The Game Plan

A publication of the National Senior Games Association - March 2011

Below you'll find the full content from the newsletter, or click a link below to go straight to the story :

• Registration deadline is March 31st!
• Are you on Facebook?
• Athlete of the Month: Eleanor Pendergraft
• Cycling Time Trial Course Changed
• More thoughts on aging and training
• Anthony Travel Information
• NSGA Briefs
• State Senior Games Calender:New Years, New Games

Registration Deadline is March 31st!

You have only a few hours before registration closes for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games!

The registration deadline for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games presented by Humana is upon us. The deadline is this Thursday, March 31. Currently, we have more than 9,000 individuals, including more than 400 teams, who have registered for this summer’s National Games, which will be held in Houston June 16-30.

For more information about registration, including pricing and detailed instructions about how to register, please visit the 2011 Summer National Senior Games registration information page at: http://www.nsga.com/2011-national-games/registration-info.

You can always find the most up-to-date schedule on the 2011 Summer National Senior Games competition schedule page: http://www.nsga.com/2011-national-games/competition-schedule.

And don’t forget to check out your Sport Specific information page: http://www.nsga.com/2011-national-games/sport-specific-info.

Are you on FACEBOOK?

Check out the National Senior Games Association’s Facebook page to keep up-to-date on the latest about the 2011 Summer National Senior Games presented by Humana. You can visit the page by clicking here.

Athlete of the Month: Eleanor Pendergraft

Eleanor Pendergraft 75 years old. She lives in Johnson City, Tenn., and qualified for the Summer National Senior Games presented by Humana. More than 20 years ago, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “I went from one cane to two, to a walker, to a wheelchair or motorized chair,” she said. “I couldn't lift my feet to use the pedals on a car.”

But four years ago, she started going to a gym six days a week and gradually increased her exercise levels. “Exactly one year later I entered my first 5k, walking all but the last 100 meters. I ran over the finish line,” Eleanor said. 

For the past two years she has competed in track and field in the Tennessee Senior Olympics, including high jump and long jump. She will be competing in the Summer National Senior Games despite having surgery last year for a torn meniscus. She competed in the district games two months after the surgery. She expects to have a knee replacement in the next few years but vows to continue competing even if it means finding other sports.

“I'm excited about this opportunity,” Eleanor said about the Games in Houston. “I've joined a walking club at my gym and next week will complete my first 100 miles since the 1st of March. I don't run the fastest or jump the highest or longest, but I always give it all I've got.”

We want to know your story! If you are registered, will be participating in the Summer National Senior Games in Houston this June, and have a unique and interesting story – Art Kent, Communications Director for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games, wants to hear it! Send him your story, no more than 800 words, please to: news@2011seniorgames.com. 

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Cycling Time Trial Course Changed

After careful consideration and reviewing input from cyclists, the Houston Local Organizing Committee with approval from the National Senior Games Association has changed the venue for the 5K & 10K Time Trials course. This relocation is to the City of Fulshear from Reliant Park. It was determined that this change was in the best interest for all involved after review of several safety issues and input from USA Cycling advisors. We now have a more traditional point to point course design.  A significant portion of the course is also a portion of the 40K course.  Please click here for specific course layout. Please contact info@2011seniorgames.com with any competition specific questions.

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More Thoughts on Aging and Training

By Lisa Menninger

If we find our times are slowing down as we age, is it just changes in the body that cause this downward spiral?  Or are there other, equally important factors?

Do we lose the ability to be fast as we age? It’s true that we do lose some speed, but it is a very small percentage compared to what most people think we lose. We can maintain speed, but we lose some of our VO2 max capacity -- about 1% a year – once we reach the age of 35. So going out and running a personal best 10k is probably not going to happen at 55.  But this is not to say that your ability to run fast is gone. In order to maintain that speed, senior athletes need to train a bit differently. 

Recovery is more essential for senior athletes. We can still do hard work, but we have to focus on how we warm up and how we recover -- not just on the hard work itself. For example, I used to be able to do several days of hard work in a row and then take a few days to recover and repeat it. I was able to do that right into about my 42nd year. But after that I noticed I could only do two hard days and only if the following two to three were recovery days, and so on. I also noticed that the sets of intervals had to be a little shorter. No one is saying don't train hard. I am just suggesting we make sure we support that hard training with sleep, recovery, nutrition, hydration and proper planning. That is what we did as younger athletes. Now we just make the appropriate adjustments where need be.

There is a knee-jerk and understandable resistance we feel to making these changes sometimes. It feels like a defeat of sorts. I am not going to do it differently and "give in" to the aging process. But in truth, by adjusting your schedule with your coach or by yourself, you will ultimately allow yourself to be a stronger athlete for a longer period of time, remaining injury free. And isn't that the goal? We can still do quality and to some extent quantity. We just have to be smart about how we put it all together.

