July gone by...

Looking back – July

20 Years ago – July 1991 I ran fiver races, four on the road and one on the toughest trail I’ve ever run.  I started the month winning the July 4^th 5.2 mile race in Stoughton (24:47).  The following week I took first in the 5m Carson Memorial race (running 23:49).  I kept the winning streak alive with a 25:22 1^st place at the East End Club in Lowell, a gritty old-school race that is sadly no longer held.  I won $50, taking the lead from Jim Quadros after the 3 mile mark and was definitely feeling tired from the Carson race on the previous day.  The following weekend I took first in a slow time (25:14) at the Sapienza 5m.  I think everyone had a slow time on this 100 degree day.  I closed out the month with a 6th place finish at the Escarpment trail 30k.  This was (and remains) the roughest trail race I’ve ever done.  I never felt like I could run a full stride, it was so rough and either climbing up a mountain or descending one.  Petey asked me at about ½-way if I minded if he went ahead.  I wished him luck and off he went.  About 5km later I went by him on a climb (he was walking and I wasn’t going much faster).  I was glad to just survive this one and swore I’d never go back…so far I’ve been true to my word.  Rich Fargo won the race in 2:47:51, I ran 3:02:54, and Petey ran 3:14:31.

 15 years ago – July 1996 was another busy month; I raced five times including a mountain race and a New England road championship.  I started the month in Bridgton Four Mile on the fourth of July.  I got buried in the last mile as Rusty Snow (very cool name) flew by for the win; I took second in 19:34 to Rusty’s 19:32.

    1   1/128  M1934 RUSTY SNOW             26 M WATERTOWN MA       19:32  4:53 

    2   2/128  M1934 DAVE DUNHAM            32 M BRADFORD MA        19:34  4:54 

    3   1/79   M3539 ROBERT PIERCE          35 M ALFRED ME          19:55  4:59 

    4   3/128  M1934 SEAN LIVINGSTON        27 M PAWTUCKET RI       19:59  5:00 

    5   4/128  M1934 DAN VERRINGTON         34 M BRADFORD MA        20:01  5:01 

 Three days later I came out on top (both figuratively and literally) beating Dan Verrington at the Mt Cranmore hill climb.  This was back in the olden days when the course was 3m and ran “just” up the mountain.  I set a course record that day and won a pair of racing snowshoes.  My next race was the Sapienza 5m where Craig Fram took the win in 25:05 and I rolled in 14 seconds later.  I had no idea who the guy with a Mohawk and CMS singlet was who took it out, turned out to be Richard Bolt who I’ve been friends with since.

    1   231 CRAIG FRAM          M3039 PLAISTOW NH       25:05  5:01 

    2   129 DAVE DUNHAM         M3039 BRADFORD MA       25:19  5:04 

    3   276 RICHARD BOLT        M2029 LUNENBURG MA      26:39  5:20 

    4    58 JAMES MORISSEAU     M4049 RAYMOND NH        27:53  5:35 

    5   277 MARTY LECHLEIDER    M3039 N ANDOVER MA      27:56  5:35 

    6   199 JASON YAFFE         M2029 ANDOVER MA        28:08  5:38 

    7   168 MIKE DIMAURO        M2029 N ANDOVER MA      28:44  5:45 

    8   158 JULIE PETERSON      F3039 BEVERLY MA        28:50  5:46 

    9   228 PETER HESLAM        M2029 BRADFORD MA       29:12  5:50 

   10     8 ANDREW TINE         M2029 ANDOVER MA        29:15  5:51 

A week later I ran 15:06 to win the Race for the Cure in Manchester VT.  I’m not sure why I ran this race.  Counting walkers over 4,000 participated and I was alone from ½ mile and won by over a minute.  Two days later I finished a disappointing 5^th place at the USATF NE 10m championships in Newburyport (Yankee Homecoming).  Craig Fram was the top USATF finisher, cracking 50 (49:57).  I had a lousy last two miles and came across the line in 50:23.  Fifty-eight people broke 5:30 pace that night!

