Update... Training and Racing, etc.

It's been a little while since my last blogging escapade so here's a QUICK summary of what I've been up to 'running-wise'.... seems a little insignificant now that I'm a proud father and that's obviously the priority, but since this is called 'doublejrunning'.blogspot.com, I figured I'd come back to this and make some updates...

Photo - Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race by Scott Mason

Training Week: 4-29 - 5-05

Good, Bad, and Ugly week with the first mountain race of the 2013 season (which was good)... The bad was that my foot problem resurfaced out of the blue.  The ugly was the fact that I may have let a great opportunity slip away at Sleepy Hollow... more on that in a race report (hopefully).

57.8 miles

Running days: 6
Rest days: 1
Races: 1
Total running time: 7:40:17
Elevation Gain: 5580 ft


5-05 - Sunday: 10.4 miles - Huntington, VT - warmup (data) w/ Ferenc, MacKnight, Newbould, around some of the course + Race: Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race (results) (data).  4th OA.  40:29.  Was in 2nd at 4.5 miles. 3rd at 5 miles. 4th at 6 miles.  See the trend?  Not bad though considering my foot is a problem again.  Cooldown with same crew + Todd Callaghan (data).
5-04 - Saturday: 6 miles - Huntington, VT - running over the course (solo) at about 4pm.  Foot really bad on the climbs (data).
5-03 - Friday: Off.  Foot really bad.  Stretching and massage but stayed off it to try to help heal whatever it is that is going on... just trying to salvage Sleepy Hollow at this point.
5-02 - Thursday: 6 miles (data).  Madison, NH. Down 113 from my house to Silver Lake train station, then up along the dirt roads off the snowmobile trails and back.  Foot getting bad.  Took it really easy.
5-01 - Wednesday: 7.6 miles (data).  Madison, NH.  Down 113 from house to Silver Lake train station, then up along the power lines to Boulder Rd. and then back to the house on Conway Rd.  Ran into some serious flooding and had to take an awful, grown in, old side trail around.  Bushwhacked through thick woods, got ticks all over me, and had to scramble across a beaver dam to get across.  Foot starting to bother me pretty good.  Not good!
4-30 - Tuesday: 11 miles (data).  North Conway, NH.  From Whitaker Woods. First couple miles w/ KT. Then wandering as he did a workout.
4-29 - Monday: 16.8 miles.  Madison, NH.  First run at lunch - 9.7 miles (data) from my house down to train tracks and then up NH Corridor 19 then on dirt access roads up to Boulder Rd. then back on 113. Second run (trails) after work w/ KT at the Lower Nano trails off the Kanc in Albany, NH (data).

Photo - Muddy Moose Trail Race - by Tad Thomas

Mount Washington from near the summit of Chocorua

Training Week: 4-22 - 4-28

Good week of 7 days of training, over 9 hours of running, and over 9000 feet of climbing.  1 race in which I got my arse handed to me and ran substantially slower than last year but one place better... Got to also get up and climb Chocorua for the first time this year which was awesome.

62.1 miles
Running days: 7
Rest days: 0
Races: 1
Total running time: 9:22:36
Elevation Gain: 9256 ft

4-28 - Sunday: 15,7 miles - Wolfeboro, NH - warmup w/ Najem, Ferenc, and Justin Freeman on trails and dirt roads (data) + Race: (data) Muddy Moose Trail Race (results). 2nd OA. 1:32:12. Got destroyed by Ferenc who said almost said 'hoof!' to the course record on a very warm day... No cooldown as everyone was dead from the race...
4-27 - Saturday: 5.3 miles (data) - Madison, NH - short, easy run (solo) on some trails and roads from house.
4-26 - Friday: 6 miles (data) - Tamworth, Ossipee, NH - Logging Roads, dirt mountain roads, snowmobile trails. Summited Mt. Whittier w/ KT + wandering on logging roads and snowmobile trails.
4-25 - Thursday: 12.5 miles (data) - Albany, Conway, Hales Location, NH - Mineral Site w/ KT (first 2 miles solo...last 10.5 w/ KT).
4-24 - Wednesday: 12.2 miles (data) - Wandering around Madison trails, dirt roads, snowmobile trails, train tracks, etc. A little bushwhacking in there too...Solo.
4-23 - Tuesday: 3.1 miles (data) - Madison, NH.  Birthday run...from my house, up Cascades trail and up to Mooney Hill. Solo.
4-22 - Monday: 7.3 miles (data) - Albany, NH.  Chocorua run-up via Liberty Trail (up and down). Solo. 1st ascent this year. Lots of snow past 1.5.

Looking down the Ski Jump off the Kanc

Training Week: 4-15 - 4-21

Ho-hum week of lower mileage, 1 day off, and 1 slow grind of a 5k on a windy and rolling course.  Got a good win though with close to 2000 people which is awesome.  Bought a shed after the race on Sunday which is totally awesome.  It won't be delivered and constructed until late June...can't wait.

49.6 miles
Running days: 6
Rest days: 1
Races: 1
Total running time: 5:48:01
Elevation Gain: 2690 ft.

4-21 - Sunday: Off.  Spent the day at my parents and family in Wakefield NH at the lake.
4-20 - Saturday: 10.9 miles - Londonderry, NH.  Warmup 4 miles over course (data) + Race: Stonyfield Earth Day 5k (results)(data) - 16:35 - 1st OA. + 3.7 mile cooldown over course (data).
4-19 - Friday: 5 miles (data) - Conway, Albany, NH - Run from the middle school over some trails and the XC course + over to the ski jump off the Kanc. With KT.
4-18 - Thursday: 10.6 miles (data) - Madison, NH.  Silver Lake bang w/ Ian on his bike filming...
4-17 - Wednesday: 9.1 miles (data) - Tamworth, NH.  Chocorua Lake Rd. and snowmobile trails w/ KT.  Muddy good times.
4-16 - Tuesday: 10 miles (data) - Madison, Albany, NH.  Out and back in Madison, Albany. On 113 (solo) from my house up and down to Rt 16 and then to the White Mountain Waldorf school road entrance and then back.
4-15 - Monday: 4 miles (data) - Albany, NH.  Mineral Site w/ KT.  Short and easy. KT still feeling sick and I was good w/ just doing something short.

Looking North on the airstrip in Freedom, NH

Training Week: 4-08 - 4-14

Lackluster week with a race I really didn't ever want to do but did it to cross it off the list... Other than that, 2 off days right before that effort didn't help.  Legs were just beat.

