Londonderry to Methuen

I haven't done many runs over 10 miles this year, but was hoping for a long run last weekend.  Dan had recently put in 20+ on the Topsfield rail trail so I suggested a point-to-point on the Londonderry-Methuen rail trail.  I mapped it out quickly and found a good section that went from exit 5 in Londonderry to Railroad street in Methuen.  We threw the idea out to the group and I posted it on FB. Jim P was the only one who took us up on it and Krissy offered to drive us to the start (which saved us having to go back up after the run was over).  I'd done all of the trail in segments over the years (including a lot on the Go!) but it'd been a while since I'd been up in Londonderry.

We took off just before 8am at a relaxing clip and the miles just rolled by.  Two-plus hours later we were back at the Methuen depot with 17 miles behind us.  It was a most excellent morning!

Our route

Marsh in Derry

caboose at Windham Depot

Ice on the side of the trail

Short rest break

Dash to the state line

New Bedford Half-Marathon
 
Last year I had a major bonk during the last 4 miles of the 1/2 marathon, so my goal this year was to avoid the same fate.  I did a few long runs this year (longer than 6m!) and felt my training was going well.  I dropped down to 80 miles for this week which was my lowest weekly mileage total in 6 months.  I hate to taper and felt pretty lousy once I cut back a bit.

I met up with teammates Jim Pawlicki and Joe Shairs and we motored down to New Bedford, leaving ample time for number pick-up.  Giving extra time was important, the bathroom lines were pretty serious.  We headed out on the course and warmed-up doing an easy 2 miles.  It was brisk (30's) and windy (15+ mph).  It was an unusual wind, it'd be a headwind for the first 3 miles and the last 4 but mostly a tail to cross-wind for the other 7 miles.  We changed into race gear and got to the line about 10 minutes before the start, man I hate big races (and city races).

I had my splits on my wrist with the goal time of 1:16:00, running "even" on this course is impossible so I've worked out splits based on my last 9 races at NB.  I started about 5 rows back and got a decent start.  I found Joe almost right away and we hit the mile right on pace.  It felt a little harder effort than I hoped but it was early and there was plenty of time to settle in.  Joe and I hit right on pace for 2 and 3 miles.  Right after 3 the top woman blew by us like we were standing still.  She put about 5 seconds on us and then we seemed to be running the same pace.  I kind of liked having the big clock on the truck out in front where I could see it rolling along.

Four through six miles are always quick with a slight downhill and in this case a slight tail-wind.  Joe and I were locked in step and if either of us got a gap the other would close it.  I felt okay but not great, but kept my head up and could see Jason Porter and Wayne Levy (two top masters) up ahead.  Around 7 miles I started feeling pretty good (maybe it was the gel I'd taken?) and I upped the tempo a bit and Joe didn't go with me.  By 8 miles I'd finally caught the first woman and was still looking ahead. 

That was the point were my wheels came off last year, this year I felt pretty good.  Right before 9 I surged to close the gap on Matt Germain, I wanted to get behind him before we hit wind.  I tucked in behind him just as we turned into the wind.  I didn't stay behind him all that long and surged a bit to get the next guy.  I found myself slowly moving up and catching people.  Around 10 miles I latched onto Bob Jackman and he was still motoring.  We ran by random guys here and there and slowly closed on Wayne, who is usually the top 45+ guy so I was aiming for him.  We caught Wayne and a couple of guys and I tried to move, Wayne has great leg speed and I was not confident in my ability to out-kick him.  Our group stuck together during the long grind up from 12 miles.

With a half-mile to go I looked at my watch and tried to throw in everything I had.  Wayne dropped back a bit and I gave all I had.  Down the final straight a couple of guys I'd passed came by me and got me right at the line but I was happy to get over the line nearly a minute ahead of my goal and 1:37 under my masters personal best.

I did a very slow 2 mile warm-down and went out on the course to cheer people in.  By the time I got into the post-race food I was bonking and very sore.  I guess that is a good sign that I had nothing left. 

 

Splits: 532/552/558/554/530/534/526/539/542/544/554/554/555/37

Next up:  An easy week then back to racing and mileage, I'm hoping to get fit and fast in time for the James Joyce Ramble which will host the US masters 10km championships.

