Looking back - July 2006

 
July of 2006 (15 years ago):  I raced nine times over the month of July while also covering 380 miles in training and finished off the month with a running of the “Pemi-Loop” bagging 11 Four thousand foot peaks in a fell swoop.  I started the month running the Finger Lake Fifties, but I did the 15km (not the 50k or 50m).  I got plenty of running!  The race was kind of unusual as you went through a bunch of gates that had to be closed to keep the cows from wandering!  In the early going the pack would come to a gate and Dan Verrington would open the gate and let everyone through then lock it up.  He ended up pulling away around 4 miles and I ran alone from that point on taking 3^rd place in 1:54:17, Dan won in 1:51:30.
 
Three days later I ran the Carson memorial 2m in Chelmsford.  Tom Doody topped the master’s field running 9:55 and Dan was 2^nd in 10:05.  I took 5^th (and 22^nd overall) in 10:40.  Four days later I was back in the mountains running Cranmore, a 2 loop monster course with 2,400’ of climb/descent.  I took 4^th in 50:23, close behind Dan who won the 40+ with a 50:11.
1 David Hunt       48:15 Fryeburg ME           WMM     M 20 M19-39
2 Tim Livingston 50:07 Conway NH            WMM     M 31 M19-39
3 Dan Verrington 50:11 Bradford MA           CMS      M 44 M40-49
4 Dave Dunham 50:23 Bradford MA           CMS      M 42 M40-49
5 Patrick Rich      53:39 S Hamilton MA        CMS      M 29 M19-39
6 Todd Callaghan 53:56 Somerville MA         PR Mse M 36 M19-39
7 Donald Pacher 55:31 Bennington VT                    M 34 M19-39
8 Jeremy Huckins 56:24 Loudon NH             CMS      M 23 M19-39

 
Five days later (07-13) Dan and I were back out there racing again, this time in Haverhill on a Friday night.  Dan took the overall win in the YMCA 5k road race (16:39) and I took 5^th nearly a minute back (17:33).  Two days later I was race directing the Mt Ascutney road race in Windsor VT.  Although I wasn’t an official entrant, I ran the 2^nd fastest time of the day (33:42) behind Paul Low’s winning time of 29:39. I ran at 7am then put the race on at 9am.
 
The following Friday it was another night race in Haverhill.  This time Dan and I ran the Sapienza race which had moved dates and changed distance (to 4 miles).  It was hot and humid after a downpour during my warm-up.  I ran 22:20 to take 6^th, again nearly a minute behind Dan.
    1 Roberto Santoro        M2029 QUINCY MA                       20:41  5:11
    2 Ryan Miller               M2029 HAVERHILL MA                   20:45  5:12
    3 Matt Germain           M2029 HAVERHILL MA                   20:52  5:13
    4 Dan Verrington         M4049 BRADFORD MA                   21:22  5:21
    5 Chris Apkarian          M0119 NEW DURHAM NH               22:05  5:32
    6 Dave Dunham          M4049 BRADFORD MA                  22:20  5:35
 
Two days later (07/23/06) it was off to Portsmouth (with Dan) for the Loco road miles.  They had multiple heats, so of course we signed up for multiple races!  First up was the master’s mile which Dan destroyed with a 7 second win in 4:39. I took fourth place.  We had just enough time to jog back up the course to the start and then were off again in the Open mile.  We were surprisingly consistent with Dan slowing only 2 seconds (4:41) and I slowed 4 seconds to a 4:57. We definitely surprised some by racing twice.
Masters Mile
    1  4:39 Dan Verrington 44 M    CMS       
    2  4:46 Eric McKenna    40 M                                
    3  4:51 Don Tuttle        49 M                                 
    4  4:53 Dave Dunham  42 M    CMS       Splits: 70/73/77/73
    5  4:55 Brad Lebo        49 M    COASTAL AA
 
Open Mile
    1 4:19 Cory Thorne      19 M                             
    2 4:29 Rich Marion       44 M     BAA 
    3 4:32 Aaron Binkley    29 M                                 
    4 4:35 Casey Carroll     34 M    PR MOOSE MILERS RT          
    5 4:38 Taylor Peterson 18 M    ROCHESTER RUNNERS           
    6 4:41 Dan Verrington  44 M    CMS       
    7 4:42 Erik Johnson      28 M    PR MOOSE MILERS RT          
    8 4:46 James King       18 M                                 
    9 4:48 Matt Cyr            17 M                                 
   10 4:57 Dave Dunham   42 M   CMS     Splits: 72/74/77/74
 
I wrapped up the month taking a shot at a win at the Lynn woods summer series (07/26/06).  I thought I’d have a good shot in the “short” race as most of the CMS guys ran the 5.5 mile race.  When we split off from the longer course Al Bernier was in the lead, and took the win 13 seconds ahead of me.
 
2.5 Miles
1.  Alan Bernier                14:40     CMS
2.  Dave Dunham             14:53     CMS
3.  John Davis                  15:17
5.5 Miles
1.  Dan Verrington           32:07     CMS
2.  Joe Shairs                  32:40     CMS
3.  Jim Pawlicki               34:38      CMS
 
I closed out the month with a visit to the Pemigewasset wilderness in the White Mountains.  Eleven hours in the wilderness bagging Bondcliffs (4265), West Bond (4520), Mount Garfield (4480), Mount Lafayette (5240), (Mount Lincoln) 5089, Mount Guyot (4560), Little Haystack (4760), Mount Liberty (4459), Mount Flume (4328), South Twin (4902), Galehead Mtn (4024).