46.6 miles
Running days: 5
Rest days: 2
Races: 1
Total running time: 6:10:30
Elevation Gain: 2955 ft.

4-14 - Sunday: 6 miles (data) - Pembroke, Duxbury, MA trails and roads (solo). From Kristin's parents house to Duxbury Conservation land...then wandering...
4-13 - Saturday: 12.5 miles - Andover, MA. Warmup on river trail 2 miles (data) + Race: Merrimack River Trail '10 miler'. 9.5 miles (data).  1st OA.  59:08 (results).
4-12 - Friday: Off.
4-11 - Thursday: Off.
4-10 - Wednesday: 10.5 miles (data) - Madison, Freedom, Ossipee NH - Snowmobile trails and roads. Loop from Black Brook Rd. out to airfield, around to Pine Barrens and back to Lead Mine via powerlines and snowmobile trails (sloppy). Solo.
4-09 - Tuesday: 10.6 miles (data) - Madison, NH - Lake bang w/ KT.
4-08 - Monday: 10 miles (data) -  - Eaton, Freedom NH loop w/ KT. Roads/Dirt roads.

Great Bay Half Marathon

A little late but a short recap from last weekend's half marathon...

I wasn't sure about doing the Great Bay Half Marathon (results) this year but after winning it last year and setting the course record (by 1 whole second), I decided to go back knowing that I am in a little better shape than last year at this time.  I also needed to get in some more racing and hard efforts (and long runs) so I decided to head on down to Newmarket, NH and give it another go.   I got the dreaded bib #1 from the RD but wasn't going to let that go to my head...I knew that I have had some challenges with my legs this year but have been feeling 'ok' fitness-wise (still a ways to go though).

The weather was windy but nowhere near what it was the day before.  The course is fairly challenging with constant rolls and a few decent hills later in the race but it's a pretty fair course.  It's also really varying with the scenery.  I starts in a nice neighborhood near the school and then winds through town and out into some back woods on about 3 miles of dirt roads before coming back along the water on some rolling seaside roads.  Then it dips back into some nice neighborhoods and back out into the downtown area for the finish.  I really do like the course but it's not exactly a course I'm expecting to set any PR's on or even come close... especially since I've run this race now 2 years in a row coming right out of a sub par winter of training.  I had a little bit more miles under my belt this winter so I was slightly optimistic, but after Eastern States a couple weeks ago, I wasn't holding my breath.

I warmed up with Jason Porter who was 3rd last year. We talked about our race goals a bit.  We both wanted around the same time and to just finish without issues.  He was dealing w/ PF issues just like I am.  After about 2 miles of warmup, I did another mile or so of warming up and strides before the race began. Right before the race I noticed my parents were there to watch the race which was awesome.  I also saw my old HS teammate Matt Lyons right before the start... He's running for GBTC now and is trying to get back into racing form (like I am). Matty and I were the '1-2 punch' in Wakefield, MA back in the day...Matty usually out ran me so it was time I try to return the favor...  I slapped on the Inov-8 233s and hit the road for the quarter mile or so run over to the starting line...

I wasn't sure of who else was in contention but knew JP and I would probably be out front in the half.  There is also a 5k that is run at the same time, starts at the same place, and just about runs the first 3 miles of the half marathon course....so I knew there would be a few guys going out faster than I would be running, for at least the first 3 miles.  As the gun went off, Casey Carroll took off (as I anticipated he would) and he brought a couple of other guys with him.  I took it relatively easy and felt relaxed as I hit the first couple miles well ahead of last year's pace. I ran a little bit with Mark Gibson (who was running the 5k) and then from 3 miles onward, I was on my own as the 5k guys went right and the half continued straight ahead.  At the split I was just ahead of Mark w/ only 2 5k guys ahead of me.

From that point on I was rolling along at seemingly the same pace throughout.  I was consistently clicking off splits under my splits from last year, even on some of the hillier sections.  This year though, the hills didn't seem as bad and the 3 mile stretch of dirt road didn't seem as bad either.  The one section I did have some issues with was the out and back stretch between miles 9.5 and 12. Right around 10.5 or so my hips and legs started to get a little tight and fussy.  I wasn't sure until about 12 miles that I would run faster than last year.  Even though I had split every split faster than last year, I still wasn't sure I could even win the race let alone run another CR until about 12 miles.  In the out and back section, there is a small loop around a neighborhood from about 10.5-11.5 where you can actually see the next runners as you circle back.  I had a decent lead on JP as I headed back out of the neighborhood (we passed each other right at the start of the loop).  Even then though I wasn't completely sure I could pull off the win until I turned back onto the main road and started to smell the finish line...

I came down the last road section and realized I was going to be about a minute or so ahead of last year's effort which felt awesome.  It also felt great to know that I really felt strong and in control the whole race.  I was never really hurting at all during this run.  Needless to say my confidence was boosted up pretty good as I headed down and crossed the line in 1:13:08 (which is exactly the same time I ran at NB a few weeks prior on arguably a much faster course).

Thanks to my parents for being there to cheer me on and take all these photos... Now on to continue to race myself into shape and figure out if I can ever get back to where I was a couple years ago (on the roads at least)...

Top 10 Overall:

Place	Name	Town, State	Age	Time	Pace
1	JIM JOHNSON	Madison NH	35	1:13:08.6	5:35
2	JASON PORTER	Bedford NH	43	1:17:15.9	5:54
3	MORGAN SOUTTER	Charlestown MA	37	1:17:41.2	5:56
4	SKYLER MOSENTHAL	Manchester NH	26	1:18:15.0	5:59
5	COLIN COOK	Bedford NH	31	1:21:02.7	6:12
6	STEVE DUTTON	Goffstown NH	35	1:21:03.3	6:12
7	CHRISTOPHER SMITH	Woburn MA	47	1:21:25.6	6:13
8	ALEX BROWN	Litchfield NH	25	1:21:47.9	6:15
9	PAUL CAVANAUGH	Rye NH	34	1:22:32.1	6:19
10	RANDY DOAK	Brookline MA	27	1:22:39.7	6:19

870 Overall Finishers.

Splits:

5:29/5:29/5:26/5:35/5:34/5:30/5:29/5:33/5:36/5:40/5:29/5:31/5:26

As you can see I was ahead of every split from last year, so that is definitely a positive.

