event would be to just handicap the total based on the open tables, with some other kind of adjustment for an event where the athlete can’t score any points.
Before I submit the results of my own age-grading calculations , I'll admit one can also say: the best athletes in the world in their best condition do athletics in their 20's, and then they tend to stop. Very few top elite tracksters go on to work out and compete as hard as masters. This should explain some discrepancy between the open world record, and the over-40 marks. If everybody doing the decathlon as a master had scored over 8000 points as a youngster, then yes, the averages for masters scores would be higher. But I'm here to tell you Roman Sebrle will not be able to score an age-graded 9026 as a 45 year old, no matter how hard he trains, but I hope to God he tries because it would be fun to watch. One can see the result of the current age-graded tables on Sebrle’s 8109 from last summer at age 36: 8440, an adjustment of 331 points or 4%. Sebrle scored over 8440 20 times during his prime, so the question is: is the discrepancy due to a lesser training regimen, is Roman not aging well, or are the age adjustments just too low? I suggest the latter. Although the age-graded tables don’t start until 35, I think this is already well past the prime of the average decathlete. The last time someone over 26 broke the world record was Bill Toomey back in the 60’s, and frankly he had some extenuating circumstances that allowed that to happen, namely that he started the dec at later age and had health problems(in other words he might have had his best score earlier if he had started training for the decathlon in high school), Sebrle is one of only 4 guys to score over 8000 after 35, and I’ve found just 5 gentlemen that scored over 8K in their prime who have done decathlons after 40, so there’s not a lot of data to draw from on that front. There are, however, many hundreds of people that have done decathlons as masters, including many very good athletes, so in total there’s probably enough data statistically speaking to make accurate adjustments.

So the method I came up with is to establish a performance for each age group from open to 75 that represents the best that a decathlete should expect to perform in any particular event for that age group. This is for a world class decathlete in top shape and relatively balanced between all 10 events. No one athlete should expect to achieve all 10 of these marks in one decathlon. To create the baseline in the open class, I calculated the average of the best mark in the world in each event for each of the past 20 years by a decathlete who scored over 8000 points. That point total comes out to 9509. As an aside, I estimated what I thought the marks should be and came up with 9475. I’m just a decathlon nerd I guess.
Those marks, along with the rest of my calculations are on the linked spreadsheet. Then, for each age group starting with 35, I tried to come up with a comparable performance and make them fit on a graph in a relatively smooth curve. I started with the best mark that a decathlete in that age group had ever done in that event, and then adjusted from there to make it fit the curve better with consideration as to whether the mark was an outlier by comparing it to the second and third best marks in the age group event. Finally, I compared the graphed curve I had at that point to the curve of the world records for the event by age group.
I like the results of this method; while not perfect event by event for every person, overall, it's more satisfying to me intuitively. The average using my factors for the 8 age groups identified above comes to 8425. Still not 9026, but closer. I think this difference now can be attributed to the factors mentioned above. In the two youngest masters age groups, 35 and 40, the scores are now higher than the PBs for those guys as open athletes, but I don't have a problem with this. Kip Janvrin's ability at 35 and 40 in relation to his average performance during his peak career really is fantastic, and I believe his age adjusted scores should be the 8820 and 8816 that I calculated.
The factors are not meant to exactly "predict" what an athlete should have been capable in each event, but for the average of 10 events, there should be some correlation, or else what's the point to coming up with age factors at all?
I absolutely welcome any and all comments relating to my thinking on this, just keep the language clean!

