Masters Weekend Runs and Races

mplatt wrote:

I am an expert on how to contact people and gather information.

If you are not sure of the proper method of contacting the administration of Chicago Marathon I will provide help. I have the information and will share it with you, but I will not post it on this site.

As to your crude joke: Some might infer that you were concerned about being "stiffed" by the race. I need not explain why this is negative for Chicago and Master running.

Actually, I donated much of my Masters Prize money into the coffers of the club for which I was running to support the open runners.

mpplatt(ATSIGN)aol(dot)youkow the rest

No, I wasn't trying to imply I was worried about being stiffed by the race, as evidenced by my slipping into non english. It was my attempt to segue into humor by (in my mind), inferring a concern with the economy. I am fully aware Chicago is not infamous as some races in paying their athletes.

I think it's admirable that you were able to donate your winnings. I'm not exactly charity, but with four kids eight and under and a stay at home mom, small winnings here and there help.

If I had any anxiety of regarding Chicago generously paying for my run on the 12th, it is only that it would be nice to get it before Dec. 31. I don't race for income, but it's going to help pay for a trip to Disneyland (I'm not kidding; they want two days at D'land instead of toys this year...)

My second worry is how to get this worked into my taxable income. I've read where I can claim hotel, gas, lodging, shoes etc, against the income but have no guidance.

Obviously, I'm new to this.

No racing here, but lots of nice fall running. Almost too hot on Halloween. Very dissapointed in the WI Badgers, but at least their CC teams helped ease the pain with conference wins.

Should correct that to a WI men's win and an outstanding performance by the women. Plus the Bears barely beat Detroit.

dotato wrote:

legs are starting to come around since chicago. I did two sets of 1200/800/400/200 with 90/60/30 seconds rest today, it felt pretty good. I read somewhere it's a good idea to get your speed back before your mileage up after a marathon, so that's what I'm going to try to do this time.

I did get confirm from chicago that I won male master, but I aint seen no check or nuthin money talks...

I'm enjoying letting the miles come to me, it feels like I'm actually recovering.

I'm confused. I thought a couple of weeks ago Dotato said that she was female and was behind Colleen DeReuck in the Chicago Marathon. Nyloco had assumed she was male, not female but she corrected him.

dotato wrote:

My second worry is how to get this worked into my taxable income. I've read where I can claim hotel, gas, lodging, shoes etc, against the income but have no guidance.

Obviously, I'm new to this.

New to this, OK, then the joke is understood.

As far as the taxation. All adults should have a good CPA in their network, for a multitude of reasons.

For a couple hundred bucks you get expert tax prep and you transfer some of the liability for a mistake in the tax preparation. (don't get an amateur or someone who does taxes on the side) a tax pro is someone who lives it everyday. The added bonus is that you have someone in your network that can give you advice and contacts in many financial issues, not just tax prep.

Now, I am going write very general thoughts on the taxation. This is not pro advice, so don't use it as pro tax advice. Hobby income is to be recognized as "other income" and the expenses are limited to your winnings. The expense are written off on schedule A as a miscellanous deduction(with the 2% agi and all that involves) or, if you win money over many years and you can prove running is a legit money making enterprise then you can use schedule c and deduct all expense (this option is not one you can use, I only add it for info)

If they give you a 1099 don't ignore it, the IRS will match it up and stick it to you.

If you won Chicago I am sure you will win more money, be extra nice to race directors so that masters are a "plus" to the race and they keep treating the guys/gals who come after you the same way they treated you.

(BTW, I have never been stiffed by a race in over 25 years of winning money)

Ignore my spelling and grammar.

no, i mistakenly said i was first master, then was corrected by being informed that CDR was. I asked (again, apparently poorly) with tongue firmly in cheek if she counted because she was in a different race (referencing the 5 minute stagger of elites from the citizen's race, ala the runner who "finished" fourth and eleventh at the same time.)

sorry for the confusion, it wasn't, again, intentional. i'm going to have to work on my expository skills...

Are you male or female?

Man, I am confused. I thought you were the male winner as well.

I would've understood more had I known you were a female master, and I would have been much less inclined to be curt.

mplatt wrote:

I would've understood more had I known you were a female master, and I would have been much less inclined to be curt.

???????????????

old jobbyhogger wrote:

mplatt wrote:

I would've understood more had I known you were a female master, and I would have been much less inclined to be curt.

???????????????

Many times Female Master runners are new to the sport.

To win the Male Masters title the guys are almost always veterans of the sport. (and with that usually would understand the prize money process, supporting the races and sponsors, etc.)

Yes Run-n-da-sun, it is the Lower Woodland course, but we stay at the top by the zoo and run up and down the hills for our 2k loops. It would feel great to come down the long hill like the High Schoolers do and run that long flat section.

Again congrats, hope to have a good report on our teams on next Sundays much-anticipated weekly Masters thread.

t

Always some interesting reading on this site...anyways XC is in full gear her in Nor Cal.

. We had a race in the pouring rain yesterday:

Check the pics:

http://www.eteamz.com/NorCalRunning/albums/

Im #280. A 52 year old won the masters division...nice job Brian!

I ran a bit slower than last year...maybe all the mud puddles. I was hoping to run faster since last year I wasn't training very much at all.

Watching NYC today made me want to do a marathon but I doubt that will happen after doing Boston in 1988 I promised not to do that again to myself.

Have a good week and hope to see some of you in Spokane.

I'm not a master, but I usually read this thread for the positive collegial nature of things, and the impressive races and workouts.

Gotta say, mplatt, you are coming off as a jerk in this whole scene, in my opinion.

You made some assumptions, and are seemingly too stubborn to back off and apologize.

Anyway, thanks for another inspiring thread.

