Week ending 10-25-09

Not a bad week, I recovered pretty quickly from the marathon.  My plantar fascia is still giving me a lot of grief but not much more I can do about it.

M - Sore hips and ankles.  O/b 4m with JJ at the River 32:12
T - River 6 with JJ (feeling a lot better) 47:03
W - Alone at Mine Falls 6m 46:21
Th - River o/b 5m with JJ & Dan - 37:04 (ankles sore)
F - Winni 6m with JJ and Kevin T (MT&Goat) 44:13
Sat - Great Bay 5k.  3 warm-up, 3.11 race, 4+ warm-down
Sun - Cider Hill Farm trail race, 3 warm-up, 3ish race, 2+ warm-down

Total for the week = 45
Month - 194
Year - 2,609
Life 106,720

Two race weekend

I didn't plan on racing twice this weekend but ended up with two anyway.  In the last 12 days I've raced four times for a total of just over 35 miles.

10-24 Great Bay 5km
I decided to do this race mid-week when double-j mentioned that the race was almost closed.  I had been a spectator at this one a few years ago and thought it would be fun to see where my legs were after the marathon.  Race day was cold and rainy, similar to last weekend.  It wasn't too bad once we got running.  JJ and I did a 3m warm-up then changed into the CMS black outfits for the race.

The start was held up a few minutes because "people are still parking", that is really frustrating when you warm-up for a start and then have to stand around getting cold.  Don't get me going about this, or about a race with 1,000 entrants and limited bathroom facilities.  Anyway.....

I asked Kara Haas what her plans were and she was aiming for 17:30 which sounded good to me.  At the start JJ went out hard and was leading by 100m in.  I settled into the top 20 and very quickly moved up to the top 10.  By 1/2 mile I was in a pack of 7-8 guys with the front of the pack being third place.  Kara and I both moved to the front of the group as it slowed down a bit.  I could see double-j leading the race and heading for the $$$$ bonus for the first mile. Scott McGrath was right behind him and I was sitting in third place with Kara right beside me.

We hit the mile in 5:34 (the clock showed 5:28 but was wrong).  I felt pretty good, but also pretty close to as fast as my legs would turnover.  Adam McCready and I exchange the lead a bunch of times over then next mile.  He threw surges, I'd react then cut a tangent (many) and get right back in.  We hit 2 miles in 11:09 (5:35) and then hit the only hill in the course.  I tried to keep it together and was a bit surprised as Chris Ritchie and Peter McNeil caught up (they were "slightly" off the back of the pack) and then moved ahead.  I checked my watch a couple of times hoping that I'd have a little juice left, but Ritchie really moved with 400m to go and I couldn't react.  I had a strong finish to hold off McNeil hitting 3m in 16:45 (5:36) and 31 for the last .11 for a 4th place in 17:16.

I ended up missing the $$$, but did get a gift cert to a Nursery for winning the 40+.  JJ had a solid run but couldn't beat McGrath, he did close out the Seacoast Series with a 2nd place overall.  We got in a nice slow warm-down that included a trip up and over Stratham hill (viewing platform) but it was socked in with rain/fog.
11th Annual Great Bay 5K

24 OCTOBER 2009
1 Scott McGrath M21-29 15:25 4:58
2 Jim Johnson M30-39 15:38 5:02
3 Chris Ritchie M21-29 3/326 17:10 5:32
4 Dave Dunham M40-49 17:16 5:34
5 Peter McNeil M21-29 17:18 5:34
6 Lance Powers M30-39 17:22 5:36
7 Matthew Stilling M15-217:28 5:38
8 Kara Haas F30-39 17:29 5:38
9 Adam McCready M21-29 17:32 5:39
10 Yolanda Flamino F30-39 17:41 5:42

Cider Hill Farm trail race
Sunday dawned bright and clear and since the hike for this weekend was cancelled I decided to head up to Amesbury and run with Petey.  I had it in the back of my mind (well maybe the front) that I'd do the race.  We signed up, then met up with 2008 winner Ken Tripp and headed out to check out the course.  It looked like a lot of fun.  Sharp turns, mud, big uphills, screaming downhills, really a little of everything.

We did about 3 miles then changed into racing gear.  I went with the Inov-8's and Petey used his old (1995) Fell running shoes, Ken went with some heavier shoes with not the greatest traction.  We knew there was going to be some decent racing as both of the Craig Fram's were spotted before the race.

After much (too much) thanks, course descriptions, more thanks, course notes, etc.... we finally headed off.  Ken went to the front and the Craig's went out hard as did some others.  I tried to work the first hill and found myself in 9th by the top.  Then on the flats and every little downhill I moved up.  I never saw the mile mark, I was too busy watching my footing.  At about 1.25 we headed down a big hill toward the mud and the lead pack of five all came back.  I ended up at the front by the bottom and ran side-by-side with Ken for a little section.  Once the last downhill was done, Craig really started to motor.  I fell back into 4th, bumping elbows with Ken.  Craig really hammered the uphill passing the 2m mark well in front.  I pulled ahead of Ken as the third place runner pulled away from me.  The final half-mile was mostly just a lot of looking back to make sure I wan't caught as I just couldn't reel in the guy in second.  The course was a bit short, I don't think with all that climb/drop I could run 18:06.  I'm pretty sore now from running the downhills pretty hard.