2011 Decathlons

Well, it's been a long time since my last post and a couple things have occurred in the meantime. The national masters decathlon in Dallas in June was a heartbreaking close brush with the WR in my age group. Backing up one step, just before I went to Dallas, I looked at the website that lists all the masters records and saw that the mark that had been the record for the decathlon in my age group had been thrown out, probably because it was determined to be wind-aided in hindsight. So the record dropped from 76-something to 7480, which gave me a better chance. The facilities were almost perfect, and even the 100 degree heat wasn't so bad because we had an air-conditioned gymnasium we could hang out in in between events, and even warm up in. The decathlon was going great from event to event, but my left hamstring was so tight I really couldn't stretch it at all. It got sore after a hard interval workout a couple weeks before, and just never loosened up, then I injured it very slightly doing some starts. I knew I was tempting fate, but I felt good otherwise, and really never considered dropping out because of the hamstring. On my second attempt at 3.80m in the vault, which was the height I made in training just the week before, I pulled the hamstring pretty badly. I had to stop the vault immediately, and I could only hope that it would loosen up before the 1500. I was still able to throw the javelin OK, and even threw a PB 39.80, but there was no joy in the 1500. I just needed to run a 5:20 to score over 7480 and break the WR, but I just couldn't stride out at all. A little over three weeks later I would run a 5:03 in the World Championships, so I know I would have been able to run 5:20 in Dallas. So, I had to settle for 6820 from 9 events. It was really heartbreaking to be so close to the record and see it slip away knowing I might not get that close again. The marks were: 12.20 6.32 11.43 1.73 55.36 15.90 38.01 3.70 39.80. The high jump was bad, but otherwise everything was on plan. The long jump was from behind the board, so it was probably close to 6.50!
So at that point I had about 3.5 weeks to rest my leg before the Worlds, and as I left Dallas I really had ZERO hope that I would be able to do that. I had trouble driving, just getting in and out of the car, and I could barely sit down because of the pain. I shunned all the fancy-smancy new-age crap like lasers and deep tissue massage, and just started running up stairs after about 4 days. Lo and behold, it started loosening up pretty quickly, and I progressed from stairs to jogging to running, to some longer intervals, and eventually to a little bit of sprinting and hurdling. It wasn't 100% in Sacramento, but I got through it and won, which was the plan. The heat there seemed even more intense than Dallas, and we didn't have an air-conditioned building, although I did sit in the car a little bit. I started out thinking that if I could just make it through the decathlon I would win, but a guy showed up from Puerto Rico that decided to make my life difficult. He was a very good athlete, apparently ran a 47s 400 when he was 20, and had done decathlons back in the day at the same time I did. My sprints and LJ were kind of bad like I expected, but my second day was pretty good with PBs in the javelin and 1500. Because Rosado had a good javelin throw, I was actually still behind him going into the 1500 and had to beat him by 5 seconds to win. I went out conservatively, a pace that I knew would get me under 5:10 thinking that would be good enough to win, but I felt good after a couple laps, and could tell that Rosado was close, so I started to pick it up, and with 400m to go, I could tell he was still just about 5 seconds back, so I gave it all I had and beat him by 8 seconds. My time was 5:03. It was the closest battle of all the age groups at Worlds, and the only one with two guys over 7000. My performances scored as a 40 year old would have won the 40 age group as well.

One Week to Go

Training is still good, an avalanche of PB's in practice, 55.1 400m, mid 24's 200m, 19-6 LJ from half approach, 138-0 javelin, 12-6 vault. PB's from meets and training over the past couple seasons now add up to 7978 (pre-2010 age adjustments) vs. 7502 for American Record and 7767 for WR. So I have some pretty good leeway over the AR, but the WR is a little skinnier.
Masters PBs with age-graded open equivalent for points purposes:
11.94....11.09
6.35.....7.33(24-0)
12.09....14.53(47-8)
1.82.....2.01(6-7)
55.10....49.88
15.60....14.28
38.70....46.63(152-11)
3.81.....4.38(14-4.5)
42.00....49.21(161-5)
4:57.00..4:31.0


I should be able to go into the decathlon next week pain-free, which will be a first. I'm more apprehensive about the heat because the forcast is still for near 100. I'll have to make sure I drink enough so that I don't get cramps like I did last year in Joplin. Here's workout videos from yesterdays vertical jump practice:
The high jump is over a bungee around 6'. taking off too far out.
the vault is 12-6 with a 14' 155 from 6steps(81')

Hayward Classic - Videos - Mens 110 Hurdles - Hayward Classic 2011

Hurdles at Hayward classic. last hurdle was in the wrong place and threw me off a bit. I had to 5 step

Hayward Classic - Videos - Mens 110 Hurdles - Hayward Classic 2011

Finally all healthy again...