My advice was based on my experience in the sport from multiple positions. Because you do not understand my perspective is not a reason that I should apologize.

I stand by my initial point:

"Learn the process, and dont't bite the hand that feeds you! (even if it is just a joke)"

and I provided some basic financial advice along with a starting point for understanding the tax consequences, all for free.

sterling wrote:

Gotta say, mplatt, you are coming off as a jerk in this whole scene, in my opinion.

You made some assumptions, and are seemingly too stubborn to back off and apologize.

Anyway, thanks for another inspiring thread.

Ah, mplatt coming off as a jerk. For some that would not be a surprise. However, historical data on this website and others that no longer exist would show that he is simply very opinionated and pretty knowledgeable. That being said, I never took dotato's comments as anything other than a comment. Obviously mplatt took offense to it. I too feel that mplatt's delivery was off base. Good information, but most of the regulars on this thread don't need them in that manner. Of course that's just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.........

If you hire a CPA, I doubt they'll know anything about masters' prize money. A little history will help.

In the olden days, we weren't allowed to get prize money, because we'd be pros, and pros weren't allowed into the olympics. So they gave us a per-diem, or an expense allowance. This was in the days when you could cash in a plane ticket. For example, to run in Chicago, from Madison, Nike would give us money for a plane ticket and tell us (wink wink) to buy a ticket. Nobody would fly. We'd all pile into old cars, as many of us into one car as possible.

In the late 80s, the Bank of Boulder struck a deal with TAC and we all got "Trust Accounts." Our prize money would be made out to our trust account. Or, our prize money check would be made out to our agent, who would deduct fees and then give us a check to our trust account. We would tell the trustee that we had training expenses. We wouldn't have to itemize the expenses. We'd just get a check. We could never take more than 90% of the funds out of the trust account.

I wasn't making any money after the early 90s, so I don't know what happened in the evolution of prize money, but it was my understanding that it was still, by some obscure act of congress that synchronized with the IAAF, USOC, IOC, etc., that "prize money" was actually "training expense funds."

Then, they said that actual pros could, in fact, compete in the olympics. Depending on your CPA, you might be able to just call it "training expense money," or you might have to call it "prize money."

Either way, good job.

As for my own running, I managed three miles twice this week. I'm still trying to recover from a groin/glute pull, from falling off my horse in the beginning of September.

I suspect you regularly come off as abrasive, and just as often stand by what you say, others 'perspectives' be damned. Your assesment of the situation was off, and your delivery of said information was poor. In the grand scheme of life it is neither here nor there, I guess.

Anyhow, to each his own.

Wow, this has the makings of a genuine Letsrun pissing contest! The masters thread has always been marked by civility; let's not lose that, please.

Dodato won the men's masters division at Chicago. He hasn't gotten his winnings yet, but it's safe to assume he will soon, since Chicago runs a reputable operation. MPlatt has been around a long time and has some perspective on the topic, perspective dodato acknowledges he does not have. Dodato made a joke, platt took it otherwise. Both sides get that now. Can we move on and talk about wives or sore muscles or leaves falling or kids or the Grand Canyon or something?

OR we could go with: This thread is meaningless without pics, you asshat. Rupp sucks. How much hair does Webb really have? Everyone faster than me uses EPO! etc.

Personally, I prefer not to.

Carry on.

PWN3D!!!!11!!@@#@22!@!!@!##!!!!!!j/kHave to agree with you G of A. Points made: time to move on.

Ghost of Ashenfelter wrote:

Wow, this has the makings of a genuine Letsrun pissing contest! The masters thread has always been marked by civility; let's not lose that, please.

Dodato won the men's masters division at Chicago. He hasn't gotten his winnings yet, but it's safe to assume he will soon, since Chicago runs a reputable operation. MPlatt has been around a long time and has some perspective on the topic, perspective dodato acknowledges he does not have. Dodato made a joke, platt took it otherwise. Both sides get that now. Can we move on and talk about wives or sore muscles or leaves falling or kids or the Grand Canyon or something?

OR we could go with: This thread is meaningless without pics, you asshat. Rupp sucks. How much hair does Webb really have? Everyone faster than me uses EPO! etc.

Personally, I prefer not to.

Carry on.

The group I coach had a great week. I had them do a workout I paced on Tuesday: 800 at 3-5K pace with 400 rest, and 400 at sub-Mile race with 400 rest x 5.

For want of decently fast local 5K race opportunities I had them run a 5000-meter timetrial on Halloween night for the people I coach at Cal's track. Hard to make it to a quality race. I invited a grateful smattering of runners from a cpople of other clubs and we had nearly 20 people on the start line of the 5000 at 6 p.m. on the last daylight savings evening of the year.

A track 5000 on Halloween? Why the heck not? They needed to run something and get some semblance of a PR.

We have a nasty women's crew--five of them broke 19:00 and one almost broke 18. They're still pretty much new up-and-comers too (plus one former East Coast runner 12 years out of college). They're going to be zeroing in on some of the competitive races around here.

Saturday I broke out the canoe. It rained cats and dogs (and lions, tigers and bears) yesterday in Berkeley, body-surfed through a sloppy 10-miler in the Berk. Hills anyway. Received some startled looks.

This morning we enjoyed a good 10-15 miler (group varied) at Lafayette-Moraga Bike Trail; it's fairly flat (compared to East Bay), beautiful, sunny and fresh after the heavy rains. Folks loved it. A pretty good clip too.

That's a wrap.

Ghost of Ashenfelter wrote:

Dodato won the men's masters division at Chicago. He hasn't gotten his winnings yet, but it's safe to assume he will soon,

Actually GoA, we have yet to determine if dodato is male or female.