1 CRAIG FRAM M5059 Plaistow NH 17:42 5:42

2 KELLY JEFF M4049 Byfield MA 17:57 5:47
3 DAVE DUNHAM M4049 Ward Hill MA 18:06 5:50
4 KEN TRIPP M3039 Amesbury MA 18:23 5:56
5 CRAIG FRAM JR M1518 Plaistow NH 18:33 5:59
6 BILL SOLIMINE West Newbury MA 18:35 5:59
7 STEVE PETERSON M4049 South Chelmsford MA 19:00 6:07

Course records - Part 4

This is the final installment. Here are the course records that I still hold in races that still exist. Listed from Oldest.

10/15/89 White Mountain Milers ½ marathon 1:05:43 – Just over 20 years old, 24th annual will be held this weekend. I remember being disappointed that I couldn’t hold sub-5’s for this.

02/09/91 Fudge-cicle Series 5km - 14:57 – The record is nearly 19 years old and the series goes back to the 70s. I think the loop is done in the opposite direction from the way I ran it, but I don’t think that changes it much (it is much safer this way).

06/02/91 Nipmuck trail marathon - 3:01:54 – The record is over 18 years old and the race was held for the 26th time earlier this year. Trail records are always a bit dicey as the course is never 100% the same from year to year.

08/17/91 Londonderry Old Home day 5km - 14:44 – The record is just over 18 years old, and the race was held for the 30th time in 2009. The first mile is essentially the same as the (downhill) Millennium mile, but the last mile comes up the same hill. I can’t believe John Mortimer never took this record down.

08/21/91 Lynn woods 2.5 mile XC - 12:05 – The record is just over 18 years old, and the race has been held for a very long time (but previously on a slightly longer course?), again trail or XC courses tend to change a bit through the years. If anything the footing on this one has gotten better!

10/27/91 The Canton (MA) Gravy race 10km - 30:12 – The 21st annual running will take place later this month and if the record holds it will be 18 years. I ran it back in ’91 as part of the first HSR series. This year it is part of the final HSR series.

01/01/92 Freezer Five - 24:00 – Technically I’ve only tied the CR as Larry Sayers and I were given a tie (intentional) when we “jogged through” in 24 flat. This was my first race as a CMS member and it will be 18 years this January when they have the 29th running of this race in Sterling MA.

10/10/92 Applefest ½ marathon - 1:06:07 – The record hit 17 years earlier this month in the 27th running of the race. I still consider this to be the record (as does the GCS) as the course is the same EXCEPT the first 2m loop is run in reverse. I think this version is very slightly easier than the old course.

04/25/93 Leatherman's 10km trail race (Cross River Jct, NY) - 36:52. Again this is a trail race so hard to say that the exact same course is run. The 23rd annual was held this year and my record is now over 16 years old.

05/19/93 CMS series 5km (Worcester, MA) - 14:40 – This series has been held at least since 1990 or so. My record is just over 16 years old. The start/finish may be slightly different now. I think we started on the road and finished in the parking lot and that may be reversed now, but the loop is the same.

02/10/96 Bradford Valentines 5m - 24:31 – Over 13 years and the race had its 18th running in ’09. Pretty rare for anyone to run under 25 here, but I think Dan did (and maybe Gary Gardner). One year Craig Fram and I did 2 loops (one in the race and one right after) running around 52flat for the 10 miles.

04/14/96 Red shoe barn 5m - 24:12 – I think Fram also ran a 24:12 and then they rounded both of our times up to 24:13 (they originally listed my time as 24:12.01). Recent results had me listed as the record holder after the 28th annual early this year.

06/29/96 Tilton – Northfield 5km - 15:01 – This record has stood up for over 13 years in, this year was the 18th annual.

09/26/96 Newport ½ marathon - 1:06:48 – I think I should move this to “unconfirmed”. They still hold a half-marathon but I’m not sure if the course is the same. 18th annual running earlier this year and my record is 13 years old (the race was the USATF NE champs that year).

04/07/01 Chicago Lakefront 50km - 2:57:36 – At the time this was thought to be an American record then “somehow” the certified course came up 50 meters short. I was none too pleased, the only reason I went to the race was to go for the AR. They had the 10th annual early this year. I’ve still got the CR although technically my course was slightly different (of course any time road construction is done a course would be slightly different).

06/09/01 Whiteface Mountain 8m - 56:27 – Eric Morse and I tied, so I co-own the record. They held the 32nd annual earlier this year.

10/06/07 Stark Mountain 1m uphill - 23:50 – The record is now 2 years old and the race was just held for the 11th time. The course is “open”, meaning you choose your route to the summit. Morse and Tim Van Orden have both run it since my record but both may have run less optimal courses. I’m hoping to head out there with them and scout out the best way up. The record will not stand much longer.

Course records - Part 3

On these two I was unable to verify if they are still the course record, both races have been held for many years.
08/02/92 Oakham lions 5km 14:43
06/26/93 Goffstown Gallop 5.2m 25:37

These I don’t count, because they really aren’t “course records” but here are some school records and track records.