So I was sick with this upper respiratory cough for most of April really. I got sick on March 29, got better enough to workout again April 7, then had a relapse April 19, then finally was able to start working out again, albeit while still coughing some and with a drippy nose, on may 1. Only in the past week has the cough totally gone away. It's hard to know how much the sickness hurt me, because the forced rest before the outdoor season might have been some benefit also. The weather has just been horrible this spring, and that's been a real hamper also(I think it contributed to my cough as well). I've had some good technical work lately, and continue to improve in the vault. My shoulder seems to be all cured - it's almost too good to be true, because I really thought the pain would never go away as long as I was training for the decathlon. I've been throwing the javelin and the javelin ball almost as much as I want, and I KNOW this will help my javelin score, even if it's still not fantastic. I really don't know how far I'll throw. Two days ago I ran two 100m's in 11.5 and 11.6 with a walking start, so I was happy with that, because I know I can do it even faster in hotter weather later in the season. I'm doing three events on Saturday in the Hayward Classic in Eugene, the LJ, hurdles and 400, so that'll give me some practice and tell me what I need to work on the the decathlon in Dallas June 11 and 12. I think the records are in reach despite my bad April, but because my muscles and joints are healthy, it bodes well.

Goin' for the next Record

Training is going well in preparation for the outdoor season. My plan is to do two or three meets in May before doing decathlons on June 11th, and July 6th. That gives me two chances to get a record, either the AR or WR. Either will do... The terrible weather this spring in Oregon and the fact that I was sick for almost two weeks put me a little behind, but I'm catching up quickly. I've been vaulting a lot, lots of jumps, and I'm finally seeing it pay off. I've had some good jumps getting upside down, and jumped 12' yesterday from a 4 step (55') approach on a small pole, so that was pretty cool. My shoulder and hip haven't been hurting when I do javelin drills so I'm hoping that I can throw at least 135 in a decathlon if I can keep training. My PB's from meets and practice over the last year add up to about 7850 on the new age graded tables, which is more than 200 points above the WR, so it's within reach.
I've had some decent running workouts, but I need to keep up the mileage so my 1500 doesn't drop off. Today I did 6 reps up the hill in front of our house, about 140m up a pretty steep hill, it's about the hardest running workout you can do I think. I did hurt my heel yesterday hurdling, I really can't believe I hurt it again in the same place, but I don't think it's too bad, hopefully it'll go away quickly. I'll go easy on the jumping for a few days and see what happens.

World Record Number 2

Yahoo, broke my record by 57 points for a total of 4036. Here's the event-by-event: I got a pretty good start in the hurdles, better than the week before in the masters exhibition race at senior nationals, but still not perfect. I got a good push, but still stood up a bit quick. I think I can still take a couple tenths out of my start to the second hurdle. Some of that will come from doing more resistance starts and sled pushing over the rest of the spring training. In the middle of the race I was fairly smooth, but was sitting back or snapping to erect after clearing the hurdle. I need to work on bucking the hurdle and keeping some forward lean from hurdle to hurdle to maintain the momentum better. Time: 8.94, which I was satisfied with. For the long jump, we were forced to jump in the secondary pit which was a crummy plywood runway with no board, just the squishy plywood from which to jump. My first jump was a very close foul, and probably at 20', so that was bad. My second jump I went safe and jumped from about 14" behind the board, so it was only 18-8. At this point I was freaking out, so I moved back to my longer 116' runup and gave it all I had and came up with 5.97m or 19-7, which I still wasn't happy with, but that was ok considering the first two jumps. I was still ahead of record pace, but not by nearly as much as I had hoped. I moved to the shot and felt good, and really connected on my second throw, 12.09m or 39-8 for PB number 2. Only 10cm farther than last year, but still very good considering I didn't know if I'd even throw 37'. So now I was pumped again and went over to the high jump pretty confident that I would get the record. My warmup felt smooth and I started at 1.66 which I made first time, then went to 1.72, first time clearance, then 1.75, first time clearance by a mile, then second time clearance at 1.78 again by several cm. At this point I was pretty sure I'd get the record. I made 1.81 again on second clearance, and almost made 1.84 on the third try. I really should have made it. I'm jumping too close to the right standard, so I need to move down the bar so I'm clearing over the lowest point. So now I needed about 3:14 to break my record. I knew I would do that, but I was dreading the altitude, and it did really hurt me so I only ran 3:08.18. That was disappointing after running that 2:59 in a workout, but I was on the track afterwards, so it really hurt.
After the event, I immediately started thinking about the pentathlon in Kamloops, and first decided not to do it, but after a couple days changed my mind because I think I'm really peaking well and can do better. So, I'm leaving in two days to drive up to Canada and do it all over again. I certainly don't want to, but they don't hand out records based on a written application.
On the second day of the championships I also won the long jump and hurdles with a 6.20 in the same pit as the day before, and a 9.06 in the hurdles. That long jump was very good for that pit, I think it might have been a 21-0 or 6.40m in the real pit. Bummer, but I'm totally confident that I can get that distance during the rest of the season. So, see you next week with the results from Kamloops.
I have good video from the meet, and will work on getting it edited for the web.