    1   1/223  M3034 JERRY LAWSON           30 M SAN FRANCISCO CA       9   48:45#  4:53 NIKE

    2   1/102  M2529 ART SMITH              28 M CAMBRIDGE MA        1920   48:59#  4:54

    3   2/102  M2529 ABIDI BOUAZZO          25 M NEW PALTZ NY          51   49:20#  4:56

    4   1/292  M3539 CRAIG FRAM             37 M PLAISTOW NH            5   49:57*  5:00 CMS

    5   2/223  M3034 DAVE DUNHAM            32 M BRADFORD MA            4   50:23   5:03 CMS

    6   3/102  M2529 GARY GARDNER           25 M KEENE NH              32   50:47   5:05 CMS

    7   1/44   M2024 JONATHAN RUSSELL       21 M WAKEFIELD MA        1148   50:49   5:05 WHIRLAWAY

    8   4/102  M2529 ERIC BEAUCHESNE        26 M CHELMSFORD MA         29   50:56   5:06 BAA

    9   5/102  M2529 JIM BRUNSWICK          27 M CAMBRIDGE MA          18   51:03   5:07 BAA

   10   3/223  M3034 GEORGE LUKE            30 M WALTHAM MA            24   51:07   5:07 GLRR

   11   6/102  M2529 ANDY SPAULDING         25 M SUNDERLAND MA       2242   51:37   5:10

   12   4/223  M3034 DAN VERRINGTON         34 M BRADFORD MA           33   51:41   5:11 CMS

   13   2/44   M2024 CHRISTOPHER MCDERMOTT  24 M WESTFORD MA         1507   52:07   5:13 BAA

   14   5/223  M3034 TERRANCE MCNATT        31 M NEEDHAM MA            39   52:13   5:14 CSU

   15   2/292  M3539 EDWARD SHEEHAN         39 M SOMERVILLE MA         27   52:24*  5:15 BAA

   16   6/223  M3034 DAVID BEAULEY          30 M NASHUA NH            453   52:28   5:15 GLRR

   17   7/223  M3034 GABRIEL HELMLINGER     30 M BOSTON MA            912   52:36   5:16 GLRR

   18   1/276  M4044 BARRY HARWICK          41 M HANOVER NH          1524   52:36*  5:16 BAA

   19   8/223  M3034 VIN CONNELLY           33 M BROOKLINE MA        1614   52:44   5:17 BRC

   20   2/276  M4044 DAVID RAUNIG           41 M NEW LONDON CT         58   52:52*  5:18 CMS

   21   3/292  M3539 SAM DAVIS              35 M COLCHESTER VT       1947   52:57*  5:18

   22   9/223  M3034 JOHN AYERS             30 M BEVERLY MA          1636   52:59   5:18 NO. SHORE

   23  10/223  M3034 PAUL BOLICK            31 M FRANKLIN MA         1843   53:00   5:18

   24   3/276  M4044 WAYNE JACOB            41 M MYSTIC CT           1017   53:01*  5:19 CMS

   25   7/102  M2529 CHRISTIAN MAITNER      29 M KEENE NH             750   53:08   5:19 CMS

   26  11/223  M3034 JAMES GARRETT          31 M BENNINGTON VT         34   53:17   5:20 CMS

   27  12/223  M3034 CHRISTOPHER CARTER     31 M CHARLESTOWN MA      1505   53:19   5:20 BAA

   28  13/223  M3034 SCOTT CLARK            30 M GILMANTON NH        1016   53:21   5:21 CMS

   29   8/102  M2529 BYRNE DECKER           28 M LONDONDERRY NH      1849   53:24   5:21 CMS

   30  14/223  M3034 EDWARD SHELDON         31 M MANCHESTER NH       1264   53:28   5:21

   31   3/44   M2024 TIM MCCORMICK          20 M TOWNSEND MA         2195   53:31   5:22 GLRR

   32   9/102  M2529 RICHARD BOLT           25 M LUNENBURG MA          52   53:34   5:22 CMS

   33   4/44   M2024 MATTHEW RUANE          20 M BROOKLINE MA        1359   53:35   5:22 BRC

