NikonRunner

Canadian Death Race. I'm in!

2012-02-01T19:53:00.002-05:00

I'm entered!! Crazy as it sounds, i just entered the Canadian Death Race in Grande Cache, Alberta, Canada. The race is in the Canadian Rockies, west of Edmonton. In a nutshell, it is 125 kilometers (77.6713 miles) in less than 24 hours, 3 peaks to run over, 17,000 feet of climb and descent. Sound crazy? Yes it is!

Course Profile: Click here.

It is not so much a race as an adventure.

This will be a group run, i will be running with Thor Kirleis, Issy Nielson and Henry Sacco. Thor and Issy have run ultras before, not sure about Henry. Me? I have never run beyond 27 miles and that was done in 1982, i never knew how to run slow enough to run farther, that 27 was in all likelihood done in way under 3 hours. I am banking on the experience of Issy and Thor to get me through this event.

I have 6 months to get ready for this, i'll need most of that.

How to train for this. Not really sure. 20-25 mile runs, repeats up Wachusett Mountain, a few runs up in North Conway with Kevin Tilton as a guide. Maybe some tough trails races like Soapstone Mountain or Seven Sisters. I'm already in Mt Washington, that will help. It will be interesting to say the least.

One thing is for certain, i WILL finish. And have fun doing it.

Stay tuned for training updates.

I hope they have good beer in Grande Cache!!

First Snowshoe Race of the Year

2012-01-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

A few hundred meters from the finish ( photo by Gianina Lindsey)

Finally, there is enough snow on the ground to race on. Very early Saturday morning, i headed up to North Conway, NH with teammate Chris Jasparro to the Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble. It is a 4 mile race on groomed trails and some single track in the middle of North Conway. This was the first race of the Granite State Snowshoe Series since the first two races had been postponed due to lack of snow. Snow was falling lightly and it was a bit cold, maybe 10-12 degrees, but did not feel that cold. After registering and saying hello to many of my trail/snowshoe friends, Chris and i did a mile or so warmup on the trails. This was the first time on the shoes since last February, but i felt great on them, smooth and strong.

As the race went off, i fell into a pace i thought would be good for me, the lead group separated quickly and i found myself entering the woods leading the second group while watching the guys out front disappear. Chris J was at the tail end of the lead group and seemed to be running very well, Chris, like me, is in much better shape this year and should place well in some of these races. This course is basically uphill for the first half and downhill for the rest. As i came into the start of the hills, i was catching up to Dan Hayden of Acidotic Racing. Dan was running bare armed out there, too cold for me, but as Dan said before the race, as long as he had gloves on, he would be fine. I was gaining good ground on Dan on the uphills and did catch and pass him about the time we hit the high point of the course. On the start of the downhills, it was different story, Dan ran with a bit more reckless abandon than i did, a few times i pulled up on his heels only to have him pull away again. In the last mile, i was maybe 10-15 seconds behind as we came out onto the last part of the course, what looks like a groomed 400 meter track, i closed a little, but was 9 seconds behind at the finish. I had too much left at the end, i need to learn to push harder at the end of snowshoe races, it is not quite the same as the end of a road 5k. I finished with a time of 33.53, last year i ran 38.50. I am running lighter and stronger this year and it showed, this was my best SS race in the 4 years that i have been running these things. Now if we can just get some more snow in NH so i can run more of the series, i will be very happy. Chris J ran a great race to finish 5th, this is his 3rd year doing these races and a huge jump from last year.
Big shout out to Jess and Kevin Tilton for putting on a great race...Thank You!

Post race? What else but a visit to a brewpub. In this case Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewpub. Chris and i met up with Don Fredrickson at the bar. Had an imperial stout that was very good and a rye ale that was just so-so. Food here is always good and i love their "yam fries".

Next week is the Sidehiller in Center Sandwich, NH. Lack of snow has already altered the course, it should be fast, just hope the snow lasts til the weekend. There should be a better Turtle showing at this race. Post race at Milly's Tavern in Manchester.

I started this week with the Epic Trail Run, Bradford to Salisbury, Ma. This was a Dave Dunham/Dan Verrington production. It was cold!! No it was f*****g cold, 6 degrees at the start and i had 20 miles to run. I should note that i had not run 20 miles since November of 2004, the Philadelphia Marathon. Pace was easy and the miles went by quickly, the company helped too. I only started to fade in the last mile, letting the pack go with 1/2 mile to go. Finished in 2:42, not a bad start to some longer runs that will be upcoming.

At the finish, Dan Verrington, Me, Todd Callaghan, Jim Pawlicki, Joe Shairs
Bob Jackman,Joe O'Leary, Dave Principe, Dave Lapierre, Ken Tripp
Thor Kirleis and Dave Dunham

Of course, we hit a brewpub on the way home, this one was Watch City Brewing in Waltham, MA. Bob Jackman, Dave Principe, Thor Kirlies and myself enjoyed a few brew and a bite to eat. One thing i will say about this place, they never seem to have anything i would call earth shattering on tap. The cask stout was ok, there wasn't an IPA on tap. I should have tried the barley wine, but after running 20, that would have put me in a coma.

Comeback in Progress

2011-12-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

Flagging the course at Loon Mountain this year. l-r, Sam, Paul Kirsch, me, Tim Van Orden
Tim Mahoney and Bear. Photo by Paul Bazanchuk.

By the way, the sign say "mountain runners - we're not that bright". I beg to differ.

2011

Miles - 1669

Jan. to June 641m

July to Dec. 1028m

Races - 18

Snowshoe - 6

Trail - 3

Mountain - 3

Relay - 3

Road - 3

It was a slow start to the year, but once July hit, i was starting to find a stride. Steady miles and dropping some weight finally got me to where i was enjoying my runs more. Longer runs were getting easier and seeing that most of those were on trails, i was really starting to feel good. I ran Mt Washington in June, totally bombed there. Ran Mt Ascutney a few weeks later and was faster than at half way at the Rockpile. Things were already turning around. I ran sub 6.30 pace for 5k at the infamous Ross Handicap, things were really falling into place. September was a down month, a lot of photography duties got in the way. October brought a big breakthrough at Vulcans Fury in NH, i ran strong for most of the 11+ mile race on tough trails. Check this race out next year if you want a good trail run. I ended the year with the Mill Cities Relay on my birthday, a very good run, 6.39 pace at 8 mile and then i dropped my wristband and backtracked to get it, losing all my momentum. I think the wristband was cursed, as it had dropped off the wrist of our lovely leadoff runner earlier in the day. Ran the Nooseneck 18k the day after Christmas and was strong until the last hill. I think 2012 will be a good one for me!

