Looking back - August long gone by

25 Years Ago: August 1990 – I raced four times over this month and ran 448 miles.  With a fall marathon looming large training was the focus rather than racing, but that didn’t keep me from doing a few.  I started the month with a visit to Cawley Stadium in Lowell, for the GLRR 2 mile track series.  I was looking for a fast time and would find plenty of company on this night.  Eric Beauchesne took it out in a too fast 400 of 63.  I rolled along hitting 800 splits of 213/215/216/213 to take the win in 8:57.  Dave Cremin took second in 9:02 and series record holder (8:52) Bob Hodge ran 9:03. 

Ten days later I took on the tough course at the Londonderry Old home day 5k.  The first mile followed the (downhill) route of the millennium mile, unfortunately the last mile was back UP the same hill.  I ran alone from start to finish on a muggy 80 degree day.  Splits of 4:37, 4:43, and 4:58 brought me home in 14:47.  That was good enough for a 47 second victory and also got me the still standing course record (and taking home the clock pictured on the right).

Four days later I was back at Cawley stadium for the series finale which was traditionally a mile race.  I led for the first 400 and then retook the lead at 800 on a perfect night for racing.  Splits of 62/64/64/63 got me another win in 4:14.  Four days later I closed out the month with the USATF (then NEAC) 5k road championships in Greenwhich RI.  Tom Anderson (CMS) took it out hard for the first mile, and I hung in the chase pack.  GLRR teammate Rachid Tbahi and I went with Eric Morse (CMS) with ½ mile to go.  Morse took the win in 14:24, I got second (14:26) and Rachid took 3^rd helping GLRR to a rare victory over CMS.

                                                                                                                                                    
20 Years Ago: August 1995 – I raced four times over this month and got in 413 miles.  Training was focused toward the Mountain running world championships and a fall marathon.  I started the month with the Yankee Homecoming 10 mile which served as the USTF NE championship.  I did not feel good at all during the race and had a lackluster 5^th place finish in 51:26.  Nine days later I went up to Manchester NH in search of a little cash.  The Healthsource Corporate 5k road race had decent money for anyone who broke 15 minutes ($250), so a bunch of people went looking to just sneak under the wire and take home some cash.  I ran most of the race in a pack with Rusty Snow, Craig Fram, Dan Verrington, and recent Londonderry High School Graduate John Mortimer.  We all snuck in under the required time taking 5^th through 9^th place in a field of over 3,000.  Bill Rodgers was top master in 15:50.

    1  14:18  BRADFORD SCHLAPAK             28 BRIGHTON, MA  

    2  14:39  BOUAZZA ABIDI                    24 M NEW PALTZ, NY  
    3  14:47  RACHID TBAHI                      30 M BRIGHTON, MA  
    4  14:51  SAMUEL WILBUR                   22 M LINCOLN, ME  
    5  14:55  RUSTY SNOW                        25 M WATERTOWN, MA  
    6  14:56  DAVE DUNHAM                      31 M BRADFORD, MA  
    7  14:57  JOHN MORTIMER                   19 M LONDONDERRY, NH   
    8  14:57  CRAIG FRAM                          36 M HAMPSTEAD, NH  
    9  14:59  DANIEL VERRINGTON             33 M BRADFORD, MA   
   10 15:01  JAMIE LACHANCE                   24 M SANFORD, ME  
   11 15:08  GARY GARDNER                     24 M KEENE, NH   
   12 15:18  DEAN KIMBALL                      37 M CANDIA, NH   
   13 15:21  SCOTT CLARK                        29 M GILMANTON, NH   
   14 15:22  AL BERNIER                                      21 M DURHAM, NH  
   15 15:25  EDWARD SHEEHAN                 38 M SOMERVILLE, MA   
   16 15:33  BYRNE DECKER                      28 M LONDONDERRY, NH  
   17 15:35  JUSTIN FREEMAN                   18 M FRANKLIN, NH  
   18 15:37  ERIC BEAUCHESNE                 25 M CHELMSFORD, MA  
   19 15:39 SAM HARRIS                                       19 M ASHLAND, NH  
   20 15:44 MIKE O'BRIEN                                    29 M DURHAM, NH  
   21 15:47 KEITH KELLY                                      32 M MANCHESTER, NH  
   22 15:50 BILL RODGERS                       46 M SHERBORN , MA  
   23 15:52 ROD VIENS                                        27 M CLAREMONT, NH  
 Two weeks later I was off to Europe for a short trip to Italy for the Challenge Stellina mountain race.  I never felt great during the 9.5 mile race (with 5,000’ of climb) and bonked badly around the 1 hour mark.  I held on running a decent 1:25 for 10^th place.

The following weekend I switched gears and did a 10k road race in Exeter.  Jimmy Fallon took it out hard and Dan Verrington and I kept him close.  Dan made his move at 4.5 and I thought he had me, but I rallied in the last mile and took the win in 30:28 taking home $300 in the process.  Dan took second in 30:49.

