Liz Johnson is home. She's back working at the Siskey-branch YMCA in Charlotte, N.C., where she teaches a chair aerobics class to wheelchair-using members.

But when her mind wanders, she relives her athletic adventure in Africa, as far removed from running hurdles in Masters track as a 52-year-old pilates instructor can get.

Less than a month ago, Johnson was battling what she calls the "Egyptian death virus," an intestinal illness, on the eve of Sahara Race 2008. She fought cramps, nausea and "sun poisoning" to complete 20 miles on Day 2, stopping only at the behest of race officials "because of upchucking," Johnson wrote from home.  "I think they thought I was endangering the ecosystem of the desert with my excessive fluid expressions."

Last weekend, this tough-as-steel runner wrote her friends about her dune-marathon experience and the soft spot she carried for an aerobics student of hers at Siskey.

"Thanks for good wishes while I was attempting to race Sahara," she wrote. "I now truly understand the phrase 'pray for death.' Actually got in a 5K the last day to finish at pyramids. It was also great fun to volunteer and help others with the race. Seems some good always prevails."

Johnson recalls the race more for its treasures than torture.

"It really was stunningly beautiful and transcendent," she said. "There were actually shells on the bottom of the desert from where ocean used to be. The challenge was fun, as were my 10 mates."

Among her main motivations for hanging tough was Tom Wrenn, "the real hero in all this." Wrenn is in Johnson's chair aerobics class at Siskey. "I bet him in April if I crossed the Sahara, he would have to try and take two steps out of his wheelchair. We started in the pool, where Tom could barely make it a few steps walking. Eventually he was up to over 20 laps. I was thrilled to greet him in class today."

"The first thing he did -- he got up out of his wheelchair with minimal of help. He looked so shaky, about to teeter over at any moment. Then he found the strength to will his body to take five absolutely picture-perfect steps. Upon sitting back down, his response was not to soak in the celebration but to ask what the bet was for next year.

"He said he knew he could do 20 steps or more and was expecting to hear my side of the bet soon. So . . . there just may be another desert race in the future. But in the meantime, I have seen what real courage and greatness is. Maybe we all need to take the time to see greatness in others and appreciate the fact that life is only as great as your friends. And my life is great!"

Of the race itself, Johnson says she suffered from having gotten dehydrated the night before the race. "Somehow, the scene from 'Alien' kept coming to mind, with live creatures bursting through the abdominal cavity.   . . .  No hospitialization was needed. However, there is always questionable issues in regard to my mental health and choices of adventures. I started four legs and finished two." She's now fully recovered, she said.

In Egypt, as I reported here earlier, Johnson completed a leg that was over 23 miles.

"The conditions (were) sunny and sandy, then sunny and sandy some more," Johnson said. "The course we ran was mostly very soft, deep sand. We raced through the white and yellow parts.  There were amazing high dunes, with water stations placed evily, just at the top. So we got to use our climbing skills. If not sand, there was craggy, sharp plains of rock. The temps reached 115. I am not sure of adequate synonyms for really, really hot. The scenery was breathtaking.

"I especially loved the quiet and serenity."

Of course, she learned a lot about herself in the immense North African desert: "You can't control the variables. I really thought I would cry and feel sorry for myself. Instead I tuned into the lesson that something better always comes along. It was a time of deep introspection and peace. I was awed by vastness of the desert and how transcendent, quieting the mind can be."

Back home, she said: "I learned I really have the greatest life with the best friends imaginable. I really thought I would return home cured of my need for high adventure. Instead my mind is already envisioning the finish line of a future desert race."

In a short query note, I asked Johnson -- a pentathlete with specialties in the hurdles and jumps -- if she had tried to interest her desert teammates in Masters track.

She replied: "I gave it my best to try and recruit them to the brevity of our sport. Instead they were were strong-arming me to join them in their ultra-jaunt races around the globe. I am not sure I took the time to process through the event, until now. Thanks for the inquiry!  Much cheaper than therapy!"

