In the two months leading up to the North East Masters Championships in June, I had what can only be described as a miracle two full months of training without missing a single session. I know, right? It was almost suspiciously good. I was back in the swing of things, loving every moment, and performance was starting to creep back like a long-lost friend. I even squeezed in two races before the big event, just to warm up. The first was the 100m at the North East Masters League, and the second was a 200m at the North East Grand Prix race in what can only be described as monsoon conditions. I practically needed a snorkel, but I somehow enjoyed it.
Now, the week before the North East Championships, I was sunning myself on holiday at Lake Garda in Italy. You’d think a holiday in Italy would be relaxing, but I managed to tweak my calf while doing nothing more athletic than walking around eating gelato. Perfect timing, of course. So, to be sensible for once, I took a few days off to rest before the championships, which meany I could only fit in two training sessions in the first two weeks of June.
Normally, I’d do the full trifecta at the championships, the 100m, 200m, and 400m, but given the state of my calf (which by now had graciously shifted into a persistent sore calf), I decided to take it easy. That meant just the 100m and 200m, with the hope that I wouldn’t completely destroy my leg and put the rest of the season in jeopardy.
The good news? I won both races. The bad news? The times weren’t exactly worth shouting from the rooftops. One of my goals for the season was to clock a fast 100m time so I could be considered for the World Championships 4x100m relay team, but, spoiler alert, that didn’t happen. More on that in a future post (I promise, it’s a real page-turner).
But back to the championships. The weather was glorious, which in the North East is practically unheard of, and it was brilliant to catch up with all the usual suspects, friends and competitors alike, battling it out for the honour of being the 2024 North East Champions. So, all in all, a great day, even if I did come home without a decent qualifying time. You win some, you lose some, or in my case, you win but still lose a little. Classic.
Stuart Lynn - Masters Athlete 