Carver 5 mile (USATF- NE Championships)

med ctr 6k = 5:57 pace 5/8/11

rhody 5k = 5:39 pace 6/5/11

10k track race = 5:50 pace 6/12/11

carver 5 mile = 5:42 pace 7/3/11

I am going to make this post short and sweet. The 5 miler in Carver was my first race since the HASLAW downhill mile on 7/3/11 and only my 2nd since Mount Washington but my training has been very good and I am healthy. Without a doubt the heat got to me as did the fact that I probably went out over my head for the first mile (5:20). I would use the same approach, however if the race was run again today. That is just how I race. It has to be aggressive or I don't want to be there. My final time of 28:32 was a bit off my goal of 27:30 but I think everything is heading in the right direction for me to honestly say that I have that time (or better) in me.

The above list of races shows a progression of my results since returning to racing 5/8/11. That is what I am taking out of all this and I look forward to racing again soon.

Week ending 7/31/11

Mon 7/25/11 no run 0 miles

Tues 7/26/11 7 miles in AM PM track 1 x 2 mile in 10:49 (524/525) 800 rest 1 x 1 mile in 5:20 (4 straight 80's) 400 rest 1 x 1/2 mile in 2:31 (400 rest) 1 x 1/2 mile in 2:34 2 before / 1 after 15 miles

We 7/27/11 AM 3 miles easy PM 6 miles easy

Thur 7/28/11 48 minutes ( 6 miles) PM 40 min (5.5 miles)

Fri 7/29/11 AM easy 30 minutes (3.5 miles)

Sat 7/30/11 AM 3 mile warmup / 5 mile 28:32 / 3 mile warmdown

Sun 7/31/11 AM 1 hr 40 min w/ JJ some trails (Gordon's Hill plus) but mostly roads out to Indian Hill (approx 14 miles) 63 miles / 6 days for the week

Week ending 7/24/11

Mon 7/18/11 AM easy 3 miles

Tues 7/19/11 AM easy 4 miles PM quicker 4 miles

Wed 7/20/11 AM 50 minutes slow 6.5 miles

Thurs 7/21/11 AM 58 minutes steady 8 miles

Fri 7/22/11 AM 8 miles slow 62 minutes

Sat 7/23/11 AM 53 minutes at times quick 7 miles

Sun 7/24/11 AM 2hr 3min run with Dan Verrington, Mick Grant and Mark Behan. Winni Kinni from DV's house plus 2 loops of Winni and back. 15 miles. 55 miles for week. Heat and life caused limit to amount of mileage but pleased with everything.

Week ending 7/17/11

Mon 7/11/11 Felt pretty good considering the mid 90 degrees and humidity. This is a very good indication of my current fitness where in the past the heat would just make me want to stop. Worked the hills. 6 miles.

Tues 7/12/11 AM 46 minutes ( 6 miles) PM 42 minutes (6 miles)

Wed 7/13/11 AM 47 minutes (6 miles) PM 52 minutes w / JJ (7 miles)

Thur 7/14/11 AM Very easy and controlled (aka Slow) 59:13 (7.5 miles)

Fri 7/15/11 AM Another easy 64 minutes Prep course loop (8.5 miles) PM 53 minutes w/ JJ Gordon's Hill plus (7 miles)

Sat 7/16/11 AM very easy 59:44 ( 7 miles) PM 50:54 steady (6.5 miles)

Sun 7/17/11 PM Hot and hilly 10 miles in 72:29. 75.5 miles for the week.

My 5 Most Memorable Relay Legs

The other day I was thinking back to the olden days and began to think about relay races. With all the relays that take place nowadays it made me want to list my top 5 most memorable relay legs. Its not a very impressive list but its all from memory because I have no running logs.