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David Ortman of Seattle wrote:

"Here are some entry stats: New York Marathon 50,000+, London Marathon 46,000+, Chicago Marathon  45,000+, Berlin Marathon 40,000+, Boston Marathon 25,283+. Total number of entries for the 100m at the (Masters) nationals in Spokane: 55 women, 105 men."

So Dave inquired: "How come tens of thousands want to run 26 miles while only dozens want to run 100m? Perspiring minds want to know."

Well, here's the short answer:

The marathon is long on macho and anonymity. In the 100-meter dash, there's nowhere to hide. It's a fast way to "embarrass" yourself.

Dave's question goes to the heart of a bigger issue, however: Why do road races from 5K to ultradistances attract tens of thousands of Masters athletes while Masters track meets limp along with fields in the low hundreds?

Only at Masters national do entries top 1,000. At worlds, they usually exceed 5,000. But those aren't marathon numbers, fersure.

Leaders in the Masters track movement have struggled with low turnouts for years. Some suggest better marketing -- publicizing track and field for age-groupers more aggressively. Others point to the lack of money in Masters track -- prize money, that is. Your average 10K in Podunk, South Dakota, hands out more cash to age-group (or age-graded) winners than can ever be won on the Masters track circuit.

Another wrinkle is Masters track and field is just plain harder. Harder than running 26.2 miles? Well, more strenuous and demanding of skill and practice. The charm of road running is anyone can shuffle along for a few hours. You can walk, stop for a drink. In track meets, it's all-out, all the time. Muscles ache. Joints cry out in pain.

It's also a matter of societal acceptance. A 65-year-old lady road runner is awarded cheers as she circles a local park at 12-minute-per-mile pace. But a 65-year-old lady pole vaulter, shot putter or hurdler wins stares of disbelief, even disapproval.

But perceptions change. In the early 1960s, street joggers of any age were laughed at. Now they're so ubiquitous, nobody gives them a second glance.

Over the weekend, a widely circulated Associated Press article put a positive spin on sprinting. As I write on my masterstrack.com blog:

You won't see the names Frank Lynch or Antonio Douglas in Masters track results, but their two 100-meter match races have gotten more press than many trackos get in their lifetime. Frank, nearing 70, owns a car wash chain in Atlanta. One of his favorite employees is Antonio, in his early 40s. But Antonio was going blimpo, and boss Frank teased him into losing weight by saying: "I'm going to be 70 soon. And I can run twice as fast as you can."
 
The story played out in fascinating fashion, and led to a rematch. The version I've seen doesn't say what their final clockings were. You can look up the story by Errin Haines. The bottom line: The 5-foot-4, 330-pound Douglas eventually lost 112 pounds and gained $22,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation -- by racing his boss at Atlanta's Grady High School.

Masters track might gain a bigger following if it touted stories like this.

Not every oldster wants to go 26.2 miles. How about a 100-meter dash among friends?

And contrary to assumptions, you won't be embarrassed at all! You'll be thrilled by the fast friends you make.

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The presidential election is down to three choices: a 68-year-old white man, a 64-year-old white woman and a 47-year-old black woman. The results won't be known until Dec. 5.

Say what?

Oops. Forgot to mention that this is the race for president of USA Track and Field, the national governing body of track and field. The voting takes place at USATF's annual meeting in Reno, Nev.

Last month, I sent questionnaires to the three anounced candidates -- Bob Bowman, Dee Jensen and Stephanie Hightower. Three of my queries involved  Masters track, an often-ignored and underfunded stepchild of USATF -- despite the fact that much of the group's membership is over 35.

Bowman of Redmond, Wash., is a racewalk expert with deep experience in USATF and IAAF politics. Hightower, the youngest entrant, is an Olympic hurdler who lives in Columbus, Ohio.  And Dee Jensen is a retired coach and educator in North Dakota who officated at Olympic Games and scores of other major meets over the past few decades.

