Run-A-Latke 5K

This 5K in Swampscott offers a bit of coastal scenery and views of Boston. This is just a few miles from the house. Kristen was hired as the photographer so this presented a chance to get a quick timed run in. Run-A-Latke 5K Photos and Start video

My calf was still tight and took the day before off from running. I got off the line and counted over 20 people head after 400m. I ran sort of flat footed to ease the strain on the calf. Mile 1 went by in 7:11. Then the course climbs a bit before getting out to Humphries Street. I passed the last runner at that point. Mile two slowed to 7:21. 

I was trying to not get caught from anyone I passed in the previous mile. I caught up to a youngster in the last 400m but couldn't catch him into the finish which climbed a bit. Last mile was clocked at 7:07. 11th place. Time was 22:20. I lived and did not die. I jogged another mile before shutting it down and calling it a day. 

Chanukah Run-a-Latke 5K results

ECTA Thanks for the Trails 5K

Tough week had me hobbled with a calf issue since Monday's attempted tempo run. I passed on running the WCRC Turkey Trot in Newbury on Thanksgiving Day. This race, the next day on Friday, would at least allow me to get a run in. I adjusted all expectations to just finish and enjoy the show. Rain was approaching and started 20 minutes before the 10am start in Patton Park, Hamilton.

Coming down the hill. Photo by Roger Perham

I ran a warm-up in the park, running through an area selling Christmas Trees. They were freshly cut, offering a long lasting pine scent. I started off the race in the 2nd row next to neighbor and trail wiz, Freddie Tribeck. She would navigate us through a half mile before I went ahead. My calf was annoyed and each stride reminded me. Oh, new course by the way, now mile 1 stays in the trails, no more Rt 1A road/sidewalk. 

With Roger Perham and Paul Croft

Up and down the hill. I got passed by five runners on the way up. On the 2nd loop, up another hill, shorter and steeper, I passed them all back but one. I walked the 15 yards before cresting through the top of the hill. Two more runners were picked off on the way to the finish. 

George S. Patton Park and a tank of a landmark

Roger Perham caught photos on the bottom of the hill. Matt Curran, cheered me onward with 400m to go. Miss those days we battled. He is tied up with a bad knee unfortunately. 

26th place awaited me. 7th 40-49. GPS measured out 3.25, so race pace was sub 8's instead of the 8:16 paced 25:39 race time for a 5K distance. Overall, I lived, did not drop out, no drama, just slower. Runners are stubborn creatures. I need to be smart, get healthy. Hard to do. 

ECTA Thanks for the Trails 5K results 2021

Thanks for the Trails Video Recap

Rachel's Run - Tyngsboro

This was the 5th and final race of the 2021 USATF New England Cross Country Grand Prix series. This would be my 3rd XC Grand Prix event this fall after running the GBTC Invite in Carlisle and the New England Cross Country Championships at Franklin Park two weeks ago. Rachel's Run would be a 5K course run behind the Academy of Notre Dame combining everything cross country from rolling hills to mud. CMS would have exactly five runners. We had an incentive to finish a masters or senior team to compete for the last of the team cash prizes in the series. My goal was to hang with CMS teammate, Paul Bazanchuk as he finished about a minute faster than my effort at XC Nationals in October.

Trailing Paul After 600M

The opening of the race goes across a baseball and soccer field, up to the school driveway, then dips sharply to the pond (see video below about 600m into the race). Runners are met with a slight climb through orange and white painted roots approaching the hum of Rt 3. The trees get taller and the woods darker with a little mud before going up the steep climb through Abrams Hill. Runners crash down and it rolls gently before flattening out of the woods and back onto the baseball field to complete lap 1 or exactly 1.5 miles. 

Dave Dunham making sure I stay on course

The plan to stick with Paul was working in the first half of the race as I trailed by 5 seconds. He gapped me up and down the rest of the hills in the second lap. I got past a few runners in the last mile to finish with a time of 22:26, 35th place, 5th CMS runner. Paul finished 21 seconds ahead. Our mix of age groups finished 5th in open and 1st 40+. 

Lonely in the 2nd lap

My splits for the 3.09 distance were: 7:25, 7:03, 7:26

CMS finishers: Tim Van Orden 18:29, Steve Brightman 18:48, David Harper 20:30, Paul Bazanchuk 22:05, James Pawlicki 22:26

Photos and Video credit to Kristen Pawlicki

My finish 

Video taken by Kristen Pawlicki, 600m after the start

2021 Rachel's Run 5K men's results

2021 Rachel's Run 5K team results

USATF New England Cross Country Championships

It was good to be back at Franklin Park for the New England Cross Country Championships. The race was held at Mine Falls last year as a 5K during the pandemic while USATF New England flirted with in person racing. The year before, I had very little training off meniscus surgery in the summer of 2019 and dropped out before two miles into the 8K. 

My goal today was to get through 5K quicker than the 5K National XC effort weeks earlier (under 22:30) and keep the pace up for the full 8K. I found myself running with John Barbour early on in this race. We have competed against each other going back into the 1990's. John actually made a friendly comment after the mile marker, running next to me. It must be a good day if I am running in John's company. I would be lying if I said I was not feeling a bit nostalgic running with John who has a tremendous racing background. He is one of the nicest runners out there. The type that is complimenting you and asking how you are doing before you can shake his hand after he won a race. 

