I got up at "normal" time (420am) and drove to downtown Bradford for a short run on the rail trail. I always feel much looser during my second of the day and was hoping this would translate to a faster race. It was already 75 degrees as I completed 4 miles and the sun had yet to rise. It was going to be a hot one.
I got to Chelmsford by 8am for the 9:30 start and was surprised to park next to (UML 1997) Phil Cootey. After some chatting I went over and picked up my number and bumped into Bob Sullivan (race director and heck of a guy) and Tom Hildreth (heck of a guy, known him since my high school days). I collected my number and a 2018 "Sullivan Farms Racing Team" singlet. I was rocking the 1999 version, which was the last time I'd won the race. I met up with teammate Jim Pawlicki and we struck a time to warm-up. It was now 85 degrees and drippingly humid.
 |
| With Bob Sullivan |
Jim and I met up with CSU's Terry McNatt and we headed out on the course to the 1.5 mark (and back). Jim checked in with his dad right at the turn-around. Man, it was hot and humid. I felt pretty tired and very nervous. Two miles is not really in my wheelhouse...nowadays I'm not sure if anything is in my wheelhouse. I switched into my fast shoes (Piranha's) and noted to Phil that they were the only thing fast about me. I hit the road for another mile and arrived just as the anthem was being played.
 |
| With Jim Pawlicki |
The start line is pretty wide which is great for 2,000 starters. Inevitably there are a lot of little kids on the line which can be pretty dangerous. They go out hard but after 100 or 200 they are done and basically stop which can me a collision. If you make it under the highway safely you will be fine. I set my garmin to beep every 1/4 mile and was hoping to hit 82's which would get me under 11 minutes. The course drops 10' in the first 1/4 mile then climbs 60' in the next mile. From 1.25 it drops 55' in 1/2 mile before climbing 20' in the last 1/4 mile. That last quarter always seems BRUTAL.
I plunked myself on the start line on the right side (tangent) with 4 little kids right next to me. Zoom! We were off. I almost laughed when we went under the highway and the kids were screaming (Tom H had told them on the start line that was what they should do). I had no trouble with kids stopping, but from 1/4 mile to 1.25 I was passing people (which was nice). I hit the 1/4 in 78, a bit quick but with the drop and the excitement of the start pretty decent. The next 1/4 was an 83, for a half mile in 2:41. I was hot but felt pretty good as the climbing started. An 83 and and 85 (yikes!) meant a half in 2:48 and the mile in 5:29 (with the tenths of a second it was more like 5:30). I felt that 11 was possible! There were still people to catch and I got a nice sip of water and sprayed from super-soakers both felt good. Two more 82's (1/2 in 2:44) and I was still on for sub-11. A downhill 81 had me thinking it was in hand...but I knew there would be tenths of a second to deal with along with Granite State Timing (which is notorious for adding a couple of seconds to EVERYONE'S times). I kicked for all I was worth, and the only person to pass me during the race went by at that time.
I saw the clock at 10:50 and it ticked and tocked and I gave all I had. Ugh. I just missed it. Official time of 11:01. Can't complain, it was my fastest 2 mile since 2012. I'm hoping this gave me a little bump of speed heading into Loon mountain this weekend!
My history at Chelmsford
|
Date
|
Dist.
|
Time
|
PL
|
Field
|
Notes
|
|
07/04/84
|
2.10
|
9:38
|
1
|
100
|
9:11
at 2 miles
|
|
07/04/89
|
2.10
|
9:27
|
1
|
300
|
8
Sully's in top 12! 2nd place Eric Beauchesne 9:33
|
|
07/05/99
|
2.00
|
9:23
|
1
|
1127
|
85
and muggy 90% hum. Got Chris Teague at 1.5
|
|
07/04/00
|
2.00
|
9:20
|
3
|
1368
|
Ryan
Carrera 9:17, Sean Livingston 9:19, both went by in the last 400
|
|
07/04/02
|
2.00
|
10:07
|
9
|
1467
|
Dan
9:56
|
|
07/02/05
|
2.00
|
10:27
|
21
|
1517
|
5th
40+ (Paul Hammond 9:58)
|
|
07/04/06
|
2.00
|
10:40
|
22
|
1718
|
5th
40+ (Tom Doody 9:55, Dan 10:05)
|
|
07/04/12
|
2.00
|
10:31
|
33
|
2140
|
2nd
in the 40+ humid and upper 70's felt pretty beat
|
|
Additional
Carson Memorial Races (not on the fourth)
|
|||||
|
07/22/90
|
5.00
|
24:57
|
1
|
150
|
Won
$150
|
|
07/13/91
|
5.00
|
23:49
|
1
|
98
|
65
very humid rainy
|
JOHN CARSON 2 MILE ROAD RACE July 4, 2018 2 Miles Chelmsford, Mass. Place Div/Tot Div Time Pace Name Ag S Race# City/state ===== ======== ===== ======= ===== ====================== == = ===== ============== 1 1/137 M1929 8:50 4:25 Louis Serafini 26 M 1 Brighton MA (ties CR) 2 2/137 M1929 9:15 4:38 Neal Darmody 28 M 2 Bow NH 3 1/117 M3039 9:23 4:42 Brian Harvey 31 M 34 Cambridge MA 4 1/153 F1929 9:54 4:57 Katrina Coogan 24 F 24 Cambridge MA (New CR) 5 3/137 M1929 9:54 4:57 Ben Bosnorth 23 M 25 Boston MA 6 1/44 M1516 9:59 5:00 Michael Griffin 16 M 36 Wrentham MA 7 1/159 M4049 9:59 5:00 Patrick Rich 41 M 703 S. Hamilton MA CMS 8 2/153 F1929 10:07 5:04 Holly Rees 25 F 30 Cambridge MA 9 4/137 M1929 10:18 5:09 Justin Britton 28 M 1777 Brighton MA 10 2/117 M3039 10:19 5:10 Jason Dedonato 32 M 1819 Newfields NH
11 2/159 M4049 10:22 5:11 Ryan Carrara 41 M 1852 Hudson MA (won in 2000)
16 3/159 M4049 10:35 5:18 Chris Mahoney 40 M 1853 Westford MA CMS
26 1/116 M5059 11:01 5:31 Dave Dunham 54 M 69 Bradford MA CMS
35 4/159 M4049 11:20 5:40 James Pawlicki 43 M 44 Lynn MA CMS
39 2/116 M5059 11:29 5:45 Terry McNatt 53 M 101 Needham MA CSU
No comments:
Post a Comment