On to 2012

Goals

Blog more :)

Average over 200 miles a month. 2400+ for the year.

Drop weight under 150, that will come with the miles.

Take at least 20 minutes off last years time at Mt Washington. Bad race in 2011, lots of room for improvement.

Break 18 minutes for 5k. Should not be a problem.

Run more trails and avoid the roads as much as possible.

Run an epic trail race somewhere in Canada. Hmmm, where could that be?

Make more homebrew. And share it of course.

Stay Healthy!!!!

Take more photos at races, i ONLY shot about 70 thousand last year.

Favorite shot of the year? Could be this one.
Ben Nephew at the Rhode Island 6 Hour Race

Fall Wrapup

2011-12-05T11:12:00.001-05:00

It has been a long time since my last post here, but since we are at the end of the fall and my running has improved, i should post something. Since my last post in mid-July, i have been pretty steady with the mileage, running 45-50 most weeks or about 200 miles per month. There have been aches and pains, but no injuries to speak of. Half of those miles were done on trails up until the clocks changed in November, now i'm mostly on the roads except for my weekly night trail run with John Peabody. Headlamps, water crossings, single track, roots, rocks, train tracks (look out for the Acela train) and lots of deer, it is fun, but not for the faint of heart. I just picked up a Concept2 Indoor Rowing Machine too, looking forward to some good cross training this winter.

8 miles in (Steve Wolfe Photo)

That brings us to racing. I have run 5 races this fall, 2 on trails and 3 road relays. The most recent was the Mill Cities Relay, run from Nashua, NH to Lawrence, Ma covering 27 miles and 5 legs. I was running this one for my secondary club, The Goon Squad. We were set up as a mixed masters team. Leading off was my excellent friend Sarah Prescott (Goon name:Goatie), Sarah has been a P.R. machine this year. Next up was very fast senior Linda Jennings (Goon name: Sonic Boom), Linda has been running some of the National USATF Grand Prix Circuit and is wicked fast in her age group. Running third was Jack Mulligan, Jack was filling in for late scratch Fernando Braz. I was next up (Goon name: Flash), i was running the long leg which was 9.5 miles. Our anchor runner was John Murphy (Goon name: Pusher). We knew we weren't running for the win in our division, but that doesn't mean we weren't going run fast anyway. When i took the handoff from Jack, i really did not know what to expect. I figured i would be happy if i ran just under 7's, my first mile was 6.24 after which i backed off a bit and tried to fall into a good rhythm. I locked on at 6.35-6.40 and held pretty steady for 5 miles or so then fell off a bit to 6.45's. It might have been better if not for unknowingly dropping my relay wristband and then backtracking a couple hundred yards to pick it up, that destroyed my momentum. After that, i just figured i would jog in, spirit broken, but i dug down and got back into high gear for the last mile. I may have cost us bout two minutes which was only one lost place in division. All in all, our team ran great despite my mess up. Once done, we all headed into the post race party at the Claddagh Pub, had some food, drank some Guinness and hung with friends and fellow runners. It was a great time! I can't wait for next years race! This was also my birthday and i treated my self by running faster than i thought i could right now, i was a good 15-20 seconds a mile better than i thought i could do for a longer distance. It is fun getting fast again, but i do have a ways to go before i will be satisfied. The goal is sub 6's. I'll get there.

Grog and Dog Jog

Other races i have done this fall include the Rhode Island 6 Hour Relay. Our team the Tuesday Night Turtles finished second overall after a number mishap by the then second place Fuel Belt team. There were timing chips on the numbers and one of their runners forgot his number and had to backtrack to get it. It is a tough way to lose a place. We went from a 3 minute deficit to an 8 minute lead in a lap and finally won by about 12 minutes, but way behind the lead Acidotic Racing team. I also was on the "B" team at the Grog and Dog Jog at the Wild Colonial Tavern in Providence. Run 1 and a quarter miles, eat a hot dog, drink a beer and hand off to your next runner. Dressing up for this race is not a requirement, but most teams do and that is the most of the reason this race is so much fun. Our team dressed up as Larry the Cable Guy, good thing he wears flannel shirts with cut off sleeves, it was 80 degrees plus at race time. Race time is basically thrown out the window hear, first over the line is all that counts. We were top 15, good enough for us.

TNT second place team at the RI 6 Hour Relay

My other two races this fall were both trail runs, but that is where the similarity ended. One race, the Lil'Rhody RunAround is flat, fast 8ish mile race with some roots and plank bridges to cross and a mile of pavement at the end. The other was the Vulcan's Fury Trail Race in Nottingham, NH, 12 miles? with about 1600 ft of climbing. Single track, steep ups and downs, stream crossings, running water down the middle of some double wide trails, climbing up rocks, a lot of twists and turns, basically what makes for a fun race. I had one tough fall here, sliding across a very wide rock while on a decent from the peak, a good amount of rock-rash that i did not even notice until the race was over. It was great fun, looking forward to next year's version. I will get more of my Turtle teammates to this one.

So, now that the fall is over and i am rounding into halfway decent shape, we look towards snowshoe season. This should be good, i have been racing on snow for the last 3 years, but never in very good condition. All we need right now is snow, bring it on! Hopefully i can keep up on my blog updates too.

Ascutney

2011-07-12T15:13:00.001-04:00

Finally, i get to run a race that i also ran last year, this gives me a time to aim at. So up to Windsor, Vermont i went to run the Mt Ascutney Road Race up the mountain. It is a 3.75 mile paved road that rises 2300 ft, finishing just below the summit. Two years ago, this was my first ever mountain race. That year, after running 2 miles on the road, the course veered off onto single track trail to the actual peak. I did not care for that route to the top and thankfully, they changed back to the traditional road course last year.