   34   4/292  M3539 TODD COFFIN            35 M BATH ME             1144   53:36*  5:22 WHIRLAWAY

   35  15/223  M3034 JOSE VRRUTIA           30 M LOWELL MA           1958   53:38   5:22 GLRR

   36   5/292  M3539 SCOTT BROWN            38 M CANTON ME             38   53:39*  5:22 WHIRLAWAY

   37  16/223  M3034 BOB DABRIEO            34 M WOBURN MA           1145   53:40   5:22 WHIRLAWAY

   38  17/223  M3034 MEL FONSALVES          32 M RANDOLPH MA         1872   53:48   5:23 BAA

   39  18/223  M3034 KEN PLISKA             30 M MARBLEHEAD MA       1146   53:49   5:23 WHIRLAWAY

   40   1/250  M4549 VALDIMIR KRIVOY        45 M HALIFAX MA            21   53:52*  5:24 GLRR

   41   6/292  M3539 JIM GARCIA             38 M WESTFORD MA         2306   53:56*  5:24 CMS

   42  10/102  M2529 DAVID ALLEN            29 M WALTHAM MA          1854   54:01   5:25

   43   7/292  M3539 BRIAN PICKNELL         38 M LUDLOW MA           1861   54:04*  5:25 CMS

   44  11/102  M2529 TOMMY LYNCH            28 M CHARLESTOWN MA      2265   54:08   5:25 CSU

   45   8/292  M3539 TIM BLOUIN             39 M TEMPLETON MA        1164   54:09*  5:25 NO MEDFORD

   46  19/223  M3034 DAVID HANECHAK         31 M WEST SPRINGFIELD M  1478   54:15   5:26

   47  20/223  M3034 CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE   32 M PROVIDENCE RI       1596   54:20   5:26 BAA

   48   4/276  M4044 ROBERT O'HARA          41 M JAMAICA PLAIN MA      15   54:21*  5:27 TRI-VALLEY

   49   5/44   M2024 JAMES JOHNSON          21 M BRUNSWICK ME        1618   54:24   5:27

   50   9/292  M3539 MARTY LECHLEIDER       38 M NORTH ANDOVER MA    1994   54:33   5:28 GLRR

   51  12/102  M2529 RON EVANS              29 M NEW HAVEN CT        1879   54:34   5:28

   52   2/250  M4549 LAURENCE OLSEN         49 M MILLIS MA             25   54:34*  5:28 TRI-VALLEY

   53  10/292  M3539 JON WALDRON            38 M WEST NEWTON MA      1355   54:44   5:29 CSU

   54  13/102  M2529 BRIAN CANN             28 M WEST BOYLSTON MA    1506   54:45   5:29 BAA

   55  11/292  M3539 GREGG CORNELL          35 M MAPLEVILLE RI       1842   54:48   5:29

   56   3/250  M4549 TOM CARROLL            46 M DUNSTABLE MA          57   54:50*  5:29 GLRR

   57   5/276  M4044 GEARY DANIELS          42 M DUDLEY MA             22   54:57*  5:30 CMS

   58   6/44   M2024 JONAH BACKSTROM        22 M SOMERVILLE MA       1839   54:58   5:30

10 years ago – July 2011 featured only two races but a total of 58 miles of racing!  I took 10^th place at the USATF NE 8 mile road race championships at Stowe VT in 41:12.  I was disappointed with the time and place and noted in my training log “felt lousy, Dan almost got me”.  Two weeks later I headed out to Crystal Mountain WA for the 50 mile trail championships.  I ended up finishing second to Bill Emerson who power-walked away from me on the big climb from 30-36 miles.  I kept him in sight (as close as 30 seconds at 46 miles) but was never able to pull him back in.  I ended up taking 2^nd place in 6:59:15.