Great Bay 5K

Favorite time of the year for running, not going to lie. Late October, leaves orange and yellow on the tree or falling. Doesn't matter. Ran low 17's a couple of years ago at this Great Bay 5K race a few years ago. Today, fingers crossed and willing, maybe sub 7's or 21 minutes? Easy half mile warm up from the pickup truck to the start line. Settled  in the roomy 3rd row in my black CMS technical tee reminding me of Dave Dunham. Race feels like it falls from Stratham to Greenland, NH. Quick course. CR was broken later that morning (low 15).

Off to a quick, good, clean, start, mile 1 just under goal pace with well over 75 runners single file strung out. Mile 2 was just over seven minute mile pace. Came down to the last mile really with another consistent just barely sub 7 to cross the finish line at 21:41. Translates to 6:59 pace. 84th place, 10th out of 28 in my age group. I will take what I get, battling, yes, racing. Feels so good. Competing. Times will improve with patience and smart diligence. 

Grabbed a water and a slice of watermelon beyond the finish and jogged a mile back to the truck, headed home. Happy. Competing. Keep it simple. 

Great Bay 5K 2019 race results

Essex North Shore Homecoming 5K

My training has been limited with the knees. MRI results a few weeks ago showed a medial meniscus tear in my right knee. The left knee which had the meniscus tear cleaned up in July has been grumpy. I have been running three to four miles about four days per week for the past month. Pace is between 9 and 10 minutes per mile. It is not pretty but it feels good to get out.

Krissy signed us up for the Essex North Shore Homecoming 5K. Our former high school, North Shore Regional Vocational Technical Institute merged with Essex Agricultural in 2014. Nice to see a campus thriving with 1500 students and vibrant athletics. CMS teammate, Dan Verrington is the cross country coach. He graduated from Essex in the early 1980’s. I was looking forward to getting on a start line and seeing how the legs would feel. This was going to be a challenging course with the up and down elevation every mile. My goal was to break 8 minute pace. I spoke with Dan to find that the fastest mile of the 3 mile course was the last.

The race starts and finishes on the track which is at the lowest elevation of the course. I had a dozen of runners ahead of me coming off the start on the track. Big climb up the hill and around the athletic fields and farm land. I had a little bit of a back and forth with a runner heading through the first mile (7:32) which lead us into the 2^nd mile up the hills and across the high point at exactly mile 2. I caught three high school kids along the way back to the finish but had to deal with a lap around the track.

One of the kids I passed earlier came back with 100m to go. I pushed side by side with him for as long as I could handle. I let off the throttle at the end fearing that something would pop, break, or collapse. Our chip times would be equal in the end (22:57.3). I placed 6^th overall, 1^st age group. GPS got 3.01 miles. I felt pretty good about the effort. So good to be back in a race. Legs held up OK but the left knee was screaming after I got out of the car an hour later.

Touring Nahant

I got on the fat bike yesterday morning for the first form of activity (beside walking) since meniscus surgery on July 2. I took the opportunity to take a ride from the house through the side streets of Lynn out to the beaches of Nahant (smallest municipality by population in Essex County). Despite having such a nice town three miles away, there is no public parking to speak of which makes this scenic town, surrounded by water so inviting to tour via bicycle. I visited several roads and trails that I have otherwise been running past for years. I got a chance to see additional WWII bunkers in the landscape buried around Lodge Park (East Point Loop Station). All in all, awesome ride for which with plenty of stops for photos, spent over 3 hours on the bike tour.

Boston Scientific Marlborough 5K

It was back to back company races for me with the Boston Scientific Marlborough campus putting on a 5K for the 3^rd year in a row to raise funds for the American Hearth Walk. This race was my 4^th 5K in a row since getting back to the races. My goal was to be competitive in the 40+ age group (top master ran 19:10 last year). The winning time was 18:10.

Not having run this 5K before, I researched the prior year results, course map, and elevation. The first two miles are fast with elevation drop. The last mile plus is all about getting back up to the campus from the bike trail. 