Last year i really suffered going up this mountain, this year i knew would be better, just a matter of how much. For the last 10 weeks, my running has been pretty steady, usually around low 40's to 50 mile per week. I have been running a lot of trails and recently, a decent amount of mountains. Training runs up Wachusett, Cranmore, Black Cap, Loon and Middle Mountain along with the Mt Washington Road Race had me feeling pretty good.

Time to run. After a short warmup run, i lined up back in the pack at the start line. At the gun, you start climbing. I started off cautiously, call it slow if you like. The plan was to run to the mile and then take short walking breaks the rest of the way. I locked on to what i thought was a comfortable pace in the first mile, right behind Rich Miller and Goon teammate Hank "Spanky" Wilder. Just before the mile, i took my first walk break, maybe 50 meters and ran again. I caught up to Spanky and we went back and forth a few times until i pulled away. I figured to have him with me or in front for the race, so i was a bit surprised to leave Spanky behind. From then on, i would walk some of the corners where it was steeper and try running the staight sections. It was hard to tell if i was running better than last year, it seemed like i was running more but it still is so tiring. Towards the top, there are some sections that flatten out and i could stretch out the stride a little. I checked the watch a few times in the last mile and figured it would be close, but i would be faster than last year. Coming around the last uphill bend, i was surprised to see that i was way under last year as i ended up 3 minutes and 56 seconds to the better. Needless to say, i was happy with that. Can i knock off another 4 minutes next year? Why not.

The Goon Squad - Spanky, Flash, Thunder God and Taz

Happy to be done with it, i was asked almost right away if i was running to the top where the lookout tower was. Of course, i said sure, lets do it. I jogged to the tower with Paul Bazanchuk. The rest of the gang was way up in front, i had no desire to push that fast. The view from the tower was great (see photo at right). After the awards, we ran back down the mountain, it is a nice way to wreck your legs for the next days run.

One last stop, we all headed over to the local river to soak in the cold water and enjoy a few adult beverages. It is a nice way to finish off the mountain running series.

Want to read a race report by the winner and series champion? Go here: DoubleJRunning.blogspot.com

I guess i have to find some trail races to do now, or i could always try a road race (yuk).

Loon Mountain

2011-07-04T20:12:00.000-04:00

I spent the weekend up in Lincoln, NH for the 5th round of the USATF-NE Mountain Series race at Loon Mountain. Once checked into the motel, i headed over to Loon to run the course, but upon arriving, i ran into race RD Paul Kirsch, who was about to go out and flag the course. I decided to go along with Paul, as well as Tim VanOrden, Tim Mahoney and Paul Bazanchuk to help out. It sounded like fun and was, and one hell of a workout to boot! We headed up the mountain with 2 dogs in tow (Sam and Bear), marking the course and enjoying nice conversation. It was pretty warm out and that took a toll on the dogs, so Tim M and Paul brought them down in the gondola and left Paul B, Tivo and myself to hike Upper Walking Boss with the flags. I learned two things, Upper Walking Boss really sucks to go up and the mosquitos were about as bad as the ascent of the mountain. My quads were burning at the top and i wasn't even racing. I think i lost a pint of blood too.

The easy way up the mountain

Tim Mahoney, Rich Miller, Paul Bazanchuk and Tim VanOrden
soaking in the ice cold Pemi

The next morning, it was overcast and cooler. Just after the start, the rain came in. I took the easy way up the mountain in a gondola with my camera equipment. Once at the top, i had to hike up to the north peak, top of Upper Walking Boss. Last year, i ran into a bear at the top and Eric Blake ran into the same bear a little later on course. No bears this year, although we did se one the day before while flagging to course. I took a bath in Deep Woods Off, no bug problems today. I parked my butt down the slope a bit and shot away. The rain would come and go, then eventually, the clouds moved in and visibility at the top was about 100 feet. By then i had shot about 2000 images, time to go.

You can see my Loon photos here: scottmasonphoto.com

For a good race write up, go here:
Dare Mighty Things

After the race, we headed to the river out front, the Pemi, and soaked in the ice cold water while enjoying a beer. A very nice way to wrap up the race.

Next week is the last race of the series at Mt Ascutney, Windsor, Vermont. I will be running, not shooting. I look forward to hanging at the river afterwards. I know it will be a good time.

Ross Krause at the top of Upper Walking Boss in 2nd place

Tough Run at Mt Washington

2011-06-20T19:05:00.000-04:00

For the last 5 or 6 years, i have been wanting to run the Mt Washington Road Race but every year something came up.......yes....injuries. I have had balky knees for that long. First it was a kneecap tracking problem in the left leg, then the right knee started up, probably from favoring it over the other. I had been to orthopedics, podiatrists, chiropractors and physical therapists, they were all kind of useless to my problem. My savior is Nicole, my massage therapist. It took a while, but she got everything straightened out and now i have been running pain free for over a year. So with that being said, i really wanted to run the Rockpile this year. Of course, our team missed the lottery, but through the kindness of Paul Kirsch of the White Mountain Milers, i got a number along with TNT teammate Martin Tighe.

Now that i was in, i had to start training for it. Easier said than done. I had about three months to get ready for this, i had been running a bit over the winter, mostly 25-30 mile weeks with some snowshoe racing thrown in too. But when it has been 5 + years of injuries and no real competition you get lazy and out of shape. Getting back after a long layoff, especially after 50 was not going to be easy. I kept getting sidetracked, sometimes it was the weather, sometimes it was lack of motivation. I seemed to be falling behind on my training timetable. Finally, in early May, things started looking up. I had a few 40-50 mile weeks, lots of trail running, but no hills (Rhode Island isn't know as a hilly state). I knew that all i could do is just get in steady distance and hope for the best. I did run the Wachusett Mountain trail race and sucked on the uphills, but flew the downs, at least i know i had leg turnover. This would be no help at Mt Washington though.

If only i could find Mr Peabody and Sherman and hop in the wayback machine. I would have loved to run this race when i was 30 and a road rocket. I think it would have been good, i had a 1.07 half marathon and 23.58 5 mile pr. I loved running hill repeats. If only.........

