Epic Train Trail Run Bradford to Salisbury 20 miles



20 miles and tired
Top Row L-R: Dan Verrington, Scott Mason, Todd Callaghan, Jim Pawlicki, Joe Shairs, Robert Jackman, Joe O'Leary, Dave Principe
Bottom Row L-R: Dave Dunham, Dave Lapierre, Ken Tripp, Thor Kirleis

 Dave Dunham and Dan Verrington planned out a run from Dan's house in Bradford (Haverhill) to Winner's Circle in Salisbury a few weeks ago. The course is a combination of flat roads (6 miles) and trails (14 miles) for a grand total of 20.5 miles. Here is a course map. Joe Shairs and I drove up to Winner's Circle to meet up with seven others to brave the cold morning. It was about eight degrees outside. Ten of us piled into three cars and drove down Rt. 495 to Dan's house to begin the run at 8:13. The oldest runner of our group was Scott Mason (54 years young) while Robert Jackman (29) was the youngest. They and Dave Principe drove up from Rhode Island for the festivities. Also within the pack was Todd Callaghan, Ken Tripp, and Joe O'Leary. We ran southeast along some trails and roads until we picked up the rail trail from Georgetown center. I was familiar with the trail trail that heads northeast toward Newburyport as Dave and I biked it a few years ago. It was fun to run with the group, share stories, and talk about the previous day's United States Olympic Trials Marathon (men and women). We had a water stop at 9.8 miles in Byfield where we met up with a few others such as Dave Lapierre and Thor Kirleis. The cold miles clicked by, eased by the conversation. It took us two hours and forty two minutes to reach the Winner's Circle in Salisbury. It was pretty cold so everyone wasted no time getting into our cars and dispersing. Dave Dunham took several pictures along the way that highlighted some landmarks and icey beards.

Fifth Annual Wicked Frosty Four 2012

Dan Verrington, Dave Dunham, and I after the race
in Collins Cove, Salem

January 1, 2012 - Salem, MA

I was in the midst of packing boxes for the move to the new home in Lynn. The training all week was light, as in a few days of a mere 30 minutes per day. However, the Wicked Frosty Four mile road race was an option on Sunday morning so I took a break from the move. I ran from the apartment in Beverly to the race in Salem with a bag of racing gear on my back, 2.9 miles away. This was the perfect warm up distance. I registered and chatted with Joe Shairs who was timing the race and entering the "day of" entries into the database. The weather was great for January, low 40's with some wind. Dan Verrington, Dave Dunham, and Ben Strain were representing CMS and on the starting line. Ben got a great start and I settled behind Dan. Dave was right behind me. I missed all mile splits, did not care too much, just raced along. Four guys, including Ben were in the lead for the mile. I was in the next pack behind Dan. I caught Ben and Dan heading into mile two behind the Salem Willows. Dave Dunham came up on us as we exited that neighborhood. Dan, Dave, and I worked together, shared the lead of our pack of through 3 miles. I got a few steps ahead of them with 1000m to go. I felt all right and was ready to battle if anyone pulled aside me into the last 400m. Dave Dunham did just that and as we stepped on the cobblestones on Front Street. I edged him out for the fourth place finish, 21:51, 5:28 per mile pace. I shook hands with the competitors and ran into the race headquarters, Tavern in the Square, to get some dry clothes on, pack my bag and run back to Beverly. In doing so, I caught up on the cool down with Dan and Dave and did some of the course backwards until I found a street that would get me home to continue packing.

I am in the new homestead in Lynn as I write this. I have trails 800m from the front door that Joe and I covered over the weekend. Lynn Woods are two miles away. Another two miles toward the ocean puts me in Swamscott and four miles away is Nahant. Joe and I tore up a long run on Sunday, hitting every hill we could find in Nahant (think of the Nahant 30K in September).

1 Eric Sofen 26 M SEATTLE WA 21:25 21:25 5:22
2 Nick Sousa 28 M Salem MA 21:31 21:31 5:23
3 Michael Nickerson 22 M Salem MA 21:33 21:33 5:24
4 James Pawlicki 37 M Lynn MA 21:51 21:51 5:28
5 Dave Dunham 47 M Bradford MA 21:54 21:54 5:29
6 Dan Verrington 49 M Bradford MA 21:58 21:59 5:30
7 Ben Strain 33 M Beverly MA 22:07 22:08 5:32

2012 Frosty Four full results