John put some earth between us in the wilderness loop. However, I caught up with Brian Bealieau. We went through the 5K mark where I was 40 seconds quicker than at Nationals. I noted and mentioned to Brian that he appeared to be 40 seconds slower than then. He whipped me that day by almost a minute. I was able to get a few strides on Brian over the next mile and a half and hold him off at the end by seven seconds. I would finish with a time of 34:58. John would finish one place ahead in 34:43. Meanwhile, my teammates from CMS, the 50+ team, would duplicate their win at Nationals with a win at New Englands. Scott Leslie (40) would finish 7th overall, cracking the top ten as I told him he would under the CMS tent prior to the race. 

I ran a cool down with Brian B. and Matt Lyons. We cheered on the open race where CMS had Scott Mindel (racing team manager) and Keith McAteer running 32:57 and 33:58 respectively. I broke down the CMS tent, took a few photos of the seniors and hit the road with Todd Callaghan. Photo credits below to Dave Dunham who made sure I kept motivated during my race.

splits: 6:43, 6:57, 6:57, 7:03, 7:01

Masters Results

All other results

USATF National Masters XC Championships - Franklin Park

Todd Callaghan and I car pooled into Franklin Park and had the Central Mass Striders tent set up nearly 2 hours before the 10:45 start time for the 40/50 year old race. It was nice to have this race being hosted in Boston as the 2020 race was cancelled due to Covid-19. I had to show my vaccination card for the first time today. The other option was to show results of a negative test. I was competing for the CMS masters 40+ team today and was the 5th man behind Scott Leslie, Erik Johnson, Dave Dunham and Dan Verrington. Dave and Dan were declared down into the 40+ team so we could score a team. The senior team, 50+ had six runners: Greg Putnam, Tim Van Orden, Scott Grandfield, Todd Callaghan, Joe Shairs and Steve Brightman. Paul Bazanchuk was the teams lone 60+ runner on the day.

After the teams checked in 25 minutes before the start time to verify we all had the same singlet with front and back bibs, I headed out for a 13 minute warmup (1.5 miles). I jumped into a quick team photo and got onto team box # 2. The senior team was in team box #13. The starting gun went off and away the race went. I settled in and ran through mile 1 just under 6:40 and not feeling too sharp slowing down through Bear Cage Hill and losing ground to Brian Bealieau (21:33) who I was hoping to run with after he was with me half a mile in. I saw mile two around 14:15. I ended up passing one runner from there on out finishing 80th out of about 100 runners. My time was 22:30. My goal was to run a low 21 minutes. So overall, was pretty flat out there after the opening mile. The 40+ team finished 6th out of 7 teams. The senior team, placed first overall! I ran a 2 mile cool down with the team and hung out with them for the awards ceremony.  

Greg Putnam, Steve Brightman, Scott Grandfield, Todd Callaghan, Joe Shairs, Tim Van Orden

Frank Nealon Boston Tune-Up 15K

Hit the road for an easy one hour drive to Upton, MA for the 4th of the USATF New England Road Race Grand Prix races - Frank Nealon Boston Tune-Up 15K. Since the series got underway in August, a 5 mile, 10 mile, and 10K have been hosted in short order before the end of September. I failed to make a presence at any. This race was a chance to do a CMS team race on the roads. This is also, potentially may be the last race of the shortened Grand Prix, Covid-19 recovery year of 2021. A recent runner survey seems to have some interest with a 5K road championship to be held in November. That may align well for me as I have run more 5K's this year than I have in the last decade. 

Around mile 9

Photo by Barbara McManus

I ran this race about 3 years ago so was well versed in the rolling nature and quiet roads. I checked in with my CMS teammates, handing out fist bumps before the national anthem. I was anxious. My longest race all year was a 10K in and around seven and a half minute pace. I set off at the start with no serious expectations other than running comfortably hard. And that I did. Most miles were under 8 minute pace and reached the finish line with an overall pace of 7:53. Chip Time was 1:13:27. That placed me 27th out of 37 in the 40-49 age group and or 128th out of 216 runners. Splits below. CMS Open and Masters Men's Teams were 4th and 2nd.

Full Individual 15K Results

742, 749, 803, 749, 759, 749, 805, 752, 731, 704 pace for the last 0.4 miles

Following the race, I got a chance to scout out a 1989 San Marino Yello Chrysler Conquest TSI for sale. It was an automatic and the owner owns four, all automatics. It was not registered so could only test drive it around the Storage Facility. It needs some work and would be a fun project. If anyone knows of a Conquest TSI or Mitsubishi Starion ESI for sale, please let me know. 

Stride Along the Tide 5K - Nahant

Many things to love about this YMCA race. 

• Free Entry thanks to East Boston Savings Bank who sponsored the race
  
• Nahant offers the best scenery and least vehicle traffic
• Early Saturday start at 8:30, enjoy the rest of the day and weekend
• Event was 15 minutes from home

Dave Dunham and I ran the course as a warm-up. He had a map to guide us and I had a very rough idea of the course but not the terrain on Wharf Road. Key take-aways: know where the hills are and recognize the fast to flat finish. I told Dave that I was going to dog the race a bit; save some muscle for a 15K 25.5 hours later with in a USATF New England Grand Prix Road Race. 

Not going to lie, it was ok to chill in the opening miles with a 7:21 and 7:20. I pushed down to a 7:09 for the final mile to make room for a "do not make me sprint" to the finish. My watch captured 3.07 miles, 7:16 pace and a time of 22:18. Officially: 22:16 for 13th place, that is 7:11 mile pace based on a 5K. Good enough for 1st in the 40-49 age group.

Dave picked up 2nd place and a wicked decent time even with the hills around 17:41. We got 3 miles in after the race heading toward Lynn. We the ran into Nakri who we convinced to run back with us. He agreed but turned down a rare cotton baby blue race t-shirt. 

Stride Along the Tide 5K results, Nahant, MA 2021

13th overall

Photo by Kristen Pawlicki