What the Atlanta Track Club Masters Men’s Team Taught Me

I’ve only been a member of the Atlanta Track Club Masters Men’s team for a couple of months. This year, I’ll be joining the 70+ division, so they went ahead and added me to their email list.

Color me impressed!

They travel around the country attending track meets. At the beginning of the year, they have a schedule packed with events and competitions.

Morris, the coordinator for this 70+ group, is on top of it. He sends daily updates, travel and lodging information, team assignments, weather, event information, results, and more.

The Power of Teamwork

The word I’d used to describe the team is “cohesive.” Yes, they are truly a team. A member recently had a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in their leg after a meet. Not only did the members offer condolences, but they also shared prevention tips, as well.

In fact, preparation is one of the most important parts of being a master athlete. There are seminars about proper stretching and warm-up techniques. Of course, recovery periods are important, too!

The team has a uniform. I’ve learned so much about men’s tights, sweatbands, dry-fit shirts, calf compression sleeves, and Thirty48 Ultralight Athletic Running Socks with Seamless Toe. Not to forget the Powerstep shoe inserts!

Shoes are where it gets interesting. At the indoor meet in North Carolina last week, my teammate Al had a pair of 3.3 oz racing flats for the 1 mile and another pair of shoes with more support for the 3K.  When you find a pair of shoes you like, go ahead and buy at least one more pair. Al says he has one special pair he only uses for racing.

I found out about the Garmin watch which does everything from recording your sleep to logging beneficial information on your race and practice efforts. It shows speed in miles per hour or minutes per mile. The steps per minute and stride length are helpful for us race walkers.

In Which Robert Learns More About Racing

Oh, and, of course, there’s also the actual racing.  After all the training and preparation, you attach your bid number to your shirt. Then you stand behind the start line, jittery with anticipation. The moment of truth.

Your mental, emotional and physical conditioning will be on display for the world to see.

The Masters competition is set up by age bracket and gender. However, in the actual competition, you race against many others, including the youth division.

No pressure.

At this level, team members are out to win. The winner often only finishes a second or two ahead. Each racer tries to top their personal best.

The competition is actually one of the easiest parts. You get that feeling of accomplishment and knowing you’ve done your personal best. I had this feeling in high school sports and thought those days were over. Now, I know they’re only beginning. I have a lot to look forward to with the Atlanta Masters 70+ Men’s Track Team. I’ve learned so much about teamwork, persistence, dedication, and even friendship.

I’m excited to see what else this team teaches me.