	2012	2013
Mile 1	5:38	5:29
Mile 2	5:37	5:29
Mile 3	5:33	5:26
Mile 4	5:42	5:35
Mile 5	5:41	5:34
Mile 6	5:40	5:30
Mile 7	5:33	5:29
Mile 8	5:42	5:33
Mile 9	5:37	5:36
Mile 10	5:55	5:40
Mile 11	5:36	5:29
Mile 12	5:53	5:31
Mile 13	5:39	5:26

Me my mom...

Training Week: 4-01 - 4-07

My former Wakefield HS teammate Matt Lyons and I before the race...

Weekly Wrap Up: 60.4 miles.  3062 feet of climbing total. 6:54:48 total time.  Good week aside from the hamstring issue on Monday, which I attribute to being a little dehydrated.  Took it easy on Tuesday and barely did anything on Saturday (running-wise).  Good race on Sunday with a nice win at Great Bay Half Marathon in Newmarket, NH.  1:13:08, while not exactly lighting the world on fire (and almost 4 minutes back of my half PR) is a great leap forward for me considering my state of affairs over the past 6 months.  Getting very comfortable w/ that pace and ran very controlled.  The course isn't exactly fast and I was able to not only lower the CR but also run faster than I did a few weeks ago at New Bedford, which is hard to believe.  I also ran alone for the entire race with Jason Porter lingering in view for only a couple miles.  Progress is being made and the weather is getting better and better (although I see flakes in the forecast for Saturday here in Madison believe it or not....hopefully that changes).

04-07-13 - Sunday: 16.1 miles (roads) - 2.5 with strides (2 miles w/ Jason Porter + run to the start from the school and strides) + 13.1 mile race - Great Bay Half Marathon - 1st OA - 1:13:08 + .5 cooldown shuffle back to my car after the finish.

Race:





Warmup:



04-06-13 - Saturday: 2.2 miles (snow, trails, roads) from my backdoor up through the cascades in the snow and out to Mooney Hill and back down.  Small loop w/ some brief but cool views of 4000er's Passaconaway and Whiteface as well as Chocorua and the Ossipee mountains.  Makes me wish my house was another 200 feet higher up...the views would be amazing... Waited until late in the day after working in my woods and gathering blowdowns, etc.  Did a short shakeout to make sure nothing was killing me before the race tomorrow.





04-05-13 - Friday: 8 miles (dirt roads) w/ KT. Potter Rd. in Eaton.  Out (up) and back (down).





04-04-13 - Thursday: 9.2 miles (roads/dirt roads) solo.  From my house, down 113 and up to Washington Hill in Tamworth, then up and down High St. back to 113.  Nice hilly loop but worked it and felt pretty good.  Coming around for sure.  Just got to keep an eye on the hamstring and calves.





04-03-13 - Wednesday: 10 miles (roads) solo.  Flat out and back from my house in E. Madison.  Down 113 to 41 and then back.  Hammy tight but not horrible.  Felt really solid cardio-wise.





04-02-13 - Tuesday: 5.5 miles (roads) w/ KT and Justin Macomber from Whitaker Woods.  Very easy. Got to watch my hammy.  It was really sore today.  Instead of taking a day, I went real easy and tried to stay 'loose'.





04-01-13 - Monday: 9.4 miles (roads) with Kevin Tilton from White Lake State Park in Tamworth.  Hamstring knotted up horrible at about 7 miles.  Hobbled the last 2.4 (approx.) which was mostly flat and downhill.

Training Week: 3-25 - 3-31

Weekly Wrap Up: 56.5 miles on 6 days.  Good running for the most part with one day off and one slight issue w/ a knotted up hammy that I'm watching closely.  I was originally going to go hit up Gilmanton (as this would have been the first year since I started racing that it didn't conflict w/ Eastern States) but I opted to stay home and get some rest.  The weather is getting better slowly.  Still a lot of snow around and the trails are still icy and snowy and gross but soon enough the warmer weather moves in and we'll have more options for getting out.  I need to get my butt in gear and am pretty sure I have an OK 'base' built up (that certainly can be expanded on) and my fitness isn't completely junk.  I just need to add 10-15 more miles per week to the base and get more workouts in (in some aspect or another).  Working w/ KT on getting on the same page and getting back on the track or onto some tempo runs will definitely help me sharpen up. I also CANNOT wait to start getting up some mountains again in the warm weather...


03-30-13 - Sunday: 0.  Off day.  Slept in (to a degree) and felt GREAT doing so!  Played w/ the baby, got her ready, and then headed down the 2 hr ride to N.Andover, MA to my sister's for Easter.  Stayed there until after 10pm and had a 2+ hr ride home.  Didn't get home until 12:30am or so and not to bed until about 2am.  Exhausted.  My baby girl's first Easter was great though.  It's awesome sharing her w/ my family and getting everyone around her.  She's not sure what to make of it all just yet, but one thing I do know is that it's what life's all about...she's teaching me a lot even though she's only 3 months old!

Tabby w/ the Easter Bunny :)

My family...at my sister's house in North Andover.

03-30-13 - Saturday: 10.4 miles (snowmobile trails, nordic ski trails, single track, deep snow) Short out and back w/ film crew doing a documentary on me (believe it or not) and my quest to train for the mountain championship this July.  A lot of stopping to get shots (stills and video).  Did probably about 3 miles total. Didn't run my watch the whole time.  Plan was to go up to summit Chocorua but they bagged it only 1 mile or so in....ran back down then we went over to Rocky Gorge for some other shots.

Then I headed over to Rob Brook Rd. off of Bear Notch Rd.  Snowshoe loop at Rob Brook and up the Owl's Cliff snowmobile trail loop.  Deep snow, slow conditions.  Good times out in beautiful weather on the Dions! Video below...

03-29-13 - Friday: 8.7 miles (snowmobile trails, nordic ski trails, roads) with KT.  From Kevin's house in Center Conway, NH.  Out on 302 and then the Stark Rd. loop.



03-28-13 - Thursday: 5.4 miles (snowmobile trails, nordic ski trails, roads) with KT.  From King Pine.  Nordic and Snowmobile trails.  A little soft and muddy.  Roads on the way back (w/ KT).




03-27-13 - Wednesday: 9 miles (dirt roads, roads, deep snow) solo.  Eidelweiss loop (counter clockwise) up Pound Rd. up Glines Hill, then down Town Line Rd (big mistake)....all snowed in.  11 min. miles... Rolled the rest of the way easy does it.  Felt great on the other parts on the way back....very easy effort for a decent pace.




