Its Baton time Ready or Not !

USA Relay's Group Picture after the medal ceremonies

Final day, Sunday and it is the day that they run all the 4 x100 and 4 x 400 relays.  In 5 year increments men and women all the way from 35 to 90  finals of all.  I had been talking to Betty since she found out the news she had been picked and I do believe she finally figured out that it was a compliment and that it 'might' be fun.  I knew it would, but she just had to go thru one to see for herself.  We got to the track about an hour before checkin so she could find her teammates, Susan Hill saw Betty first and came running up saying they were looking all over for Betty that they couldn't contact her by phone to assure she knew about the relay.  That surprised us both since we had put the cellphone number on the relay declaration.  We were told we had to go back on the practice field and tell the team mgr back there that in fact we were here and ready to go.  When we arrived at the check in desk , everyone back there knew about Betty, even Ernie the trainer , apparently the entire USA team had been looking for her, including as we found out later, the team photographer, the team mgr. and many people who we didn't even know.  Betty's humorous remark to them was "I am lost and now I'm found".  The other members of the team soon congregated around her and the explanations were given why they couldn't locate her--didn't matter all was good .  Betty was soon in her- I have never run a relay, what is a baton, let me run the first leg so I dont have any pressure, I need a porta-potti at the start and the finish, dont make me run against Willie Gault... etc. mode.  The relay leader Mary Rosada who has been doing this for years was having none of it--she had seen this before and being a New York lawyer she could definitely handle this little gabby silver haired problem....Betty was the second fastest runner there, they didnt really want betty grabbing AND handing off the baton due to her lack of relay situations--the anchor only has to grab the stick and run, and the fastest lady, Sharlet Gilbert was injured and was really only running for team unity. Seems Sharlet likes to run. We had never heard of her , her name was not listed on any of the past USATF lists for the past several years. But, it turns out she was pretty good some ten years ago and had just come back. She was actually good enough to run in the first women's marathon Olympic qualifier in Spokane Wa. in 1984 and finished in 128th place.  She knew Carol McLatchie, Betty's coaches wife who also ran in that first trials and finished 12th.  When she found out that Betty was being trained by Jim her comments reflected that Betty was in really good hands. This year at Worlds for Sharlet's comeback she did everything but pick up the litter---she finished 4th in the Marathon, 2nd in the 400m, 6th in the 1500m, 10th in the 800m, 10th in the 200m, and an eventual bronze in the 4 x 400m relay.  Now THAT is an athlete !!! Her 400m time was 1:11:42 made her the second fastest time in the world this year. I have never met an athlete who could have  top 10 finishes in both the sprints, middle distances and a marathon !!The other members of the team included Mary Rosada who finished a very respectful 5th in the 2k steeplechase, and Susan Hill who like Betty was near the back of the sprints,

Anchor Leg

would eventually finish the day with two medals a silver in the 4 x 100  (ran just prior to the 4 x 400), and the bronze in the soon to be run 4 x 400.  A great group of ladies who were soon to be bonded with a fun time to remember.  I seemed to be the only husband hanging around the four of them back at the USA tent, all problems thus far had been rectified, Betty had been found, they had their relay team..It was time for the little bird to fly with her buddies, I said adios and wished them all good luck. As I was leaving I heard Mary tell Betty she was anchoring, and I scurried away with even more poste haste--didnt want to be around for that conversation. I did look back to see what Bettys face looked like and the tan had gone out of it big time..so much for no pressure.  I was to learn after the fact that Ernie the trainer gave Betty a full leg and lower back ( our motel bed had finally shown its true colors) massage and it was to help..The night before Betty had taken her first ever ice bath at the Marriott, and confided in me that she had to sing amazing grace for 12 minutes to get thru the shock..Now that is quite a picture.  But it did help immensely and she continues to do them after every track workout and says her legs feel way better for doing it.  I left the ladies to do their handoff drills, on the now seriously crowded practice track--lots of handoff practice going on out there. I went out to the track just in time to see Willie Gault take the final handoff for the 50-54 4 x 100, USA team and just streak down the track loping to a gold medal--What a incredibly fluid athlete ! And he is a vegetarian-a very lean and  toned man. I also watched and got pictures of our friends Liz Palmer handing off to Amanda Scotti on the first leg of the 50-54 4 x100 USA team who also medaled gold.  Even got a picture of amanda doing her best cheerleader jump when joy upshaw crossed the finish line in first.  Finally the moment, 2 pm the heat of the day, they march the 6 teams out in fours, the leadoff runners for each team , the second leg runners and so forth, and back them up against the spectator railing while the preceding relay was into their 3rd leg.

