Saturday at USATF National Indoor Masters Championship

Coming off of injury I had a pretty good day on Saturday in Landover, MD where the USATF National Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships were taking place. Having run only 4 weeks after a 7 week layoff due to a high ankle strain I had no idea what to expect. Warming up the ankle felt okay – until I put on the spikes and started doing strides. Then I could feel it, but it wasn’t bad and did not seem to be hindering my stride. When the race started I settled in toward the back of the pack as the race went out at a good pace and then about halfway through the part of the pack I was in slowed just a little so the pace felt very comfortable. with about 200 meters to go I tested my kick and felt strong over that last lap, running it 5 seconds faster than the immediately preceding laps – an indication I had probably taken it too easy. I finished in 4:46.81 about 13 seconds off my best time at this distance last year, but very encouraging given the lack of training. Now I am looking forward to the 800 meter final on Sunday.