Carl Steward ‘In Our Backyard’: Masters sprinter Aaron Thigpen practices what he preaches
By Carl Steward
Oakland Tribune columnist
When you run a sports performance training center, it always helps to practice what you preach. With that in mind, Aaron Thigpen’s best advertisement for his company, Gamespeed, is himself.
At 46, Thigpen is arguably the fastest man in the world for his age, even though he was edged at the tape in the 45-49 age group 100-meter final by Italy’s Mauro Graziano at last week’s World Masters Athletics Championships in Sacramento.
Thigpen had an explanation for getting run down at the finish line. Because of nagging Achilles tendon and hamstring issues, he wasn’t able to train for 10 weeks and essentially went into the World Masters 100 cold. Yet he still was the fastest American at 11.38 seconds — well off a 10.94 that he ran in March before his injuries — and was an eyelash from winning the gold.
“Losing that bit of training time took just enough fitness off me where I was rusty,” he said. “I got to about 90-95 meters in that 100 after two other days of prelim sprinting, and I took just enough of a hitch where it cost me. The guy caught me and that was it. But considering I haven’t done much of anything the past 10 weeks, I’ll take it.”
If anything, coming in second reaffirmed the importance of what Thigpen does for a living — teaching athletes in a variety of sports about how to stay fit and keep their speed skills sharp through methods and regimens he employs himself.
“Injuries befall all athletes for a variety of reasons but the one reason you shouldn’t have an injury is because of lack of fitness,” he said. “That’s part of the program I run, developing the athleticism of any athlete and helping them transition that to their particular sport.”
Thigpen, who lives in Brentwood with his wife and two children, has operated Gamespeed since 1995 in a variety of East Bay locations. He spent several years in Concord, more recently operated in Pleasanton for three years and last year opened a spacious new facility in Dublin.
Thigpen describes himself as a “professional speed specialist” who believes that regardless of the sport, some aspect of speed is involved that can make a dramatic difference in an athlete’s success if targeted and improved through skill-specific training techniques.
“I’d probably say most of my athletes are baseball and softball athletes, as well as soccer,” he said. “I’ve got a swimmer that’s nationally ranked, a couple of water polo players going to (Division I) schools, and I’ve trained professional rugby teams.”
Most of his clients come by word-of-mouth referral.
“I want the story of my athletes to tell what I do,” he said.
While he said he still competes because it’s fun, he admits it’s also a good tie-in to his business.
“I’m really big on not just prescribing training regimens to kids but experiencing them, too,” he said. “I bring the athlete’s perspective to the training, not just, ‘I read this’ or ‘So-and-so’s doing this’ and ‘It’s the latest trend.’ I do the same exercises.”
Thigpen’s own results speak loudly. As a Masters sprinter, he is the American record-holder in the 40-44 age group at 100 meters (10.60) and 60 meters indoors (6.82), where he is the defending world champion. He hopes to defend his title next year in Finland in his new age group.
Originally from Santa Ana and an All-American at San Diego State in the early 1980s, Thigpen has been a member of 11 U.S. national teams. He ran an astounding 10.34 100 meters when he was 38 — not that far off his all-time personal best of 10.18 — which prompted him launch his Masters career once he turned 40.
He’s branching out as he gets older. In addition to his silver medal 100 and being part of a gold medal 400 relay team in Sacramento, Thigpen tried the long jump and made the finals. He hasn’t seriously competed in the event since high school, but he is working with jump specialist Joy Upshaw, and in exchange, is giving her tips on sprint starting technique.
“I just have to put time in and become consistent,” he said. “But in terms of being able to jump as far as everyone, that’s there. So I’m inspired to continue.”
It’s the message he tries to deliver to all athletes, regardless of age or sport, if they love what they do — use it or lose it.
“I like to compete, I like to see how far I can keep pressing my body,” he said. “I know I’m not going to be able to do the things I did 20 years ago, but many things are skill-based you never lose. Unfortunately, a lot of people just let their fitness go so it makes it harder to recapture them.”
As he moves toward 50, Thigpen thinks his running career is far from over. He’ll keep doing it until it’s no longer fun.
“I see Masters guys out there in their 90s,” he said. “So why not?”
Aaron Thigpen, of Brentwood, owner of GameSpeed, a sports performance training center, watches Bryson Spitzer, 11, of Clayton, run past during a hit and run training program in Dublin, Calif., on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. At age 46, Thigpen still competes on an international level in track and field. He competed in the World Masters Meet in Sacramento last week, finishing second in the 100 meters and helping his 400-meter relay team to a gold medal in the 45-49 age class. (Doug Duran/Staff) Bay Area News Group