Top 20 masters

13	KEVIN	COLLINS		42	M	1:09:23	5:18
24	CHRIS	MAGILL	BAA	40	M	1:10:56	5:25
40	JOSEPH	NAVAS	Whirlaway	42	M	1:11:54	5:30
45	GREGORY	PICKLESIMER	Somerville Roa	46	M	1:12:20	5:32
62	KEVEN	O'NEIL	BAA	43	M	1:14:02	5:39
70	JASON	PORTER	Central Mass S	43	M	1:14:25	5:41
74	HARRY	STANTS	BAA	40	M	1:14:49	5:43
77	ANDY	SPAULDING	Dirigo RC	42	M	1:15:03	5:44
81	DAVE	DUNHAM	Central Mass S	48	M	1:15:11	5:45
83	WAYNE	LEVY	BAA	47	M	1:15:17	5:45
85	SCOTT	ANDERSON	Whirlaway	48	M	1:15:25	5:46
91	JOE	SHAIRS	Central Mass S	44	M	1:15:52	5:48
94	PETER	BOTTOMLEY	Dirigo RC	43	M	1:16:03	5:49
100	JUSTIN	RENZ	HFC Striders	41	M	1:16:38	5:51
102	PATRICK	CALLAGHAN	BAA	40	M	1:16:39	5:51
110	DAVID	PRINCIPE	Tuesday Night	46	M	1:17:36	5:56
128	TERRY	MCNATT	CSU	48	M	1:18:47	6:01
130	BRIAN	ALLEN	Whirlaway	41	M	1:18:52	6:01
142	MIKE	GIROUARD	GLRR	43	M	1:19:56	6:06
144	KEVIN	HILL	BAA	40	M	1:20:14	6:08

 

Week Ending 12-16-12

A decent week for me.  Calf has been feeling fine although the other "creaky parts" have been really making noise this week.  Hoping to do a little track workout mid-week and if all goes well hit the oval at B.U.

M - Lunch 6 in 42:19
       PM Dan's double cemetery bang with a red-line of the AVIS trail 7 in 50:56

T - 4am industrial park 6 in 47:08
      Lunch 6 in 41:33

W - Lunch 6 in 39:56
       PM Dan's woods 7 in 51:03

Th - Lunch 6 in 39:13
        PM Dan's woods 7 in 50:40

F - Lunch 6 in 37:18 (Fast!)
      PM Dan's woods 7 in 49:49

Sat - 26 minutes alone into 1:00 with Petey on the Chelmsford Rail Trail
        Later am a nice relaxing 4 in 35:04

Sun - Out/back 18 on the Peabody/Danvers/Topsfield/Wenham rail trail with Dan, Jim, Joe, Martin & Greg in 2:17:10

Totals
Week - 96
Month - 210
Year - 4,496
Life - 118,569

Carson Memorial 2 mile

I haven’t done the Carson Memorial 2 mile race (Chelmsford, MA) in six years, but this year the fourth of July fell 

mid-week so it did not conflict with any of the Mountain Series races.  I was hoping to break 10:40 and my stretch 

goal (if everything went great) was to break 10:30.  Mike Quintal joined me and Dan for the shortest drive to a race

 we’ve had this year.  We arrived in Chelmsford to find it raining and about 70 degrees.  We checked in and each 

got one of the cool “Sullivan Racing Team” tank tops from Tom Hildreth (the official starter of the race).  I was 

wearing the race team top from 1999 and the gal at registration noted “that is the oldest t-shirt I’ve ever seen”…as 

if I didn’t feel old enough already! 

We headed out for an extended warm-up running out & back on the point to point 2 mile course.  It warmed up as 

we warmed up and by the end of our four mile run the sun was beginning to peek out and it had warmed to 

mid-70’s.  The humidity was stifling.   I changed into race flats and headed out for another mile with some strides.  

I felt pretty lousy and nervous which is about the way I expected to feel heading into a “sprint” race.