On to race day. I arrived an hour and a half before race time and parked next to Tim Van Orden and Dave Quintal. After some small talk, headed out to find Bill Riley, who we were bringing back down the mountain. Right about then, the rain started and it was coming down pretty good for a while. It stopped with 25 minutes to spare so could get a warmup in with Martin. The legs felt ok, not great. Off to the start line, i lined up about halfway through the pack, too far back i would find out shortly. The cannon went off and so did we. With the first mile having some down and flat running, my mile was a bit faster at 10.45. I was concentrating on getting past slower runners, not my pace. It probably did not matter anyway. Second mile was 13 minutes, that was my last good mile split. It was about here that my lack of preparation was showing, third and fourth miles were around 14 minutes, halfway at about 48 and i was thinking that a 1.36 finish wouldn't be that bad. Then it got ugly. My back tightened up on me, i was walking too much, but i did feel best going up the dirt section and actually got my stride going just before going back to pavement, then around a sharp bend the legs just did not want to cooperate anymore today. I walked a lot of the last two miles, there was nothing in the tank. Almost to the top, i made sure i ran past Joe Viger, who was shooting pictures, then rounded the corner to the "wall" and i really wanted to run up it. I walked most instead, then watched the clock tick over to 1:45 as i crossed. Boy, was i glad that was over. I ran into Amber & Danny Ferriera and Rich Lavers right after that a vowed to never run this again, well maybe i will, maybe i won't. We will see what next year brings and decide in March.

One consolation was scoring on the winning seniors team for the White Mountain Milers. I was happy about contributing.

Once back to the bottom of the mountain and it was time for fun. I broke open some homebrew, Bob Fitzgerald had a growler of Moat Mountain IPA. Time to hydrate. It is always great to hang with friends after race like this.

Funny thing i found about this race. It does not trash your legs like a marathon would. I was talking to Craig Fram afterwards and he was saying that your legs will be fine in an hour. It is like eating chinese food, you will be hungry in an hour. It only makes sense as there is no pounding unless you are one of those crazy guys who run back down the mountain.

Next race is Mt Ascutney, more torture but for less time.

Next week is Cranmore, i will be behind the lens for that one. See you there.

Ultrarunning Cover Shot

2011-03-06T18:55:00.000-05:00

I like taking cover shots. Ultrarunning has a great one this month. No clutter on the cover, almost like a piece of art, Karen Benway running at the USATF-NE Ultra Championship @ the Rhode Island 6 Hour Race. Karen took first woman AND first overall. Great to see my friend and teammate get the recognition she deserves.

Horsehill Snowshoe

2011-02-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

Another weekend, another snowshoe race and finally, I felt like i ran pretty good although my time does not show it. The race, Horsehill 7k Snowshoe in Merrimack, NH is the 5th race in the Granite State Snowshoe Series. It is mostly single track with some wider snowmobile trails for easier passing, which i should have taken more advantage of. The snow was packed down from traffic on the trails, so it would be fast and after last week, very welcome by me. This week, i had also picked up a set of secure fit binding for my Dion 121's, lets just call it a bit of piece of mind knowing there is no way in hell that my shoes fall off. I want to say that i have not lost faith in the quick fit binding and will use them again, but right now, i felt better in the secure fit.

Race time brought all the usual suspects, hotshot shoer DoubleJ was there as well as Dunham, Cake, Cox, Kelly and Welts. The Turtles were well represented with Dave & DJ Principe, Matt & Ben Keefe, Tara Cardi, Warren Angell, Tony Wild and yours truly. Bob Jackman sat this one out with a cold, but he did take a few photos at the race.

The race, starting on a narrow, packed snow path, went out fast. After a quarter mile that helps sort out the field, you make a left hand turn onto the single track. This also starts you up the first hill, i had fallen into line behind Ben and DJ, right in front of Tony.
Just short of the mile, i figured i was out just a little too quick and let a group pass and then felt better just falling into my own pace. I ran steady through halfway, passed a few runners and fell in behind another runner who seemed to keeping good pace. I should have passed him. One thing to never assume in a twisty single track with good climbs in front of you, is that the runner in front will handle the hills the same as you. You would also hope that the runner in front is aware of who is behind and maybe ask if you would like to pass. I sat there on the climbs and i know i lost time, finally passing at the top in time for the nice downhill to the finish. A lesson learned for me, next time i will be more aggressive if i need to pass. I finished strong, finally having a good race.

Jim Johnson won the race in just over 7 minute pace. Turtle wise, Dave Principe took top master honors and 7th overall. Warren, Matt, Ben and DJ were our top 5 scorers for a second place in the team race.

Post race stop today was at the always good Martha's Exchange in Nashua. I started with their IPA which was nicely hopped and tasty. I also had the Belgian Tripel which was ok for an american version of this style, but no where near as good as Ommegang or Allagash Tripels. Food is always good here, i went with the veggie panini w/ sweet potato fries.

Next week is a double, Beaver Brook is in the morning and Kingman Farm at night. Racing at night in the snowshoes will be fun and will probably be more of a training run anyway. I know the morning race will destroy my legs and there is only 6 hours between races. So lets have some fun out there!

Exeter Hullabaloo- Good Race, Bad Run

2011-02-06T20:49:00.000-05:00

Chris Jasparro, Tony Wild, Dave principe, Bob & Jackie Jackman,
Scott Mason, DJ Principe and John Peabody
Thanks to Danny Ferriera for taking the photo.

Race #4 of the Granite State Snowshoe Series is at Exeter, NH. The Turtles had 8 shoers on the line, I was one of them. This past week, I was finally able to get some running in after getting over a pesky chest cold and was feeling decent. I figured that i could make it through this race while feeling pretty good. Well, I did feel good, but.......

The race was held at the back of a commercial park and headed into the Fort Rock Woods. The course was totally narrow single track, passing was difficult and if you got off the narrow path, you fell into deep snow, i found this out the hard way. At the start, you had to narrow down to single track almost instantly, of course, there was a pile up. After dodging a few downed runners, I settled into a line of shoers. Directly in front was teammate Tony Wild, behind was Lisa Ransom and we were running along at decent pace for the conditions. Then it happened, my foot slid off to the side of the track and i was down, i got up right away but with everyone running so closely, i had to wait to jump back in line, losing 6 places. About 200 meters later, i fell again, giving up a few more spots, one being to teammate John Peabody. One more fall came in the first mile and now it was getting even worse. Seems the velcro straps on my snowshoes had come apart with a combination of falling too much and having the wrong shoes attached to the snowshoes. Once the velcro comes apart and then collects the snow, you can no longer attach the straps. So basically, i was screwed. Loose snowshoes on a track like this just does not work, i made it through, i walked a bit, tried to clean the velcro and i finished. Now this could have been avoided if i had worn the shoes that i always do with the snowshoes, but no, i tried something different and payed for it. I have my snowshoes adjusted for a specific pair of running shoes and did not take in to account that the new pair was narrower with a thin outsole, i needed to switch straps along with shoes and did not do this. Lesson learned!! Too bad, it was a great course.