03-26-13 - Tuesday: 10 miles (roads) solo. East Madison Rd. to Freedom town line and back.  Holy crap was this run good.  It's got a hill or two...  Went from my house up E.Madison Rd. and down the other side, then out on 153 to the Freedom town line (5 out, 5 back).  Rolled on the way back except the 7th mile which was BRUTAL. I had all I could do to get under 7 min on that mile...Started out relatively easy and worked into it.




03-25-13 - Monday: 8 miles (dirt road)  w/ KT. Potter Rd. Eaton, NH.  Up and back.  Snow and ice on some of the road still made for some slick conditions.

The video...

A quick video to go with the photos from my Crossan Cup writeup from the other day... If you want to see  what is like to give it your all in a race (unlike what I did this weekend) watch this.... (the camera footage says it's Jan 1, 1993 ...it's obviously wrong. It's from June, 2004.)

Training Week: 3-18 - 3-24

Weekly Wrap Up: 62.3 miles for the week. A DNF at a great race I enjoy hurts a little, but I know that I simply wasn't ready to bang 20 miles at sub 6, one week after draining my half-filled tank at New Bedford.  I simply need another month or so of this kind of work to get my body back into it.  The GREAT news is that my legs feel good (or should I say better than they have in a long time)... the easy part is just working on fitness.  My mind is in it, and my legs are in it for at least 10 miles ... I struggled over the last few miles of NB and that makes sense that I would have run into some issues around 9-10 miles of ES20 this weekend.  What is needed is for me to keep pluggin' forward.  Keep up the runs, increase the mileage, start doing some workouts, and keep racing...oh yeah, and eat something before a race, especially if it's close to or equal to 20 miles!

03-24-13 - Sunday: 13.4 miles (roads) - 2 mile w/up in Portsmouth, NH at the high school.  Then Eastern States 20 Miler.  Led for just over 4 miles and then had Sam Jurek go past me (but I was still running under my goal pace so I let him go on ahead).  Then Eric Mendoza (GBTC) went passed and I kept under goal pace but started to slow a bit. I went through 10 in 56 something and just felt immediately terrible through the aid station.  I could still see 1st and 2nd but really started to feel awful.  I felt like I was borderline bonking. I took a gel but it didn't really help and I found my pace slowed to around 6 minutes.  I decided at 11 to drop and jogged very slow on the side of the road for about 4 tenths of a mile before stopping my watch.  Just wasn't feeling good at all and felt nauseated once I stopped.  I had waves of nausea but other than that just felt like I was too tired to attempt the 20.  I haven't run long at all and last week's 13.1 was a bit aggressive in itself, let alone running 12 on Saturday and then trying to grind through 20 on Sunday.  Even though the goal was just sub 2 hrs, I did want to try to keep it around 5:45-5:50 pace.  Once I fell off that just after 10 and then started to feel sick, I called it a day.  Disappointed for sure, but hopefully at least getting in a solid 10 will help me get back into shape.  I feel really bad about getting invited by the RD (because I won the race in 2010) and then having to drop, but I guess these days just happen.  My confidence was blown for about 12 hours but now that I've sulked a bit, I'm keeping my head up and trying to move forward.  I still want to go after the longer stuff, but I'm simply not in marathon shape and a 20 miler at that pace requires someone to at least be training for a marathon...like the rest of the guys in the field... I am far from that... Sam Jurek ran 1:52 something, which is a great time.  Also, David Corbett from around my old neck of the woods, ran a great sub 2hrs (which was his goal, as he was telling me before the race).  That was awesome to see. I watched him finish as I was being driven back to the hotel to get my stuff (which sucked).  Steph Reilly also ran the 3rd fastest time for women ever there....and she said before the race that it was her first ever 20 miler (she had never run that long before!)... not bad, 1 week after winning New Bedford.

The race (or at least part of it):


The warmup:



03-23-13 - Saturday: 12 miles (snowmobile trails) - w/ Paul Kirsch, Leslie Beckwith, and Frank Holmes (for the first 4 miles).  From Walmart parking lot, out on the snowmobile trails heading over to East Conway (around the southern base of the Green Hills.  Nice run on a nice brisk morning.  Good to get out.  Not sure it was a great idea the day before going and running Eastern States, but I need to get fit...so this is all part of it.  There is still a TON of snow...it's not going away any time soon. It looks like the middle of winter out there...




03-22-13 - Friday: 4.3 miles (roads) - w/ Kevin Tilton.  Kevin wasn't feeling too great and I was kind of looking for an easy day, so we just meandered around a dead end neighborhood (one of only a few) from my house.




03-21-13 - Thursday: 8.7 miles (roads) - w/ Kevin Tilton.  From Kevin's palatial estate in CENTER Conway.  Up Stark Rd. to Eaton Rd. and did a nice loop back.  Rock and rolled a bit on the way back. Felt good to open it up a little bit.




03-20-13 - Wednesday: 8.6 miles (dirt roads/snowmobile trails) - w/ Kevin Tilton from Chocorua Lake Rd.  Looped out on dirt/icy/snowy roads but managed to roll along pretty good. Made a mistake of hopping onto ungroomed, horrendously slow and sloppy snowmobile trails midway through.  Cut across back to the road.  It was really tough going through that section.




03-19-13 - Tuesday: 7 miles (trails, snow covered roads, snowmobile trails) - w/ Kevin Tilton from my house in Madison, out the back yard and up to the Cascades on virgin single track (first mile was like almost 14 minutes).  This one hurt.  Punched through to Mooney Hill, ran up to Pound Rd. and down on the road (but with Dions on....the road was good enough to run on w/ snowshoes) to the SOS clubhouse. Hopped on the snowmobile trails there and did a nice out loop towards Paul's house, then backtracked and cut down to E.Madison Rd.  Then 1 mile back to my house on the roads (taking off the snowshoes for that last section).  This one was a slog!




03-18-13 - Monday: 8.3 miles (snowmobile trails/nordic ski trails) - w/ Kevin Tilton from King Pine in Madison. Out to Freedom town forest and around a bunch of snowmobile and xc ski trails.  Trails icy but in good shape. Ran w/ the microspikes on.  Legs felt a little heavy from New Bedford, which I suppose is normal.

Crossan Cup Competition for 2013 (Men)

Gary Crossan in 1986

An early preliminary list of the Mt. Washington Road Race entrants are up and it made me start thinking about the local competition for the top NH Male runner at the race this year.  A little tracked statistic from the race, but one that is near and dear to my heart specifically because it's the only one I have any sort of outside shot of actually appearing in.