Billerica Memorial High School Indoor track 2m record – 9:16. 2/20/82 at the State meet on the Harvard track.
Billerica Memorial High School Outdoor track 2m record – 9:10. 5/08/82 at the Loucks Games in White Plains, NY.

Univ. of Lowell school record 10,000m – 29:25. 4/23/1987 at the Penn Relays

The next three are “possible” track or meet records that might still stand but I can’t confirm it:
Methuen indoor track 2m – 9:38 @ the Methuen Invitational on 02/12/81
Lowell indoor track 2m – 9:33 @ Lowell dual meet on 01/04/82
MVC Outdoor league meet record 2m – 9:27 @ Lawrence MA on 05/16/81.

Course records - Part 2

Here are what I consider to be the top records I had that were still a record when the race stopped being held.

07/22/84 East End Club 5m - 24:26, this record held for 23 years then the race folded (2007).

09/13/87 NEAC 5km (Couple race) - 14:08 This Concord, NH race was a double loop in an Industrial park. Not sure when they stopped having it.

02/19/89 Tewksbury 10m - 50:03. I ran the entire way alone then caught this old guy and a kid who were doing the shorter race. The picture in the paper made it look like I was out-kicking them (I was kicking hard to break 50).

06/11/89 Nipmuck trail ½ marathon - 1:29:37. The record held for about 10 years then they stopped holding the half. I still hold the full marathon record.

10/16/93 Laconia DARE 10km - 29:49. I won by about a mile, racing alone from start to finish. Not sure how many years it was held.

11/17/96 Run Your Turkey Off 15 km - 46:36. I think this was only held for 2 or 3 years.

05/08/99 Mt Kearsarge 8.5m - 51:02. This is probably the best mountain record I had, it was the only one that Morse did not break.


10/08/00 Chancellor's challenge 100km - 6:46:39. They only held this one three or four times and I may have run in the final one.

Old course records - Part 1

Paul had asked about the other course records that I had so here is part 1 of the answer. I'll post the CR's broken down by category (course changed, race no longer held, etc.) and finish with the ones that still exist in age order.

Here are what I consider to be the best records I had that were still a record when the race course was changed. There are others but these are the best ones.

10/18/98 Bay state marathon - 2:21:36. Not sure when the course changed, but it has been a few years on the new (and I think slightly tougher new course).
06/28/85 Dory run - 23:39 Swampscott, MA 5mile. The distance changed to a 5km many years ago. I think I still had the 5m record at the time.
04/28/96 Groton road race - 30:48. The course was changed to a totally different course a few years ago.

USATF NE Iron runners

Here are the fastest Iron runners in the 7 race series which ended at the Baystate marathon this Sunday. About 70 runners finished all seven races. This is the first time I've completed the series. Congratulations to Justin who also won the overall Grand Prix title with his 2nd place finish at Baystate.

Name---------- Club-- Total time-- Pace---- Cat----- Age-- Sx
Justin Fyffe---- CMS -- 6:21:44 -- 05:23 -- M2039 -- 28 -- M
Andy McCarron CMS -- 6:28:08 -- 05:28 -- M2039 -- 26 -- M
Joe Navas ------WRT -- 6:33:20 -- 05:32 -- M2039 -- 38 -- M
Titus Mutinda --RUN -- 6:37:37 -- 05:36 -- M4049 -- 44 -- M
Mike Cooney--- WRT -- 6:50:46 -- 05:47 -- M4049 -- 47 -- M
Pat Ard-------- WRT -- 7:14:37 -- 06:07 -- M2039 -- 24 -- M
David Oliver--- GLRR -- 7:16:06 -- 06:09 -- M5059 -- 52 -- M
Dave Dunham --CMS -- 7:18:56 -- 06:11 -- M4049 -- 44 -- M
Ephraim Ezekiel WRT -- 7:22:50 -- 06:14 -- M50-59 -- 51 -- M
Jeffrey Silveira --SRR -- 7:34:22 -- 06:24 -- M4049 -- 47 -- M
Justin Verdirame CRC -- 7:43:03 -- 06:31 -- M30-39 -- 31 -- M
Barbara McManus CMS -- 7:43:09 -- 06:31 -- F4049 -- 41 -- F
Carlos Rivera -----GSH -- 7:46:03 -- 06:34 -- M2039 -- 34 -- M
Donald Chapelle-- MVS -- 7:52:37 -- 06:39 -- M5059 -- 50 -- M

Week ending 10-18-09

Vacation week in Toronto with the highlight being a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame and the top of the CN tower. I also managed to squeeze in two races, including the much anticipated Baystate marathon.

M - 3+ warm-up 2354 , 5km race 1722, 3+ warm-down 2625. 10th place in the SM 5km in Oakville Ontario.
T - 6 o/b on bike path in Old Cabbagetown 4429
W - 7m o/b in park at sunrise 5204. Noon treadmill run step-down to sub 6 - 2040
Th - 8m o/b on bike path in Toronto 6020
F - Winni 6m loop with JJ and TiVO 4343
S - Winni 6m loop alone at sunrise 4238
S - 6 min jog warm-up, then Baystate marathon 2:59:41

Total for the week = 73
Month = 149
Year = 2,564
Life = 106,675

Next up: Recover. 3 weeks until the trail marathon champs.....