I did not know anyone at the starting line other than my team of seven from Quincy. I settled into 6^th place about 200M after the race got started. Mile one was sure to be quick with the gradual downhill to the Assabet River Bike Trail. My mile one split was 5:45. I tired a bit in the second mile with a 6:15 (30 seconds slower) letting who would be the top master runner get away from me. The last mile was all about climbing with tired legs. I was gassed, only finding energy to keep runners off my heels heading into the finish. My 3^rd mile was just over 7:00! Ouch. I finished 13 seconds behind the top master runner. I placed 6^th place overall and a time of 19:34. My Quincy team placed first overall with a 2^nd, 6^th, and 8^th place overall finish (top 3 score). Following the race, we were greeted with a BBQ and Ice Cream which hit the spot.

Results

Boston Scientific 3 mile - Quincy

I signed Krissy and I up for my companies 3 mile race in Quincy. I am the technical race director and helped the committee with the event the last two years. The Boston Scientific Family Summer Funfest is open to employees and family.  We were expecting over 140 to attend the event which had a little bit of everything for everyone. The race was just an additional attraction. We had 30 runners sign up for the 3 mile and 20 kids for the ¼ mile sprint on the picturesque Boston Scientific campus on the edge of the Neponset River. We had awesome weather, mid 60’s and sun when we arrived at 8:30. Krissy and I helped mark off the 1 mile loop (the race is 3 loops) with spray chalk arrows on the pavement and cones set up in strategic areas.

I grabbed the microphone for the loud speaker at 10:15, made some announcements while Krissy helped out with registration. We got the kids sprint off at 10:40 (10 minutes late) but it was a blast to call it and watch it at the same time. I put the microphone down, threw a singlet on, and made my way down to the starting line for the 3 mile race at 10:55 (10 minutes late). New England Timing got us off and on our way. I jumped up front with Yerry Garita and Ethan White. Yerry won this race last year in 20:42. The one mile loop would be done three times. Each loop contains about 1/3 of a mile of trail and gravel. The loose gravel got harder and harder to run on as the laps went by.

On the mic
Photo by John Picard

The three of us stayed together for the first two laps with co-workers cheering us on. We passed the mile in 6:18 and mile two in 6:33. Our pack broke up a bit in the last half mile with Ethan taking command into the trail. He was pushing the pace pretty good. It would be difficult to pass anyone on the trail along the Neponset River but it could be done with some authority. I had nothing left at the end of the trail and Ethan took a one second lead and stretched it out on the final 150m on the pavement to the finish line. I ran 19:09 (6:15/mile) to his 19:04 (6:17/mile). Yerry was right behind me in 19:39 (6:27/mile).

Ethan taking the win with me in tow
Photo by John Picard

I went back upstairs to the patio and MC’d the rest of the race and event getting folks fired up for the Dunk Tank, kids ready for the Silly Willy magic show. Pizza and an Ice Cream Truck showed up at 11:45. I called out some raffle prize winners and the recapped the overall winners of the race. It was a good time and great to see many smiles on the faces.

                       Boston Scientific 3 Mile Run

                   TIMING/RESULTS BY NEW ENGLAND TIMING

Place       Name                    Sex Sex/Tot  Time  Pace    

===== ===== ======================= === ======== ===== =====

    1    30 Ethan White             M     1/16   19:04  6:15

    2    18 Jim Pawlicki            M     2/16   19:09  6:17

    3     1 Yerry Garita            M     3/16   19:39  6:27

    4     6 Paul Cardoos            M     4/16   20:55  6:52

    5     9 Ed Duggan               M     5/16   21:08  6:56

Scamper for the Campers 5K

I ran this event in 2017 after seeing a race flyer at the Lynn Woods race. The same opportunity came about last Wednesday by means of seeing the flyer. I looked at the 2018 results. Brian Hamill won with a 20:17. We have raced and trained together over the years. I thought I might have a shot at a similar time this year and looked forward to the race after confirming that I could sign up at the race which takes all proceeds for Camp Fire.

I ran to Camp Fire for a 1 mile warm up only to find an empty parking lot. I was directed to Camp Lion which was less than a  mile away so I picked up the pace as I only had 20 minutes to get there, sign up, and get on the starting line. I got on the line with 8 minutes to spare and caught up with Stephen Martin, race director of the Lazy Dog Classy 3 mile, also in Lynn every January. 

