NE 15km road champs

USATF NE 15km championships - last year this race was in the Grand Prix but an early Spring snowstorm caused it to be cancelled.  This year we had great weather with temps in the mid-40s, a bit of a breeze and sunny skies.  I met up with my CMS teammates and did a 3m warm-up checking out the first 1.5 of the course.  I'd already previewed the course in 2017 and recalled that although there were no "killer" hills it seemed to roll constantly.  I was looking forward to working the downhills but not so much to the uphills (I'm good at long grinds but lousy at short gear-shifting hills).  After the warm-up I changed into race gear and headed out for another mile.

I seeded myself about 10 rows back, which was probably a bit further than I needed to be but looking around I could see a bunch of guys in my age group.  It was a bit crowded over the first mile making it a little tricky cutting tangents (I don't understand what people are thinking, CUT THE DAMN TANGENTS).  My goal was to run as close to 6:00 pace as possible which was a bit of a stretch based on my 6:12 pace at the New Bedford 1/2 marathon.  I reached the mile in 5:57 and it felt like I was pushing.  I was focused on teammate Erik Vandendries and GLRR's Mark Reeder.  I kept thinking "go one more mile with them".  Reeder disappeared out of sight after the mile.  I stayed with Erik as we rolled by Wayne Levy (BAA),  Brian Ruhm (GCS) both in the 50+.  As we headed up the biggest hill of the race (before 5 miles) I lost Erik but closed on Jim Pawlicki (CMS 40+).  I hit 5 miles in 29:57 which was faster than I'd run 5 at the Ribfest last year (USATF NE champs which were the day after Mt Washington).  I got Scott Anderson (WRT 50+) after 6 miles but was losing ground on Erik V.  I tried to latch on to a younger CRC guy at 7.5 miles but was running out of gas.  College teammate Jason Cakouros (HFC 50+) passed me right at the 8 mile mark and I had no answer.  I was just trying to not fall apart.  I hit the finish line in 56:22 (chip time) and took 8th in the 50+ (6th in the 50-54).  I can't complain as it is a new 50+ for me, topping my time from the USATF NE champs in 2014 by 30 seconds.  Our senior squad ended up placing 3rd.

Our next GP race won't be until June (Ribfest 5m) so now my attention turns to trails, mountains, and the CARS series.

Male 50 to 54
                                                                                                                                    Chip         Gun  
    Place    Name                                     Team                        Bib  Age   Overall       Time        Time        Pace  
       1    ANDREW GARDINER           BAA                        592   52       34        51:39.9     51:43.9      5:33/M
       2    KENT LEMME                        Greater Springfield   423   51       52        53:14.3     53:19.1      5:43/M
       3    GREGORY PICKLESIMER    Somerville Road      487   51       67        54:39.0     54:46.4      5:52/M
       4    ERIK VANDENDRIES           Central Mass Stride  379   53       82        55:38.7     55:44.4      5:58/M
       5    JASON CAKOUROS              HFC Striders            332   52       88        56:10.3     56:18.0      6:02/M
       6    DAVE DUNHAM                    Central Mass Stride  395   54       90        56:22.8     56:27.9      6:03/M
       7    JOE O'LEARY                         Somerville Road run173   50       94        56:46.2     56:46.2      6:05/M
       8    SCOTT ANDERSON              Whirlaway                488   53       95        56:47.4     56:51.2      6:06/M
       9    WAYNE LEVY                        BAA                         573   52      105        57:24.7     57:28.3      6:10/M
      10    NICHOLAS COTTON                                            333   50      109        57:40.1     57:50.4      6:11/M

Male 55 to 59
                                                                                               Chip         Gun  
    Place    Name                              Team                         Bib No  Age   Overall         Time        Time        Pace  
       1    NAT LARSON                  Greater Springfield   422   55       40        52:18.8     52:23.7      5:37/M
       2    MARK REEDER              Greater Lowell Road 285   58       73        55:12.3     55:16.6      5:55/M
       3    JOHN SULLIVAN            HFC Striders             502   57      103        57:08.5     57:16.8      6:08/M
       4    MARTIN TIGHE              Central Mass Stride   525   59      112        57:54.0     57:59.4      6:13/M
       5    E J HRYNOWSKI             Greater Lowell Road 329   55      129        58:46.8     58:53.4      6:18/M
       6    DAN VERRINGTON       Central Mass Stride   386   55      143        59:39.4     59:46.3      6:24/M
       7    PHILIP SAVOY                Central Mass Stride   117   55      154      1:00:29.2   1:00:36.8      6:29/M
       8    GARY CATTARIN           Central Mass Stride   376   55      159      1:00:50.3   1:00:58.1      6:32/M
       9    JIM HOWARD                                                    586   59      164      1:00:57.1   1:01:08.6      6:32/M

      10    CHRIS KELLY                       HFC Striders        477   56      178      1:02:09.2   1:02:19.9      6:40/M