Goal: National Age-group Record in the Pentathlon
By Bob Burns
Mulligans are usually associated with golf – a do-over among friends. But masters track offers its own sort of mulligan.
Liz Palmer took hers and split the middle of the fairway. The 49-year-old mother rediscovered her calling more than 25 years after having her collegiate track career cut short by injury.
What started out four years ago as a way to lose weight has morphed into something considerably more. In addition to be a national champion in the sprints and hurdles, Palmer coaches and writes monthly column for National Masters News. She wants to expand her involvement in the sport to include officiating, and she plans to take a shot at the national age-group record in the pentathlon when she turns 50 next August.
“I feel so fortunate,” Palmer said. “I can’t believe I stumbled on this. I have to pinch myself because it doesn’t seem quite real.”
There have been few stumbles since her return. At this summer’s USA Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Palmer won the W45 100 meters in a wind-aided 12.73 seconds and the 100-meter hurdles in a windy 12.62. She also finished second in the shot put at 30 feet, ¼ inch.
With her family responsibilities and job at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Palmer had plenty to keep her busy as she entered her mid-40s. She ran the occasional road race, but she had been a hurdler in high school and college, so the slow pace didn’t suit her.
She was surfing the internet in late 2005 and noticed something about an all-comers track meet. That was more up her alley.
“I didn’t like the way I was looking,” Palmer said. “I thought I could either let it go or do something about it.”
In her first meet since the late 1970s, Palmer pulled a muscle.
“I tried sprinting after not sprinting for 25 years,” she said. “The mind is willing, but the body lags behind.”
Randy Sturgeon, the head coach of the Golden West Athletic Club, drew up a rigorous conditioning program for Palmer, who dropped 10 pounds in two months. She now works primarily with Elmer Haynes, the club’s sprint and hurdle coach.
Haynes sees Palmer at the vanguard in masters athletics – women who are young enough to have reaped the early benefits of Title IX.
“She’s one of the first women who are able to have a second career in the sport,” Haynes said. “Now they have a chance to have a whole new second career and probably do better as a master than they did earlier.”
As a girl growing up in Colorado, Palmer was able to outrun many of the boys on the playground. She placed in the state meet while at Arapaho High School in Littleton and competed in the hurdles as a freshman at the University of Northern Colorado. But she tore her Achilles tendon as a sophomore.
“I figured that was it for track,” Palmer said. “It was very disappointing. I felt I could have been an All-American hurdler.”
She put track behind her, focusing on more conventional pursuits such as family and career. Liz and her husband, Gary, have two sons. Van, 18, attends Central Florida on a volleyball scholarship. Jim, 15, is a sophomore at Folsom High School who threw the shot and discus as a freshman.
“His PR in the shot is better than mine,” Liz said. “One of the benefits of being involved in athletics is that it’s made me closer to my sons. At age when your children can pull away from you, mine have grown closer. And it’s so cool when they brag about their mom.”
Palmer works out at Folsom High School with a group that Haynes and Amanda Scotti, a national champion sprinter in the W50 age classification. Palmer also takes advantage of the wellness center at SMUD, where she frequently lifts weights during her lunch hour.
“Liz has a combination of speed, natural talent and desire,” Scotti said. “She’s willing to do whatever it takes to get better.”
Unlike many people her age, Palmer is actually looking forward to her 50th birthday. She has her sights set on the U.S. age-group record of 4,022 points, set by masters legend Phil Raschker in 2000. Being 50 will also enable Palmer to compete as a senior. Meanwhile, she is working to become a certified official.
“It’s wonderful to compete, but there are many more ways to get involved in the sport,” Palmer said. “I like sharing my knowledge, especially with hurdlers.”
Her 50th birthday won’t come fast enough for the 2010 USA Masters Outdoor Championships, to be held July 22-25 at Sacramento State. The 2011 World Masters Athletics (WMA) Championships will also be held at Sac State, which is within walking distance of her day job at SMUD.
“I really admire the way Liz balances being a mother and working a full-time job with her track career,” Haynes said. “Like most masters athletes, she brings a real commitment to practice every day. I think she appreciates this second chance.”