5. Mill City Relays 1988 leg # 1. Ran for the Greater Lowell Road Runners (GLRR) and ran the Nashua leg and had a good battle with Greater Boston's Gary Wallace as I out leaned him at the handoff for leg #2. I think I handed the baton to Art Demers. Someone may have more info on how we finished but I think we won never relinquishing the lead. I ran the inaugural Mill Cities way back when for the Merrimack Valley Striders and anchored in the first ever championship. Those results are somewhere in some serious archives.

4. Lynn Woods 10 mile relay (4 x 2.5 cross-country) 2009. Ran leg # 3 in 14:03 and handed the baton to Dave Dunham who took the CMS Master's team into victory with a course record time. Team members were Joe Shairs (low 13 minutes. Dan Verrington, myself and DD). DD has all the splits and total time. The course has since been changed but the race is still run every summer.

3. 1981 dual meet versus Lynnfield HS. 4 x 440. Cinder track. Meet hinged on the result of the mile relay and I ran the 3rd leg. I had run the 2 mile earlier but given that I was probably not pushed (10:30)I was ready to bust out a 55 and overtake some burly Lynnfield kid who had pushed me as I took the baton from my teammate. Bill Sullivan anchored us in to victory which made for a sweet bus ride home.

2. Plymouth to Provincetown relay (final year I believe) 1988. Again running for the GLRR and again given the first leg. 7 am start pouring rain, 10 mile leg over hilly course. Had a tremendous battle with Wayne Levy and Pat Gilhooly. No clue as to how fast we ran that leg in but it was fast. I remember running through massive puddles and having my shoelace come untied towards the end of the leg. Gilhooly and I sprinted to the finish and I think a second separated us at the handoff. We would finish 3rd as a team.

1. 1980 Class C State Relays. St. John's Prep. Danvers MA. Distance Medley Relay. As I type this I am having trouble remembering the members of the team. 440 leg. Senior Mike Prattt (team Capt), 880 John Costello (Junior) 1320 leg Bill Sullivan (Junior) Mile David Quintal (Junior). Damn I hope that is accurate. I received the baton 5 seconds behind in 2nd place. Now I wasn't the best miler but that day I ran a 4:35 to overtake the lead as I began my final lap. It was my only Mass State Championship but to do it with teammates was very cool.

HASLAW Manchester Mile (downhill)

Sunday 7/3/11 I took my two youngest boys to Manchester NH to participate in the 1st annual HASLAW Manchester Mile. This race was put on by Millenium Racing directed by running guru and legend John Mortimer. Mortimer was interested in putting together an elite field to race down Bridge St which features 188 feet of drop during the mile race. Using his contacts in the running world, Mortimer gathered some fast dudes which resulted in a winning time of 3:43.99 by Brian Gagnon (Lowell, MA/ UConn/ Adidas). One other highlight was watching former ULowell mile record holder, Kevin Alliette (Whirlaway) take both the 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile bonus and still record a 4:07. My race went pretty well as I found the early going tough with a limited warmup and not running both Friday and Saturday leading into the race. I finished in 4:39 and was 3rd in the 40-49 division. Giovanni also placed 3rd in 7:31 for the 10 yr olds and Julian won his 6 yr division with a time of 8:09.

Week ending 7/10/11

Mon 7/4/11 AM 61:42 (8.5 miles) Prep loop PM 59:30 (7 miles) out and back to Island Pond Rd

Tues 7/5/11 AM easy 50 minutes (6.5 miles)

Wed 7/6/11 AM Steady 55 minutes out to route 28 via Goodhue and back (7.5 miles) PM 38 minutes w/ MQ up and down the street of Tower Hill (4.5 miles)

Thur 7/7/11 32 minutes quick city run from Oxford Street powered by a Stroh's (4.75 miles)

Fri 7/8/11 AM 53:43 steady and at times quick feeling lighter and more responsive (7.2 miles)

Sat 7/9/11 AM very easy 60 minutes (7 miles)

Sun 7/10/11 PM 82 minutes out in 43 min and back in 39 minutes. 11 miles. Hot.

64 miles for the week and that is a good week for me. I am trying to somehow show up at the starting line for the Stowe 8 miler next Sunday.