songs of experience

For the last 7 or 8 years I have been coaching local great, John Hinton. John, whom I affectionately refer to as “Hinton-dog,” has been running so fast for so long that none of us think he will ever get old. In his prime, John qualified for 4 Olympic Trials in the 1,500m with a lifetime PR of 3:40.22; as a Masters runner, he holds the 1,500m outdoor US record in 3:49.82 and is a 2-time world masters champion. Just this past Saturday, at the UNC indoor track season opener, at the age of 43 and 3/4 (he turns 44 in May), John toed the line with a bunch of 18-20 year-old college kids in the mile … taking the lead at 800 and cruising to an easy victory in 4:22. In 2005, he opened with a 4:19 so I asked, “Are you disappointed with the time?”

“Not really; last year the Kenyans took it out fast and I had to lead today, so - no - I’m not disappointed.”

He gave me his splits, like always, but when we started to talk about next week’s work-outs I heard a slight catch in his voice - and it wasn’t coming from cell phone interference.

“What is it, John?”
“Well …” another pause, … “for the first time, ever, I felt old out there.”
“Oh?” I said. We’d always called him “the old man,” but it was a joke, you know, because he seems truly ageless … stomping all over people in The Michigan workout year in and year out, still being able to close in 43 over the last 300m.

“Yeah, they looked like high school boys, so young, and I thought, ‘What am I doing? Why am I still doing this?’” (Because you still love it, I thought).
“Does it make you want to quit?” I asked.
“No. Not yet. But I can now see why people do quit.”

I remember when it hit me - that I was too old. I was down in Charlotte in 2000, I think (John and I had traveled to the track meet together). I was lining up for the 1,500m with all these cute little girls in crop-tops and bun-huggers, with their bobbing pony-tails and their spring-break tans. At nearly 40, I had graduated to half-tights and a singlet for my racing uniform. My legs were flourescent white and I wore sunglasses not to stop the glare, but to hide my crow’s feet. I felt downright silly striding out before the gun went off. I was twice their age! I could have been their mother … yet I bolted into the lead and pounded out each 400m split (69, 2:19, 3:31), lift, lift, around the turn, drive your arms, sprint, kick, grunt, across the line for the win - 4:23.14

The bobbing little girls finished in a flurry behind me. I remember thinking, “Run away; run away.” Run away and hide how old you are. I didn’t want to talk to any of them (in my warped imagination, their voices would have squeaked). I wanted to find grown-up people to play with - to run with, to race with. My “green time” on the track was over.

I don’t know if John had as clear a vision this past Saturday when he “felt old out there,” but I do think the end is near. Soon and very soon, the amazing and inspiring Hinton-dog will hang up his track spikes forever. That will be a very sad day, indeed, for all of us old and young-timers who have been blessed, blessed, to witness his beauty in motion for, lo, these past 25 years.

Charlotte results, 2000
Final WOMEN’S 1,500 METER RUN
1. Joan Nesbit, UNA-New Balance 4:23.14; 2. Petra Staskova, Unattached
4:34.89; 3. Katie Atlas, Duke 4:36.84; 4. Megan Coombs, NC-State 4:39.64; 5.
Beth Kraft, NC-State 4:42.16; 6. Naomi Wendland, UNC-Charlotte 4:42.58; 7.
Natalie Lewis, Campbell (NC) 4:43.82; 8. Jen Taylor, UNC-Charlotte 4:44.06; 9.
Zola Davis, UNC-Asheville 4:44.14; 10. Susie Welty, Campbell (NC) 4:45.16; 11.
Meghan Edminston, Millersville (PA) 4:45.40; 12. Beth Fonner, NC-State
4:45.58; 13. Val Waldron, Wake Forest 4:47.55; 14. Beth Goolden, West Virginia
Wesleyan 4:49.59; 15. Melinda Dubuse, NC-State 4:49.61; 16. Karin Levin,
UNC-Charlotte 4:49.64; 17. Birka Wicke, UNC-Asheville 4:50.43; 18. Erin Haugh,
Wake Forest 4:51.22; 19. Sarah Srickland, NC-State 4:54.37; 20. Smyth Bitter,
Davidson (NC) 4:55.63; 21. Sarah Spalding, Duke 4:56.59; 22. Karen Underwood,
Appalachian State 4:58.18; 23. Diana Henderson, Unattached 4:58.36; 24.
Theresa Mazurek, Millersville (PA) 4:59.74; 25. Lisa Ottens, UNC-Charlotte