On the way home, we stopped be The Tap brewpub in Haverhill, Ma. Nice looking place, it reminds you of a library. There are books on the wall, a few murals, dark wood and brick. Very nice. I started off with a barleywine served in a 10 oz glass a bit too cold. No real flavor or hoppiness came out as should on a good barleywine. Even on warming up, the beer did not improve much. Next up, cask schwarzbier, dark, supposably hoppy beer. It was ok, not great. Ended with the english strong ale called Snobound. It was the best of the three. Food here was nothing special. I had a turkey burger since they were out of veggie burgers. Onion rings were good. Can't say i would go out of my way to come back, i need beers with more character.

Tim Smith @ Norwich Rose Arts 10.6 mile 1981

Sunday morning i was sitting around watching a live video feed of a cyclocross race from Belgium when i decided to run the Super 5k down in Narragansett. Seems they name it after some over hyped football game played later in the day. I needed a reason to get out on the roads and get some miles in and this would to do the trick. My knees were sore from the snowshoe race and the legs were a bit dead, but what the hell, lets see what happens anyway. I went through the first mile in 6.56 and averaged 6.57 for the race, slow and steady by the sea. With a warmup and warm down, i got in 7 miles, i'll take it right now. Nice post race with buffet and cash bar. I get to see runners that i do not see that often here. All in all, a fun time. I have to note that i got to see Connecticut legend Tim Smith at the race, Tim won the 60 year age group, we hadn't met up in quite a few years. He is a guy that could tell you some stories of the good old days. 6.30 pace at 62 years old isn't too bad, I am glad to consider him a friend of mine.

Next week is another double, back to back snowshoe races. Saturday is Horsehill in Merrimack and Sunday is Bear Paw in Northwood. Hope i survive it all.

Sidehiller Stuff

2011-01-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

Photo by Krissy K

The Turtles made the long ride up to the Sidehiller snowshoe race in Center Sandwich, NH today. Here are a few highlights:

> Left the house at 6:35am with Jackie and Bob Jackman, made great time heading up to Center Sandwich. Pulled over for speeding in Holderness, 50 in a 30. Cop let me off with a warning, it pays to be polite. Still only took 2:45 to get there.

>Sign in for race, then hang out talking with fellow competitors for a while. Best part of the race is hanging out before and after the race. Nice chat with Bob Dion, Laurel Shortell, Steve Wolfe, Chris Dunn, Jim Pawlicki and Krissy Kosloski.

>50 minutes to go, time for a warm-up with the Turtles, a mile out and back, cut it short and ran back with Ryan Triffit. Can't say i felt good because i didn't. Almost race time.

>Race time. Lined up in mid pack, passed a lot of people in the first half mile or so. I guess i should have started closer to the front.

Chris Tessier and Me. (krissy k photo)

>Went back and forth with Don Fredrickson for the first half of the race. He would stop on a hill to let me by and then i would stop to let him by and we would repeat this a few times before i pulled away, but not by much.

>John Peabody came by like a freight train just after the half, bellowing "passing on the left" as he flew past. JP beat me and was 5th scorer for the Turtles today, great run!

>Legs had nothing left in the last mile or so. Probably the result of being sick for a week or so. Time to get back into a training mode.

>Race over, finally! Wiped out and my knees ache.

>Watch my old friend Chris Tessier finish up the race and hang out with him for a while. Chris and i go back to 1982 when we worked for the Athletic Attic in Warwick, RI.

>Finally meet Jeff Dengate.

>Get interviewed for NH Chronicle with a few of the Turtles, hopefully we make the final cut.

>Hit the road for the trip to Milly's Tavern in Manchester.

>Manch-Vegas IPA on Cask. Very Good! Scotch Ale was good too.

>Uneventful ride home to RI.

Mmmmm...Chicken Sandwich w/Jalapenos and a Scotch Ale

>Sitting here typing this while sipping a Dogfish 60 Minute IPA and watching classic Spencer Tracy movie, Bad Day at Black Rock.

>Congrats to Paul Kirsch and crew for putting on a great race at Sidehiller.

>Next week, Exeter Hullaballoo. See you there.

Growler Time.

Whitaker Woods Snowshoe Scramble

2011-01-23T18:20:00.001-05:00

Drive 3 and a half hours, run 4 mile race and drive 3 and a half hours back. Why, because i want to. I guess it also helps when you are joining a bunch of your teammates and other friends from the north to run a snowshoe race.

Saturday was the second race of the Granite State Snowshoe Series and my first one. I had been sick for most of the week and had not run in 8 days, so i was coming into the race with only one goal....finish comfortably. The race was at Whitaker Woods, right in the middle of North Conway. It is a nice park, with groomed XC trails and some great views of Mt Washington. The race uses both groomed and single track trails on some nice rolling terrain. We had 11 Turtles up here for the race, funny how we can't organize that many to run a race in RI as a team, but we drive 3+ hours here.

Photo by Gianina Lindsey

At the race start, i lined up way over to the side to stay out of the way of most of the runners. Race Director, Kevin Tilton said a few words and then we were off. We headed off across the groomed trails, there was already separation as the front half of the field was pulling away. I hear it was a very fast start. I stuck with my plan of running comfortably, moving up and down the first hill easily. Footing was great, but i did feel that my snowshoes weren't adjusted to my liking, i had loaned them out last week and the straps were definitely off. On the second uphill, Jackie Jackman went cruising on by, i just kept my pace. All the climbing in the race was done in the first 2 miles, about 400 feet worth. Just after the mile, we came out onto one trail where you had a great view of Mt Washington totally covered in snow. Five months from now, i hope to be running up that hill. Once past the 2 mile mark, things started feeling better, downhills will do that. I seemed to pick up the pace a little, coming into 3 miles, i caught up to and passed Don Fredrickson. Don and i go way back to the 80's and racing in RI. He had mentioned later that this was his chance to finally beat me. Sorry Don, maybe next time. It will be the battle of running has beens. I finished up right behind Tim Lindsey, Tim was in my sights for a while, but i just could not and really did not feel like trying to catch him. Over the finish line and then the effects of the race and my week long cold hit, i had a 3+ minute coughing fit, then i was fine. I ran better than i thought i would.

