Feels Like The First Time

"Love is like a high prison wall but you can leave me standing so tall,you are gold,gold always believe in your soul,you've got the power to know you're indestructible always believe in, 'cause you are gold"

Gold-Spandau Ballet

They say you never forget your first time,I remember mine like it was yesterday.......I refer of course to my first gold at Masters Nationals in 2006 in Charlotte North Carolina!!!
After a 6th place finish in the 400m prelims and then a 6th place finish in the 800m final I was looking at coming away from my Masters Nationals debut empty handed(side bar,since 06 I've made the podium in each event I've ran) until the 4x800m relay where w/ the help of teammates Russ Patton,Chuck Sheilds and Scott Landis we won the 4x800m and I notched my first ever Masters National Championship medal,I loved the feeling it gave me I abandoned my road running career to focus on track and more importantly Masters track.

A year later in Orono I rounded out my weekend w/ another 4x800m relay gold thanks to Russ Patton,Ray Parker and Chuck Shields and while Greater Philadelphia Track Club only sent 3 athletes to Spokane in 08 I didn't allow a little thing like that to deter me,going non club or ad hoc as it's known I got a foursome together of Francis Burrdett,Scott Pesch and Robert Van Cleve to win a third gold.
In my absence from Oshkosh in 09 GPTC won gold in the 4x800m thanks to John Patterson,Bob McGinty,Chuck Shields and Scott Landis and last year in Sacramento even though the M40-49 couldn't put a foursome together myself and Nick Berra went ad hoc w/ Francis Burrdett and Tom Fitzpatrick to claim the gold.
This brings us to Sunday in Ohio myself,Nick Berra and Masters Nationals rookies Dave Brown and Neill Clark made up a foursome,I joked w/ Dave and Neill about the proud record both I and GPTC had at 4x800m at Nationals and the need to not"fuck it up" which I then added"but no pressure guys" hey a little hazing for a rookie never hurts!!!!

We went w/ the order of Dave,Neill,myself and Nick at Chuck's recommendation,I had thought myself or Neill to lead off the opening two legs then Dave and Nick to anchor but given Dave's frustration at a pair of 6th place finishes in his 400m and 800m finals Chuck felt Dave would run w/ a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove.....he wasn't wrong!!
In a 5 team race we lined up alongside a team from So Cal(Southern California) two teams from TNT a Philly based team and a second GPTC side consisting of Chuck Sheilds,Carl Stocking and another pair of Masters Nationals rookies John Goldthorpe and Delvin Dinkins.
Originally Chuck had hoped to repeat last years M50-59 gold in the 4x800m but injuries meant in order to run as a team both Chuck and Carl would have to drop down to M30-39 along w/ John and Delvin to score as a club.

Dave lead off and quickly put daylight between us and the field,alas w/ all 8 of the team available out on the track there was no one to get splits(side bar the team only sent 10 athletes to Berra,Ray Parker had left on Friday after his silver in the Pentathlon and Tom Jennings had left after his 1,500m that morning) but w/ an overall time of 8.41. we averaged 2.10 per man and at 8.41 it's the second fastest Nationals 4x800m relay I've ran on.
Neill showed no signs of any discomfort from his early morning 4th place 1,500m and handed off to me w/ a commanding lead,for the first time since Charlotte in 06 I ran fresh in the 4x800m,I'm used to running the 1,500m Sunday morning b4 coming back for the relay.
In a season that's seen no outdoor 800m or 1,500m and only one god awful mile I could be forgiven for feeling a slight sense of apprehension,I did have an impromptu 4x800m relay at Icahn under my belt in May where I believe I ran 2.10. to draw inspiration from and it seemed to do the trick,Tom Fitzpatrick said from his position on the outside of the track I looked good so maybe my 800m days aren't over just yet??

Baton safely around I handed off to Nick w/ a big lead,having ran the 800m the day b4 and the 1,500m that morning I'm sure the last thing Nick wanted was to duke it out,he needn't have worried Dave,Neill and himself had given the club a comfortable cushion and w/ it my 5th 4x800m relay gold at Masters Nationals.
For the record our M30-39 team complete w/ two 50 year old runners Chuck and Carl finished 3rd overall behind TNT and won silver,what can I say GPTC....we know how to run relays!!!!