Chelmsford and Friends Alumni XC race

I’d been struggling a bit this month with a very sore knee and finally got the results, a minor meniscus tear and a burst cyst.  If I could get the inflammation under control I wouldn’t need a cortisone shot, so I began working on consistently applying volataren gel.  In the meantime it was back to racing again.  I’d been planning on a return to the Chelmsford and Friends Alumni XC race.  I’d done this race 10 times and was looking forward to heading back.  The only drawback is that the race takes place at 11 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  I’m usually the only one at work on that day and they sort of count on me to cover.  I took 2 hours of leave and was off to Chelmsford in time for a course preview warm-up.  The course was in great shape, no mud or snow and only a little leafy section in the single-track above the outdoor track.  I decided to go with road flats with the course being in such good shape.  After switching into those and my lime green Billerica singlet I headed out for another mile to stay loose.  It wasn’t cold but the 45 degree temps seemed chilly with the wind blowing.  It was nice catching up with some people I rarely see.  A lot of Greater Lowell Road Runners were present and so many familiar faces.  Keith O’Brien (Chelmsford 1982) puts on a fun event.  30+ from 18 schools and ranging in age from 12 to 82 lined up and Richie Blake sent us of (Richie would both time and run the race!).

Don Fay, Keith O'Brien (not really from Brica), Me

Dave Dechellis took it out with fellow Billerican Don Fay and I in tow.  Dave pulled away quickly and by ½ mile in he was on his own and on his way to a 44 second win.  Don had beaten me by 43 seconds at USATF NE three weeks before and my goal today was to keep him as close as possible.  We hit the mile together in 6:14, this is the fastest mile of the course.  He pulled away right after that and immediately put 4-5 seconds on me. 

I kept the gap about the same and even closed a little right before 2 miles (12:56).  I kept working as hard as I could but could not narrow the gap.  Over the last .7 of the 3.2 mile course he put another 8 seconds on me to take second place 13 seconds in front of me.  I quickly changed shoes, did a 1.5 mile warm-down and zipped back to work to get back to my desk by noon.  Great fun!

Keith started in Billerica singlet and finished in Chelmsford

Place	Name	Sex	Age	Cat	High School	Time	Pace
1	Dave Dechellis	M	48	M45	Saugus H.S.	19:42.7	6:10
2	Don Fay	M	50	M50	Billerica Memorial	20:26.5	6:23
3	Dave Dunham	M	59	M55	Billerica Memorial	20:39.0	6:27
4	Rich Molloy	M	49	M45	Westford Academy	21:01.0	6:34
5	Jonathan Morris	M	55	M55	Methuen High	21:05.8	6:36
6	Kara Haas	F	53	F50	Westford Academy	21:39.6	6:46
7	Zack Roof	M	43	M40	Baylor School	21:48.7	6:49
8	Jim Rhoades	M	55	M55	Lowell High	22:38.2	7:04
9	Mark Blaisdell	M	66	M65	Wilmington H.S.	22:55.1	7:10
10	Keith O'Brien	M	59	M55	Chelmsford High	24:08.2	7:33
11	Mark Kohls	M	35	M35	Acton Boxborough	24:56.9	7:48
12	Glen Turgiss	M	60	M60	Chelmsford High	25:01.0	7:49
13	Kevin Christie	M	65	M65	Stoneham H.S.	25:02.4	7:49
14	Eric Beauchesne	M	53	M50	Chelmsford High	25:05.6	7:50
15	Peter Wasylak	M	68	M65	Dracut H.S.	25:10.3	7:52
16	Adrienne Ostler	F	39	F35	Tewksbury H.S.	25:21.5	7:55
17	Glenn Stewart	M	72	M70	Division Avenue H.	26:33.5	8:18
18	Matt Shapiro	M	51	M50	Chelmsford High	26:48.7	8:23
19	Liane Pancoast	F	65	F65	Jonathan Dayton	27:10.2	8:29
20	Mark Gallagher	M	59	M55	Chelmsford High	28:53.6	9:02
21	Rick Fijalkowski	M	56	M55	Lowell High	31:00.1	9:41
22	Andrea Cyr	F	38	F35	Shoreham Wading Rv	31:02.3	9:42
23	Lee Panas	M	61	M60	Chelmsford High	32:22.5	10:07
24	Anya Molloy	F	12	Fopen	Millis	32:29.1	10:09
25	Ella Haas	F	12	Fopen	Chelmsford	32:54.3	10:17
26	Trish Gabor-Therrien	F	45	F45	Magnificat H.S.	33:26.0	10:27
27	Richard Molloy	M	82	M80	Lowell High	34:01.3	10:38
28	Jim Stronach	M	66	M65	Tewksbury H.S.	34:27.4	10:46
29	Richie Blake	M	54	M50	Tyngsborough H.S.	34:27.5	10:46
30	Joe Ferreira	M	59	M55	Tewksbury Memorial	36:18.4	11:21
31	Rick Marais	M	72	M70	Lowell H.S.	47:04.7	14:43

Billerica colors

Third place prize

With RD Keith O'B

O'B showing off his flexibility