Looking back - August 2000

 20 Years Ago: August 2000 – I raced four times while amassing 480 miles during the month.  The 480 miles marks the most I’ve ever run in any August.  Weeks of 131 and 121 while in Europe helped with that total.  My goal was a few marathons and beyond in the fall, so heavy mileage was important, although I don’t think it had a major impact on my racing.  I started off the month (08/01/00) at the Newburyport Yankee Homecoming 10 mile taking 2nd place in 51:34. 

 The 42st ANNUAL YANKEE HOMECOMING 10 MILE

    1    51:21  5:09 MICHAEL SLINSKY        31 M  CHELSEA NY          SAUCOUNY

    2    51:34  5:10 DAVE DUNHAM            36 M  BRADFORD MA        CMS

    3    51:39  5:10 NELSON ROCHA           31 M  DANBURY CT

    4    52:04  5:13 DANIEL VERRINGTON   38 M  BRADFORD MA        CMS

    5    52:17  5:14 ERIC BEAUCHESNE       30 M  CHELMSFORD MA    GLRR

     9   53:16*  5:20 LARRY SAYERS           40 M  BELLOWS FALLS VT  CMS

   10   53:19   5:20 JOHN AYERS               34 M  BEVERLY MA             NSS

   13  53:40   5:22 JONATHAN CORSO       31 M  HAVERHILL MA         WHIRL

   14  54:14*  5:26 DOUG MARTYN           40 M  NO ANDOVER MA      WHIRL

   16  54:24*  5:27 PATRICK MOULTON     18 M  PELHAM NH

   18  54:39   5:28 JOE SHAIRS                 32 M  PEABODY MA            NSS

   19  54:57*  5:30 LOU RISTAINO            41 M  EAST BOSTON MA     WHIRL

   28  57:19*  5:44 LAURENCE OLSEN        53 M  MILFORD MA            TVF

   32  57:41   5:47 PATRICK RICH              23 M  SO HAMILTON MA     WC

   37  58:49   5:53 JOHN GILLIS                36 M  MANCHESTER MA      NSS

   44  59:14   5:56 SUSANNAH LANDRETH  32 F   NEWBURYPORT MA   CMS

 Eleven days (08/12/00) later I had a solid run at the Bridge of Flowers 10k.  The time wasn’t great (32:26) but there is a nearly mile long hill in the race.  I went out conservatively in 9th place at the mile then worked my way up to 5th place by the top of the hill.  I held on to 5th place trailing only Non-New England runners and as such was the USATF New England Champion. 

 THE BRIDGE OF FLOWERS CLASSIC

    1   PAUL MWANGI            33 M OSSINING NY                 30:58   4:59

    2   PAUL MBUGUA            38 M FARMINGTON NM           31:02*  5:00

    3   MALCOLM CAMPBELL   29 M MARIETTA GA                31:48   5:07

    4   MICHAEL CHETTLE      23 M HOBART, TASMANIA       32:13   5:12

    5   DAVE DUNHAM           36 M BRADFORD MA               32:27   5:14        CMS

    6   SANDU REBENCIVC     31 M W SPRINGFIELD MA        32:50   5:17        GSH

    7   DAN VERRINGTON      38 M BRADFORD MA               32:57   5:19         CMS

    8   NELSON ROCHA          31 M DANBURY CT                 33:13   5:21

    9   ERIC LAVIGNE            24 M ASHLAND MA                 33:50   5:27        GLRR

   10  LARRY SAYERS           40 M BELLOWS FALLS VT         33:52   5:28        CMS

    13  GARY GARDNER           29 M ELMONT NY                 422 CMS          34:46   5:36 CMS

   14  MATT KOCYBA            26 M BIDGEFIELD CT             421 CMS          34:52   5:37 CMS

 16  KEVIN BECK             30 M CONCORD NH                420 CMS          34:59   5:38 CMS

   18  CARLOS RIVERA        26 M SPRINGFIELD MA            370 GSH          35:22   5:42 GSH

   23  DENNIS FLOYD         23 M LYNN MA                   577 GBTC         36:11   5:50 GBTC

   25  ROBERT CHASEN       45 M SO WEYMOUTH MA         685 TVF          36:16   5:51 TVF

   27  STEPHEN PETERSON 34 M CHELMSFORD MA             433 CMS          36:23   5:52 CMS

   28  LAURENCE OLSEN     53 M MILFORD MA                361 TVF          36:27*  5:52 TVF

   29  KEVIN MCCUSKER     43 M ASHBY MA                  117 NMC          36:32   5:53 NMC

   31  PAUL FRATINI           35 M LUDLOW MA                 636 GSH          36:42   5:55 GSH

 The following week (08/20/00) I was back in Susa Italy for the Challenge Stellina, a 9.5 mile mountain race on the slopes of Monta Rosa.  I had a reasonably good race taking 9th place in 1:23:30 and picking up $100 (200,000 lire).  I trained pretty hard that week and into the following week as teammates Paul Low and Dan Verrington joined in for three runs a day nearly every day.  Between runs we’d eat, nap, and play cards.  Despite the hard training I still managed a good run in Austria at the Kitzbuhel mountain race (8 miles with 4,000’ of climb) on 08/27/00.  I took 3rd place in 1:00:28 and won $250 for the effort.  The final 400 meters was brutal with each 100 meters tougher than the last.  My final 100 took 45 seconds (12 minute mile pace).