Albuquerque is close; Decent 1000m today

Training has been going well, almost too well. I've been so injury free this season that I was feeling a bit dead from over-training perhaps, but I've backed off this month and feeling fresher, and ready to compete. It is truly a fabulous feeling to not be injured or aching. I don't feel like 46 right now, so I better enjoy it while it lasts, and take advantage of it and get a good score. Today I ran 2:59.2 for 1000m in a workout, so I was pretty happy with that. My 200 splits were almost perfectly even at just under 36sec, so I think I could run a little faster if I ran the first 400 faster and then hung on. I may have trouble matching that time in the pentathlon in Albuquerque at altitude, but if I go out a little faster and then finish slower I might be able to. It'd be cool to run under 3 in the pent just for looks. So if I plug in 8.8 for the 60 hurdles, which is at least what I would have run in my 15.60 110 race last summer, my PBs in the pentathlon events add up to about 4400(old tables) now, or almost 300 points ahead of last year's WR. Decent wiggle room. I've had good workouts in the LJ, and I'm feeling a bit better about the HJ again after I kinda lost my mojo there for awhile. The last time I did hurdle starts I was really getting into a groove, I could tell my start has improved and I have a lot more momentum to the second hurdle. The shot has been the most frustrating for me because I really have worked on it a lot, and don't feel like it's gotten better, but I'm not lacking in confidence, so I think I'll do alright. The shot doesn't pay a lot of points anyway, so if I don't throw as far as last year it won't matter too much. I also don't think I'll jump as high in the HJ, but again, I should pick up more points in the hurdles and 1000 and LJ than I lose in the Shot and HJ.
Next weekend I'm running the 60mh Masters exhibition that's at the open indoor nationals, so that will be a great dry run for the next week when it counts. David Oliver runs right after we do, so that will be very cool to be warming up with him, if not extremely intimidating. At least I'm not in his race, that would be good for a laugh.