Up front, the Turtles had a good day. Bob Jackman was 9th, Dave Principe, Martin Tighe and Matt Keefe all made the top 20. Jim Johnson/CMS won the race in 26.53.

Next week is Sidehiller in Center Sandwich, NH. I have run this race the past 2 years. Lack of snow last year caused them to change the course, with a lot more snow this year, we should be back on the original course. That is a good thing!

After a short awards ceremony, most of the Turtles headed over to the Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Co. Joining us there were Don Fredrickson and Jess & Kevin Tilton for some food and excellent beer. My beer of choice was the Double Bock, the menu said you could only have 2 of these, usually they say this when it is a real strong beer, i did not find it strong but it was very tasty. In the number of times i have been to the Moat, i have yet to see an IPA on tap. I'll have to contact them a month before i show up there again and beg them to brew a big, hopped up IPA, maybe for the Mt Washington Road Race. We had a great time there, Don and myself got to talk about the old running scene here in RI, i could have stayed for hours, but we had to get back so John Peabody could get out on his lobster boat for 8pm.

One nice thing about going up to Sidehiller is that we get to hit Milly's Tavern in Manchester afterwards.

See ya next week.

Race Reports:

DoubleJ Running
Acidotic Racing

Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race

2011-01-16T20:40:00.001-05:00

Finally, enough snow on the ground to start the Granite State Snowshoe Series. After postponing the first two races to February, I was really looking forward to running at Feel Good Farm in Lyndeborough. Of course, i was not planning on catching a nasty cold the day before the race so this race was a no go for me. I could have probably been able to run most of the races, but seeing as this is the tuffest course on the circuit, there just was no way. It wasn't really a problem though, i seem to be a better photographer than a runner these days.

For the Tuesday Night Turtles, this was a big day. We had a bunch of newbies coming up for their first taste of snowshoe racing. This was supposed to happen at Beaver Brook a few weeks ago, but with the postponements, this was the one. A few of us "veteran" snowshoers in the Turtles have been talking up the GSSS series since last winter and we have quite a bit of interest this year, not bad for a bunch of flatlanders here in RI. Today, our rookie list was long, Jake Scheiffelin, Jackie Jackman, Martin Tighe, Warren Angell, Tara Cardi, Tony Wild and George Ross. We also had Bob Jackman, Dave and DJ Principe, Chris Jasparro with his wife, Vicki and myself on the DL list for the day. It should also be noted that Ben and Matt Keefe ran, but got to the race a half hour late and only did one lap.

I shot the start of the race and then hiked up Moose Mountain to get some good downhill running shots. First time by, Josh Ferenc and Kevin Tilton had a sizable lead on Ben Nephew, they were all moving pretty quickly out there. Bob Jackman was first Turtle by, followed by Dave Principe and surprisingly, his son DJ on his tail. DJ is 12 years old and he was hanging with the big boys on the first loop. As the rest of the Turtles made their way by, they looked pretty comfortable, well, all but one. George Ross was complaining his calf was cramping up, so he ended up bailing at the end of the first lap. George was listed in the Coolrunning results as finishing the 2.7 mile Wimp Run, as race director Mike Amorello calls it. At the brewpub later, George summed it up by saying it " Was the fucking hardest thing i ever did"

On the second time around, most of the TNT gang held their spot. DJ dropped of a bit. Martin and Warren were running a few seconds apart as were Jake and Jackie. Tara was enjoying her run, i think. She did yell to me to put that camera away, that ain't gonna happen. :) As a team, i would say we had a good day with ten Turtles finishing the two loops. It was a great start to the season. The next two races are a much longer drive for us, so i don't expect to see too many Turtles racing until February when the series gets back to southern NH. We will have some runners at Whittaker Woods and Sidehiller though.

Post race, we did the usual thing and went the local brewpub. This time it was a favorite, Martha's Exchange in Nashua. With a cold, my taste buds were a bit off, but the cask IPA was very tasty and would have been even better if they had filled the glasses up to a proper level. A good time was had by all.

See the photographs i took at the race here: scottmasonphoto.com

Read Chris Dunn's race report HERE .

Beaver Brook Non-Snowshoe Race

2011-01-02T18:15:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, Happy New Year!! I know, i haven't updated my blog in 3 months, but with the new year and all, it is time to get it going again.

Today was to be the start of the Granite State Snowshoe Series at Beaver Brook in Hollis NH. With last weekends storm dumping 12-16 inches of snow over the area we shoers were excited for a start to the race season. I had managed to get in 3 SS runs during the week, including our first Tuesday Night Turtle Snowshoe Team group run on a frigid Monday night and a shorter run with Martin Tighe on Thursday. Getting in some snowshoe runs was great, but looking at the extended forecast was really depressing knowing that the snow might be gone before Sunday. Sure enough, word came out on Saturday that the race was postponed until February 19th as a day/night double header with the Kingman Farm night race.

Even with the postponement, RD Mike Amarello was still going to hold a trail run and include entry to the rescheduled SS run. With nothing better to do, some of us Turtles decided to go anyway.We pulled into the lot about an hour and a half before race time, we being Jackie and Bob Jackman, Dave Principe and me, greeted by Mike A, who was a bit surprised to see us there. I think the only others there were a couple from Huntsville, Al. that were up on vacation and wanted to do a snowshoe race. We ran a few mile warmup on the local trails and then were joined by other Turtle snowshoers, Vicki and Chris Jasparro and Warren Angell.

