Posts Tagged ‘track and field’

Jamaican Hurdler’s Bear-Back Ride Doesn’t End Well

Melanie Walker of Jamaica had just won the gold medal in the hurdles at the International Track and Field World Championships in Berlin, but a truckful of hurdles and an overexuberant mascot led to a hard landing. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Next Stop: Olympic Glory!

This came out of nowhere but I just don’t see how I can pass it up: the first annual “Battle of the Ages” Pacific Association Summer All Comers Series. It’s a track and field meet for the hoi polloi – or maybe the equivalent of the old carnival sideshow where they get the rubes to try to go one round with the Midway Mangler. It’s also age-graded. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be equally graded for slowness.

I can’t believe it has free admission, since events include the turbo javelin and the pole vault. What kind of liability waiver is required before you let any schmo off the street enter the pole vault or throw an assegai? It has to be comedy gold.

I’m sure to embarrass myself no matter which event I enter, so I might as well go for the 3000 meters so I get the most spotlight time for my $5. If I’m very lucky, all the other old men will be watching the NBA draft in air-conditioned comfort while I’m all alone out there running laps in 85 degree heat. I’ll give you the race report tomorrow.

Speaking of 85 degree heat, I did my speedwork in just such temperature yesterday morning, but it went pretty well.

Intervals: 8 x 400 meters
Goal pace: sub 1:41
Lap 1: 1:39.53
Lap 2: 1:37.16
Lap 3: 1:36.14
Lap 4: 1:40.00
Lap 5: 1:39.60
Lap 6: 1:43.62  FAIL
Lap 7: 1:42.14  FAIL
Lap 8: 1:40.72
Average: 1:39.86
Total distance: 5 miles

Productivity Enhancer

Bored at work? If you missed it on Sunday, you can watch NBC’s entire two-hour coverage of the Nike Prefontaine Classic on the Universal Sports web site.

What Could Go Wrong?

Having received a BMW M3 from Puma for his birthday, Usain Bolt will also receive “specialist driving lessons” at BMW’s track in Germany.