Superbowl was just as I’d hoped. Only regret my dear sweet Allison, John Elway’s VIP Suite Bakery and Pastry Chef last year, wasn’t there. Loved Lady Gaga. Didn’t much care for the halftime show or the commercials. Not surprising as I was too wrapped up in the Competition. The story of an old man going out on top. On his own terms. Sweet. Why the hell didn’t Cam Newton dive on that fumble in the fourth quarter? He’ll try and answer that for the rest of his days. If you, like me, have seen every single Superbowl, the introduction of the MVPs was the best non game segment of the day.
But wait! More Fabulous Fifty!
I hope you will join me in celebrating with one of my oldest buddies, Sean Wade. I’ve praised his past achievements, and his current training as he assaults the record books. He turned 50 on February 3rd.
Lookie here now! At Saturday’s Boston’s Indoor Mile he set the World Record of 4:23.07! Breaking Nolan Shaheed’s mark of 4:26.75 from 2002. The time also bested Shaheed’s Outdoor WR (4:25.04, 2001). Sean’s mile age grades to a 3:50.1, the Real World Record is 3:48.45.
A couple of hours later he lined up for the 3000. Sped to another American Record of 8:51.0, again breaking a venerable Shaheed record. The WR for 50+ is 8:49.37 and he is gunning for that this coming weekend. He’s been trumpeting his 2016 spring campaign for over a year now, promising world record attempts. Hubris! I love this guy.
Four Omaha metro races this past weekend. The Dalton Gang 5K, 7 finishers, (Terry Hack, 26:32, Linda Kunasek, 29:33). Ivan Marsh’s Camp Carol Joy Holling Emperyan Ales 5K, 312 finishers (Neil Wolford, 19:43, Barbar Swenson, 26:14). Omaha Running Club’s Chiller Challenge 8K, 97 finishers (John Slagle, 28:34, Gina Schmidt, 35:59). The Superbowl Run at Peak Performance, 135 finishers (Ben Shultz, 19:40, Lisa Sieczkowski, 23:23).
With the exception of Wolford and Slagle, the pedestrian performances across the board indicate either poor racing conditions or general malaise or a quickly gentrifying (medium age at the Chiller Challenge was 102) or some other cultural phenomenon that escapes this scribe.
In an effort to “Stimulate the running community to a more competitive culture” I am offering a free entry to any Nebraska Association LDR member to this coming Sunday’s 4th annual Two Rivers Valentines Day 5K and 10K. That gets you the competition, if you want the wine and chocolates and roses its a mere $10 to cover those costs.
Fifty years old and the fastest guy in Nebraska! But not for long!
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