Embrace the cold SEAN CALLAHAN'S BLOG (Jan. 9, 2010) -- There's an upside to the cold weather that has hit much of the country over the past few weeks. Exercise in the cold can help you burn more calories -- at least according to the January issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Here's an explanation: . . . keep reading...>> Masters track athlete of the decade? KEN STONE'S BLOG (Jan. 6, 2010) -- How do you measure greatness? Masters track has many yardsticks: Hall of Fame induction, Athlete of the Year honors, world titles, world records. But what separates the superstars? In recent days, my question of Who's the Masters Athlete of the Decade? has prompted some public discussion -- but also some private back-and-forth. One debate centers on Nadine O'Connor vs. Phil Raschker. Both Americans rewrote the record books between 2000 and 2009. Both won major public acclaim and gold medals galore. Nadine and Phil are as good as they get in the sport, but which is the best? . . . keep reading...>> Keeping those resolutions LISA MENNINGER'S BLOG (Jan. 3, 2010) -- You made it through 2009. Congratulations! It was no small fete, was it? Wasn't for me. What a year. I moved after being in the same place for more than seven years, moved my son to Washington, D.C., to attend college, began a new business endeavor, re-evaluated my goals as an athlete as I graduated to a new age group and experienced a lot of change in all areas of my life. It was a challenging year in many ways but necessary to lay the groundwork of new and exciting things I know are heading my way in 2010. . . . keep reading...>> The comeback KEN STONE'S BLOG (Dec. 15, 2009) -- Reynaldo Brown's greatest leap wasn't the 7-feet-3 he straddled in September 1968 to make the Olympic team at age 17. It wasn't the 7-0 1/4 he cleared at Mexico City to take fifth behind the gold and silver of teammates Dick Fosbury and Ed Caruthers. His greatest effort came several years ago while hospitalized with kidney failure. After hearing a doctor say: "I hope this guy is still here in the morning," Rey vowed to jump out of bed and begin training for his life. . . . keep reading...>> A Christmas gift idea for the Masters athlete in your life SEAN CALLAHAN'S BLOG (Dec. 14, 2009) -- I got an email from Sandy Scott the other day. He's the 2007 AMS Comeback Masters Athlete of the Year. He won the award in recognition of his amazing return to bicycle racing after he broke his neck in a bike accident. Now, Sandy, who lives in Florida, has written a book about his ordeal. It's called "From Broken Neck to Broken Records: A Masters Cyclist's Guide to Winning." After the accident, Sandy has won 11 different Florida state cycling championships. Along the way he has shattered numerous state time trial records in his age group. In addition to telling Sandy's remarkable story, the book also covers training, nutrition and other aspects of racing. . . . keep reading...>> Site update KEN STONE'S BLOG (Dec. 8, 2009) -- Friday morning in Indy, the USATF Masters T&F Committee -- delegates from around the country -- awarded the 2011 indoor and 2012 indoor and outdoor masters nationals to three new sites. As previously telegraphed, Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, won 2012 outdoors, but was "accepted tentatively pending confirmation of facility availability and dates," according to my mole at the USATF annual meeting. "Indoor 2011 is Albuquerque, March 4-6. The vote was 26 to 25 over Bloomington, Indiana" -- which then won the 2012 indoor meet unanimously. . . . keep reading...>> Mystery bidders KEN STONE'S BLOG (Dec. 7, 2009) -- In recent days, I've been trolling for who is bidding for the 2012 USATF Masters nationals (indoors and outdoors) -- to be selected at this week's USA Track & Field annual meeting in Indianapolis. I've written to Gary Snyder, our national chair, plus folks in various cities with a history of interest. Finally, I got an absurd note from Mike Travers, USATF Masters Site Selection chair. . . . keep reading...>> Getting up there KEN STONE'S BLOG (Nov. 24, 2009) -- Gérard Dumas, a British Columbian fluent in two languages (English and Canadian), also speaks vault. In fact, he's the pre-eminent historian of the event. He's also the most vertically traveled vaulter ever. Now 74, Gérard claims 1,000 competitions (not including beach vaults or meets where he recorded no heights), reports Roger Ruth. "Gérard has competed in a total of 1,048 meets, five of those beach and 38 no-heights, leaving a total of 1,005 officially recorded. A former French indoor champion, his career best was 4.53 (14-10 1/4) in 1967," says Roger, a former M40 WR man in the vault. Still clever after all these years, Gérard graciously consented to another interrogation after his historic season. My quickie Q&A with Gérard: . . . keep reading...>> Base desires LISA MENNINGER'S BLOG (Nov. 18, 2009) -- formulate what is next and above all, take a much needed break from the rigors of training. This rest is essential to recharging the physical and mental batteries. It allows us to get some distance from the training so that when we feel ready, we can begin the process again. Without this break it can be hard to sustain quantity and quality in our regimens during the cycles of training. So give yourself permission to take the rest. It is an important to your training process as the hard work. . . . keep reading...>> Wide World of Doping KEN STONE'S BLOG (Nov. 17, 2009) -- On October 23, Finnish media reported a doping violation at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Lahti, Finland. WMA and a German Masters site also joined in reporting the punishment. WMA said M45 Finnish shot putter Pekka Viippo, the silver-medal winner, was found "guilty of the following doping violation: presence of the prohibited substances Testosterone, Norandrosterone, Methylphenidate and Ritalinic Acid in his doping control sample." He was tested August 2 at Lahti. . . . keep reading...>> More