All three responded, and the full interviews are posted here:
http://www.Masterstrack.com/news.html

Here's how the candidates answered my Masters questions:

Question 1: Among USATF's stated missions is "fielding the most competent United States individuals and teams for international competition in Athletics and providing support and conditions for athletes at all levels of the sport which ensure optimal performance." Does this include fielding teams for world  Masters competitions? If so, how can USATF help?

Said Bowman: "Absolutely. USATF can better prepare athletic teams for the world veteran championships by strengthening the  Masters track and field program domestically. High-priority goals for Masters T&F should be identified and pursued along with the other constituent groups' goals within the USATF Strategic Plan. A national Masters T&F program that includes regional meets should be developed and promoted. This is a wonderful part of our sport that needs to be elevated in importance. The athletes will then be better prepared for international competition. We also need to attract the world veterans championships to be held in the USA again. When I was president of the Pacific Association, we bid for this competition."

Said Jensen: "Yes, with the support from your constituent base that fielding teams for world  Masters competition is one of your top priorities. 1. Supplying uniforms. 2. Shipment of all implements to the event. 3. Payment of entry fees. USATF would provide these benefits, one priority at a time."

Said Hightower: "The  Masters community is a revered part of our track and field family. I am committed to doing everything within my purview to continue to support the aims of Masters track. USA Track & Field's mission insures that USATF fields a team for Masters, Youth and Open competitions. I will continue to support those aims. I will always be available to work with the  Masters chair and  Masters Executive Committee to provide National Office support to any  Masters athlete competing within our borders or internationally."

Question 2: Despite  Masters being a large share of USATF, the budget of USATF Masters Track & Field is a relative pittance -- $85,000 this year, with USATF's contribution being just $39,500. Would you commit to at least doubling USATF's contribution to the budget of USATF  Masters track & field?

Said Bowman: "I am in favor of it if we have the money and Masters T&F presents a good case for the use of the money. Even during these tough economic times, we can increase our revenue by increasing our membership, and by also increasing corporate sponsorship. We can increase our membership by demonstrating to our constituents that they receive value for their membership fee. That means our local associations providing more and better opportunities to participate in all disciplines at every level of our sport. Right now, that isn't happening in many of our 57 associations."

Said Jensen: "I would be reluctant to commit to doubling USATF's financial contribution to  Masters track and field without a determination of how that can be accomplished. However, I would be very interested in establishing member benefits for Masters track and field that would grow the membership and commit the increased revenue to help build your budget and programs. There is no doubt in my mind that in listening to the merits of what this funding could best affect that I would be your advocate in achieving your goals. Efforts to secure a sponsor or sponsors needs to be a top priority."

Said Hightower: "I cannot commit to a promise that I will double the Masters budget. For me, or my opponents, to make a promise like that would be disingenuous and misleading. What I CAN commit to is to be an advocate for  Masters programs as a viable part of our track and field community. As such, I will extend my help in whatever way possible to garner support for you."

Question 3: Under the proposed reorganization of the Board of Directors, USATF  Masters T&F is losing a seat on the board. How would you guarantee that  Masters T&F is assured fair treatment within the federation?

Said Bowman: "First of all, if I'm elected president, Masters T&F will have at least one advocate for Masters T&F programs. Secondly, I will make sure that the high-priority goals of  Masters T&F are included in the USATF corporate strategic plan and I will work with  Masters T&F in the development and implementation of their part of the plan. Even though  Masters T&F is losing a seat on the board, that does not necessarily mean they will have unfair treatment within USATF."

Said Jensen: "I applaud those constituent-based members who have chosen to support change for the betterment of our organization. The element of trust, so necessary as we take our sport to the next level, is best developed through building relationships and networking within our sport.

"My responsibility includes being informed, conscientious, trustworthy and an advocate who makes every effort possible to help each constituent base achieve its goals. This is just one instance where my broad-based experience is invaluable. I have walked side-by-side with  Masters athletes as an official at your national championships and local events and understand your concerns as I have reached out to your committee as a sounding board and as a member of the Board of Directors."