15 Years Ago: August 2000 – I raced four times while amassing 480 miles during the month.  The 480 miles marks the most I’ve ever run in any August.  Weeks of 131 and 121 while in Europe helped with that total.  My goal was a few marathons and beyond in the fall, so heavy mileage was important, although it didn’t have a major impact on my racing.  I started off the month at the Newburyport Yankee Homecoming 10 mile taking 2^nd place in 51:34. 

The 42st ANNUAL YANKEE HOMECOMING 10 MILE

======================= ===== ===
    1    51:21  5:09 MICHAEL SLINSKY        31 M  CHELSEA NY          SAUCOUNY
    2    51:34  5:10 DAVE DUNHAM            36 M  BRADFORD MA        CMS
    3    51:39  5:10 NELSON ROCHA                       31 M  DANBURY CT
    4    52:04  5:13 DANIEL VERRINGTON                38 M  BRADFORD MA        CMS
    5    52:17  5:14 ERIC BEAUCHESNE                   30 M  CHELMSFORD MA    GLRR

    9   53:16*  5:20 LARRY SAYERS           40 M  BELLOWS FALLS VT  CMS
   10   53:19   5:20 JOHN AYERS               34 M  BEVERLY MA             NSS
   13  53:40   5:22 JONATHAN CORSO                    31 M  HAVERHILL MA         WHIRL
   14  54:14*  5:26 DOUG MARTYN                        40 M  NO ANDOVER MA      WHIRL
   16  54:24*  5:27 PATRICK MOULTON        18 M  PELHAM NH
   18  54:39   5:28 JOE SHAIRS                 32 M  PEABODY MA            NSS
   19  54:57*  5:30 LOU RISTAINO           41 M  EAST BOSTON MA     WHIRL
   28  57:19*  5:44 LAURENCE OLSEN                    53 M  MILFORD MA            TVF
   32  57:41   5:47 PATRICK RICH              23 M  SO HAMILTON MA     WC
   37  58:49   5:53 JOHN GILLIS                36 M  MANCHESTER MA      NSS
   44  59:14   5:56 SUSANNAH LANDRETH               32 F   NEWBURYPORT MA   CMS

Twelve days later I had a solid run at the Bridge of Flowers 10k.  The time wasn’t great (32:26) but there is a nearly mile long hill in the race.  I went out conservatively in 9^th place at the mile then worked my way up to 5^th place by the top of the hill.  I held on to 5^th place trailing only Non-New England runners and as such was the USATF New England Champion. 

THE BRIDGE OF FLOWERS CLASSIC
========== =======  =====
    1   PAUL MWANGI            33 M OSSINING NY                 30:58   4:59
    2   PAUL MBUGUA            38 M FARMINGTON NM           31:02*  5:00
    3   MALCOLM CAMPBELL   29 M MARIETTA GA                31:48   5:07
    4   MICHAEL CHETTLE      23 M HOBART, TASMANIA       32:13   5:12
    5   DAVE DUNHAM           36 M BRADFORD MA               32:27   5:14        CMS
    6   SANDU REBENCIVC     31 M W SPRINGFIELD MA        32:50   5:17        GSH
    7   DAN VERRINGTON      38 M BRADFORD MA               32:57   5:19         CMS
    8   NELSON ROCHA          31 M DANBURY CT                 33:13   5:21
    9   ERIC LAVIGNE            24 M ASHLAND MA                 33:50   5:27        GLRR
   10  LARRY SAYERS           40 M BELLOWS FALLS VT         33:52   5:28        CMS

   13  GARY GARDNER           29 M ELMONT NY                 422 CMS          34:46   5:36 CMS
   14  MATT KOCYBA            26 M BIDGEFIELD CT             421 CMS          34:52   5:37 CMS
   16  KEVIN BECK             30 M CONCORD NH                420 CMS          34:59   5:38 CMS
   18  CARLOS RIVERA        26 M SPRINGFIELD MA            370 GSH          35:22   5:42 GSH
   23  DENNIS FLOYD         23 M LYNN MA                   577 GBTC         36:11   5:50 GBTC
   25  ROBERT CHASEN       45 M SO WEYMOUTH MA         685 TVF          36:16   5:51 TVF
   27  STEPHEN PETERSON 34 M CHELMSFORD MA             433 CMS          36:23   5:52 CMS
   28  LAURENCE OLSEN     53 M MILFORD MA                361 TVF          36:27*  5:52 TVF
   29  KEVIN MCCUSKER     43 M ASHBY MA                  117 NMC          36:32   5:53 NMC
   31  PAUL FRATINI           35 M LUDLOW MA                 636 GSH          36:42   5:55 GSH

The following week I was back in Susa Italy for the Challenge Stellina, a 9.5 mile mountain race on the slopes of Monta Rosa.  I had a reasonably good race taking 9^th place in 1:23:30 and picking up $100 (200,000 lire).  I trained pretty hard that week and into the following week as teammates Paul Low and Dan Verrington joined in for three runs a day nearly every day.  Between runs we’d eat, nap, and play cards.  Despite the hard training I still managed a good run in Austria at the Kitzbuhel mountain race (8 miles with 4,000’ of climb).  I took 3^rd place in 1:00:28 and won $250 for the effort.  The final 400 meters was brutal with each 100 meters tougher than the last.  My final 100 took 45 seconds.