The 00s

20 years ago: January 2000 - I started the year with a sore ankle that carried over from 1999. I was diagnosed in Susa, Italy (I couldn’t walk after the Challenge Stellina mountain race) with a “distorted ankle”. I ended up missing five weeks and was still getting back into shape as we headed into 2000. I started the year in Florida doing a snowshoe race. No, not what you think…it was Florida MA and the South Pond shuffle where I took third behind Leigh Schmitt and Ken Clark. The only other race I did was a win at the Greylock Glen snowshoe race where it was -4 degrees and the wind was howling at 40mph. Great day to be outside!  From the WMAC newsletter: “It figured to be cold (it was, -8 in downtown Adams with 20 - 40 mph wind gust throughout the day driving the wind-chill into the low numbers).  Everyone survived though, and most even hung around for over an hour eating hot dogs. It ended up being as hard fought an event as the South Pond race a week ago, this time Dave Dunham blasted through the fields of the glen to finish two seconds ahead of 1999 Snowshoe Champion Kenny Clark.  Both gentlemen took turns leading and breaking trail (the drifts were fairly high in the middle 2.5 miles winding through the woods), and it came down to the sprint finish under the watchful eye of Greylock.  1998 Snowshoe Champion Bryan Dragon (16 years old) finished 3rd overall followed by 60 year old John Pelton”.

SAVOY STATE FOREST  FLORIDA/SAVOY, MA 01/15/00

1 Leigh Schmitt  27 South Deerfield, MA      30:19 

2 Ken Clark         37 Somers, CT                 30:24 

3 Dave Dunham  35 Bradford, MA               30:37 

4 Bryan Dragon  16 Cheshire, MA               34:30 

5 Dave Hannon  28 North Providence, RI    35:30 

1ST ANNUAL GREYLOCK GLEN 5KM SNOWSHOE RACE ADAMS, MA 01/22/00

1 Dave Dunham 35 Bradford, MA               25:56 

2 Ken Clark         37 Somers, CT                 25:58 

3 Bryan Dragon   16 Cheshire, MA               29:01 

4 John Pelton      60 West Rupert, VT          29:33 

5 Larry Dragon    39 Cheshire, MA               31:28 

15 years ago: January 2005 – No races during this month, I was recovering from a hip injury from a 50k I did the month before.  I didn’t start running until January 26 after 6 weeks off. Ugh.