Each year since 1987, the top NH male and female runner in the race win the 'Crossan Cup', named after 4-time race winner Gary Crossan, who was tragically hit and killed by a train while on a run.  Gary was a former record holder (1:01:13) and last won the race in 1986.

This year, there are some good runners signed up.   One of the top ones that has to stand out is Kevin Johnson from the Western Mass Distance Project, who is fresh off of two USATF-New England Grand Prix wins in a row, including this past weekend's New Bedford Half Marathon, where he split 10 miles in 49:53 and went on to win in 1:06:04.  Aside from Kevin, there's another Kevin in the field (Kevin Tilton) who already has 4 cups of his own and has a 1:03 PR to his credit (which he will attempt to better this year).  Tilton is a two-time US Mountain Team Member who has a ton of mountain running experience and also lives in the shadow of Mt. Washington in Conway, NH.  He has the home court (or home hill I should say) advantage.

Some other newcomers to the field include Peter Najem of the BAA and Swanzey, NH and Greg Hammett of CMS and Chesterfield, NH.  Both have lived and trained in and around Keene, NH area.  Pete has been a road and track specialist but had a very good XC career at Keene State.  Greg does everything from snowshoe racing to mountain/trail, road, and track.  The only thing Greg hasn't dipped his toes into so far seems to be tower racing, but I'm not completely counting him out of that just yet.

The Freeman brothers are back and they are always in the hunt, as both of them have already won a cup a piece.  Other players in the field include Andy McCarron of CMS and Keene, NH who is returning to form after some injuries over the last year... Brandon Newbould of Whirlaway and Nottingham, NH who has been flirting with being the top NH runner anywhere, period.  He's a beast on the roads and trails...and coming originally from Alaska, I don't count him out for the hill this June....Patrick Ard (also linked to Keene State) has a sub 1:10 under his belt but didn't have a particularly good race but he's looking for redemption this year.  He weighs somewhere between 50 and 75 lbs, so he should be able to just float up the hill utilizing some of the thermals and light winds to propel him up without much effort, should he be healthy.  I will reluctantly add myself to this list as I have been runner-up for the cup here before, so I can't completely say I have no chance, but will not bet on beating either one of the Kevin's...  Lastly, not to count out the EIGHT time winner Craig Fram here..he will be 54 this summer, but he won the cup ONLY 4 years ago at the age of 50 with a 1:06:58!  ONLY 2 years ago he ran 1:08:50...so yeah, he has a shot for sure...

There are some other good runners on the registration list and there may be a few more added...If you think I've forgotten or left out some contenders, please comment below.

Here are the top competitors (so far) from NH (in no particular order):

First	Last	City/State	Best Time	Last Performance	Cups
Kevin	Tilton	North Conway, NH	1:03:42 (2005)	1:05:54 (2012)	4 ('05-'07, '12)
Kevin	Johnson	West Lebanon, NH	Debut	Debut	0
Justin	Freeman	New Hampton, NH	1:06:28 (2011)	1:08:00 (2012)	1 (2011)
Kris	Freeman	Thornton, NH	1:07:46 (2011)	1:07:46 (2011)	1 (2010)
Peter	Najem	Swanzey, NH	Debut	Debut	0
Greg	Hammett	Chesterfield, NH	Debut	Debut	0
Andy	McCarron	Keene, NH	1:10:17 (2009)	1:11:14 (2011)	0
Brandon	Newbould	Nottingham, NH	1:08:07	1:08:07 (2012)	0
Jim	Johnson	Madison, NH	1:07:22 (2011)	1:07:55 (2012)	0
Craig	Fram*	Derry, NH	1:03:20 (1995)	1:08:50 (2011)	8 ('95-'97, '01-'03, '08-'09)
Pat	Ard	Raymond, NH	1:09:58 (2011)	1:21:48 (2012)	0

* Craig will be 54 this year!

Most Cups Won (Multiple Winners):

Craig Fram: 8
Dave Dunham: 5
Kevin Tilton: 4
Mike Casner: 3

Longest Stretch Between First and Last Cup Wins:

1] : Craig Fram: 1995 - 2009 (14 Years)
2] : Mike Casner: 1987 - 2000 (13 Years)
3] : Kevin Tilton: 2005 - 2012 (7 Years) *
4] : Dave Dunham: 1990 - 1994 (4 Years)

* If Kevin wins the cup in 2019 (He'll ONLY be 37 years old then) he will tie Craig (unless Craig wins again)...

Crossan Cup Winners since 1987 (first year):

Year	Winner	Time	Overall Place	Age	Town
2012	Kevin Tilton (4)	1:05:54	18	30	Conway, NH
2011	Justin Freeman	1:06:28	8	34	New Hampton, NH
2010	Kris Freeman	1:07:56	15	29	Thornton, NH
2009	Craig Fram (8)	1:06:58	11	50	Plaistow, NH
2008	Craig Fram (7)	1:05:45	10	49	Plaistow, NH
2007	Kevin Tilton (3)	1:09:34	10	25	Conway, NH
2006	Kevin Tilton (2)	1:12:09	22	24	Conway, NH
2005	Kevin Tilton (1)	1:03:42	5	23	Conway, NH
2004	Joshua Ferenc	1:06:21	7	22	Westmoreland, NH
2003	Craig Fram (6)	1:03:27	2	44	Plaistow, NH
2002	Craig Fram (5)	28:28 (Halfway)	3	43	Plaistow, NH
2001	Craig Fram (4)	1:04:29	3	42	Plaistow, NH
2000	Mike Casner (3)	1:09:30	6	38	Keene, NH
1999	Thomas Anderson	1:04:36	8	34	Keene, NH
1998	Mike Casner (2)	1:05:48	7	36	Keene, NH
1997	Craig Fram (3)	1:04:48	1	38	Plaistow, NH
1996	Craig Fram (2)	1:04:22	4	37	Plaistow, NH
1995	Craig Fram (1)	1:03:20	2	36	Hampstead, NH
1994	Dave Dunham (5)	1:03:22	1	30	Londonderry, NH
1993	Dave Dunham (4)	1:00:44	2	29	Londonderry, NH
1992	Dave Dunham (3)	1:03:18	3	28	Londonderry, NH
1991	Dave Dunham (2)	1:02:07	2	27	Londonderry, NH
1990	Dave Dunham (1)	1:01:37	2	26	Londonderry, NH
1989	Jeffrey Robie	1:10:45	8	32	Kingston, NH
1988	Martin Kryska	1:06:11	4	23	Hanover, NH
1987	Mike Casner (1)	1:06:10	5	25	Bristol, NH

In 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, and 2004 Mount Washington served as the US National Mountain Running Championships.

