USATF NE 5k champs

I had no expectations going into the USATF NE 5k championships.  I was only 10 days post-surgery and had only started running again on Monday.  My hip was very tender probably from limping around when I had the catheter inserted.  I really wanted to do the race to support the team (Central Mass Striders) and to take the first step toward running all of the Grand Prix races.  Last year I ran six of the seven races and figured as long as I was able to complete the distance without injuring myself, then I would not pass on a GP race this year.

 CMS had a solid turnout for this race, and I carpooled with TiVO, Greg P, and Joe S.  We found parking a half-mile from the start and walked over to get our numbers.  Grand Prix races bring out so many familiar faces, it is always fun just saying “hi” to everyone again.  Greg and Joe decided to use the bag drop and TiVO and I chose to just do our warm-up from the car.  We did the course both of us a bit tentative with various muscular issues.  The warm-up went well, but the line for the port-a-johns was massive with 15 minutes to go before the start.  That meant some stealth activity neither of us wanting to get a lifetime ban like one of our compatriots got at the James Joyce Ramble a few years back.  I chose to not dress for a race and stayed in training shoes, tights, and 2 layers on top to offset the 30 degree temps and wind.

The start area was VERY tight, nearly 1,000 people squeezed in with metal barricades leaving less room on either side of the street.  I tried to locate D-La who I was hoping to run with.  I hope to run the 6:30 pace he was aiming for.  I yelled a few times and looked around but couldn’t find him.  I tried to judge where how many rows back I should be but wasn’t too worried, figuring it’d all work out.  I heard them call out 1 minute to go and 30 seconds but never heard a gun. Someone was yelling “go, go, go” so I hit my watch and the crowd slowly made its way to the start.  It took me 14 seconds to cross the line and then it was very cautious running as we took a 90 degree turn onto Mass Ave about 100 meters into the race.  That turn was an absolute mess (there were cars partway into the path of runners).  After that we had nearly a mile of straight slightly uphill running so things calmed down.  I found a good pace and things opened up enough to really start passing people.  My watch beeped for the ½ mile which was 3:18.  I was a bit surprised considering the time it took to the line and then how long it took to find a somewhat clear path for running.  I decided the pace I was at was comfortable and I continued passing people as I hit the mile in 6:20.  The second mile was more of the same (3:01/3:00 = 6:01) with fewer people to pass.  At 2 I decided to pick it up a bit as I was thinking I might be able to break 19 minutes.  My next ½ mile was 2:54 and I wasn’t feeling any worse for wear so I set my eyes on a couple of 50+ runners who weren’t that far up the road.  There were a lot of people checking their watches over that last stretch that seems to take forever.  I rolled to a 2:52 (5:47 third mile) and closed out the last tenth in 39 seconds for an 18:51 on the clock and a 18:37 chip time.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy that was.  I definitely was not in “race mode” but still managed to run the exact same time I ran at the Fudgecicle 5k earlier this year (and that one I raced all-out!).

TiVO had a good run with no issues from his quad injury and he placed 9^th in a very competitive asters field.  D-La set a new 50+ pr, and our 50+ team took 7^th of ten teams.  The open crew won, eating out the Battle Road TC and BAA by 17 seconds!  Our masters placed second to BAA with a solid 16:33 average per five scoring members.

Place     Name                Gun time           Chip      Age       PL Cat                           Cat                     St
1          Louis Serafini     14:44    4:45      14:43    24         1/114    M2029   BRIGHTON         MA
2          A. Leuchanka     14:47    4:46      14:46    24         2/114    M2029   NEWMARKET       NH
3          Andrea Sorgato   14:48    4:46      14:47    34         1/139    M3039   MEDFORD           MA
4          David Melly        14:50    4:47      14:49    22         3/114    M2029   BRIGHTON         MA
5          Alex McGrath      14:51    4:47      14:50    25         4/114    M2029   LAWRENCE         MA
 
CMS finishers
6          Nate Jenkins      14:51    4:47      14:50    35         2/139    M3039   NORTH ANDOVER            MA
10         Pat Fullerton       15:02    4:51      15:02    27         7/114    M2029   HAVERHILL         MA
16         Dan Vassallo      15:09    4:53      15:06    30         5/139    M3039   PEABODY           MA
23         Scott Mindel       15:19    4:56      15:18    29         15/114  M2029   ARLINGTON        MA
30         Scott Leslie        15:28    4:59      15:26    34         11/139  M3039   RUTLAND           MA
37         Eric Narcisi         15:42    5:03      15:39    36         13/139  M3039   NORTH ANDOVER            MA
46         Jim Johnson       15:53    5:07      15:51    38         16/139  M3039   MADISON           NH
54         Gregory Putnam  16:03    5:10      16:00    46         3/110    M4049   STONEHAM         MA
56         Jason Dunklee    16:04    5:11      16:00    41         4/110    M4049   WATERTOWN      MA
59         Michael Quintal   16:08    5:12      16:05    37         23/139  M3039   NORTH ANDOVER            MA
82         Tim Van Orden   16:35    5:21      16:31    47         9/110    M4049   BENNINGTON     VT
105       Arthur Besse       16:57    5:28      16:52    43         13/110  M4049   TEMPLETON       MA
113       Joe Shairs          17:03    5:30      17:00    47         15/110  M4049   PEABODY           MA
115       Joshua Perks      17:06    5:31      17:02    41         16/110  M4049   NORTH ANDOVER            MA
176       Ernest Brake       17:53    5:46      17:48    54         11/108  M5059   NORTH SUTTON  NH
199       Kevin Gorman     18:09    5:51      17:57    39         60/139  M3039   NORWOOD         MA
234       Dave Dunham    18:51    6:04      18:37    51         19/108  M5059   BRADFORD         MA
237       John Gillis          18:51    6:04      18:44    52         20/108  M5059   MANCHESTER      MA
297       David Lapierre    19:41    6:20      19:35    51         26/108  M5059   CHELMSFORD      MA
536       Frank Ruggiero   23:40    7:37      23:19    57         68/108  M5059   LUNENBURG       MA
699       Bob Dio             27:18    8:47      26:50    67         29/42    M6069   WORCESTER       MA
 
Open (21 Teams)
1. 1:15:49 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS                        (  15:10)
  2. 1:16:06 BATTLE ROAD TRACK CLUB                       (  15:14)
  2. 1:16:06 BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION                  (  15:14)
  4. 1:16:28 GREATER BOSTON TRACK CLUB                    (  15:18)
  5. 1:17:22 WESTERN MASS DISTANCE PROJECT                (  15:29)
 
40+ (13 Teams)
  1. 1:19:59 BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION                  (  16:00)
  2. 1:22:42 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS                        (  16:33)
  3. 1:25:37 SOMERVILLE ROAD RUNNERS                      (  17:08)
  4. 1:25:56 WHIRLAWAY RACING TEAM                        (  17:12)
  5. 1:28:04 GREATER LOWELL ROAD RUNNERS                  (  17:37)
 
50+ (10 Teams)
  1. 1:28:59 WHIRLAWAY RACING TEAM                        (  17:48)
  2. 1:30:41 BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION                  (  18:09)
  3. 1:31:13 SOMERVILLE ROAD RUNNERS                      (  18:15)
  4. 1:36:15 GREEN MOUNTAIN ATHLETIC ASSOC                (  19:15)
  5. 1:36:30 GREATER LOWELL ROAD RUNNERS                  (  19:18)
  6. 1:37:39 CAMBRIDGE SPORTS UNION                       (  19:32)
  7. 1:38:56 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS                        (  19:48)