Said Hightower: "While it is true that Masters, along with other committees, will no longer be on the board under the proposed restructuring package, you have not lost your representation. Your interests have been, and will continue to be, protected through our bylaws."

Two updates on previous posts:

-- Last week, I wrote about Sahara Race 2008 entrant Liz Johnson, the 52-year-old fitness trainer from Charlotte, N.C. She never gave up, but she didn't get an official time in four of the six stages of sand running. Her only listed marks were 9 hours, 12 minutes for the 23-mile Stage 4 and 39:09 for the 6.2-mile final Stage 6. I hope to hear from her soon.

-- Finally, we have a site for 2009  Masters Outdoor Nationals! The track meet will be held July 9-12 at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, Wis., site of the 2008 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships -- a popular pick with just about everyone. After the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., pulled out, the USATF Masters T&F Executive Committee held a conference call vote last Wednesday, and they chose Oshkosh, bygosh.

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Liz Johnson is your typical 52-year-old pilates instructor from Charlotte, N.C. She runs hurdles, long-jumps and competes in Masters multi-events like the pentathlon and heptathlon. She's excelled in Masters track for nearly 10 years and won mounds of medals. But it's offseason now, and like your typical Masters track athlete, she's engaged in some long-distance training.  Good for the cells, I hear.

Oh! I forgot to mention where Johnson is training!

The Sahara Desert.

In fact, she's one of about 150 souls entered in the seven-stage Sahara Race (Egypt) 2008.

Her stated goal?  "To get discovered like in 'American Idol' or, better yet, actually lose a pound off my middle-aged physique. Also, (racing in Africa) seems a small price to pay to be totally away from any chance of getting an election robocall!"

Yeah, that's our Liz.

When asked in her entrant questionnaire why she entered this masochistic sand slog, Johnson wrote: "Still trying to figure that out in expensive therapy."

In an email to friends last week as she headed to Cairo, Egypt, Johnson wrote: "We check-in Friday and leave for camp Saturday. The trip to base camp is over 7 hours. Sunday we start racing at 8 a.m. and continue through the next seven days. We will have Internet access upon arrival at camp each evening."

In her Oct. 21 blog entry, Johnson wrote: "I had my 1st foray into sand, but with a camel.  Mine was the Shaq of camels, so we towered over the masses.  Started on a very busy street. Camels don't mind cars coming very, very close to them.  Then trudged thru sand for miles to get to the pyramids.  They are beyond big and leave you with a sense of awe.  It is quite sad the nose of the Sphinx was stolen by Napoleon's men.

"The Sphinx looks like a boxer on the losing end of a knockout.  Then looking lofty on the horizon you see --  the biggest KFC.  Actually it adds some color to the rather yellow/grey sandy color.  We leave Saturday and drive 7 hours south to the heat of the desert.  It really rained while we were in the desert.  I see that as a good omen."

Then in her last post, Oct. 24, she wrote: "Thanks for all your wonderful support. . . . In March  I was told I would never be able to run on my Achilles again.   I decided to ignore that and train for ultra-ultra-ultra-psycho distance.  I have run and trained for countless hours and not lost a pound!  I dream of food constantly.  I have completed 6 college courses on tape and even figured out a way to do my schoolwork while on the treadmill."

She wrote about a bet she made with a gent named Tom Wrenn in the YMCA chair aerobics class she teaches. 

"I get to race 160+ miles in sand and 100+ heat, with a pack for a week.   . . .  Tom is wheelchair-bound and will try and take 2 steps on his own.  I assure you my training and race is tons easier than what Tom has done to prepare.  I marvel at his absolute courage and determination.  He is my inspiration."

But two days into the race, Johnson's exact status was unknown. She has yet to record a time in Sahara Race 2008. According to online results, she's listed as "U," for unranked.  She hasn't dropped out, the site says, or she'd be listed as "W," for withdrew. But after two stages, Johnson has no time listed. Just a haunting "00:00:00" by her name.