Other fun facts about the Crossan Cup:

Only 2 times has the Crossan Cup been awarded to the Overall Race Winner.  Dave Dunham's last  win came in 1994 when he lived in Londonderry, NH.  The one other was Craig Fram's victory in 1997 (Plaistow, NH).

In 2010 and 2011, the Cup was won by brothers, Kris Freeman and Justin Freeman (both US Olympic Nordic Skiers).

The fastest time a Crossan Cup winner has run (to win the cup) is: 1:00:44 by Dave Dunham (1993)

The slowest time a Crossan Cup winner has run (to win the cup) is: 1:12:09 by Kevin Tilton (2006)

The worst place (overall) that a Cross Cup winner has run (to win the cup) is: 22nd by Kevin Tilton (2006)

The oldest Crossan Cup Winner is Craig Fram at 50 Years of Age in 2009.

The youngest Crossan Cup Winner is Josh Ferenc at 22 Years of Age in 2004.

Towns in which the winners have hailed from:

Plaistow: 7
Londonderry: 5
Conway: 4
Keene: 3

Craig Fram

Kevin Tilton heading up the last climb to the finish - 2009

Kevin Tilton's 4 Crossan Cups

2004 - Josh Ferenc finishing in style.

2004 - Josh Ferenc finishing in style.

2004 - Josh Ferenc finishing in style.

2004 - The infamous Ferenc w/ his hardware

Dave Dunham finishing quietly in 1988 (he lived in Lowell at the time, but it's a good picture)

Training Week: 3-11 - 3-17

Weekly Wrap Up:  52.8 miles on 5 days (yes two rest days as my legs are a horrorshow). 1 very good kickstart race (my 2nd worse NB ever but it's a step in the right direction...nothing but positives from this race).  I started some wheels in motion for some improvement on the leg situation (more on that later) and my training starts NOW.  My serious training.  Not 200 mile per week training, but regular normal serious training like the old days.  Back to basics.  No more 40-50 miles per week, winter type stuff.  This is springtime now (regardless of the foot of snow we are going to get over the next 36 hours).  Time to get organized.  Good times today at NB though...good catching up w/ some good guys and seeing the usual suspects out there all doing what we all love to do...

03-17-13 - Sunday: 19.6 miles (roads) - 5 mile w/ up w/ BAA crew (Ian Nurse, Dave Bedoya, Ryan McCalmon and a couple others.  Forgot to start my watch until about a half mile in.  Warmup was too long by my standards (5 miles) and it was fast (7:08 pace with us JOGGING the last quarter mile to the cars)... + Race: New Bedford Half Marathon - 1:13:08 (5:35 pace).  Ran within myself and didn't get hurt.  Big plus.  Race report to come. + cooldown (barely) w/ Goup, KG, and Boss Hammett.  1.5 miles of slow painful death on the beautiful side streets of New Bedford's equivalent of Lowell's 'Acre' neighborhood.

The cooldown...


The race...


The warmup...


03-16-13 - Saturday: Off - See below... I did do some 'legwork' on some things that will make me better.  Spent the day doing some shopping and talking w/ folks about what I need to be doing.  Productive day, related to body work...but no running except a couple of jogs across parking lots.

03-15-13 - Friday: Off - Legs completely trashed from yesterday's run.  Feels like I have a horrendous shinsplit.  Figure I can't possibly get any more quality work in before NB.  So a couple days here won't matter.

03-14-13 - Thursday: 11.8 miles (dirt roads/paved roads) - With KT (yes, KT is back at it) from East Madison (King Pine).  We did the 'Madison to Maine n' Back' run.  Up Horseleg Hill Rd / Towle Hill Rd/ Cold Brook Rd / Rice Hill Rd to the Maine border.  Since just about every road has a 'hill' in the title, you can imagine how hilly this run is. 1800+ ft. of elevation gain.  We took it 'easy' and still banged 7:37 pace (because of some of the downs) for the whole run. I bet in the summer we can hit under 7s for a tempo effort on this.  But seriously this run is pretty legit.  The effort was easy on the legs but still a decent beating on the lungs. Wind was bad on the way back and it got COLD. Towns run: Madison, Eaton, Freedom, Porter.  Climbing back up the ladder of 'fitness' but still need to figure out why my legs feel like they are turning to stone slowly...




03-13-13 - Wednesday: 5.3 miles (roads, snowmobile trails, single track) - This run was a mess.  Headed out solo from my house, down E. Madison Rd. to the snowmobile trails and headed over to 113. The trails closed on Monday for good.  The snow is too rotten and too many bare spots.  I fell FIVE times on my face.  Punching through rotten snow and through voids with streams running underneath. It was dangerous as hell.  I eventually came out onto 113 and went up behind the town hall to check out the small Ward Parcel trails. NO ONE has been in there all winter except maybe 1 guy and his dog.  The snow was horrendous.  Wet and dangerous.  I was all over the place in there.  Just a wash of a day.  But I wanted to just take it easy and recover so wandering around near my house and hitting some very slow trails was about right.





03-12-13 - Tuesday: 11.5 miles (dirt/icy roads/deep snow/paved roads/mud) - solo.  Tamworth, NH.  From Chocorua Lake Rd. parking lot off 16. Did the 'C-Lake Bang' in pouring rain.  Dirt road was ok for a bit, then it got icy through the section that isn't maintained in the winter.  I slipped a couple times and almost went down.  Rocked on the rest of the dirt road sections but it was very muddy and soft.  The 6th mile was completely snowed in. Not even snowmobile tracks to run on.  It was between ankle and knee deep and very wet.  After that mile I was able to roll again.  One solid road mile late and back onto sloppy icy dirt roads near the Brass Heart Inn.  Felt good.  Really crummy day out but needed to get out and get a solid road run in to get some sort of idea what to expect on Sunday.  I just don't want to completely be surprised when I step on the line at New Bedford.  I have an idea know that I can get through the distance...just probably not very fast... I was pleased with the effort today though, considering the elevation gain and conditions of the roads and weather (and a near 8 minute mile through deep snow)...still averaged a good clip.  On a flatter, paved course I would have been rollin' pretty good.  Progress is being made.  Maybe by June I'll be in shape.