Baystate - Lowell Sun

Here are links to a couple of articles on the race.

http://www.lowellsun.com/sports/ci_13593264

http://www.lowellsun.com/sports/ci_13593213

Pic of me enjoying the early miles:

Courtesy of
http://www.scottmasonphoto.com/

2009 Baystate marathon

I'm chugging some Pepto, trying to get my stomach back under control. That is a good sign for me, means I gave a hard effort. Today was the final race in the USATF NE grand prix (7 races from 5km-marathon). I've never done all seven in one year and was close last year until I ended up on the IR with a Stress Fracture. This year I had four done when the SF hit. The only good thing was that it hit much earlier than last year. That meant the water would be warmer for running in and I'd have (just enough) time to make it back for the final three races.

This is definitely the least I've ever trained for a marathon. My highest mileage was 51 and my longest single run was 8 miles. I was hoping that memories of marathons long gone by and the brutal 3-4 hour water runs with the brothers Qunital would be enough to carry me through. The plan was to run as even as possible and finish as close to sub-3 hours as possible. DQ and Huck were both on board with the pace and planned to join me.

The race started a few minutes late, but the rain hadn't started yet so it wasn't too bad. We went a bit too fast the first mile (lots of looking around to gauge off of others) and slowed it gradually. By three miles we were clocking 6:52's on the nose. The couple of slightly rolling miles into a light breeze had us slow a bit from four to eight miles when we hit the Tyngsborough bridge and headed back towards Lowell. I fronted our pack which was about 20 strong and included Abby Mahoney and another woman both looking to run under three hours. I felt very good and we clocked some faster miles at this point. Dave Q made a pit stop and I wouldn't see him again for a bunch of miles, but Huck was still in the big pack as we motored down the boulevard.

We ran strong through the half hitting it in 1:29:36, so about 20 seconds "in the bank". I was still feeling very good and started thinking "if I get to Tyngsborough bridge feeling good I'll pick it up for the last 8". I was definitely being patient, but I was also towing the entire pack. Pat Ard joined us in just after the half and we both fronted the pack for the next five miles. I took a peek back at the bridge and our pack had broken up. It was just Pat and Mike Toomey and me. We hadn't picked it up so I just went with it. Pat looked and sounded like he was going very easily and Mike was in the zone (headphones). After 20 I started to feel a bit tired but kept thinking, "go one more mile with these guys" at 21 Pat pulled away and started picking off people. I was just happy to be still putting sub 652's behind me. The lack of training was catching up, but the desire to race never diminished. I saw groups in front of me and worked on hauling them in.

The last couple of miles were tough but I only lost a couple of seconds from 24 on. The Billerica crew at the 24 mile water stop were quite supportive when I yelled "BMHS class of 82!!!". The conditions got lousy over the last 5 miles and I was getting cold and very tired towards the end. I kept it rolling and met my goal of a sub-3 hour with a 2:59:43. All in all a pretty fun day!

Next up: Three weeks from now, the US trail marathon championship in Oregon. This was my marathon training.....

Splits:
630
646
646
655
653
655 (3405)
659
655
651
647
648 (1:08:22) (3417)
648
649
651
648
648 (1:42:30) (3408)
648
650
650
651
648 (2:16:39) (3409)
645
648
650
659
700 (2:51:05) (3436)
837 (1.2m)

2010 Snowshoe World Invitational

From an article in Snowshoe racing magazine, we have to send a CMS team!

As part of a major initiative to place the sport of snowshoe racing in the global spotlight, Mount Seymour Resort in British Columbia will host the World Snowshoe Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 27 - one day before the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies in Vancouver.

"Years of work and preparation all come to this point," explained Dave Howells, co-owner and technical director of the World Snowshoe Invitational and the Yeti Snowshoe Series in Canada. "We've been working with the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) and other organizations to get the sport of snowshoe racing noticed by the International Olympic Committee and the media. This is our chance. This is the most important moment for the sport and its participants. What will take place on Mount Seymour on Feb. 27 will be historic."

Over the past decade, snowshoeing enthusiasts and governing bodies for the sport have worked tirelessly to give snowshoe racing the attention it deserves as an Olympic game. Efforts to host a snowshoe demonstration race at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, failed. Later, targets were set for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

In order for snowshoe racing to become an official Olympic sport, it requires "major sponsorship and media involvement," said Mark Elmore, sports director for the USSSA. "Plus, at least 20 countries would need to have their national Olympic organizations formally recognize a national governing body for the sport within their individual countries."

For the sport, this is no small task, but a significant first step to gain Olympic recognition is scheduled for Feb. 27. In addition, the Yeti Canadian Snowshoe Series will host a major snowshoe race on Saturday, Jan. 30 at Mount Washington Resort in British Columbia. This race is closely scheduled to the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

"The Invitational is going to piggy back on the Olympic events, despite not being formally accepted by the Olympic Committee," said Mike Caldwell, race director for the Atlas Mad Trapper Snowshoe Series in Low, Quebec. "There is no qualifying required to compete in the Invitational, so everyone is welcome to attend, including international competitors."

For more information about the World Snowshoe Invitational, visit http://www.theyeti.ca, http://www.snowshoeracing.com and http://www.synergyark.com/mad-trapper.html.

