2025 USATF Masters East Region Outdoor Championships
In conjunction with the USATF NJ Mid-Atlantic
Outdoor Track & Field Championships
I left Hillsborough in time enough to arrive at The Peddie School at 10:10. I connected with a few teammates and got the lay of the land. Seeing that the meet appeared to be running ahead of schedule, I started warming up at 10:30. It was warm (85 degrees), sunny, and a little humid at first. After jogging for 8:00 or so, I found some shade and stretched. At about 11:15, I did some spiked up and did a few strides. It then became evident that the meet had stalled and was running very much behind.
It wasn't until about 12:45 that the 400m was contested. My heat went off at about 1:00. I had lane 4, with a guy to my outside, Mark Williams to my immediate inside in lane 3, and teammate Chuck F. in lane 2. My plan was to hit the 200 in 29, en route to a sub-62. I managed 62.17, finishing third in my heat and third overall in my age group.
After I caught my breath, I headed across the field to the start of the 200. I would again have lane 4, with Andrew on my far inside in lane 2 and another guy to my far outside in lane 6. I won the heat and my age group in a rather sluggish 28.07. My legs have no pop, no fizz, with my knee not firing on all cylinders, or even on some!
Unimpressed and a bit diminished, I tried to shake off these humbling performances. While the 400 time outpaces the split I put down at Penn Relays, it along with the 200 time is quite pedestrian. These times try my soul.
Reminds me "These are the times that try men's souls," a famous quote from Thomas Paine's pamphlet, The American Crisis, published in December 1776. It signifies that difficult and challenging circumstances, like those faced during the American Revolution, reveal the true character and commitment of individuals.
Like it did for Americans in the 18th Century, will the phrase inspire resolve during my time of crisis?
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