At race time, there were 17 of us taking the line, 7 Turtles, 2 from Alabama, Richie Blake and 7 others. As Mike said GO! We took off down the muddy then snow, slush covered dirt road. The race is about 2.5-2.6 miles, downhill, then flat, then uphill. Footing sucked, i was a bit better off than most wearing INOV8 X-Talon 212's that are almost like wearing spikes, still, it was tough going on the uphill to the finish. I felt ok out there, but backed off on the final stretch of the hill as i had no one close to me and really just wanted mileage today. Finishing first was Bob Jackman, followed by Dave Principe, Warren Angell, Chris Jasparro and me. For the women, it was Vicki Jasparro taking first followed by Jackie Jackman. So Turtle men took top 5 and women the top 2. Not that it really means anything seeing the field was very sparse, still it was a good hard workout. We warmed down with a few more trail miles around Beaver Brook followed by some kale soup that Mike had made for the race. He had enough for an army, needless to say, he took a lot home.

Time for the ride home, but first a stop at Watch City Brewing for lunch and a beer. In the last 2 years of snowshoe racing, it has become a Turtle tradition that we hit a brewpub after the race. There were many to choose from, but with Watch City being right off the highway in Waltham Ma., it was perfect. I started with a Hops Explosion IPA as did Dave and Chris. Funny, i did not taste any hops exploding. They say it has a "powerful conflagration of hop flavor", could be if you were a Bud drinker, I did not notice it. I'll call it a good pale ale. I ordered the pesto provolone chicken sandwich, it was tasty and we had a bucket of sweet potato fries. Yes, they bring them out in a bucket. As sweet potato fries go, these were quite good, crisp and meaty. Second beer was Titan Ale, a brown ale that was good for the style. We also sampled an IPA that had spearmint added to it, very subtle taste, but i don't think i would want a pint of it. All in all, this a good brewpub, i return when i get the chance.

Next weeks snowshoe race is the Bear Paw Classic in Northwood, NH. I hope there is snow on the ground, but the extended forecast isn't great at this point. They are calling for snow on Friday and Saturday, how much? Who knows?

Grog and Dog Jog

2010-10-14T20:55:00.001-04:00

If it is Columbus Day weekend, it is also time for another Grog and Dog Jog.
The Grog and Dog, Put on by the Wild Colonial Tavern in Providence is a relay with a twist. You run one and a quarter miles, eat a hot dog, drink a beer and hand off to your next runner, this happens four times. This getting to be a very popular event with 70 teams entered, up from 50 a year ago. Many teams dress in some sort of costume, though not mandatory, it does make for a lot of fun. For the average person out for a Sunday afternoon drive in Providence, they probably don't, believe their eyes at what is running down the side of the road.

Me, Peiter, Mark and Pali...the Droogs

We had two teams entered in this years event. The "A" team, who are the two time
defending champs consisted of Bob Jackman, Dave Principe, Zak Kudlak and Alan Bernier. They were in costume, but we really don't know what they were supposed to be. Our team, the "B" team was Mark Howard, Peiter Snoeren, Pali Frazier and myself. We were dressed as the Droogs of Clockwork Orange fame. We were there to have fun, unlike the "A" squad that had the target on their backs..

Dave P. (with the orange hair) keeping an eye on the competition

As we lined up at the start, the final instructions were given out by race director, Brien Lang, who was running with his team of Merry Maids. The race started at the sound of a tuba. The race went out fast as a pack of 8 or so gapped the field almost quickly. I dropped in with the second pack as we made our way across the Point Street bridge and then up the other side of the Providence River. It is great for spectators and competitors alike because you watch your runner across the river and cheer them on. I was concentrating on staying with one of the maids. I haven't the slightest idea of what pace i was running, but does it really matter in something like this? Coming on to the final stretch on South Water Street, i had planned top back off a bit to make it easier to eat and drink while not gasping for air. So much for that plan. I came blasting into the table where you grab a beer, Narragansett Lager to be exact and your choice of tofu dog or saugy. I went for the tofu dog because i am not a red meat eater. First, i dipped the dog into the beer to make the bun go down quicker, one big bite, swallow, down the beer and shove the rest of the dog in my mouth. Sounds easy, doesn't it. It isn't. It is not easy to chug a beer after running a hard mile and a half. I handed off to Peiter Snoeren, giving him the mug and our Droog cane to carry on his leg.

Alan Bernier finishing up for the win with some very fast onlookers

Up front the TNT A team was locked in a battle with the Providence Cobra team. At the end of the second leg, they were neck and neck, but Bob J was much quicker eating than the Cobra runner and handed off a 30 second lead to Zak Kudlak. Essentially, the race was over with their quickest runner, Alan Bernier anchoring the race and there was no way in hell they would lose unless Alan fell in the river. As for us Droogs, Peiter, Pali and Mark ran well. Mark did suffer a bit after the race, maybe a little indegestion. We finished somewhere in the top third, and enjoyed every minute of it.

This is a great event for a good cause, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, and on top of that, what else are you going to do on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

CVS Downtown 5K

2010-09-21T09:47:00.111-04:00

This past Sunday i headed over to Providence to watch some of the USA's top runners compete at the CVS Caremark Downtown 5k. The race is the 5k National Championship.It was a beautiful day to spectate. See my photos of the race here: scottmasonphoto.com.

Molly Huddle

In the past 20 years that this race has been held, i have only managed to run it once in 1998 when i was first a master. The race was not a national championship then, but it did have plenty of prize money that brought in a very competitive field. The course was flat as a pancake then, not like now with the hill to launch you at the start and climb to finish. I don'y remember too many details from the race itself, it was too short and fast. I do remember have the top three Kenyan women led by Catherine Ndereba come buy me with a quarter to go and not being able to do a thing about it. I think i was more concerned with trying to beat the guys around me that i thought might be masters. Turns out there were 4 of us within 11 seconds, i ran 15.25, good for 5th in age group, 7th master ran 15.32, like i said, it was a good field.