----------------

Stay tuned to Snowshoemag.com for more on this story and 2010 Winter Olympics news. We will have several reporters at the Games in Vancouver and will provide in-depth coverage of the snowshoe races. Snowshoe Magazine congratulates and celebrates with the organizers of the World Snowshoe Invitational. This is big news for our wonderful sport!

Ryan Alford
ryan@snowshoemag.com
303-332-4993

SM 5km

I wasn't really expecting to race this week (vacation), but upon finding a race in nearby Oakville team DRC decided for me. I was surprisingly feeling "up" for this race, maybe the extra sleep and just relaxing was doing the trick. On race morning I had my bag ready with everything I could possibly need (and then some) but I somehow managed to drop my brand new racing flats in the parking garage. I didn't realize my mistake until we reached the race site. Too late to go back. A quick run to the start showed that they had Brooks shoes for sale but only had race flats "back at the store". Oh well. I was mad at myself for making such a major blunder.

I checked out the course as a warm-up and found it to be flat and fast. It also had each kilometer marked which I think ALL kilometer races should do. I love the feedback. I felt typically lousy while doing strides and headed for the line as the clock was down to 3 minutes until the start. They had a full road but chose to stick us all under the archway which was less than 1/2 the road wide (like Rhody). 500 people and stanchions in the way, what a recipe for a lawsuit. I lined up next to a couple of very young kids who were right on the front of the line. The little girls parents were telling her to make sure she "stake (d) out your position on the line". Talk about aggressive, I showed her....I have her an elbow to the head as I passed her (kidding!). Actually she was the top WOMENS finisher in 18:20!

I felt lousy right from the start and settled into 10th place almost right away. After the kilometer I moved up and led a couple of guys as the top 6 pulled away. I was in 7th place through the next 3 kilometers. I never felt good but thought I was doing well as 5th & 6th "came back" by the 4km mark. The 4k split was very slow (3:37) and maybe a little long (?) but the course is a certified 5km so no complaints about the overall time.

In the last k I got my lunch handed to me as three guys went blowing by and I had no response. One of the guys was a master, but I just had nothing when he went into a kick (beating me by 2 seconds). I ended up taking 10th and third 40+ in 17:22. The only good I'll take out of it is that it is my fastest 5km in trainers, I've never raced in trainers until this race.

Next up will be the Baystate marathon, my goal is to survive.....

SM run for Hope

Oakville Ontario

10/12/09

1 Sean Sweeney 15:45 Toronto

7 John Cusato 17:16 1st 40-44

9 Peter Von Euw 17:20 1st 45-49

10 Dave Dunham 17:22 2nd 45-49 CMS

The DRC took the top 5 places for US runners and all seemed to have fun.

Week ending 10-11-09

M - River 6m

T - River 6m

W - Mine Falls 6m

Th - River 6m

F - AM - Ind Pk 5m & PM in Toronto 3m on Treadmill

Sat - AM - 6m o/b along Lake Ontario & PM 3m on Treadmill

Sun - AM - 6m o/b on bike path in Toronto

Total for the week = 47 miles

WMAC all-time

Top Average points (only showing those with 10 or more finishes):

Rank		First Name	Last Name		Run
1		Paul	Low	99.29	23	CMS
2		Leigh	Schmitt	98.27	35
3		Ethan	Nedeau	96.00	10
4		Tim	Van Orden	95.87	15	CMS
5		Tim	Mahoney	95.47	14	CMS
6		Mathew	Cartier	95.43	18
7		Richard	Bolt	94.41	26	CMS
8		Dave	Dunham	93.19	61	CMS
9		Ben	Nephew	92.60	33	CMS
10		Greg	Hammett	91.07	15	CMS
11		Elijah	Barrett	89.96	12
12		Ken	Clark	89.66	76
13		Abby	Woods	89.61	12	CMS
14		Josh	Merlis	87.87	16
15		Jim	Schultz	87.56	15
16		James	Pawlicki	86.57	16	CMS
17		John	Onderdonk	85.47	12
18		Christophe	Lanaud	85.07	13
19		Richard	Teal	84.67	11
20		Kelli	Lusk	84.35	20	CMS
21		Dan	Verrington	84.10	12	CMS
22		Dave	Hannon	83.72	28
23		Paul	Bazanchuk	83.07	19
24		Dave	Wallace	82.88	14
25		Shaun	Sutliffe	82.59	23
26		Bob	Dion	82.18	93
27		Britt	Brewer	81.81	15
28		Gregory	Rems	80.87	11
29		Stephen	Peterson	80.46	11	CMS
30		Jay	Kolodzinski	80.43	52
31		Kelly	Herrington	79.67	26
32		Jack	Casey	78.53	27
33		Alan	Bates	76.92	23
34		Rob	Smith	76.87	21	CMS
35		Nico	Scibelli	76.38	12
36		Sheryl	Wheeler	75.97	10
37		Jim	Preite	75.89	17
38		Edward	Alibozek	74.61	76
39		Peter	Malinowski	74.41	25
40		Richard	Chipman	74.39	13
41		Michele	Tetreault	72.46	11
42		Deborah	Livingston	72.45	18
43		Chelynn	Tetreault	72.21	19
44		Tom	Parent	72.16	12
45		Seth	Roberts	71.67	12
46		Wayne	Stocker	70.92	27
47		John	Pelton	70.69	50
48		Jay	Curry	69.38	11
49		Sheila	Osgood	68.99	13
50		Jacque	Schiffer	68.86	20