For whatever reason, say you have stopped training the way you used to. But somehow some part of our brains still think we should be able to go out and race at "X" time.  So, without said training, we race. We race much more slowly than we expected. And upon seeing the results, attribute that loss in clock time to age rather than to training. We say to ourselves, "Well, I just don’t have it anymore."

Hog wash.

You still have it. You are just confusing a lack of disciplined training with an age-related poor performance. And it is definitely not the same thing. I realize that trying to stay on top of the speed game isn't every one's cup of tea. Some are ready to get off that ride.  They are happy to maintain health and fitness and enjoy the experience, rather than train to perform at a certain level. And as long as we stay diligent about keeping ourselves strong and active into the later decades of our lives, that is really what is most important.

But if we do choose to push the envelope. remember that HOW you train is vital. We must respect the body and its needs as we strive for speed and fitness in our 40s, 50s and beyond.  Then we can indeed maintain speed and strength as well as adapt to the new things we must now do as we get a little older. We don't have to slow down.  We can continue to break the barriers of what's possible and prove, once again, that being active and athletic is the fountain of youth.

Lisa Menninger is a personal trainer for triathletes, runners, and cyclists. She has competed at an elite level in running, cycling and multisport. You can contact Lisa via her website at www.lisamenninger.com.

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Anthony Travel Info

Anthony Travel is a one-stop resource for athletes and guests for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games

Anthony Travel is the most convenient and knowledgeable resource for making your travel plans -- including hotel, air and rental car discounts --for the Summer National Senior Games in Houston. Athletes and guests who make reservations through Anthony Travel receive these benefits and more:

• Exclusive discounted rates at Official 2011 Summer National Senior Games Hotels

• New this year! A daily complimentary breakfast is available at all of the Official Hotels

To make your reservations or for more information, please visit AnthonyTravel.com (search Senior Games) or call (800) 736-6377.

NSGA Briefs

Here’s the latest from the National Senior Games Association.

Power Walking presented by Humana

Power Walking will be a demonstration sport during the 2011 Summer National Senior Games presented by Humana. There will be two Power Walking events: 1500M and 5K. Athletes may not participate in both Race Walk and Power Walk; therefore, they must choose one or the other sport, not both. Complete rules for this demonstration sport are available on the NSGA website under the tab “2011 National Games”. Power Walk is an open sport so qualifying is not necessary. This is your chance to attend the Games and go for the gold. Power Walking is a great way to get your family and friends moving and into the spirit of the Games. Its fun and qualifying is not required. Anyone and everyone 50 and over may enter. Go online at www.nsga.com to register today!

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The National Senior Games Houston 2011 blog launched this month. See videos and photos and keep up to date with the latest news as the Games approach. You can visit the blog by clicking here.

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Tell your story! Art Kent, Communications Director for the 2011 Summer National Games, wants to know our athletes' stories. If you are registered, will be participating in the Games in Houston this June, and have a unique and interesting story – he wants to hear from you.  Send him your story, no more than 800 words, please to: news@2011seniorgames.com.

The AstraZeneca AthleteVillage is shaping up to be a superb hub for athletes to gather before and after competition. The Village will feature an entertainment stage, the Humana Hot Spot so athletes can get online, great NSGA merchandise and concessions. Additionally, the awards ceremonies will be held in the Village, and our sponsors will have booths where you can find out more about them and their products.

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The Archery venue has been changed. Archery will now take place at Reliant Center which is indoors and air conditioned.

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Need help finding a team/partner? Click here to visit the NSGA team/partner finder.

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Changes to cycling time trial dates

There have been scheduling changes in the 5K & 10K cycling events. Practice for both 5K and 10K is June 19. The 5K competition date is June 20, 2011. The 10K competition date is June 21, 2011. The rain date for both is still June 22. Changes were also made to the time trial course to provide additional safety. More information is available by clicking here.

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Two new deadlines

The NSGA has announced two deadlines for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games. “Limited Event” forms for qualifying must be postmarked no later than April 15, 2011. Additionally, the deadline for finalizing roster and partner changes is March 31, 2011. 

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Changes to softball qualifying, fees

The softball fee was reduced from $1,175 to $750. We’re expecting that an increased number of teams will make the national tournament even more competitive. Each event allows for a specific number of qualifiers. If out-of-state residents qualify at an “open” qualifying games, they will not take away a qualifying spot from a state resident.

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Check out the great venues in Houston

Below is a link to a video of the venues for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games in Houston, Texas. Many events, including badminton, basketball, horseshoes, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball will be held in the air-conditioned George R. Brown Convention Center. Bowling, racquetball and swimming will also be held in air-conditioned venues.

Click here for a video showing Houston venues

State Senior Games Calendar: New Year, New Games

Take a look at the upcoming state senior games listed below. Arizona has the honor of holding the first state senior games this year. Now is the time to start making your plans to compete in your favorite state senior games in 2011.