June 19, Wednesday

BANG!!!

So, I wrote this summary of my trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the National Senior Games as I sat in the lobby of my hotel killing time waiting for my midnight flight home to New Jersey.  Here it is.

My National Senior Games Saga

I left home at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 14th, for JFK Airport. After waiting a few hours I left at 8 p.m. for Albuquerque. We arrived at 10:30 p.m. mountain time. I took a cab to the AirBNB by  midnight.  It was a kind of dreary room with no windows, but I did sleep okay that night. On Saturday morning I met two senior swimmer guys who were also staying at the same house. They were nice fellows. The swim venue was quite near the place we were staying. It turned out that the track and field venue was quite far away and that included a $20 Uber ride. I did learn how to use the Uber app, and I headed off  to Convention Center for the bogus sign up scam. They bring everyone into the convention center to sign up and sell slots to hundreds of venders trying to hustle junkie merchandise to the seniors as they arrived. I found a coffee and a Danish but was feeling uncommonly jittery all morning. I took another Uber to the track and field facility to get oriented. I got my number and checked in for my race on Sunday.   By chance my number was 1500.   I had planned to meet a friend of mine from New Jersey who was competing at the games around 5 that afternoon, but it was too hot to stay around for that many hours. So I took another Uber to my AirBnb.  I needed to get a decent meal since it was almost 3 already. The host wife told me there were places to eat on the outskirts of the neighborhood and tried to describe how to get there. Directions were very nebulous, and I set out to quickly get lost and disoriented in a shady neighborhood with big dogs barking  everywhere and no people around. I still remained quite jittery and shaky as I tried walking in the neighborhood. I made a quick decision that this housing situation was not going to work for me. I decided to get a hotel in a better neighborhood and closer to the center of the city.  I made a reservation and informed my host and packed and was gone in half an hour.  I checked in to Hyatt Place by 5 PM. It was a very comfortable room in a good neighborhood. I still had not had lunch but there were plenty of respectable eating places in the malls nearby walking distance from the hotel. The switch was going to cost me $1,200 but I did not care anymore.   I had a decent dinner at a local establishment called the Elephant Tavern. I got into bed very early and slept through the night for 10 hours.   After an unsteady and tenuous breakfast at the hotel, I took an Uber to the track for my race.  Never quite felt everything was normal as I warmed up true, but I pushed on to get ready. I was content that I could not beat the local, Albuquerque runner.  So I set out with the goal of finishing second in this event.  As the race began the Albuquerque runner quickly separated from the pack. I was alone in second place and held on until the final 40 meters when I was passed. I was totally gassed and had no response to being passed at all. My time was 6:40 and I finished third. I felt very depressed and totally drained by this performance. It took me 20 minutes to catch a standard breath and hours to feel as though I had recovered from the race. I definitely needed a reboot.

I spent the next three lonely days trying to prepare for my 800 meter race, to acclimatize, trying to get over a nasty, annoying sinus event. I took some over-the-counter sinus pills, did a lot of hot compresses on my face, ate healthy food, slept well, and did a few pre race activities. Monday morning before breakfast I ran for 15 minutes with a few pickups. On Tuesday I ran in the pool for 15 minutes to get some motion in my legs. I did manage to connect with my friend, Stan, and his lovely girlfriend, Naomi. We went out to dinner on Monday night and that was very enjoyable.  I must say that my confidence was growing each day and I approached the 800m believing that I could run very fast and easy. Arlene and Rob and Kristen and all the family and friends were a great boost to my confidence.  Knowing that they had seen my 1500 meter race on Facebook and we’re going to see my 800 meter race on Wednesday was very exciting to me.  I was determined to put on a good showing no matter how the race turned out.

Wednesday morning I turned to my high school pre-race breakfast of buttered toast and tea with a few pieces of fruit to get me started.  Another Uber and I was at the track ready for my race. I had to search for a new warm-up spot because they closed the area that I had used Sunday. Luckily I found across the track an unused pole vault runway.  I did a series of 40m  pickups along the runway for about 15 minutes, no extended jogging.  Now, the temperature was about 88 degrees and I was the only person in the facility wearing sweatpants.! LOL

Race time….. checked in, spiked up, felt good. Found out there were two heats and I was number one seed in the seated heat. Got to the line very confident with the plan to put the 7 second rule into effect. The 7 second rule is basically the idea that for the first seven seconds of the race you get a free pass to run as quick as you like without having it have  any negative affect your race later on. Gun goes off:  I take early lead by the time I get to the back straightaway and feel no pressure from anyone. I am fellng relaxed and totally in control. I cruised easily until the 600m mark  and began to accelerate around the turn. No one ever challenged me.  I finished strong.  It was exactly how I thought I was going to feel when I ran 800 meters after all the work I had done. I was not breathing heavily nor had any leg heaviness at any time during the race.  I believe that I could have run a much faster time if I was challenged.  I could not have been more proud or happy. I recalled something that my  very cool Uncle Willie  said  to me after I  graduated from  Seton Hall  in 1965.                    He said, ” Robert, (All my Aunts and Uncles always called me Robert) this is something no one can ever take away from you.”