WMAC all-time

Here are the top 52 points from 1998-2008:

Rank		First Name	Last Name	Pts	Run
1		Bob	Dion	7642.46	93
2		Ken	Clark	6814.42	76
3		Dave	Dunham	5684.46	61	CMS
4		Edward	Alibozek	5670.32	76
5		Ed	Alibozek Jr	4474.49	83
6		Jay	Kolodzinski	4182.29	52
7		Mike	Lahey	3712.11	57
8		John	Pelton	3534.36	50
9		Leigh	Schmitt	3439.53	35
10		Laura	Clark	3253.87	86
11		Laurel	Shortell	3093.66	97
12		Ben	Nephew	3055.90	33	CMS
13		David	Boles	2951.28	53
14		Bob	Worsham	2885.08	47
15		Peter	Lipka	2884.51	54
16		Larry	Dragon	2834.56	49
17		Bill	Morse	2808.50	48
18		Paul	Hartwig	2745.17	56
19		Bob	Massaro	2511.06	74
20		Richard	Bolt	2454.67	26	CMS
21		Richard	Busa	2350.84	92
22		Dave	Hannon	2344.19	28
23		Paul	Low	2283.77	23	CMS
24		Jack	Casey	2120.39	27
25		Scott	Bradley	2084.73	35
26		Kelly	Herrington	2071.45	26
27		Martin	Glendon	2022.24	52
28		Jessica	Hageman	2004.39	34
29		Carol	Kane	1972.68	36
30		Darlene	McCarthy	1918.46	40
31		Wayne	Stocker	1914.74	27
32		Shaun	Sutliffe	1899.57	23
33		Peter	Malinowski	1860.35	25
34		Denise	Dion	1841.99	62
35		Alan	Bates	1769.27	23
36		Jim	Carlson	1725.87	46
37		Jan	Rancatti	1725.84	26
38		Mathew	Cartier	1717.74	18
39		Nick	Jubok	1714.99	25
40		Kelli	Lusk	1686.91	20	CMS
41		Rob	Smith	1614.30	21	CMS
42		Paul	Bazanchuk	1578.32	19
43		Vincent	Kirby	1560.01	25
44		Tim	Van Orden	1438.02	15	CMS
45		Josh	Merlis	1405.86	16
46		James	Pawlicki	1385.18	16	CMS
47		Jacque	Schiffer	1377.17	20
48		Chelynn	Tetreault	1372.08	19
49		Greg	Hammett	1366.11	15	CMS
50		Ed	Saharczewski	1364.02	26
51		Ed	Buckley	1354.87	22
52		Tim	Mahoney	1336.64	14	CMS

WMAC all-time

I've been working on the all-time WMAC stats so that it will be easier to update them after each race this coming season. Here are some facts:

Stats for WMAC SS series 1998-2008:
7,300 finishers
115 races
Avg 64 finishers per race
Most finishers - 196
Fewest - 8

1,183 people have done 1 race
318 have done 2
127 have done 3
80 have done 4
55 - 5
40 - 6
28 - 7
30 - 8
18 - 9
16 - 10

140 have finished more than 10 races.

Here are the top fifty most finishes....

Rank		First Name	Last Name	Run	Pts
1		Konrad	Karolczuk	99	1280.73
2		Laurel	Shortell	97	3093.66
3		Bob	Dion	93	7642.46
4		Richard	Busa	92	2350.84
5		Laura	Clark	86	3253.87
6		Ed	Alibozek Jr	83	4474.49
7		Ken	Clark	76	6814.42
8		Edward	Alibozek	76	5670.32
9		Bob	Massaro	74	2511.06
10		Denise	Dion	62	1841.99
11		Dave	Dunham	61	5684.46	CMS
12		Mike	Lahey	57	3712.11
13		Paul	Hartwig	56	2745.17
14		Peter	Lipka	54	2884.51
15		David	Boles	53	2951.28
16		Jay	Kolodzinski	52	4182.29
17		Martin	Glendon	52	2022.24
18		Walter	Kolodzinski	51	1225.57
19		Jeff	Clark - age 62	51	477.60
20		John	Pelton	50	3534.36
21		Larry	Dragon	49	2834.56
22		Bill	Morse	48	2808.50
23		Bob	Worsham	47	2885.08
24		Jim	Carlson	46	1725.87
25		Darlene	McCarthy	40	1918.46
26		Jeff	Hattem	38	1011.94
27		Carol	Kane	36	1972.68
28		Bill	Glendon	36	425.20
29		Leigh	Schmitt	35	3439.53
30		Scott	Bradley	35	2084.73
31		Jessica	Hageman	34	2004.39
32		Ben	Nephew	33	3055.90	CMS
33		Dave	Hannon	28	2344.19
34		Jack	Casey	27	2120.39
35		Wayne	Stocker	27	1914.74
36		Jamie	Howard	27	547.80
37		Richard	Bolt	26	2454.67	CMS
38		Kelly	Herrington	26	2071.45
39		Jan	Rancatti	26	1725.84
40		Ed	Saharczewski	26	1364.02
41		Maureen	Roberts	26	1143.16
42		Mark	Syrett	26	735.33
43		Peter	Malinowski	25	1860.35
44		Nick	Jubok	25	1714.99
45		Vincent	Kirby	25	1560.01
46		Howard	Bassett	24	1318.56
47		Patrick	McGrath	24	1148.32
48		Art	Gulliver	24	482.07
49		Paul	Low	23	2283.77	CMS
50		Shaun	Sutliffe	23	1899.57

October long gone by....