In Southern California Sunshine workin' out

I came to So Cal last thursday the 20th to get in some good running in the sun. It's been a great series of workouts, and I still feel great after nine days in a row. I think I'll take tomorrow off, then do one more hard double workout on Saturday before the trip home. The strangest part of all this training lately is how I don't have any real aches or pains or injuries other than my chronic shoulder, but's even it's not that bad. My arthritic foot has been fine, and I've even started doing some single leg bounding off my take-off leg because I felt like my spring was really slipping.
I’m starting the final push to get ready for the indoor champs in Albuquerque where I’m hoping to improve my pentathlon score, so being able to train in the sun even for just a week and half will help much. On the way I stopped in Dublin and had a great little training session with Aaron Thigpen at his training facility Gamespeed, who helped me a lot with my start and general sprint training.
I had the idea that it would be fun to drive out to Azusa Pacific where Bryan Clay lives and trains to meet him and maybe even workout with him, because I know he’s pretty open about having people stop by the track and such. So, through my friend and coach David Lemen, who is a contemporary and former competitor of Bryan’s, and the wonders of Facebook I was able to get in touch with Bryan. Turns out he was resting the weekend that I would be able to drive out to meet him, and before he was flying to NY for the Millrose games “Multi-Challenge”, be he still generously offered to meet me for a chat over coffee at Starbucks. I got a chance to hear a little about his experiences over the past ten years trying to get to the top, and stay there, as a decathlete. Bryan comes off as a perfectly sincere and thoughtful athlete and human and it shows that he is serious in his efforts to use his accomplishments to further some causes that are important to him, and not just to bask in the glow of Olympic stardom. He talked about his Bryan Clay Foundation and its goals of helping less advantaged youth to get some exposure to the same life-building skills and balanced lifestyle that helped Bryan move past his own family problems as a youngster and realize his potential. I would encourage anyone that’s interested to find out more about the Foundation through his website.
We talked about the difficulties for decathletes that want to stick with it after college and try to train full time, and he related how long it took him, even after some great scores and national place finishes to really get anywhere with support and endorsements. I liked his story about calculating after he finished college just exactly what the minimum would be for him to live on and train, and going to some large concerns in Hawaii to pitch for support. He figures now with hindsight they just chuckled to themselves what a small number it was, and he did in fact have no problem getting that support, and the rest is history as they say. I also liked hearing about how he is hurting all the time, because it makes me feel a little better knowing there are other people in the same boat. I didn’t even have to ask if he ever thought he would compete as a master, soon as I started to say that not too many former elite athletes stick with it past 35, he was very quick to point out that his body just wouldn’t make it that long. He has the same problems I do, like getting out of a chair after a workout, standing up from a crouch, always training and competing injured, etc. And that’s at 31! Maybe I'll get to workout with him some other time next winter while he's getting ready for his third Olympiad. After meeting him I got the crazy idea that it would be fun to try to meet all of the living Olympic decathlon champions, and write an article about the experience, since I've met three now. The American ones would be fairly easy to meet probably, but a couple of the European ones could prove tricky.
While here in socal I've run twice a day 4 times, including some good sessions of 8x45 sec sprints with a short equal rest, and yesterday I ran 5 200s in 25.8, 26.2, 26.9, 26.1, 27.5, with a longer rest in between 3 and 4 when I did some bounding. I had a good long jump session, and a good hurdle session where I did 6 crouch starts over 3 hurdles three stepping. This is so much more than last year when I had the bad groin that kept me from doing much real speed work and few hurdle starts.
I'll upload of picture of me and Clay after I get home and hook up the camera

Oh my aching feet...

I'm hanging in there, but the stress of my workouts is taking a toll on my feet. My muscles and joints are fine, which is very good, but hurdling is getting to be very hard on my feet, particularly my left foot, which has developed arthritis. It might have originally come from a stress fracture I had as a teenager in about the same spot, the middle of the foot on top. So much force goes through your foot at odd angles when while hurdling. Whatever the reason, running in spikes may become impossible in the future. I think I'll be ok through the pentathlon at least, and probably through the rest of this outdoor season as well if I take it easier.
Just about 5 weeks of hard training before I start to taper for the indoor pentathlon March 4, so the goal is in sight. I still feel like I can improve my record by a good margin, although my running has actually slipped a little from November. It's amazing how easily it can drop off if I tip the balance away from just running to doing more lifting and technique work. I've stopped training for now in the non-pentathlon events, but even still my energy is limited. I don't have any fantastic workout times to report, but all around I'm still solid. The lifting and strength work I did starting back in September has paid off I think because I feel stronger, but it also hurts my running for anything over 100m. Training for the multi events is just diabolically difficult with the opposing requirements of strength and lightness. I think I'll stop lifting altogether now until the competition, and maybe that will give me the energy to run more and get back down under 175. The shot put is only one event, and it doesn't pay many more points for an extra foot or two, so I don't think my size and strength will help anymore. I'll be spending 10 days down in Southern California to be able to run in the sun, and I'll just run as much as my feet can handle. After I get back from that trip, I'll have two weeks until an indoor meet in Seattle where I'll hurdle (60m 42") and long jump.

Back at it December 18...

