May 10, 2016: 200 meter sprint at the Atlanta Track Club All-Comers Track and Field Meet

World Records for 200 meter distance:

Usain "Lightning" Bolt: 19.19 sec (2009)

Florence "FloJo" Griffith Joyner:  21.34 sec (1988)

Personal Record for 200 meter distance: 

Frank "E-I-E-I-O" McDonald: 41.26 sec (2016)

Atlanta Track Club has set up the field for this evening's track and field meet.
Photo taken around 4:30 pm this afternoon, on the beautiful Emory University campus. 

The second week of the All-Comers track meets at Emory were held this evening.  I enjoyed participating in several of these meets last summer, and one of tonight's events, the 200 meter race, was part of the Atlanta Track Club's Grand Prix series.  When I registered for this event a few weeks ago, I was asked for an estimated time.  As I had never run a 200 meter race, I decided to take my slower 400 meter time from last year (1:31) and divide by 2, submitting a conservative figure of 45 seconds.  When the heats were announced earlier today, I was amused to see that I was in a heat of seven men, all of whom had entered times from 45 - 46 seconds. 

Runner #5 called us all a bunch of "sandbaggers",
as we all finished faster than 45 seconds!
(except for #4, who didn't show) 

To prepare for today's event, I consulted the internets for expert advice. [1] [2] [3]  Unfortunately I would not have an opportunity to practice any of the suggested techniques before the race, but adopted the following strategy: 

phase 1) the first 40 meters, accelerate as fast as possible; 

phase 2) get into a comfortable pace through the first 100 meters; 

phase 3) accelerate again coming out of the turn onto the straightaway, over 30 - 40 meters; and 

phase 4) remember to relax while keeping the rhythm that you've established in phase 3 to propel you through the finish line. 

I arrived around 6:30 pm, about an hour before our race began, and warmed up easily on the grass field, occasionally stopping to watch some of the other races, chatting with friends and acquaintances in the track club, and then jogging a bit more.  When it was our time to begin, six of the seven assigned to our heat were ready to run.  At the starting gun, within a few seconds the runners on the inside in lane 2 and then in lane 1 passed me.  I managed to stay on plan and just tried to keep a comfortable pace, knowing that I would try to accelerate again at the halfway point.  But by the halfway point, it was clear that the other five runners were well in front of me.  I did manage to accelerate a bit coming out of the turn onto the straightaway, and felt good racing down the straightaway even if I was in last place in my heat.  I saw 41 seconds on the clock as I crossed the finish line, official time was 41.26 seconds.  Remarkably, everyone in my heat ran much faster than the time that they had submitted! 

I checked my pulse within about 10 seconds of finishing, and my heart rate was only at 142 beats per minute.  I think that the problem was lack of flexibility in my legs, I simply could not move them any faster!  Sure, I was a little winded, but I think that cardiovascular function was not my principal limitation in the short distance.  So this was a valuable experience in giving me something to work on.  Back to the yoga stretches! 

Now that I was properly warmed up, I decided to join the 800 meter race, about 45 minutes after my 200 meter heat had completed.  I started with the slowest group (everyone after the 3:10 group), resolving to try for 3:30, and hoping to run both laps evenly, therefore finishing the first lap at 1:45.  Our group of 15 - 20 started quickly.  As we made our way onto the back straightaway, I found that I was starting to pass a few people.  I stayed in lane 2 for the first lap, not wanting to get in the way of anyone that might speed up behind me.  I finished the first lap in 1:42 and was feeling fairly good, like I had one more lap at that speed in me.  At that moment, two young women sped past me in lane 1, but I was able to speed up a bit and they didn't open much more distance on me.  I wasn't sure how close the next runner was behind me, and never saw a shadow on the back turn, but decided to move into lap 1 for the rest of the way, and am happy to say that no one passed me.  Although I didn't look behind me, I don't think that it was because there was no one left to pass me!  

I was happy with this race, finishing at 3:25.  When I checked my numbers from last year, it turns out that I ran the 800 meters in 3:10, so I did go a little slower this year.  Something to think about, as the next Grand Prix race in two weeks is at the 800 meter distance.