20 years ago:
I only raced three times in October of 1989 but they were all pretty decent performances. I was getting ready for the New England XC championships and doing a lot of XC type workouts.

Races
10/15/89 White Mountain milers half-marathon in North Conway NH. I topped a field of 200 and set a course and NH record (I lived in Londonderry) of 1:05:42. Over the years I’ve set 146 course records, most of those were either broken or the race is no longer held. I still have 17 course records and this is the oldest.

10/21/89 Mack’s apple run in Londonderry NH. This was a tough five mile race; I beat a field of 124 with a 24:40 course record. I wrote in my log that this was a ‘hard workout, ran just hard enough to win’. I beat long-time CMS member Larry Sayers over the last ¾ of a mile. The race later changed to a 5k and then maybe to an XC race. I don’t see Larry as much as the old days but did talk to him earlier last week….he recently turned 50.

10/29/89 Pumpkin race 10km in Saco ME. This race was a lot of fun, I ran it a couple of times. I think mostly I would go because they had a little $$$. As I remember the course was pretty flat and there were some very fast times run. In ’89 I took third place in 29:59 in a field of 450. Bob Hodge took the lead just after 5km and won in 29:52. I ran with Greg Hale until the final .2 when he had an extra gear and took it to me. I wonder where Hale is now?


25 years ago:
Three races in October 1984, my Junior year at ULowell. The team was looking to qualify for Nationals early in November, we had finished third at Nationals the previous Fall.

10/06/84 Boston MA Codfish bowl five mile. This was a pretty big win for me, beating a field of about 150 finishers in 24:43. The course at Franklin park had changed from previous years but was still held on the golf course. I beat Keene state rival Tom Anderson in the last 400m. Tom and I would battle back and forth all of this year and beyond.

10/13/84 Boston MA Quad meet versus Northeastern, UMass, and Keene. It was another week at Franklin Park and a very similar time (24:42). This time it was only good enough for second place.

10/20/84 Smithfield RI Eastern championships at Bryant College over a 5.2 mile course. I somehow forgot my racing flats and ended up running in trainers. One of the assistant coaches volunteered to drive back to Lowell and get my shoes but I figured it wouldn’t make that much of a difference. I ended up with a win in 25:55.

30 years ago:
This was my first cross-country season at Billerica High. I ran on the junior varsity squad earlier in the season and had my debut on varsity in October. It did not go well.

10/05/79 Billerica MA duel meet versus Tewksbury. This was my first race on the varsity XC squad (I was the top JV runner at the time). I went through 2 miles in 11 flat then sprained an ankle and was unable to finish. This was my first DNF and unfortunately not my last. It certainly was an auspicious start to my varsity XC running.

10/09/79 Wilmington MA duel meet against Wilmington. Apparently my ankle sprain wasn’t bad enough for me to miss this race, but I was back on the JV squad. I ended up winning in 10:20 over the 1.75 mile course.

10/13/79 Boston MA for the Catholic Memorial meet. I was running well through the mile when I sprained my ankle (again) on a downhill. I was unable to finish and ended up on crutches for two weeks. My season was over and I had two DNF’s in the span of eight days. As of today I’ve got five DNF’s (and I hope to never add to that total). The two above, then one in College and the final two were consecutive years at the World 100km challenge. The second time was my last time on the 100km team and most likely the last time I’ll ever attempt anything over 50 km.

Week ending 10-04-09

Note my right foot really wants to turn. Ugh!

I tried to take it very easy this week and see if my plantar fascia would improve. By Wednesday it seemed to feel a bit better, but I'm guessing that is just wishful thinking (how much can a couple of easy days really help). My plan was to feel rested coming into the Topsfield XC race and put in a solid effort. I think changing jobs and shift time (and being nervous about taking on a job I knew very little about) had more of an effect on me than I would have hoped. I was definitely not feeling "rested" when I got on the line (well, 3 rows back to be truthful) at Topsfield. I was happy with the effort, beating Dave Q at Bradley Palmer for the first time since we'd dueled back in 1980 in the Northern Area Meet. It is a lot of fun to race all out and let the chips fall where they may. XC is the sport in its purest form. Too many races are put on for reasons that have very little to do with testing yourself against the competition (and against the course, AND against yourself). Thank you Tom Derderian (and the GBTC) for putting on a great event.