Had a little forced vacation from running due to a minor injury to the groinal area. It might have been related to the ab pull I had back in 2009, but it's better now. I couldn't run for 9 days, but during that time I continued to lift and ride the stationary bike, and when I ran yesterday for the first time, I felt just as strong as before. I was worried that it was going to put my indoor season in jeopardy, but the relatively speedy recovery means it wasn't too serious. The day I hurt it I was putting in a great series of workouts, ran over some 42" hurdles, and did some good high jumping and long jumping. I also threw the turbo jav a few times, and I think that was what did it to my groin. I just have to stay away from the jav, or work into it sooooooo slowly. I'll probably not do any jav work now until after the indoor nationals. I threw the shot outside yesterday, and had a couple around 38', so I was happy with that, and I'll start running some intervals again tomorrow, and will report workout times starting next week again. I'll try the 2x600m workout again, and see if I can match or beat the workout from November 8. The indoor season is approaching quickly now...

800m for time

Ran 2:17.4 in a workout with neg split 70,67. So I could probably run a little faster than that now, and have set a new goal of 2:10 by March. Followed up the 800 with some 200's in 28, so recovery is decent. Last week I had a good series of workouts with a 6mile run on Sunday, Monday did 2X600 in 1:37.8 and 1:50, Tuesday 30 minutes hard hurdling, Wednesday 20X100 at average 13.69. Thursday 40 shot glides. Tomorrow I start going out to Rick's building for vaulting and high jump practice. Hopefully the neck holds together.
I saw the information for the European indoor championships in Ghent March 16 of next year. If I could compete, this would give me another chance to do a pentathlon, which makes sense because I'm putting so much effort into the training. I'll find out whether or not I can compete.

Moved workouts to the Track

So it's early November, and the high school cross country season is over now, so I'm on my own. I've started doing more track workouts now and stepping up the intensity. I haven't been thrilled with my times so far, I thought I might be running a little faster after running cross country for a couple months. I think I just need the intensity of running against the stopwatch on a track to start pulling it together. I did do a decent 800 workout last night, 3x800 in 2:32,2:33,2:38. Those times are similar to what I would run a few years ago, so that's not too bad. I'm going to run a 800 weekend after next for time, so that will be a good indication of how the 1000m training is going, and whether breaking 3:00 is realistic. I did a 2:16 in practice about 4 years ago, and last year ran a 2:20 before I pulled my hamstring, so somewhere in that region is what I'm shooting for. A 3 minute 1k is 72 pace, or 2:24 for 800. It won't be easy.
My shoulder is hanging in there, but the pain is still there a little bit, and I tried to throw the jav the other day, but between the shoulder and right hip it's still a no-go. I'm going to a chiropractor for my neck,and it has improved a bit, I need my neck to be better before I can high jump again. My hurdling and long jumping feel great, I'm still confident I can match or exceed my marks from last winter in the pentathlon.

Fall training going well

I haven't written in quite a while, so here goes. The national meet in Sacramento was ok for the long jump and hurdles, but the high jump was a bomb again. I'm not sure what happened to my timing in the HJ, but hopefully I'll get it back.
I won the long jump, however, for the third year in a row, so I can't complain about that. I wasn't jumping that great, but my first jump of 6.16 was long enough. The weather was extremely hot, so between that and a rising headwind during the competition, I couldn't go any farther. The hurdles were good, my time of 15.82 got me third and was a good time into a headwind as well. I lost my balance over the first hurdle a little and the other guys were way ahead to the 5th hurdle, but then I got a little turbo boost and almost caught them by the end. If it had been a 150 meter hurdles, I would have won(15 hurdles? that would be hard!!). I really have to work on my start to the second hurdle for next year. If I can get that smooth and fast, I should be able to take a few tenths out of my time.
So now I'm hot and heavy into training for next season, and what's nice is that I feel like I'm picking up where I left off back in July, not starting from scratch like usual due to injuries. I'm running cross country with my daughter's high school team, so my distance fitness base should be very good by the end of the month. If I can build from there without major injury, I should be able to make a real running improvement next season. I've thrown in some hurdling and long jumping and short fast sprints as well, and it's all been pretty easy.
I got a new diagnosis for my shoulder which led to a cortisone shot in a different spot, so maybe I'll get back the full strength there. It barely hurts at all now which is good, but I don't have a lot of confidence that it'll stay like that. At this point my goal is to do the indoor pentathlon at the National Masters meet in Albuquerque in March, but as to whether I'll do another decathlon, I just don't know yet. If my shoulder holds up, it be hard for me not to stick with it and do another one...
In the meantime, here are my goals for the indoor pentathlon in March:
8.70
6.40
11.40
1.78
2:57
The shot and HJ are less, but the others are better. This adds up to WR4367, which is 250 better than last year, and probably optimistic, but very realistic. It is still a long way off, though, so I'll update this estimate closer to the competition.

