Lynn Woods Relay

Last night was the Lynn Woods Relay. Four people make up a team and each run 2.5 miles. I put the word out to the team, CMS, to see who was interested. I got interest to fill a masters and senior team. Chris Smith, who has been racing at Lynn Woods all summer, was nice enough to put down his SRR singlet and chip in for the CMS Senior team. Meanwhile, Nick Taormina saved the masters team as we were short one person and he stepped up late last week. 

Patrick Rich led off the masters team with the lead leg running 14:34. I had the second leg and took off up the hill. I was breathing pretty hard at the top of the hill so I knew the effort was good. I went through the mile in 6:01. I caught and passed the co-ed team. Shortly after that, I caught another runner going down to the turnaround spot. The next runner ahead was the 1^st place team, Erich O’Neil from Wicked. I was closing the gap but I could not catch him through the goat path and back down to the finish. I got within 6 seconds at the end (my split was 15:07) before passing off to Nick Taormina who ran 15:04. Nakri Dao kept the 2^nd place position in the end by just 5 seconds with a 15:47. The 3^rd place team (Filthy James had a 4^th leg race a 14:11). Our masters team won the division with a combined time of 1:00:32.

The Central Mass Striders 50+ team of Dave Dunham, Chris Smith, Martin Tighe, and Paul Young broke the Lynn Woods Senior team record, won the division, and placed 5^th overall. 

In summary, it was a fun evening for the teams. The low key atmosphere yet competitive enough on the trails make it fun for all, In addition, the team picked up half zip “The Woods” sweatshirts. This was the first time that I got a sweatshirt (1^st place team award) and twenty years after picking up what might have been my first Lynn Woods open team trophy that I gave back to Bill Mullen recently so he could recycle for the future. The night was capped off with a Pizza party with Krissy and the Wicked Running Club at Polcari’s on Route 1.

CMS 40+ team: Nick Taormina, Nakri Dai, Jim Pawlicki, Patrick Rich

Bobby Doyle Summer Classic 5 mile

Joe Shairs and I soaked to the bone after the race.
Photo by Nakri Dao

Joe Shairs, Nakri Dao and I headed down to Narragansett, RI for the Bobby Doyle Summer Classic 5 mile. It was the USATF 5 mile championship the last two years. It was not so for this year but all club representatives got invited down several months ago. The race has been really good to CMS based on our performances and Linda Hurteau is so nice to work with. I put it out there to CMS and got some interest to field a team.

The course was to change back to a former course and I must say I like it better. It offered a little more shade and fairly flat for the last couple of miles. I got out with a 5:37 mile out to the ocean. I hung out with WTAC’s Jeff Walker as we seemed matched well for the pacing. We have been battling at a few trail races this summer. Mile 2 had some climb to it and I recall a 5:59 split. Three miles brought me a 6:14 and I was dragging from there on. I lost Jeff and he rolled away into mile 4 battling Kayla O'Neil from the BAA.

I faded where I should have been cranking back down into the 5:50’s but  I was all done battling. I got to the finish line in 30:08. I managed 6^th in the 40-49 age group and 5^th CMS master runner. The team ran really well with Josh Perks, Robert Jackman, Joe Shairs, David Principe, and Kevin Gorman scoring the open team all within 20 seconds (28:40 to 29:00)! The Open and Masters teams took first place. Nakri ran a PR too. It was quick and fun road trip on another humid day in RI. Here are the results. Quick 5 mile period! I can't wait to see Scott Mason's photos of the race.