M - 6m o/b at the River with j-squared, 'tonian, and Bob. 47:34
T - 6m o/b at the River with the Robt. 47:00
W - 6m loop at Mine Falls, feeling very good for the first time in a while. 45:50
Th - 6m o/b at the River with Dan and JJ.
F - short 6m o/b at Winni with Dan, Robt, and dub-j.
Sat - 7++ with Petey o/b on the Freeman Rail Trail in the rain (with headlamps at 6am) - 1:00:25.
Sun - 3-- warm-up mostly with Jim P 20:57, then another 10min of jogging and strides, 8km XC race 29:17, then 2+ warm-down alone 17:15.

Plans:
Keep on the single-run 6 mile per day plan and see how that goes. Probably until after Baystate (Oct. 18), or maybe until after the US trail marathon champs (Nov. 7)

Taking a hard right hand turn with 1/2 mile to go.
Pics by Tom Derderian at the Topsfield XC race.

Topsfield XC

Cross country is fun in a sick kind of way. You never get a chance to ease up or relax. Every second and every place counts. It has been a while since I raced at Topsfield, but I had good memories of racing (Northern Area Meet) in High School and somewhat more recently the GBTC race back in 2002.


Dan V, Dave Q and I headed over together and double-j was waiting for us in the parking lot with our numbers in hand. We gathered up the rest of the (small) CMS group and headed out to check out the course. It was a lot drier than expected, which was something I didn't want. Slower = better for me.

I like the contrast of the big paw logo and my "little paw" - Pics by Kristin W

I felt like crap warming-up and even did some strides to try and get loose and get rid of the nerves. The field took off at the start and I went out in probably my slowest start in years. After about 400 I started to roll a bit, there was just about no one behind me. I picked out Dave Q and worked up to him. Dave put in some big surges during the first mile (trying to close on Dan V) and I tried to run even. John Barbour (GLRR 50+) went by just before the mile (5:42). I beat John by 1 tick at Lone Gull and knew he was the guy to follow. We pulled Dave back and began to pass some fast starters during the second mile. At the top of Moon hill I could see Dave Harper and Dan V about 20 seconds ahead and Jim P a little in front of them. We hit 2 in 11:57 and rolled down the hill.

Somewhere on the next little climb I passed Dave Q and drew even with John B. We passed a couple of guys on the down and reeled in Dave Hannon (NETT) and Doug Chick (GBTC) on the climb back up Moon hill. John really motored that next part and seemed to easily pull away. I moved around Dave H on the downhill and snuck a peak back to see where Dave Q was (he saw me peek). The last mile was a hurt-fest, even the downhill seemed to have uphills!

I took a final peek on the last 200m and could see Dave H was closing on me. I gave it my all, but had nothing in the tank as Doug Chick came out of nowhere to blow by with one step to go. Dave H was just a step back. Ugh, that hurt!

I barely had enough left to struggle through a 2 mile warm-down (mostly alone - I was just too slow for the group). All in all I felt it was a good run. I really would have like to have got Barbour but maybe next time :-)

Next up will be the Baystate marathon which I'm totally unprepared for. I'm hoping to run 2:59:58 and I'm pretty sure that Dan V and Dave Q are planning on running with me.

Men 8k Individual Results
Place Name Club Time Score
1 Jarrod Shoemaker BAA 25:48 1
2 Ryan Place GBTC 25:53 2
3 Dan Smith GBTC 26:17 3
4 Matt Carter BAA 26:17 4
5 Mike Griffin SISU 26:26 5
6 Jim Johnson CMS 26:32 6
7 Peter Mallet 26:47
8 Kevin Gallagher BAA 26:57 7
9 Kevin Tilton CMS 26:57 8
10 Matt Haringa GBTC 27:18 9
11 Ryan Miller SISU 27:27 10
12 Dennis Wolff RIADHA 27:31
13 Junyong Pak GBTC 27:33 11
14 Matt Germain SISU 27:37 12
15 Rob Espinosa GBTC 27:42 13
16 Dan Navaroli CMS 27:45 14
17 Josh Gordon BAA 28:00 15
18 Dan Lounsbury NBB 28:32
19 Ryan Eckel GBTC 28:32 16
20 Jim Pawlicki CMS 28:35 17
21 Dan Verrington CMS 28:49 18
22 Dave Harper CMS 29:01 19
23 John Barbour GLRR 29:10 20
24 Doug Chick GBTC 29:16 21
25 Dave Dunham CMS 29:17 22
26 Dave Hannon NETT 29:17 23
27 Dave Quintal CMS 29:31

September

Eric's dog

Me and Robert on Belfry mountain

Me on top of Cascade

Robert, me, and Eric on Porter

This was my first full month back since the stress fracture is now in the books. I’ve now got five weeks of running behind me and starting to feel a bit more like a runner, an old broken down runner but a runner nonetheless. So far I’ve had weeks of 42, 44, 50, 61, and 67. Probably a bit too aggressive for having taken 6 weeks off, but I just love to get out there and run. My plantar fascia, which has been bothering me since early August, just doesn’t want to improve. I’m taking the next couple of weeks ‘easy’ to see if that helps. The fact that I’ve got two weeks until the Baystate marathon also plays into that decision.

Month 235
Days off = 0
Races Ollie 09-12 – 4.91 miles 28:36 99th place 19th 40+
Lone Gull 09-20 – 10 km 35:17 70th place 15th 40+