"Unranked means that a competitor has not completed all sections of the course but is still continuing,"  the site says. Today's Stage 3 is  a long haul --  37 kilometers (nearly 23 miles).  We're confident Johnson is still in the game.

But no matter what her status, we're certain of this: She won't lose her sense of humor.

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After weeks of rumors and speculation, the official word came down a week ago: Clermont, Fla., would not host the 2009 USATF National Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  Gary Snyder, the elected national chairman of USA Masters track, sent a note informing his executive committee of the decision that Clermont is out.

Last August, the National Training Center at Clermont -- in superhot central Florida -- was hammered unmercifully after holding a highly flawed regional meet of World Masters Athletics. 

How bad was meet organization and conditions? 

An online petition to yank the event from Clermont drew 68 signatures, an avalanche in the small Masters track community. Sixty mostly negative comments were posted on my blog. And when I contacted Don DeNoon, the former director of the National Training Center who won Clermont the 2009 nationals, he told me: "My vision for the facility was so much different than what was presented (at the 2006 annual meeting where Clermont was selected). My apologies for making the bid."

Yikes! When your former point man is sorry for pitching the meet, it's dead meat.

So now USA Track & Field is forced to make some tough decisions:

Should a new meet site be chosen quickly (like in the next couple weeks) -- to give athletes more time to plan their travel?

Or should selection of a 2009 meet venue wait until the early December annual meeting in Reno of delegates to the USATF annual convention -- to let everyone's voice be heard?

And where should the meet be held? Somewhere else on the East Coast? Somewhere the athletes favor? Or somewhere that hits the ground running with the least misery?

I had some ideas on possible venues, so I held a poll. As of Sunday night, 312 visitors to my blog at masterstrack.com had cast their vote. The leaders:

"Somewhere in the Midwest" drew 101 votes, or 32 percent. "Eugene, Ore., (and) historic Hayward Field" drew 79 votes, or 25 percent. And "Mt. SAC/Cal Poly Pomona" east of Los Angeles, the runner-up to Clermont in 2006, drew 42 votes, or 13 percent.

The rest were divided between Spokane (host of the 2008 meet), Orono, Maine (host of the 2007 meet), San Diego (host of the first six nationals starting in 1968) and "disregard the above -- let our learned reps make the choice!"

Comments on my blog also touted Franklin Field in Philadelphia, home of the legendary Penn Relays;  Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio; and even Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska -- site of the 2008 National Junior Olympics.

More speculation is in order. 

My best guess -- based on contacts with a number of USATF leaders -- is that the choice will be made in Reno in December, not in a conference call this month. And the winner will likely be a Midwestern or Eastern city, not a second West Coast venue in a row. USATF likes to pendulum-swing the meet all over the country. (Of course, this doesn't apply to that other Masters nationals, the USATF Masters National Indoor meet, which has been held in Boston  for most years of the past dozen or so.)

But USATF also needs to answer a more pointed question: Why did Clermont give up the 2009 nationals?

My theory is this: USATF leaders, unhappy with the conditions at WMA regionals, were driving a hard bargain in contract negotiations with the National Training Center. Clermont meet organizers, in turn, began doing the math: If X number of athletes followed through on their announced plans to boycott the meet, would the event be doomed to fiscal failure?

Squeezed by USATF's Indianapolis headquarters on one side and a popular revolt of age-groupers on the other, Clermont came to the apparent conclusion: Oops, we're toast. And so they quit.

This debacle has led to some interesting suggestions. Dave Clingan, my co-webmaster and friend in Portland, Ore., suggested:

"Why not alternate East Coast and West Coast sites every other year? . . . How about picking two 'permanent' climate-friendly sites for nationals? Lots of advantages in terms of planning, promotion, management, staffing, etc.  . . . How about MTF managing the meet ourselves instead of contracting an LOC? Figure out how to make this a break-even (or better) event, utilize our own meet management expertise and work entirely off our own budget. That way, we can rent the facility we want and run the meet ourselves."

