Looking back - 5 years ago

 

5 years ago – January 2018.  I raced six times during this month but most were shorter track races.  I ended up straining a calf muscle and was sidelined for a bit.  I started the year at the Frosty Four (01/01), I settled on the Salem race (a classic) since it had the earliest start time and is always well organized. It was cold, damn cold, for this one.  It was hovering a little above zero when I met up with CMS teammate Dan Verrington.  Most of the race would have a 10-25 mph crosswind.  I bumped into CMS teammate Jim Pawlicki and we headed to the start as the final few stragglers lined up.  Usually the race gets close to 600 finishers but on this day they only had a bit over 350.  The roads were clear and dry (except for some corners) and I took advantage cutting every tangent available.  I reached the mile in 5:52.  I didn’t look at my splits during the race, I did not want to expose my hands even for a few seconds.  My second mile of 5:56 had me the same distance back of the next runner.  I pushed to the finish for a 23:48. 

 Monday, January 1, 2018 Start Time: 10 AM  Temp = 3 degrees Wind = 10-25 mph

1          21:30     5:23      James Bailey       M          21         Danvers MA

2          22:00     5:31      Jordan Kinley      M          33         Salem    MA

3          22:30     5:38      Adam Cook        M          18         Melrose  MA

4          23:09     5:48      John Page          M          24         Beverly  MA

5          23:36     5:55      Paulo Amaral       M          37         Lowell    MA

6          23:48     5:58      Dave Dunham     M          53         Bradford MA

7          24:07     6:02      Mikael Sodergren M          35         Malden   MA

8          24:27     6:07      Dan Verrington    M          55         Bradford MA

9          24:36     6:10      Justin Jones        M          29         Danvers MA

10         25:05     6:17      James Pawlicki    M          43         Lynn      MA

 Next up was the Dartmouth relays,  this would be my 16^th time racing at the Dartmouth relays since 1981. Originally, I was planning on heading up and doing the masters 3,000 but due to “lack of participation” the 3k was no longer held.  I chose the 400, 800, and mile figuring worst case that would get me a decent speed workout.  It was 18 degrees below zero when I arrived at Dartmouth but there was very little wind and it was sunny.  The 400 was my first event and although I’ve raced the 400 

twenty-five times almost all of those were in the mile relay in high school.  I lined up with the only other competitor (a 71-year-old gent) and off we went.  I can’t complain as I picked up a win running 72 seconds.  I had just enough time to jog around the track and the 800 was lining up.  I hadn’t caught my breath as we lined up.  Norm Bouthillier (Whirlaway) and another guy were gone from the start and blasted the first 200 meters in 31 seconds.  I was alone in third place 7 seconds back but ran a steady pace with splits of 38, 39, 39, and 38.  I was really feeling it the last 200 meters!  Norm won by .3 seconds over a hard charging youngster (39 years old). It’d be an hour of 60 meter hurdles and 60 meter dash races before the mile was contested.  Twelve of us lined up including a couple of women, the ages ranged from 44 to 71.  My goal was around 5:20.  I went out “comfortably hard” but realized at 200 meters that I was more comfortable than hard.  I picked it up a bit but still hit 400 meters in 84.  I increased the tempo and started to feel a little steadier as I hit the half in 2:45.  I kept it very consistent after the 400 and even had a decent kick and ended up taking 2^nd place in 5:26 nearly a half lap behind Mark Mayall. 

 400 M Run

  1 Dave Dunham             M53 Bradford, MA                        1:12.27 

  2 Edward Dinnany          M71 Bellows Falls, VT      1:26.35 

 800 M Run

  1 Norm Bouthillier          M52 Exeter, RI                2:23.67 

  2 Patrick Joy                 M39 Salem, MA              2:23.99 

  3 Dave Dunham             M53 Bradford, MA           2:35.62 

  4 Dave Menard              M52 Waltham, MA                       2:42.59 

 Mile Run

  1 Mark Mayall               M46 Maynard, MA                        5:06.10 

  2 Dave Dunham                         M53 Bradford, MA           5:26.55 

  3 Geoff Dunbar            M47 Hanover, NH            5:39.52 

  4 Charlie Buttrey            M58 Thetford, VT           5:54.35 

 The next weekend I was off to Providence for the East Coast Invitational. The $10 entry fee was nice and the facilities are great.  Teammates Bob Jackman and David Principe signed up and we hit the track for some indoor running . The track was open since the first event would be the mile heats before our open mile.  We avoided getting knocked over and I felt pretty decent after getting in 3 miles.

I was hoping to improve on my 5:26 from last weekend and felt that 5:20 was "do-able".  Our heat was pretty big with 19 entrants.  The field spread out quickly and as I hit the first split (209 meters since a mile is 1609 meters) in 41.6.  I hit 400 in 80.2 and focused on the youngster from Haverhill right in front of me.  We passed a couple of guys before the half-mile (2:39.5) and soon after I went around the kid.  My next 400 was a 78.5 and I closed with a 77.5 for a 5:16.52.  I was very happy with the result, a 10 second improvement over Dartmouth. 

 Men 1 Mile Run (19 finishers, 3 50-59 finishers)

1 Bronson Venable           28                     Rabbit               4:38.33

2 Keith McAteer               19                     Tuesday Night    4:45.07

3 Trevor Mungeam           18        TVFR                4:49.76

4 Ross Mungeam             23        TVFR                4:52.15

5 Adam Courtemanche      19        SNHU                5:00.86

6 Timothy Maguire                                   Unattached        5:04.91

7 Robert Jackman            35        Central Mass St   5:07.38

8 Charles Kolie                19                     Unattached        5:10.22

9 Troy Lange                  23                     Unattached                     5:10.81

10 David Principe             50                     Central Mass St   5:12.97

11 Dave Dunham             53                     Central Mass St   5:16.52

12 Oscar Quinones           16                     Haverhill Flash     5:17.01

I headed up to Bates for the first time in over 20 years.  This was a pretty interesting race since it was 5,000 meters and WASN'T part of an indoor track meet.  The "Indoor Insanity 5k" bills itself as an alternative to racing outside in the cold and snow. My goal was to be 17:30-17:40.  Derrick Hammel lined up on the inside which made sense, he was aiming for 15:30 so he would have no company on this day.  There were 11 of us in the sub-20 minute heat and off we went.  I checked my watch at the 200 and was 41.3, right in the ballpark to run 42's so I settled in and tried to relax.  Coming out of the turn after the mile (5:38) my left calf had SCREAMED at me.  I had to dial it back right away.  I shortened my stride and ran a bit more flat-footed.  I was surprisingly steady through 2 miles (11:20.7).  I did not feel good and was very worried about my calf.  I crossed a little over a second behind in 3rd place and continued the extra 5 seconds to the full 5,000 meter finish line which I crossed in 17:46.3.  Not quite what I hoped for and sadly I knew as I limped back to the massage table that this was the end of my indoor track season.

 Indoor Insanity 5k (note: times are for 4975 meters)

1. Derrick Hamel              m34      15:25.7  Six03

2. Thomas Beckum          m42      17:40.2  Dirigo

3. Dave Dunham             m53      17:41.5 CMS (5,000 meters = 17:46.3)

4. Bill Mariski                   m56      18:33.6

5. George Sprague           m42      18:59.2