High peaks at 52

Yesterday, Saturday was my 52nd birthday. I had just come off of back to back hard track days, with Thursday night racing both 400 and 200 meters, and Friday morning running a moderately hard 600 meter time trial.

I'm reading "Again to Carthage" the sequel to "Once a Runner", and just read a story about living in a town near high mountains. The residents start out life with the high peaks being impossibly high, then as they grow up they can gradually climb some of them, then finally there is no peak too high for them, they can do anything and everything... the prime of life. But then... at some point the highest stuff becomes off limits again, and gradually more and more of what they once could do is no longer possible, and finally they look to the off limits mountains which might as well be as far away as the stars.

So here I am, 52, still climbing some pretty high peaks. Sub 5 mile, sub 60 400 meters, these are still possible for me. How and why is this? Why me? This was my thinking as I was savoring especially Fridays 600 (more later).

Whatever my ultimate potential is comes from the great gift of genetics -- body shape and size, percentage fast twitch, etc. We get what we get, and I got a fair dose of potential.

Being able to, at age 52, pound away at various high level goals and actually hit some of them is a streak of good fortune supported to some slight extent by the care and caution that come from experience (plus good coaching).

The drive to keep doing this comes from some sort of scientific curiosity that never seems to end, and feeling like its a fun adventure to try and push into that potential a little bit more.

Having the context of top coaching, a great group to share it with, a sympathetic home base, and the backdrop of Boulder Colorado approaches the miraculous. I felt very humble and in awe of it all when I really took a good look at the situation in its entirety.

Back to the 600 Time Trial. It was an "it doesnt get any better than this" moment for me, even though I've run a lot faster for 600. Since it was after a race the night before, the plan was to hit a target pace as opposed to going all out. Here's what happened:

1. It was a beautiful day.
2. I had the entire track to myself.
3. I had split timing support from both Ruth and Steven, two partners in sprinting.
4. I was pulled through the first 400 by Heather, who nearly made this years Olympic Trials.
5. We hit the target split for 400 right on (68 seconds).
6. I was able to pick it up and run a 33 off of that pace.
7. I felt good doing it.
8. At the finish line were four Olympic hopefuls hanging out after their own workouts with coach Mark Wetmore. This was my "audience".
9. I discovered these possible Olympians were a great bunch of people, definitely enjoying being on top of some very very high peaks indeed, but still fully grounded.
10. I almost felt like I was one of them, that we are all pointed in a similar direction.

All of that together made this event a high peak for this 52 year old. I can honestly say I've never had a more satisfying workout.