Clingan reasoned that "we are always scrambling to find sites willing to host this meet and are at the mercy of the (local organizing committee) regarding the quality of the meet itself. Prospective sites often sound much better at the annual convention then they turn out to be in reality!"

On the other hand, some athletes have no dog in this fight.

M40 national sprint champion John Simpson of Texas wrote: "I don't care -- just pick a place and run with it."

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Jamaica's sprinters capped an incredible Olympics on Aug. 22 when Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell obliterated the world record in the 4x100-meter relay. They clocked 37.10 (averaging 9.275) to beat Team USA's old record of 37.40 set at the 1992 Barcelona Games and tied by another U.S. squad at the 1993 IAAF World  Championships in Stuttgart.

Beating a sprint record by three-tenths of a second? Amazing.

So what can you say about a 4x100-meter quartet that broke another world record by more than 10 seconds?

You say: Well done, ladies!

On Sept. 13, the foursome of Hildegard Buschhaus, 80; Olga Kotelko, 89; Doreen McLeod-Smith, 83; and Leona Smith, 80, passed a baton around a track in Prince George, British Columbia, to set a W80 world age-group record in the same event the Jamaicans won in Beijing. The Canadians clocked 1:49.15 (averaging 27.3) to beat the old record of 1:59.63, set by a Brazilian foursome in 2006.

Relay member Smith told Molly McNulty of the local paper, the Terrace Standard: "I was thinking in my mind that we could do it. When we were finished, they told us we had broken the world record and we cheered, I almost forget the fatigue. . . . We had been running and jumping all day. But we said OK (to the relay). We spent maybe 10 minutes practicing (handoffs) all together."

Equally impressive was the fact four 80-plus sprinters could be assembled on the same track -- in this instance, at the British Columbia Senior Games.

Credit for that goes to many-time world champion Harold Morioka.

The newspaper told his story:

"Harold Morioka, who is the B.C. Provincial Director to the Canadian Masters Athletic Association, gathered the four women together for the record breaking race. Morioka has been looking after sporting records for B.C. for eight years. At events, he is always looking for athletes with fast times to put together to break B.C. records and Canadian records, but says it's seldom a world record."

"I looked at their individual times," Morioka told the paper, "and thought: Hey, we got four ladies here who can break the world record. I asked them if they wanted to run and try; of course, they were excited."

For her part, Smith says she just kept hoping she wouldn't drop the baton.

"The relay was not a scheduled event at the BC Seniors Games," the story continued, "but Morioka found enough runners with fast enough times to put together three different teams, in different age groups. Smith's team was the only one vying for a world record.

To make sure the record was kosher for the sake of World Masters Athletics ratification,  international referee John Cull was present during the race, with CMAA and IAAF rules on hand. They had proper starts, correct timing and a photo taken of the finish. The required minimum of three teams were running, and officials were at each exchange to make sure all the handoffs were done legally.

Of course, the ladies had to jump through hoops that the Jamaicans didn't.

Morioka has to supply copies of the four ladies' birth certificates to prove that the women were really 80 years or older.

Four eightysomethings disclosing their birth dates to the world?

Now THAT's incredible.

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Two notables in Masters track died recently. One lived a half-hour from me, yet I never knew him. The other lived clear across the country in Florida, and was a dear friend for more than a decade.

My email pal since the late 1990s was Louise Mead Tricard, who lived in Cape Canaveral. She died Sept. 30 of cancer at a Bronx hospital just days after turning 72.

My relative neighbor was Jock Jocoy, who lived in a coastal town north of San Diego. He died Sept. 27 at his home in Del Mar after a lengthy illness. He was 82.

Both left hundreds of friends and admirers.

Tricard's friends included world record holders and Olympians, especially women. And no wonder. She literally wrote the books on the history of women's track in America -- two thick volumes of results and interviews covering 1895 to 2000.

A former American record holder in the indoor 440-yard dash, Tricard later was an active sprinter in Masters track, competing in several national championships. At age 64, with the support of Florida friend Ann Makoske, Tricard ran her only marathon -- the New York City 26-miler.

