Looking back - April 2019

5 years ago: April 2019 – I raced four times this week including a return to the Boston Marathon. I kicked off the month with the SEA 5k (CARS race #2) Last year I'd run 18:10 on a windy day, this year I thought anything under 18:40 would be good. I counted about 30 ahead at the first big turn.  By the mile (5:47) Ernie Brake was at least 5 seconds ahead and looking strong.  I slowly closed the gap and caught up to him right before we hit 2 miles (11:39).  We locked into a good fight back and forth over the next half-mile.  I was happily surprised to hit the finish in 18:12, only 2 seconds slower than last year and first in the 50+.  Ernie came in 9 seconds later (which was close enough to get him the win in the age-graded). 

 
Top masters
    1   1 M4044   16:43   5:23 Jim Johnson            41 M       1 Madison NH             
    2   1 M5559   18:12*  5:52 Dave Dunham         55 M      15 Bradford MA            
    3   2 M5559   18:21*  5:55 Ernest Brake           57 M     195 North Sutton NH        
    4   2 M4044   18:35   5:59 Mark Doperalski       42 M     246 Deerfield NH           
    5   1 M5054   18:40   6:01 Jim Angell               54 M     147 Hopkinton NH           
    6   2 M5054   19:12   6:11 Darin Brown            52 M      76 Madison NH             
 
Overall
1   1/3  MOPEN   16:09   5:12 Louis Saviano III                      28 M   248 Sandown NH             80.42%
2   2/3  MOPEN   16:10* 5:12 Aidan Cox                                13 M   316 Northwood NH          86.71%
5   1/13 M4044   16:43   5:23 Jim Johnson                            41 M     1 Madison NH                82.59%
14   1/18 M5559  18:12* 5:51 Dave Dunham                         55 M    15 Bradford MA               84.26%
15   1/3  FOPEN  18:20   5:54 Amber Ferreira                         36 F   343 Concord NH               81.31%
16   2/18 M5559  18:21* 5:55 Ernest Brake                            57 M   195 North Sutton NH        84.92%
25   2/15 M5054  19:12   6:11 Darin Brown                            52 M    76 Madison NH                78.02%
 

Next up was the Boston Marathon (04/15/19):  In 2019 I did TWO runs longer than 10 miles (a 12 mile in Feb and the New Bedford 1/2 marathon in March).  Not exactly what you want to do to get ready for a marathon.  My goal would be to just finish but I wasn't even sure that I would START the race until a few days before.  My goal for race day was to run under 3:30 (8 minute mile pace).  I thought I could run as fast 3:15 if conditions were good and I didn't have any issues. I tried to relax as literally THOUSANDS of people moved around and past me.  I figured 7:30's was probably going to be slower than I wanted to go but would just stick with whatever felt good.  It was difficult to judge pace as EVERYONE was flying by me, so I just dialed in on how I felt and kept it relaxed.  I got to the half in 1:33:55.  I was pretty sure I'd be under 3:15 and thought that with a strong second half I might even crack 3:10.   The next milestone was seeing mom, dad, rose, and denise who were enthusiastically cheering for me at the 15 mile mark.  After 10 miles very few people passed me and by 13 I was starting to pass people.

 Dave La finally caught me at 17 and then went by at 18 miles, he had started 4 corrals behind me.  I wished him good luck as his pace was too fast for me.  The toughest part of the hills was navigating between people at all paces from walking to barely moving.  At 22 I’d got back to Dave La.  We locked in together sweeping by a lot of people as I ran my fastest miles of the day (651, 658, 654).  I turned on to Hereford street with Dave but he went into a finishing kick that I could not match.  Dave (who started a couple of minutes behind me) finished in 3:03 while I came in very satisfied at 3:06:15 (7:08 pace) well under my goal and more importantly it didn't seem like I did any additional damage to my ankles.

 I  closed out the month at the CARS race #3 NHTI 5k (04/19/19): Not much turn-around time between Boston (Monday) and this race (Friday).  I did not have a goal other than to finish so that I’d continue scoring points in the series.  It was warm (mid-70s) and windy, and even humid for this double loop race. With the nearly circular loop there was never too much time either into or against the wind.  I made it through the first loop still with Scott Clark and Darin Brown lost ground in the second lap.  Darin turned it on and was able to out lean me at the line.  We were given the same time, but Darin was ahead.  I did get him in the age graded scoring. 

 
Place Div/Tot  Div   Guntime  Nettime Pace  Name                   Ag S Race# Hometown                Age %      
    1   1/3    MOPEN   16:41*   16:41  5:23 Aidan Cox              13 M   445 Northwood NH     84.02%
    2   2/3    MOPEN   16:41*   16:41  5:23 Sandu Ravenchele  49 M   479                           87.76%
    3   3/3    MOPEN   16:50    16:49  5:25 Kirpal Demian         17 M   155 Bow NH              77.81%
    4   1/29   M4049   16:57    16:57  5:28 Jim Johnson            41 M   204 Madison NH        81.45%
   14   1/36   M5059   18:40    18:39  6:01 Scott Clark            53 M   194 Gilmanton NH              80.95%
   15   2/36   M5059   18:54    18:52  6:05 Jim Angell             54 M   147 Hopkinton NH              80.65%
   17   3/36   M5059   19:10    19:10  6:10 Darin Brown            52 M    76 Madison NH                78.16%
   18   4/36   M5059   19:10    19:10  6:10 Dave Dunham            55 M    15 Bradford MA               80.01%
 
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 to 59
    1    14   18:40    18:39  6:01 Scott Clark               53 M     194 Gilmanton NH           
    2    15   18:54    18:52  6:05 Jim Angell                54 M     147 Hopkinton NH           
    3    17   19:10    19:10  6:10 Darin Brown             52 M      76 Madison NH             
    4    18   19:10    19:10  6:10 Dave Dunham           55 M      15 Bradford MA            
    5    25   20:21    20:19  6:33 Brian Perreault          53 M     430 Eliot ME