Solid Score in Joplin

Well, I'm happy with the Joplin decathlon: no AR or WR, but unofficial single-age (46) AR, total score of 7308 using 2010 age factors, (5700 on IAAF tables), which is almost 300 points better than the winner from last year's World meet in Lahti, and the best score in my age group in the world since 2002. Additionally, my hurdle time of 15.60 is the fastest ever world FAT time in a decathlon for age 45+. I'm sure that question will find it's way to Jeopardy sooner or later...("what American masters decathlete...) The weather in Joplin was very hot, in the mid 90's with the heat index over 100. This was hotter than any decathlon I did as a kid, and made it a bit challenging. The heat and favorable winds helped my sprint times, but by the end of the first day I was really feeling it. I must not have drunk enough water, because I had muscles cramping in the 400. For a few strides I thought I might have to stop, but I didn't of course, although the time was pretty slow(57.24). I should have run in the low 55s probably, so that cost me around 80 points right there. If I hadn't cramped up there, I would have been able to run fast enough to get the AR, but I'm not complaining. I achieved my objective of completing a decathlon with all ten events and doing a solid score in the 7000's.
What the future holds for me now, I'm not sure. My performance in at least three of the events is below my potential, so on the one hand I'd like to keep training and improve the vault and javelin, but on the other hand I don't want to have to keep fighting these chronic pains in my groin and shoulder. I'll probably spend 2-3 months this fall just working on these issues, and if I feel like I can improve my score next year in the World Champs in Sacramento, then I may go for it. Or not. Or I may just try to improve my WR in the indoor Pentathlon, because I know I can do that with minimal effect to the shoulder.
For now, I'll train for the Nationals in Sacramento July 22, where I'll LJ, HJ, and hurdle. Let's see if I can triple!

Off to Joplin

I haven't posted in a while, I've just been struggling with the same injury issues, so I've been frustrated and less gung-ho. Yesterday I felt pretty good, tho, so I'm going to jet off to the metropolis of Joplin Missouri for the masters national dec. I bailed on the decathlon in Santa Barbara because of a left groin issue, then a couple weeks later I hurt my right groin again, so my training has been inconsistent. The groin issues are related to trying to do more and more sprinting because I was so slow in that 100m back in April. I don't know where I stand now, but we'll find out this weekend. The speed work would have helped if not for the groin, so it may be a wash. My expectations are lower, but you just never know... I've had some good workout performances over the last month, and my weight is down, and my body is better off than it was last year, so maybe I'll surprise myself. I had a good long jump around 21'(6.40m), and a good hurdle trial run as posted below, and some good high jumps over 6'(1.83). I'm confident in the vault, at least that I won't no-height, and I could get 12'(3.65). I also ran a 4:57 1500m. My PBs from the last two years in workouts and meets add up to 7732. Oh my gosh I was just double checking the ARs and I see they've reinstated Rex Harvey's score from 1991 of 7502, so my job just got tougher. The WR is still listed at Gruzenkin's 7762 from 1997. These scores I'm quoting are all based on the "old" age adjustements which are being replaced this year. It looks like scores are about 80 points lower with the new age adjustments, although I see Bill Murray's Lahti score from last year is now being credited as the WR, but 400 points lower so I don't understand that at all.
My achilles heel now is my shoulder (??!!??) The Impingement Syndrome (the next hollywood thriller?) has returned, so I'll be giving up points in the throws against my potential. All-in-all, I still hope to get the AR, but the WR is probably out of reach. And of course there's still Kip Janvrin out there waiting to crush whatever I do after he turns 45 on July 8. Regardless of the outcome, I'm still happy with things I've been able to do this season after so many years. It's just been such a trip to get into the decathlon again and actually do some performances that resemble that of a real decathlete.