"I was there for her those last breaths and she still wasn't giving up," Maskoske told the Armory track Web site in Manhattan.

I got to know Tricard as the woman who almost single-handedly changed a rule in Masters track.

She and Hank Nottingham and their disciples collected more than 600 signatures in an effort to throw out the rule in Masters track that DQs a sprinter or hurdler for one false start. They succeeded in rescinding the rule.

Jock Jocoy, by contrast, came to Masters track from another racetrack -- horse racing.

After 33 years as a practicing vet at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar tracks, he went into semi-retirement and ended his career at Del Mar because he "found there was more to life than racing."

In his 50s, he tackled the decathlon -- and set a world record at 58.

"He couldn't make the World Masters track championships in Rome this year because it came in the middle of the Del Mar meeting," The San Diego Union reported in the mid-1980s,  "but he'll be going for the gold in Australia next year."

"Fitness," Jocoy said, '"is my way of life."

Ed Oleata of San Diego, still active in Masters track in his early 70s, offered these memories:

"I first met Jock Jocoy in 1982 when the first WAVA decathlon was held at SDSU. I was 45 and Jock was 56. He had been a 'physical culturalist' all his life. But he had confined himself to running 10Ks and weight lifting. He found out about

Tags: Masters Track

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Doug Logan, the new chief executive of USA Track & Field, has been making  waves since being hired in mid-July. His "blog," called Shin Splints, has been frank and fearless. On Aug. 5, for example, he wrote: "I hate drugs and drug cheats, and why I won't shut up about it -- not even with the Olympic Games at our doorstep . . .  Here's the deal: If you use drugs, encourage others to use them or even turn the other way as others use them, we don't want you in our sport."

On Aug. 21, talking about the underwhelming U.S. performance in Beijing, Logan wrote: "Dropping a baton isn't bad luck; it's bad execution. Responsibility for the relay debacle lies with many people and many groups, from administration to coaches to athletes. That's why, when these Games are completed, we will conduct a comprehensive review of all our programs."

On Sept. 11, he dropped a  bomb: He would create an "Operating Audit Panel" to review USATF's elite operations, since the U.S. performance at Beijing was "mixed" and only a fraction of Americans had season bests at the Games.

In that 9/11 column, he noted that USATF's "first purpose and duty" is: "Developing interest in and participation in Athletics in the United States at all levels and developing the highest possible performance level for the United States in international competition."

Huh?  "At all levels"?! 

So I couldn't help but ask: Does that include Masters track?  I sent him a questionnaire, and five days later he responded.

But the cheeky and light-hearted Logan of "Shin Splints" gave way to a carefully worded series of non-answers. I wouldn't call them evasions. He admitted that he didn't know much on these subjects. But his replies showed him tiptoeing around the Masters minefield. He was careful not to commit himself or step into the bog of USATF Masters politics.

He refused to be pinned down on USATF support for Masters in international competition, the pathetic USATF Masters track committee budget, the sorry state of  the Masters record books, the effort to launch a separate Masters Web site,  the ongoing uproar over the 2009 Clermont, Fla.,  nationals, and the fact that USATF Masters T&F is losing a voice on the USATF Board of Directors as a result of USOC-mandated restructuring.

A typical reply: "Here I will definitely be a broken record when I say these are the kinds of conflicts and political battles that I am learning about."

Of the 13 questions I put to Logan, only two or three were answered with any substance. The rest were glorified "No comments." 

The only response that showed some nuance regarded drug-testing in Masters track. And here he stepped back a bit from his zero-tolerance stance on  doping, as expressed on his blog.

In reply to the question, "Do you agree with this policy of no drug-testing at USATF Masters nationals?" Logan wrote me: "I have focused to date on anti-doping efforts on the elite level, but my gut tells me that the issue is far different in masters track. I am not familiar enough with the masters anti-doping issue to speak definitively, but I don't think expense would be the only issue, even though each test costs about $500.

