Lone Gull 10K

The USATF New England Road Race Grand Prix continued with the 6^th of 7 races this year with the 10^th Annual Lone Gull 10K in Gloucester. I warmed up with Joe Shairs, Gregory Putnam, Tim Van Orden and Martin Tighe. The conditions were perfect. Soon enough, I got into the starting area, six rows back. A good clean start rolled out. This is one of the best courses I see all year in terms of the scenery with the ocean within view for 75 percent of the course. I settled into the race in the opening mile seeing a 5:43 and moved up a few spots to rock with some Whirlaway guys: Scott Anderson, Mike Cooney, and Charlie Bemis. I heard 11:30 for mile two and was focusing on catching up with Dave Dunham about five seconds up. This led to my fastest mile of the day to mile three (5:36). 

I caught Dave around there but my momentum did not last too long. I felt flat in the stretch up St Louis Ave and Farrington Ave where Dave and I started to get some verbal support from Matt Curran who was on the bike. I bounced back a bit on Atlantic Rd to keep pace and connect again with Dave in the final mile. I pushed up the hill at mile six and came down to the finishing  stretch. I held Dave off but Charlie Bemis zipped by as I got over the finish line with a gun time of 36:07 (chip time of 36:02, 102^nd place overall) – a little slower than my 35:45 from last year. 2016 Lone Gull 10K results. The Central Mass Striders masters team placed 2nd to BAA. Next few races coming up: USATF Masters National 5K Championship in Syracuse and BAA Half Marathon.  Mile splits below. 

5:43

5:45

5:36

5:48

5:46

5:53

5:46 for the last .3

Seasons 20K road race

I was rolling along with Dave Dunham early in the race. I did not feel sharp but planned on rolling hard down the hills and press in the middle of the race. The hills continued with the humid air and cloud cover. We were racing the Seasons 20K, race number five of the New England Grand Prix, touring the back roads of Acton. I couldn’t believe the splits consistent in sixes, slower than what I wanted. I said to Dave “it is what it is.” He was quiet but steady company. We went back and forth through the hills until I was gassed out shortly after the wind and rain that passed through after 7 miles? It felt good, temps dropped a few degrees. Runners ahead including Dave and several Whirlaway guys ran past Shaker Lane (after 10 miles?) which was coned. I followed the runners for a few seconds trusting them for just that long before telling/asking Matt Germain “isn’t the course back over there?” He agreed and we yelled ahead for the guys to come on back to the course. Maybe 15 seconds were lost for me but far more for the guys ahead to had to come back to the course. I kept with Matt and Dan Chruniak for as long as I could back out on Rt 2A but relented in the final mile. I crossed the line in 1:18:21 (1:18:18 chip time) good for 43^rd but should have been maybe 15 to 20 spots behind that if the guys did not run off course.  My teammates of Todd Callaghan, Ed Sheldon, and Dave Dunham lost a minute to two minutes out there with the course mix up. Oh well. Our masters team came in 2^nd place in a good battle with Whirlaway. While reflecting, my time was almost five minutes slower than last year, 1:18:18 vs 1:13:23. Not sure what to make of that while my effort on Sunday was “race pace.” Full race results

Charlie Bemis leading the charge after the rain fell. I am way back in our pack starting to fade before Shaker Lane.
Photo by Paul Hammond

Coming into the finish area with Joe Navas chasing. He was impacted by the Shaker Lane missed turn three miles earlier.
Photo by Paul Hammond