03-11-13 - Monday: 4.6 miles (snowshoe) - with Kevin.  From Diana's Baths (Conway/Bartlett).  The plan was to head up North Moat and do a 10+ loop with some killer elevation.  That was scrapped before we even headed out after I locked my keys in my car immediately after getting there.  Then we just decided to go anyways and deal with the car after.  But we decided that since Kevin would have to drive me all the way home and then back with the spare key, that we would not go for the 2 hours it would have taken.  So we just decided to snowshoe for a bit up the Moat Mtn. Trail.  We only went about 2.3 up and then turned and headed back. I think neither one of us was feeling it at that point.  Nice easy day (with 500+ feet of elevation gain mostly just in the first 2.3 miles).

Granite State Snowshoe Championship

Photo - Scott Mason

Well that's a wrap... Another Granite State Snowshoe Series done and snowshoe racing season over with for 2013.  This year I ran in all six races and ended up winning all six (somehow)... The plan was initially to just run enough to score, but funny how things turn out.  Just before the season started, Kevin and I 'ran' up Potash Mtn. and I had such a hard time on the snowshoes, I actually vowed that I wouldn't race at all this season.  I have had no good solid training or workouts or races since August when I went down with my foot issues.  By the time the season started, I was hanging on to just trying to get out the door most days to get something in.  I never thought by the end of the season, I'd be lining up with some very fast guys at the Granite State Championships (results), with cash money on the line, and holding my own.  I really did think my time was up, but fortunately I was able to capture my 5th straight Granite State Snowshoe Series Championship (2009-2013).

I convinced Kevin Tilton to go down to the race this past weekend in Allenstown, NH (a town I still needed to bag).  I had never even been in Allenstown to my knowledge, let alone to Bear Brook State Park, which I've heard a lot about.  I was excited to run a course I hadn't seen before.  That's few and far between these days with snowshoeing.  Kevin picked me up in Madison on our way down and we headed down 28 all the way to the race and arrived in plenty of time to preview some of the course.  I had a feeling there would be some stiff competition there, as race director Ryan Welts posted a $100 prize to first male and female.  Kevin continued to sandbag and tell me that he'd be 6 minutes behind me, etc. and made it sound like the money was mine...I wasn't so sure.  With no good long runs (distance-wise) and very little runs where I wasn't completely sore from head to toe lately, I wasn't very confident in my fitness or body holding up over 10K to be honest.  The last 3 races I've run, I've had my hamstring seize up on me VERY early on.  And those races were shorter than this.  I was just hoping to run with KT and whoever else may show up and try to hang on without having to DNF to be honest.

The weather was amazing and had warmed up substantially by race time.  Just before the warmup I spotted Mark Miller (BAA) from a distance and immediately knew I'd be running for 2nd or 3rd.  I've never beaten Mark except in a snowshoe race, but that race had a crazy climb that I'm convinced is the only reason I was able to hold him off (at Mt. Greylock a few years ago).  I happened to have been used to those climbs on snowshoes that season and Mark was killing all the rest of that course so I was thankful the hill was there, but today would be different as there really wasn't that much climbing and certainly no substantial 'climbing' to be had.  Kevin and I did a short loop over the first and last part of the course. I made note of the last part, which is about a mile of mostly down and switchback to the finish.  I envisioned trying to stay with either KT or Mark on this part (if I was lucky).  When we got back and quickly changed for the race, I noticed Greg Hammett as well and I immediately now thought just a podium spot (if I could hold off KT) would be the goal.  I had absolutely zero faith or notion that I'd even be seeing Greg or Mark by a quarter of the way through the race.  Before heading over to the start, Bob Dion luckily noticed that I had a couple of BROKEN ice cleats.  Yes, broken.  I didn't even know (and I was warming up on them).  Being the awesome guy that he is, he quickly switched them out for me and I was off to battle with some new cleats.

When I got down to the line, I saw Jim Pawlicki as well. I was surprised, but he was actually supposed to be at Sidehiller I think, so he was due to show at a NH race at some point.  DD was also there and is always in the hunt, as he's in probably the best snowshoe shape (and general shape) I've seen him in in the last few years.  That was a solid 6 + anyone else who may be able to muscle out a 10K.  10K is very different than the 5k - 4 Milers I'm used to in snowshoeing.  It evens out the playing field a little bit and doesn't favor the faster guys as much sometimes... but this course had one thing going for it (that was in my favor I think) and that was that it seemed like the single track was FAST.  It was well packed, but admittedly very narrow most of the way.  As long as you could stay in the single track, you were fine.  I'd say the course may have been 90% or so single track (give or take).  The only concern I had was that it ended and finished essentially on single track (the beginning more of a concern than the end).  I didn't want to get caught behind guys immediately, even if they were faster than me.

Photo - Joe Viger

I stood around and sandbagged a bit with Greg and Mark.  Mark said he wasn't in good shape at all.  Greg leaned in and contradicted that statement.  I was pretty sure that it was going to be the Greg and Mark show and almost conceded the first two spots before the race even started.  We lined up and were off.  For some reason I moved out to the front and really tried for about 5 strides to make sure I got into the single track first.  I'm not sure why, even thinking back on it.  I guess I just decided right before the gun that I needed to try to run my race.  In snowshoeing I rarely sit behind someone, especially on single track.  Even in races where I know later in the race KT will go past me, I still go out and run my race early.  I have tried to sit before and it ends up backfiring on me.  So I blazed out early and took the lead in front of Mark, where I am never supposed to be.  Greg also.  I moved out front and immediately felt like I was holding back everyone.  I glanced back a few times to make sure I wasn't in the way.  I was very surprised at the lead I had early, but then thought about it being a 10K and figured I was being foolish by going so fast so early...but it really did feel relatively easy.  I kept thinking I was going too slow and needed to keep an eye on the guys behind to make sure that when they wanted to pass, I get the hell out of the way.

The first mile was a mix of twisting and turning, up and down single track (now that I think of it, the entire thing was!)... I kept looking back as I would hit a switchback or turn where I could glance over to see the yellow BAA singlet of Mark and Greg tight on his heels. Somewhere early in the first mile, I passed Scott Mason who told me 'nice lead'.  I was shocked, but that quickly turned to 'they'll catch me soon enough'.  On and on I pushed, thinking maybe I was going too hard?... I wasn't sure.  I hit the first mile somewhere in 7:18.  I kept it going until I got to the snowmobile trail section before this big open meadow. I felt super slow on the snowmobile trails because they were softer and slower than the single track believe it or not.  I wanted off and back onto the single track in a bad way.  That first snowmobile section felt LONG.