"Every American over a certain age understands that for most people, medications become part of everyday life. Given how comprehensive the current testing menu is, it seems there are potential issues of resolving medical necessity and drug-testing realities. Having a spate of highly publicized 'positives' for, for instance, an athlete using an anti-balding medication wouldn't do any good for the sport of track or masters in particular. But of course you don't want performances achieved through cheating, either."

Since Logan had not publicly uttered the word "Masters" in his first three months, I gave him a chance to address the large Masters component of USATF. He ran with it, writing:

"Masters athletes are a vibrant part of what our sport is. Even though I don't compete, I'm an example of that. One of the great things about track and field is that there is a place for everyone. Where masters, youth, elites, as well as coaches, officials, volunteers and everyone else fits in with our governance and strategic goals will take much clearer shape as our restructuring continues."

But Logan, who vowed to be a "huge sponge" in his early months, will eventually have to squeeze out a stand on age-group issues. At the very least, he's now on notice that Masters issues are on his plate.

I noted a July poll on my blog, which asked: "Will new USATF CEO Doug Logan be good for masters track?" Most responded: "Who knows?"

We still don't know. But now he knows us.

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Nearly 20 Americans in the M45-49 age group have run a mile under 5 minutes this year, including Tony Young of Washington state, who set a world record of 4:16.09 last May in Gresham, Ore. But a month earlier, a 45-year-old miler from Sarasota, Fla., announced an equally ambitious goal: running 20 sub-5 miles in 20 weeks this summer, all at road races. His name is David O'Meara. A trainer and professional speaker, his main credits are playing tennis for Bowdoin College and coaching India's Junior Davis Cup team. His best time for the mile?  About 4:24.

So what chance did he have of stringing together 20 sub-5s?

When I posted a poll on that question last April, the results were positive: 71 percent said he could do it, 23 percent said nope and 6 percent weren't sure.

When I interviewed him about his quest, he told me: "Twenty seemed like a nice round number. Then you start to look at the amount of time it will take over five months; it is a lot of travel and racing. I have never raced this much before, so it will be a new experience for me. Good health and staying injury free is a must and a challenge."

Now his journey is over. How did he do?

Very well, thank you! He didn't hit perfection -- 20 out of 20. But he did go sub-5 in 20 out of 22. (Two races were run in miserable weather, and he fell seconds short in both cases. So he extended his trip.)

On Sunday, the last day of summer, O'Meara ran his 20th mile in under 5 minutes -- at  the famous Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City. Results show that O'Meara ran 4:51. O'Meara took fifth in the M45 age group. First was national champion Conor O'Driscoll of Rye, N.Y., who clocked 4:36 at age 47. The top M40 runner was Kevin Forde of Philadelphia, with a stunning 4:17 at age 44.

Their feats were overshadowed by a couple of gents more that twice their age.

"In the most talked-about race of the day," the site reported, "teammates and fellow age-group runners Bob Matteson, 92, of the Greater New York Racing Team and Abe Weintraub, 98, amazed the spectators on Fifth Avenue once again. Matteson finished in 12:21 and Weintraub, the most senior runner in the race, broke the tape in 22:10."

The oldest sub-5 runner?

That would be Paul Mascali of Manhasset, N.Y., who won the M55 age group with a 4:59 at age 56. That's impressive.

But O'Meara's marathon of miles is simply remarkable.

Although he may have run some downhill courses, he didn't have the advantage of spikes. And running on asphalt or concrete is death to the joints. He survived all that, plus the extensive travel, to notch 20 under 5.

For the record, here are his mile marks, beginning May 10 in Tarpon Springs, Fla., and winding his way through more than a dozen states and British Columbia: 4:42, 4:50, 4:28, 4:47, 4:38, 4:45, 4:42, 4:49, 4:54, 4:53, 4:49, 4:49, 4:49, 4:50, 4:53, 4:56, 4:36, 5:01, 4:48, 5:06, 4:45, 4:51.  The average?  A little over 4 minutes, 48 seconds.

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