Sharlet,(Ca.) Susan (Utah), Mary (N.Y., Betty(Or.)
USA 4 x 400M Bronze Medalists

Betty said it was scary, there were probably 1500+ spectators, and several yelled at Betty as she was walking along--pretty heady stuff.  The teams that were favored to win were the Australians who could muster 4 women who were in the 1:14 area of 400m times---the New Zealanders who were in the 1:18 area, and then the USA should be bronze.  Should!--you gotta run it.  The gun went off and we were underway, the Australians were head and shoulders faster than any team, Sharlet who had finished the individual 400m in 1:11 limped to a 1:21, but she got the baton around, Susan had a time 6 seconds faster than her individual 400m and Mary who is a distance runner equalled susans time.  Betty got the baton way behind the Aussies and New Zealanders, and ahead of the German team.  She looked good, sprinted the corner, glided the backstretch and then something unusual happened, she started sprinting the far curve--i had to do a double take to make sure it was Betty running that curve--she had never sprinted the curve and if she ever tried she died on the homestretch.  She hit the homestretch, and continued to use her unusually long stride ( for her short stature it is a long stride) and pulling mightily with her arms saw a runner ahead of her and she was gaining.  Now she got to experience what the Oregon runners get at Hayward Field--the crowd pulling them in to beat another team prior to the finish..Betty later said she couldnt believe she was catching another runner, she had never caught someone, let alone pass them.  But catch and pass in the last 10m she did, the best 400m she had ever run, have no clue what the split was, ( had to be faster than her individual 400m) but it didnt matter she actually ran the technique of the race properly for the first time, and it paid off..Bronze Medal...the girls all hugged and there were photographers out there taking their pics and it was all a very unique and I am sure to Betty surreal moment...Betty said she had someone yell for her on the first curve, the backstretch and on the homestretch--she had made numerous friends in the week here and just like the Olympics everyone cheers for their countrymen.

  --and it was quite a cheer on her homestretch the home crowd bringing her home..did she enjoy it?  Apparently so, it was like she hadn't even run the race, no fatigue, no bending over, just elation--ah adrenaline!  She came over to me and said she loved it--wanted to run another one right then.  In hindsight we were both disappointed she hadn't run the 100m earlier in the meet because she may well have been picked for that relay as well. But that would have made 10 days away from home. The teams from the other countries were very gracious and everyone congratulated each other.. We went to the awards area to find out when they would be put on the podium and presented their medals, only to find out that more relay teams had entered than expected and there would be no medals at this time, but they would be mailed ..they filled out the proper forms for the medals.  The presentation would be two hours later, so we went back to the motel with the understanding to all meet back 15 min before the ceremony time.  Rested a bit, had a bit of wine to relax, and headed back ,Betty still in uniform.  The new Zealand women were already on the way home as were two of the Aussies, so the USA team was the only full team on the award stand--they were given their certificates with name and place..The meet was over 7 days of unbelievable stress, highs and lows, and finally a success..Betty had run against world class and knew that to be competitive she really has to step it up.  lesson learned..Her last race was exactly what she needed for her confidence .I loved every minute of it, a once in a lifetime happening for both of us . From seeing her first ever track meet 3 years ago ( the olympic Trials) Coach Dave Turnbull allowing her to workout with his Summit High state champion team that winter indoors running thru the halls of the school to Worlds in 3 years is quite a stretch both physically and emotionally. .Now we are an unusual couple who can both say one of us ran at a World championships and one of us swam at a World Championships...both very proud...thanks for staying with us on our journey..next time i will do it in real time..the beauty of this , is that it replaces the old paper diary...color pictures and all...we will use it on all our big trips from henceforth..in 2 years Brazil, 4 years Lyon France. God willing with good health for us both, it is a plan and a dream ..what a great way to see the world and experience fit and fun people and cultures we cant even imagine......don and betty