Derryfield XC: I’d run the course hard only once before
(1989) when Pinkerton Coach Mike Clark invited me to come run with his team who
were preparing for a big meet at Derryfield. My vague memory was that I
was going to pace the team through half of the course then run on my own.
According to my training log we “ran through and opening mile of 5:30 and
stayed together through 1.5 before I picked it up, hitting 2 miles in 10:55 and
finishing the course in 16:26”. My days of racing a 16 something 5k are
behind me…never mind doing it as a tempo run! Since the late 1980’s I’d
only been back to Derryfield twice, both times were very enjoyable “scouting
runs” to check out the course. Now I was back to race! It wouldn’t
be fast and it wouldn’t be pretty but I’d give all I’ve got.
I met up with Jim Pawlicki (CMS) and Shawn Conway (GLRR) and we carpooled to Manchester. This was an early race, we saw a really nice sunrise on the drive. It was 70 degrees and humid when we got to Derryfield. We got our numbers hit the appropriate porta-johns and got ready to warm-up.
The course was in good shape, just a couple of wet spots that could (mostly) be avoided. I brought Inov-8 trail shoes but probably could have used road flats. This course is tough! We barely broke 10 minute pace on the warm-up!
Only had time for a quick change into race gear and a trot to the line (arrived with 3 minutes to spare). Nice to see that about 120 were lined up ready to take on this course. John Mortimer gave the command and off we went.
The uphill start was tough and I was not feeling great. Jim gapped me right away and at the half-mile I counted 15 guys in front of me. People tend to go out quickly in XC so I wasn't too worried, but Jim was already pulling away. I hit the mile in 6:10 and was starting to pass guys. I caught Brett Rickenbach near the top of the climb and we ran back and forth through 2 miles. I got a couple of more guys (all four of the young Nashua kids who had gone out VERY hard) and tried to work the long downhill from 2 - 2.7 miles. I could see Jim up ahead as he passed Mark Laprade (I'd raced Mark quite a few times this year in the CAR series...he was 6 days removed from a 3:00 at the Berlin Marathon!). I had nothing left over the last 1/4 mile as I lost to a couple of kickers (DJ Ayotte flew by before the final turn and one of the Nashua kids had something left in the final straight). I can't complain with a top 10 finish and first in the 50+.
We quickly changed and headed back out on the course for a warm-down which included a bonus visit to the base of the McIntyre ski area...which added some vertical!
I met up with Jim Pawlicki (CMS) and Shawn Conway (GLRR) and we carpooled to Manchester. This was an early race, we saw a really nice sunrise on the drive. It was 70 degrees and humid when we got to Derryfield. We got our numbers hit the appropriate porta-johns and got ready to warm-up.
The course was in good shape, just a couple of wet spots that could (mostly) be avoided. I brought Inov-8 trail shoes but probably could have used road flats. This course is tough! We barely broke 10 minute pace on the warm-up!
Only had time for a quick change into race gear and a trot to the line (arrived with 3 minutes to spare). Nice to see that about 120 were lined up ready to take on this course. John Mortimer gave the command and off we went.
The uphill start was tough and I was not feeling great. Jim gapped me right away and at the half-mile I counted 15 guys in front of me. People tend to go out quickly in XC so I wasn't too worried, but Jim was already pulling away. I hit the mile in 6:10 and was starting to pass guys. I caught Brett Rickenbach near the top of the climb and we ran back and forth through 2 miles. I got a couple of more guys (all four of the young Nashua kids who had gone out VERY hard) and tried to work the long downhill from 2 - 2.7 miles. I could see Jim up ahead as he passed Mark Laprade (I'd raced Mark quite a few times this year in the CAR series...he was 6 days removed from a 3:00 at the Berlin Marathon!). I had nothing left over the last 1/4 mile as I lost to a couple of kickers (DJ Ayotte flew by before the final turn and one of the Nashua kids had something left in the final straight). I can't complain with a top 10 finish and first in the 50+.
We quickly changed and headed back out on the course for a warm-down which included a bonus visit to the base of the McIntyre ski area...which added some vertical!
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