My second mile was 6:46, which is solid for those conditions.  When I hit 2 miles I glanced back on the long straight meadow section and could see Mark and Greg back quite a ways.  I was very surprised and thought I must just be going too damn hard for a 10K.  I tried to ease back a bit, but now kept trying to do some quick math, wondering if I could hold off that much of a lead if I blew up a little.  I also had no idea what type of climbing or course conditions lay ahead.  When I got back onto the single track, my pace seemed to get easier as the snow stiffened up and made for easier racing.

The third mile seemed like a lot of single track and I could no longer see anyone behind me.  I kept pushing ahead but tried to calm down a bit and just keep running.  The thought of just trying to not run too much slower than what I thought everyone else was doing, kept running through my head.  Thinking that if I lost just a little bit per mile the rest of the way, I could still hold off maybe. I hit a couple of ups where the snow was a bit loose or soft and wet, and seized up a bit.  The whole time, thinking that I was going to get caught at some point...it was just a matter of time.  Third mile clicked through in 7:33.

Photo - Scott Mason

The fourth mile I think consisted of a longer snowmobile section that had a nice climb to it.  It wasn't crazy long or steep, but enough to really slow you down.  I kept looking back but didn't see anyone. At the top of the snowmobile section, you dip onto some single track that has probably the steepest slope to any on the course. Talk about seizing up.  I got to the top and remember hopping over a log and almost stopping in my tracks.  I was gassed here, but luckily the conditions of the snow and the climbing got better quickly, and soon I was back on some manageable single track where I could start picking up the pace again.  I distinctly remember at 4.7 miles (on my Garmin) looking at my watch and looking back on a VERY long straight section of snowmobile trail (as I weaved back and forth across the trail looking for the most solid snow I could find)...I looked down and saw 4.7, looked back and saw no one. Looked ahead and saw a photographer standing in the trail, right before a left hand turn.  I asked him as I passed, if anyone was back.  He said no.  That was the first time all day I actually thought I could hold off for the win.  I remember smiling and thinking that I was actually going to hold off.  I figured with 1.5 miles left (IF the course was a full 10K) was no big deal because I knew most of the last mile was downhill on switchbacks, which I knew I wouldn't lose that much time on, even if I was blowing up.  Fourth mile was 7:50 with the climb and looser conditions...still solid.

Photo - Joe Viger

I hit the last junction with the switchbacks and knew I had the race won. I didn't kill that last section, but did keep looking over and up the trail on the turns, to see if anyone was making a last section charge.  I passed by Scott Mason and Joe Viger who were both there taking pictures in their own private photog-war... I zig-zagged all the way down to the finish and popped out on the last short trail section (which was so beat up and loose that I was glad I wasn't racing anyone there).  Fifth mile was 7:05 and my last almost full mile was 7:25. My Garmin was a bit short on the course, clocking in at 5.92 miles.

Photo - Joe Viger

I couldn't believe I had held off the charge of that field.  Now I stood back and waited to see how big or small the gap was.  To my surprise, it was a few minutes before Kevin popped out of the woods. I was shocked to be honest.  I think Kevin is the best snowshoer in the field, but early on in the race, when I was seeing Greg and Mark behind me, I had noticed Kevin back a ways, very early on, and thought he was done.  He had been talking about how he hadn't been feeling that great in the days leading up to the race, and he had been sick. I had counted him out of top 3.  He finished up in 2nd place with Jim Pawlicki coming out of the woods only about 5 seconds back, with Greg on his heels. I was amazed to see how well JP had run against that field and he popped out just a stride ahead of Greg, but held his own to the finish with Greg moving out along side him as they both dove for the finish.  It was closer than the 1 second the results showed, with it almost looking like a tie from behind, where I was standing.  A very exciting finish for sure.   DD came next and then Mark popped out of the woods a little bit later on and finished out the top 6.  I knew that Mark's race was not indicative of how fit he is right now because it just was an off day for him.  He's the best runner by far in the field, but I think the difference (without knowing exactly the extent of his training, which consists of a lot of different activities as he is a triathlete), is that I have spent A LOT of time on snow this winter. I have been spending a lot of time on snowshoes and/or running up and down mountains in snow with spikes or the mudclaws.  So I was very used to the conditions and additional effort of having to slog through a course like that.  I think if I spent all this winter on the roads or just trails (or even just snowmobile trails) I wouldn't have done as well.  Time in snowshoes just cannot be matched sometimes.  I remember Kelley Mortenson telling me at Nationals a few years ago (after I asked him how the hell all the guys who killed me there run so damn fast in those conditions) that he runs many many hours a week on snowshoes during the season. That hit home.  It's basically what it takes I think, to be able to run courses like this.  I guarantee you that my fitness is NOT better than Gregs or Daves or Marks.  That will be apparent this weekend when you see what I do at New Bedford.  But on snowshoes, I can hold my own just because of the slogs I've been doing up here this winter, all winter.

Photo - Scott Mason

Top 10 Overall (BAA in Yellow):

Place	Name	Age	City/State	Club	Time	Pace
1	Jim Johnson	35	Madison NH	BAA	43:22	6:59
2	Kevin Tilton	31	North Conway NH	Central Mass Striders/INOV8	46:24	7:28
3	James Pawlicki	38	Lynn MA	Central Mass Striders	46:29	7:29
4	Greg Hammett	35	Chesterfield NH	Central Mass Striders	46:30	7:29
5	Dave Dunham	48	Bradford MA	Central Mass Striders	47:27	7:39
6	Mark Miller	32	Parts Unknown NH	BAA	48:22	7:47
7	Danny Ferreira	30	Concord NH	acidotic RACING	49:35	7:59
8	Anthony Parillo	28	Sherborn MA		51:11	8:15
9	Phil Erwin	45	Ridge NY	acidotic RACING	51:17	8:16
10	Chris Dunn	44	Strafford NH	acidotic RACING	51:25	8:17

90 Total Finishers.

I cooled down on a park road that actually crossed over into Deerfield (although I already had Deerfield bagged) and back, with JP, KT, and DD.  I bonked on the way back and settled for some soup to bring me back to life before the awards and raffle.

For the effort, I got $100 of dirty cash out of Ryan's shirt pocket. I also got a bag of cookie and brownie crumbs in the raffle, and a sweet trophy for the overall win in the series.

Joe Viger photo set HERE
Scott Mason photo set HERE