2009

Totals for 2009:

3,260 or 8.9 miles per day (Life – 107,371 or 9.4 miles per day)
46 races over 260.05 miles = avg. 5.65 miles per race
3 Course records set (Catamount Snowshoe, the Bear trail race, and Run4Fun)
1 Personal record set (Brockton 3.75 – 20:37)
5 race wins (Hawley Snowshoe, Catamount, The Bear, Run4Fun, and the CMS 52 week series race)

Rant of the year: What is wrong with all the UNFRIENDLY elite types, who won’t even nod acknowledgement when you say “hi” or “good luck”?

Runner up rant: Why do people insist on “chatting” during races? No one is impressed. Save it for the training run.

January
Started off the year winning $40 for coming in 2nd at the Hangover race
Broke my second pair of orthotics, now I check them monthly for wear
Wow, the field at the Greylock Glen race was strong!
Got the flu for the first time in my life, no food for three days
Best prize at a snowshoe race = Railroad spike at the Hoot, toot, and whistle
Had a blast clearing the course at Northfield with the entire top 10 plus a couple more
Quote: Double-J on my downhill running at Greylock “I didn’t think it was possible to run that slowly downhill”

February
Old school racing at the Stew Chase 15km, winning an umbrella for my efforts the race is a great bargain at $12.
The local police and DPW at the road crossing in Sandwich, covering the road with snow for us, which was pretty cool.
Visiting the Hawley Kiln with Dan to soak up some of the mystical healing vibes therein
Extending my winning streak (at least one win each year) to 31 years.
Catching up with friends and rivals at the Amherst 10 mile
Climbing the Moats with a huge group and celebrating Al’s final 3,000’ peak in New Hampshire.
Quote “I think this is wrong” Ben at Hallockville after about a minute of going off course


March
Worked as the liaison at the 50km road championships which CMS won taking 2nd, 3rd, and 5th places overall.
Recorded my longest treadmill run ever, (10 miles) during a snow storm.
Hung out with Richard and Kelly and took 6th at the snowshoe National championship at Mt Hood (OR).
Hosted the Mass state snowshoe championships at Northfield Mountain.
A rare treat…Double-J ran with me and I got a tour of his house (VERY fancy).
Visiting the folks in Florida and taking them to the county high point
Quote: Double-J on the run from his house “this is the slowest I have EVER done this loop”.

April
Track workouts with Dan and Dave Q and Joe at Phillips.
Ran to Dunham road in Lakeville while town-bagging
Setting the Rivah course with double-j, Greg P and TiVO.
Nearly missing the start of the 5,000 @ the George Davis Invitational (they combined the two heats) – 16:35.9
Started lunch run’s outside with Jack, no more treadmill runs
George Davis inducted into the Greater Lowell Road Runners Hall of Fame
Quote: Albee on my (lack of) race speed “don’t leave it to a kick”

May
Ran in four states ND, SD, MT, & WY including the highpoint in ND & SD with Eric and Al
Ran in Baker, Montana marked the final state I needed, I’ve now run in all 50 states.
40+ PR at the Bedford 12km
The first ever Wachusett mountain up/down course
Gosnold – 351st town in MA, now I’ve run in them all.
The worst race for your money – Pack Monadnock, high entry fee and lousy food, they should shorten this to 1.5 miles.
Quote: Craig Fram at Wachusett “this is not for me; I don’t want to get hurt”.

June
Exchanged elbows with Joe Lemay as we both cut the tangent at Rhody, my best 5km of the year (16:30)
Trisha Steidl stayed with us while preparing for Cranmore
Pizza and cheesy bread with Al and Diana in Brattleboro before Northfield
CMS run on the Freeman rail trail and brunch at the Radisson
Another sub-1:10 at Mt Washington for me, and Francis ran a big PR
Got a gold medal (45-49 age group) at the US mountain championships at Mt Cranmore
Quote (unknown) “I’m sore and tired, but that’s how you should feel if you ran Cranmore right”.


July
Flagged the course at Loon with Paul K and TiVo
A record 100 runners completed all six of the Mountain Series races
I got 2nd in the Mountain series and CMS took five of the top six places
Stress fracture of the Lisfranc’s joint (tarsometatarsal), my 7th stress fracture and fourth in the last five years
Water running with Dave and Michael at Stiles, and Petey and Dave L at Hart pond
Quote: Double-j on the Walking Boss section of Loon “I walked the entire .6 miles”
Bonus Quote: Me at the finish of Ascutney “Never again!”

August
Runner’s World published a short article on my town-bagging exploits in Massachusetts.
Averaged over 3 hours per day of alternative exercise
Had my 1,500th day off from running (not a good thing)
Started back running after 6 weeks off
Served as the liaison for the USATF national trail 10km championship.
Got the RPM’s to 7,000 on a rental car (a record for me)
Quote: Dave and Mike Q on water running - “it looks like you are riding a giraffe”.

September
First full month of running since the stress fracture
Started my new job at the IRS as the Automated Under-reporter coordinator (don’t ask)
I was honored to receive the President’s award for volunteer work with USATF NE.
Tossed around the Nerf football as a warm-up before the warm-up at Lone Gull
Hitchhiking in Italy
State High point of NY with Eric and Robert (4:19 roundtrip)
Quote: Joe Gray at the World Mountain championship “One more day to release the beast”.

October
Got my first “Iron Runner” jacket for running all USATF NE grand prix (7 races from 5km-marathon).
Ran the Baystate marathon on highest mileage of 51 and longest single run of 8 miles.
Raced Dave Quintal at the Topsfield XC race, last time I’d raced him there was the Northern Area Meet in 1980.
Final run with Robert before he headed back to Norway.
30 years since my first XC season at BMHS.
DRC vacation/race in Toronto, the DRC took the top 5 places for US runners.
Quote: “What would Greg Washak do?”

November
Finished 15th at US trail marathon championship, also 4th 40+, and CMS won both the open and master’s team champs.
Visited the Bolt’s in Portland for a few days.
Ran up the 294 steps of the Bunker hill monument in 1:45.
Completed the MA and NH county prominence lists.
Started doing lunch runs in Methuen (in the Veterans Park)
Raced for the 12th time at Maudslay which makes it my 4th most raced location (behind Mt’s Washington, Wachusett, and Pack).
Quote: Dan on racing Thanksgiving day “I have to run somewhere today, might as well do it at a race”.

December
Met USATF runner of the year Meb Keflezgi at the USATF convention
I was honored to be named USATF masters Mountain runner of the year
Mt Washington was selected the 2010 National championship and the ONLY selection race for the US team
Visited State high points in OH, IN, TX, AR
Bagged 3 fire towers
Finished in 4th place at Woodford snowshoe race, my 12th snowshoe race of 2009
Quote: Double-J at Woodford “Mahoni is the plural of Mahoney”


Best of luck to everyone in 2010.  Be careful out there!