"A foolish consistency is a hobgoblin of little minds". There, I feel better already. Yes, I must confess I am looking forward to lower hurdle heights when I hit fifty. Let�s face it. There would not be many High Hurdlers in the men�s masters division if we still had to run the 42" college and open 110m Hurdle height. I suppose I could "five step" them, but I�d need a hurricane of a tail wind to ever think that I could "three step" them. Heck, 42 inches is close to the U.S. Masters standard for M75 High Jump!
Besides, hurdle running is dangerous. That�s why the hurdles (including the steeplechase) are usually the most watched events. Just as people flock to a car race track or an air show, what they are really hoping to see is a spectacular hurdle crash. In fact, if a hurdler can somehow knock down two or three of his/her competitors by sending hurdles flying it is even more exciting.
My best hurdle showing occurred back in 1973, running track for Bethel (KS) College . We began our outdoor season with a small triangle meet at Southwestern College and Coach put me in the 440 yd Hurdles. I smashed the first hurdle, nailed the second one and by the time I got down the back stretch my hurdling shoe flew off straight up in the air, which meant that I was hitting hurdles with my bare foot. I think I broke three or four hurdles and the Southwestern Coach said they couldn't afford to have me run them any more. But our Coach was amazed that I was still able to break sixty seconds and thought I had some promise. Ever since, give the crowd a show has been my motto.
However, at the risk of getting a shot put dropped on my hurdling foot, I fail to understand why in Masters Track & Field the weights get lighter as one gets older. For masters men, there are four different shot put and hammer weights, three different discus weights and two different javelins. Frankly, I don�t think I need to throw a lighter shot put or discus when I hit fifty. You see, one of my goals is to break 35 feet with the college and open 16# (7.26k) shot put. I once putted the round orb 34�6" and it just wouldn�t feel right to break 35 feet at age 50 with a 6k shot put. Same is true for the college and open 2k discus. I�m still trying to hit triple figures (100 ft.). I hit 98 ft. once, but I�ll be darned if I�m going to go home happy breaking 100 ft. with a lighter 1.5k discus when I hit the M50 division.
This notion of old guys needing lighter weights falls by the weighside (many puns intended) considering the heightened interest in the 35#, 56#, Super-, Ultra- Beyond the Ultra - and things as heavy as refrigerators- weight throws. I mean, what�s up with this "I want to pick up something as heavy as my car and throw it seven inches, but once I get into the shot put ring, I can�t throw anything heavier than a marble"?
So I say, from college to the grave let there be one shot put and let that shot put be 16#. And keep lowering those hurdle heights!