First two races of the year

I got my first two races of the year done in the first two days of the new year.  On 01-01 I went to Salem , MA and ran the Frosty Four (four mile).  This race was a great deal at $15 pre with a long sleeve tech shirt.  They started on time, posted results promptly, had great food after, and had a face course.  I highly reccomend this race.

My splits were 5:23 (felt fast and also felt beat), 2m 10:51 (5:28) running alone with Mike Q and  Alex Gomes were about 30 seconds up.  Brett fell back after the mile so I was really out there running my own race.  3m in 16:38 (5:47) included a section with snow and the only significant hill in the race.  I was hoping to pick it up for the last mile but could only muster a 5:44 to finish thrid in 22:22 (40+ PR).  A big group of us (Mike, Brett, Warren MacPhail, Crystal Anthony) all went out for an easy couple of miles warm-down.  My foot and shin was killing me so I limped on out of there and headed home to ice.

1	Mike Quintal	M3039	31	M	N Andover	MA	21:22	5:21
2	Alex Gomes	M2029	21	M	Peabody	MA	21:40	5:25
3	Dave Dunham	M4049	45	M	Bradford	MA	22:22	5:36
4	Brett Rickenbach	M3039	34	M	Danvers	MA	22:52	5:43
5	Justin Verdirame	M3039	31	M	Cambridge	MA	23:07	5:47
6	Dennis Floyd	M3039	33	M	Lynn	MA	23:33	5:54
7	Warren MacPhail	M4049	43	M	Winthrop	MA	23:42	5:56
8	Frank Pearson	M2029	23	M	Westerly	RI	23:52	5:58
9	Joe OBrien	M0119	16	M	Peabody	MA	24:20	6:05
10	Stephen Nickerson	M5059	53	M	Salem	MA	24:20	6:05
11	Crystal Anthony	F2029	29	F	Beverly	MA	24:26	6:07

Next up was the first race in the Granite state snowshoe series, a 4.5 Km race at Beaver Brook in Hollis, NH.  I was pretty sore (foot and shin) but want to race as many snowshoe races as possible in 2010, so there was no doubt that I'd be at Hollis.  I'd run the trail race over the same course a couple of years ago so I knew it would not be my type of race.  It was going to be very fast and only one little hill.  Doulbe-J and I did a warm-up on the roads where I took a "Josh Ferenc" style spill.  I got into my Dion racers and headed out for another mile of easy running.  The course was dusted with some powder and the base seemed to be a solid sheet of ice.  This meant it would be fast.  Besides Jim, Tim Cox and Robert Jackman looked to be the top guys.  I was hoping for a top five finish and get out of the race no more injured than I entered it.  It seemed like a lot of guys raced on New Years Day so that would not be an excuse.

The race went off (a little late) in a flurry of snow.  I got out strong but still had trouble seeing with all the flying snow.  Jim went to the front (no surprise despite his sandbagging) with Tim right behind.  They flew down the hill.  I tried to push but did not feel very strong.  I planned on looking at the turn to see who was chasing (I could hear a couple of guys right behind me).  I hit the turn in 8:33 and was a bit surprised to see that Steve Wolfe was only 7 seconds back and Matt Westerlund was close behind.  They were both having strong races.  I'd beaten them at Prospect last week by 2:14 and 1:05 respectively, but it would take a lot to best them in this race.

I kept thinking "get to the uphill then kick", but when I finally got to the uphill I had no kick.  I struggled in to take fourth in 17:10.  Steve kept it close for the 40+ title finishing a scant 12 seconds back.  Double-J took his third (really second, I can't count the first BB race which was a mixed trail & SS) win of the SS season.  He will be a force this year if he can stay healthy, hell even if he can't stay healthy he'll be a force!

1	15:48	Jim Johnson	CMS	32	M	Salem NH
2	16:24	Tim Cox	ACIDOTIC RACING	36	M	Northwood NH
3	16:43	Robert Jackman	TNT	27	M	Warwick RI
4	17:10	Dave Dunham	CMS	45	M	Ward Hill MA
5	17:22	Steve Wolfe	ACIDOTIC RACING	45	M	Merrimack NH
6	17:34	Matt Westerlund		37	M	Laconia NY
7	17:40	Chris Dunn	ACIDOTIC RACING	41	M	Strafford NH
8	18:12	Danny Ferreira	ACIDOTIC RACING	27	M	Concord NH
9	18:21	Sean Snow	GSR	43	M	Dunbarton NH
10	18:43	Christopher Smith	DUNGEON ROCK	43	M	Woburn MA

Pic from Frosty four by Billy Shea (who also raced at Beaver Brook)
Pic from Beaver Brook by  Scott Mason