Hurdle Video

110Hurdles for time. Ran about 15.9 hand. Ok considering how much slowed down at the end. If I had kept the same pace I had through 7 hurdles to the end, it would have been 15.5.

Three Weeks til Santa Barbara Decathlon

So less than three weeks now until the SB decathlon. I guess I'll be ready, although as a decathlete you never feel like you're prepared. My workouts have been decent. Yesterday I ran a couple 300s in 39.2 and 40.2, so faster than last week(and last year). I'd like to get both of them down under 40 before the dec, say 38 and 39. A couple hours after that I high jumped for more than an hour and had a couple good attempts at 6-1. I think I can get that 1.85m fresh. Last week I had a hard week on the shoulder with vaulting and throwing, so this week I have to go easy and just do glides and spins with no throwing. The javelin even went better last week, and there's a chance I could throw over 135 which is still terrible, but good enough for an AR. Week before last I long jumped 21-0 in practice, and was very excited to do that. It helped to not have an intermediate mark and just try to run like hell down the runway. I haven't been doing a lot of hurdling because of a left groin problem, but I think I'll be ok there anyway. These are the marks I'm shooting for to get the AR (at least until KJ turns 45).
12.40
20-10 6.35
38-5 11.70
6-0 1.83
55.50
16.20
124-7 38.00
11-9 3.60
131-2 40.00
5.00.00
=7634 on last years tables
that's only 140 under the world record, but again, I'm not going to think about that mark until I'm in the competition and after the discus.

Kip is back...

I had a pretty good workout yesterday, did 400,300,200,100 in 56.5, 41.3, 27, 15. I wanted to run a little faster on the first 400 because I basically ran as fast as I could, but I didn't warm up a lot either. I tightened up bad in the last 100. The 300 actually felt easier, so I probably shouldn't be afraid to run a quick 200 before a 400. Then an hour later I vaulted and ran some hurdles. There's no way I could have done that last year or before. I'm basically healthy and working out harder than ever as a master, which is the good news, but the bad news for my record quest is that Kip Janvrin has come out of retirement. There's no way I can beat him, maybe 2 or 3 events, so even if I get a record in May or June, he'll demolish it after he turns 45 on July 8. That is if he finds a sanctioned dec to do after that date, which shouldn't be too hard if he tries. I'll try my best to go and do whatever dec he does just for the thrill of competing with him, but we'll see how the body holds up through three decathlons in one summer.
The vaulting is going well, I have my confidence up, and I even threw the turbo jav well last week. This Saturday I'm going to run a 100 at Hayward Field before the UofO dual meet with UCLA. They have a couple masters races, so this will be a chance to get some 100 meet practice.

April Is Important

Training has been going pretty well since the Kamloops meet. I actually don't have too much to report - my groin and hip have improved dramatically and I'm able to work out about as hard as my strength and energy will allow. My right knee tightens up a bit overnight, but seems to loosen up during the day. I'll have to watch it, though. I've had good sessions with the vault and jumps, and even the javelin. I've lost a couple more pounds, I've slipped under 180 for the first time in a while and still think I can make it to 175 by June. According to a table I found on the internet, every pound is worth 0.2 in the 400 as I may have mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, so the 6 pounds I've lost since August should be worth 1.2secs, and another 5 would mean another second. Those relationships don't always work out, of course, but I know less weight will mean better perfomance in all the runs and jumps. I'll need every advantage if I'm going to be anywhere near Kip Janvrin who apparently is going to try to do a decathlon and break the record in the 45 age group after his birthday in July. He did a decathlon a couple weeks ago and scored the equivalent of 8500 on the age graded tables, so I don't have any chance of beating him, but I want to be in good enough shape to do a dec with him and not look like an amateur!
I'll try to post some training videos here in the next couple of weeks. We're having some pretty bad weather, so it's hard to get the camera outside, but I think the week after next is supposed to improve, so maybe at that point I can ramp up the outdoors training and post some interval times.
BTW, I think I'll do a couple all-comers meets May 1 and May 22. I'd like to run the 100, because that's really where I need the most meet practice.
Decathlons are still scheduled for May 29 and June 19. Those two meets are the only chances I'll have to get a record before Kip does a dec(if that happens). I might get a record and only hold it for a month or two, but that's better than nothing.