Looking back

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!  Some of the top guys and familiar faces below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.