Last night a thought came to my mind ...

[1StrongBlackMan]

As a, once, competitive 400 meters (back then it was called the 440 yard dash) track guy, I was thinking about the race strategy I, and every other competitive runner, used in meets that had more than one qualifying heat.

I'd run hard in the first heat, to get a good lane assignment in subsequent heats AND to get into the heads of the other runners. Having established that, in the subsequent heats, I'd run just hard enough to keep a decent lane assignment, and if necessary pull the field along to make them spend more energy than they intend.

And within each preliminary heat (after the first heat), I'd run the first 100-150 meters hard, in order to get ahead of the field. I'd stride out the next 100 meters, and then run the final 150-200 meters, just hard enough to get a good lane assignment.

Then, in the finals, I'd run all out.

I don't know what brought this thought to my mind?

Okay ... back to the primaries drama.

[monmouth4]

1. Very interesting, I learn something new every day. n/t

[Digital Puppy]

2. You are showing your age...

First and foremost, you are showing your age when you can reference running a "440"

I think what might have brought this analogy forward is watching both the Dem and Repub primary action where there seems to be a momentum swing (versus a political/demographic advantage for particular candidates). The media (and public) love to create compelling and interesting stories and I think that is what we are being exposed to.

As an ex track man myself, I love your reference, but I still am watching these "mini-contests" not getting too excited (Happy or Sad) or drawing sweeping conclusions as the primary results trickle in state-by-state. I'm more than tired of people getting hurt trying to pat themselves on the back before contest ends or the math (and convention politics) are settled.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. LOL ...

I know!!!

And, I know.

[leftofcool]

3. I read this and all I could think about was the song Run Around Sue from the early 60's

My attempt at becoming a track star fizzled out about the same time as my attempt at becoming an alcoholic, around the age of 15.

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. Funny ...

The record I established 35+ years ago, was just broken last year ... I wonder how low my time would have been had I not smoked and smoked and drank ... every single day?

[Bayard]

4. Mason-Dixon Games?

Don't know where you are, but did you ever compete at the Mason-Dixon Games in Louisville in the 90's? I was always there with the ex competing, and taking pics/covering for a running magazine. I loved wearing that Press button.

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. No ... I was in Ohio (in the late 70s) and only ran in two out of state meets.

[BlueMTexpat]

8. LOL, other than the Dem primaries,

your story brought this experience to mind.

My older son was also quite dedicated to track in his youth, but was a sprinter. He usually won 100 yard dashes (I'm showing my age too) and also participated in relay teams. One year, while we were living in my birth state of MT, we traveled to Butte for a state meet.

While my older son participated in the meet, his younger brother roamed the grounds and discovered that Evel Knievel was there, presumably to watch one of his children participate. My older son won his races so as to be eligible for the regional meet, while my younger son scored Evel's autograph. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evel_Knievel

Both came home satisfied. A good day all round!

I'm still waiting to hear whether Hillary met her delegate target. The talley now stands at 36/38, which is very close. Three pledged delegates are left to be allocated so it is still possible that she can make it. I'm not sure what the requirements for allocation are. While Bernie can be satisfied that he carried the state, he did not get the delegate blowout he needed, even if he gets all three remaining delegates. Hillary's still just too far ahead.

Both sides can claim some satisfaction from yesterday's outcome. Their target goals were different.

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. Very true ...

Their target goals ARE very different.

You can see it in how they are running their respective campaigns. HRC's goal is to sit on the lead, while saving resources for the big contest; whereas, Bernie's goal is to just get to the convention, hoping that momentum, not numbers, will mean something ... other than a second place finish.

[BlueMTexpat]

11. Well said. eom

[Jackie Wilson Said]

15. Plus, check this out, and it is happening all over the country...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027742765

[wildeyed]

19. Yep.

She put up big numbers in the first quarter and is now just grinding the clock. As a fan, I want to see her blow him out completely, just to put my mind at ease. But it is what it is.....

[lunamagica]

9. Interesting! But I have no idea why you posted this

[steve2470]

12. The 440 was one of the very toughest events in track

It's an all-out sprint the whole way. I was about to die at the end! The mile (or whatever they call it these days) is the second worst event. I ran the mile in 8th grade, a week after I got my ass whipped for smoking LOL Needless to say, I sucked at the mile and usually came in last.

[Kind of Blue]

13. I kind of get it though it makes my brain hurt

Is it like the tortoise and the hare, if the hare was smart?

[mcar]

14. Good thought!

[kwassa]

16. I was in my early 30s ....

Running on a steady basis, never a track star ....

and running on the hard wet sand of Santa Monica along the ocean, thinking I was doing pretty well, waves washing over my feet.

When this much older guy, and a work colleague, blew by me on a sprint. He stopped, turned around, and we chatted. We were surprised to run into each other, so to speak.

He, in his youth, had been a member of the Jamaican national track team. That made me feel better.

[wildeyed]

17. I love sports analogies for politics.

But oh wait, you were just reminiscing about the good ole days Um, here is one: My football team won nearly every single game in the regular season, dominated some very good teams and then fizzled in the Super Bowl against a supposedly much weaker team. So yeah, you just gotta qualify, and then play the game of your life when it really matters.

[1StrongBlackMan]

18. LOL ... The good ole days! ...

My football team (my Junior year) nearly won every single game ... We finished with a 1-9 record; but, we came close ... a lot!

And our Basketball Team (I didn't play ball ... I wrestled) played in the league Championship game. They jumped out to a 20-16 (or so) lead in the first quarter; but got blew out the Second Quarter and went into Half-time, down by nearly 40. In the Third and Fourth Quarters, we essential traded baskets but narrowed our opponents lead slightly, during one stretch, we went on a 8-0 run, before trading baskets again.

Guess who was ahead at the buzzer and got the banner?

[wildeyed]

20. I played amateur roller derby for a few years.

I would hit the biggest blocker on the opposing team as hard as I could right after the first whistle, to put them on notice that they couldn't bully me just because I was little, and ended up being the team enforcer. I spent a lot of time in the penalty box, but my teammates appreciated that I had their backs.

That has nothing to do with the with anything, but it is the only time I played a team sport