M70 masters athlete

Athletics. I am an active M70 British masters athlete, living in Sweden. Best events are 400m and long jump. I have participated in masters athletics competitions up to masters World Championships level. It is good fun and it is good for you. If you have any specific questions about training for and competing in masters athletics, maybe I can help.

Just out of curiosity is this you? http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=24546

Yes. That’s me. But I am not happy about those recent results. I seem to have the dreaded lurgy. The past few years I have suffered from repeated late-diagnosed Borrelia (Lyme disease) bacterial infections from ticks in the country. Anyway, that’s my latest excuse and I am sticking to it.

Welcome aboard Anthony...nice to have another athletics fan (and an active one!) on the site.

Thanks Alfie. Actually I am at it right now at European Masters Games (EMG) 2011 Lignano, Italy. EMG are multi-discipline from Archery to Weightlifting. Quite a laugh. Travelled down with a Lithuanian archer - and how many times does one meet a Lithuanian archer in one's life? Just done a very bad long jump (4th at 4.15m) and am due to meet M70 400m world record holder and masters legend Guido Mueller (59.34 sec) on Friday.

Well good luck with the 400 mate...he sounds pretty nippy for 70

How did you do Anthony? I wish I could still compete at the age of 27 never mind 72! Had to quit after having back surgery and coaching really isnt the same as training or competing

Anthony, keep it up man. I don't know how you do it

Thanks you guys. There were only three of us in the M70 400m and I was not up to the challenge:

1. Guido Müller GER 62.21
2. Anthony Treacher GBR 69.28
3. Ramir Kuramshin RUS 76.33

Ramir Kuramshin is also the President of the Interregional Masters' Speedskating Union of Russia - which, with me living in Sweden, gives me ideas. EMG Lignano 2011 was otherwise an enjoyable and well organised meeting. Lots of freebies including advanced health and muscular tests for us over-65s. Thanks EMG and the Italians. Wonderful country.

From Lignano I went up to the Dolomites to do some walking. But the weather changed and one day I was stupid enough to walk/climb/crawl on all fours over a 2,400m high mountain alone in lots of snow that covered the tracks, rocks and everything. I just didn't want to turn and backtrack. The mountains were magnificent in the snow with brilliant sunshine all day. But it was very foolhardy because I could easily have slipped, many times. I was dead scared then and thinking about it now, I still am. So use your head. Don't try mountains alone in snow - ever. Anyway I survived and all in all I had a great holiday.