Over 2,000 lined up to take on the parade route that was now lined with onlookers.  I took a spot on the line 

knowing that it’d be a mad dash at the start.  The first quarter mile was frantic with little kids and some adults 

sprinting out then pretty much stopping when reality hit.  I only had to push one guy who stopped in front of me 

but otherwise I had a clear path on the road.  At the half mile mark (2:32.3) we turned left onto the main road and 

that would be the final turn of the races.  The next half mile climbs a bit and I was definitely feeling the pace.  I hit 

the mile in 5:12.2 (2:39.9) and although I was picking off a couple of fast starters I was also getting passed by a 

couple of guys.  Doug Martyn (WRT) went by just after the mile and Mike Cooney (WRT) went by just before the 

1.5 mark; they are both top runners in the 50+ age group.  Damn, they both looked smooth!  I hit 1.5 miles in 7:47.5

(2:35.3) and thought at that point that I had a shot a breaking 10:30.  I concentrated on working the final little 

downhill and could hear people calling for the top woman who was hot on my heels.  The last 400 is all slightly 

uphill and I was really hurting at that point.  With just over 200 to go the top woman went flying by.  I had been 

kicking since the start so I really didn’t have any faster turnover in response.  Within a few seconds I felt a hand on 

my back pushing me; it was CMS teammate Jim Pawlicki heading into his kick for the line and encouraging me to 

go with him.  I found a little bit extra but couldn’t stay with Jim as I crossed the line in 10:31.

After grabbing some water Mike (10:04), Dan (10:47) and I ran back on the course for a warm-down.  We got 

back just as the parade was starting.  It felt good to have this race done, now back to “slow” mountain racing!

Splits:

2:32.3

2:39.9 (5:12.2)

2:35.3 (7:47.5)

2:43.4 (10:30.9) = 5:18.7

JOHN CARSON 

2 MILE ROAD
 RACE

July 4, 2012           2 Miles               Chelmsford, Mass.

Place Div/Tot  Div   Time    Pace  Name                   Ag S Race# City/state              

    1   1/168  M1929    9:10  4:35 Ruben Sanca        25 M     7 Dracut MA               

    2   2/168  M1929    9:12  4:36 Jeffrey Veiga         21 M   485 Lowell MA               

    3   1/124  M3039    9:23  4:42 Justin Lutz            32 M  1963 Framingham MA           

    4   3/168  M1929    9:31  4:46 Ethan Brown         27 M    37 Lowell MA               

    5   4/168  M1929    9:40  4:50 Joshua Andrews    23 M  1492 Chelmsford MA           

   17   3/124  M3039   10:04  5:02 Mike Quintal        34 M   587 N. Andover MA           

   31   6/124  M3039   10:30  5:15 James Pawlicki     37 M   435 Lynn MA                 

   33   2/239  M4049   10:31  5:16 Dave Dunham      48 M     4 Haverhill MA            

   40   4/101  M5059   10:47  5:24 Dan Verrington     50 M   229 Bradford MA             

  109  12/239  M4049 12:17  6:09 David Lapierre       48 M    55 Chelmsford MA           

MALE AGE GROUP:  40 to 49

Place O'All Time    Name                     Age Sex Race# City/state              

    1    10    9:54 

Jim St Pierre
             41 M    9913 Dracut MA               

    2    33   10:31 Dave Dunham          48 M       4 Haverhill MA            

    3    37   10:38 Eric Beauchesne       42 M      31 Chelmsford MA           

    4    60   11:29 Curt Fischer             43 M    1220 Merrimack NH            

    5    69   11:37 Keith O'Brien            48 M    1615 Chelmsford MA           

MALE AGE GROUP:  50 to 59

Place O'All Time    Name                     Age Sex Race# City/state              

    1    23   10:17 Doug Martyn               52 M    1694 N. Andover MA           

    2    26   10:23 Mike Cooney               50 M    1007 Chelmsford MA           

    3    39   10:42 Paul Hammond            52 M    1692 Lexington MA            

    4    40   10:47 Dan Verrington            50 M     229 Bradford MA             

    5    76   11:44 Andrew Gordon            50 M    1132 Chelmsford MA           

 

2140 finishers

239 finishers in the M40-49 age group