Scamper for the Campers 5K start
Photo by Laurie Hamill

After quick instruction from the race director, Laurie Hamill, that the course was two of the exact same loop around Fay’s Estate, the race took off. The course was on the same roads as two years ago, just a new start and finish which did not require to run up Highland Ave at the end. 

I worked my way up to the leader, Dennis Donahue within 30 seconds. Brian joined as well. The three of us went around the first loop of 1.57 miles together, following the Lynn PD SUV. I took less initiation as we saw the mile go by in 6:18 which was quicker than I thought. I eased into the lead with the downhill to the Floating Bridge. The mile two split was 6:10 (did not see it) but now I was running scared as I committed. I got a little peace from the trailing foot steps of Brian and Dennis. I was working out the end of the race in my head. The peace did not last long as Dennis closed in with 400m to go. We had a little climb and I worked it with a steady cadence and opened the stride once it flattened out. Less than 200m left and the steps were right behind me, not knowing if it was Brian or Dennis. 

I got to the line for the win. I turned back and Dennis was only 5 seconds back. Brian came in right behind him 32 seconds later. My last mile was also a 6:10. I rounded up Brian, Dennis, Paul Hennessey, and Sal Genovese to run the upper Springs Pond trails only 50 yards away. It was once known for restoring health. We ran over to Peabody via Springs Pond Rd turning back before we reached Browns Pond. We had Beer, Soda, Water, and Pizza waiting. Krissy surprised me for a visit which was really nice. We had a few slices of Pizza and wrapped up a nice morning.

Scamper for the Camper 5K

Lynn,MA  June 2,2019 10:00 AM

     

Place Name                No.  S Ag City       St Time    Pace    

===== =================== ==== = == ========== == ======= =====

    1 JAMES PAWLICKI        77 M 44 Lynn       MA   19:35  6:19

    2 DENNIS DONAHUE       120 M 42 Lynn       MA   19:40  6:20

    3 BRIAN HAMILL         122 M 47 Charlestow MA   20:12  6:30

    4 ANNIE ROSE CARTER     65 F 38 Danvers    MA   21:21  6:53

    5 DAN CAHILL            73 M 40 Lynn       MA   22:38  7:17

2019 Scamper for the Campers 5K race results

Westfield Fast 5K

I met Dennis Floyd in Lynnfield to hit the road for the Westfield Fast 5K, a point to point course with a little drop in the last mile after the initial first two flat miles. Prior results confirmed that it was a quick course, maybe as much as 30 seconds for the top guys. We left the North Shore around 9:35 and rolled onto the Westfield State University Campus around 11:45 for the 1pm start. We hit three tough stretches of traffic on the Mass Pike that slowed us down.

I bumped into Barbara McManus who was not going to use her bib number. The transfer process was quite the ordeal as the folks at registration had no process for it. I took charge and said I would handle the administrative leg work. After some running around I got it done. I wrote transfer to # 285, Barbara McManus, all over my race application. I was nice to see my name in the results hours later. One less thing to worry about after the race.

After warming up for less than a mile with Dennis, I put myself about 20 rows back. Gun went off and I got my legs moving up and out of the WSU South Parking lot driveway for the only uphill. I stayed to the far left on the main road which was a flat straight away past Stanley Park where I have run many cross country races with Salem State.

My first mile was around 6:34, the first time seeing a six something mile in almost two and a half months. The next mile was a few seconds slower, 6:38 but I was feeling all right. The last mile dropped down a bit in terms of elevation into down town and I tried to open up the stride a bit but was not too sure if I could. I ran 6:20 and pretty much kept that pace to the finish line with a 20:11.1 chip time or 20:20 clock time.

I converged with some teammates to see how they did. Everyone ran really fast. Plenty of smiles all around. CMS had 24 guys. The open team was 3^rd, masters 1^st, seniors 1^st, and vets were 3^rd. I ran back to the start line with some CMS teammates.

This was my first race in a while and was curious about how my knee and lungs were going to react to the race after a lay off and minimal training. I received MRI results on Friday, the day before race. The knee pain that I have been dealing with is the result of a torn meniscus. I will be looking to an arthroscopic procedure soon which sounds like I will be back to running after 5 to 6 weeks.

Westfield Fast 5K results 2019