Harvard Pilgrim 5K

Providence, RI

September 20, 1998

Results by AB-MAC Finish Systems (800-745-5152)

#'s 1001- 2000 - - #'s 2001 - 2245 - - Kids Races - - Kids Photos - - Team Results- - Story - - Photos

PLACE FIRST NAME  LAST  S AG DIV/TOT  DIV   CITY       ST PACE  time
===== ================= = == ======== ===== ========== == ===== =======
    1 KHALID KHANNOUCHI M 27   1/658  M0139 MOROCCO        4:20   13:27
    2 STEPHEN KIOGORA   M 26   2/658  M0139 KENYA          4:22   13:32
    3 JOSHUA CHELANGA   M 23   3/658  M0139 KENYA          4:22   13:32
    4 PETER GITHUKA     M 29   4/658  M0139 KENYA          4:22   13:33
    5 JAMES KARIUKI     M 27   5/658  M0139 KENYA          4:22   13:33
    6 HEZRON OTWORI     M 25   6/658  M0139 KENYA          4:24   13:40
    7 JAMES BUNGEL      M 26   7/658  M0139 KENYA          4:25   13:42
    8 PAUL MBUGUA       M 32   8/658  M0139 NEW PALTZ  NY  4:26   13:45
    9 ISSIAH KUREISHA   M 23   9/658  M0139 KENYA          4:26   13:46
   10 GODFREY KIPROTICH M 27  10/658  M0139 KENYA          4:26   13:46
   11 ANDREW LETHERBY   M 22  11/658  M0139 AUSTRALIA      4:26   13:46
   12 PAUL MWANGI       M 25  12/658  M0139 KENYA          4:29   13:54
   13 SAMMY NYAMONGO    M 28  13/658  M0139 KENYA          4:31   14:01
   14 PLILMOM HENNEK    M 28  14/658  M0139 ZIMBAWAE       4:32   14:03
   15 JOHN KAGWE        M 28  15/658  M0139 KENYA          4:32   14:05
   16 CHARLES MULINGA   M 26  16/658  M0139 ZAMBIA         4:33   14:07
   17 JOESEPH KARIUKI   M 27  17/658  M0139 KENYA          4:36   14:16
   18 JULIUS RANDICH    M 31  18/658  M0139 DALLAS     TX  4:37   14:18
   19 DONAL O'SULLIVAN  M 25  19/658  M0139 USA            4:41   14:32
   20 CASEY O'SHEA      M 24  20/658  M0139 USA            4:42   14:34
   21 PETER KOECH       M 42   1/391  M4049 ALBERQUQUE NM  4:42   14:36
   22 RISTO ULMALA      M 31  21/658  M0139 FINLAND        4:43   14:37
   23 JIM DANDENEAY     M                   TAUNTON    MA  4:48   14:54
   24 ANDREA WITCZAK    M 42   2/391  M4049 POLAND         4:50   15:01
   25 CHRIS MAGILL      M 25  22/658  M0139 CUMBERLAND RI  4:52   15:06
   26 KEVIN O'NEIL      M 28  23/658  M0139 N KINGSTON RI  4:52   15:07
   27 AMIT NEEMAN       M 42   3/391  M4049 ISRAEL         4:52   15:07
   28 CHRIS VOLANTE     M 24  24/658  M0139 PAWTUCKET  RI  4:53   15:09
   29 DAN JOHNSON       M 26  25/658  M0139 USA            4:55   15:14
   30 CHRISTIAN LYNCH   M 23  26/658  M0139 USA            4:55   15:14
   31 CATHERINE NDEREBA F 27   1/640  F0139 KENYA          4:55   15:15
   32 DELILAH ASIAGO    F 27   2/640  F0139 KENYA          4:56   15:18
   33 TERESA WANJIKU    F 25   3/640  F0139 KENYA          4:56   15:19
   34 JIM HAGE          M 42   4/391  M4049 USA            4:57   15:21
   35 ANTHONY ANDERSON  M 22  27/658  M0139 USA            4:58   15:25
   36 SCOTT MASON       M 40   5/391  M4049 WARWICK    RI  4:58   15:25
   37 KEVIN MCCAFFREY   M 41   6/391  M4049                4:59   15:28
   38 ANDY WEDLAKE      M 26  28/658  M0139 WALTHAM    MA  5:00   15:30
   39 LIBBY HICKMAN     F 28   4/640  F0139 USA            5:00   15:31
   40 BARRY HARTWICK    M 43   7/391  M4049 USA            5:00   15:32
   41 MATTHEW RUANE     M 22  29/658  M0139 BOSTON     MA  5:02   15:37
   42 EDGAR GONZALES    M 35  30/658  M0139 FRAMINGHAM MA  5:02   15:37
   43 ROBERT JOHNSON    M 23  31/658  M0139 USA            5:03   15:40
   44 DON SIKORSKI      M 32  32/658  M0139 NORWICH    CT  5:03   15:40
   45 AMY RUDOLPH       F 25   5/640  F0139 USA            5:04   15:43
   46 JANE OMORO        F 27   6/640  F0139 KENYA          5:05   15:45
   47 CHARLES STOCK     M 23  33/658  M0139 USA            5:08   15:54
   48 JON LAWSON        M 26  34/658  M0139 BRISTOL    RI  5:08   15:55
   49 JANE NGOTHO       F 24   7/640  F0139 KENYA          5:09   15:57
   50 CHRIS LAWRENCE    M 32  35/658  M0139 PROVIDENCE RI  5:09   16:00
   51 MICHAEL GRAZIOSI  M 36  36/658  M0139 GLASTONBUR CT  5:10   16:02
   52 JOHN ANTHONY      M 23  37/658  M0139 NORWICH    CT  5:11   16:06
   53 LESLEY LEHANE     F 35   8/640  F0139 CHESTNUT H MA  5:12   16:07
   54 LUDMILA PETROVA   F 29   9/640  F0139 RUSSIA         5:13   16:11
   55 CHRIS BIANCHI     M 29  38/658  M0139 PROVIDENCE RI  5:13   16:11
   56 GEARY DANIELS     M 44   8/391  M4049 DUDLEY     MA  5:13   16:12
   57 MARGARET KAGIRI   F 26  10/640  F0139 KENYA          5:13   16:12
   58 ED ZUBRITSKY      M 38  39/658  M0139 GROTON     CT  5:14   16:13
   59 JOE SULLIVAN      M 42   9/391  M4049 USA            5:14   16:14
   60 LYNN DENIRRO      F 36  11/640  F0139                5:14   16:14

Guest Blogger - Ray Nelson

2010-09-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

Hi all, I have decided to include a guest blogger to the site. He is longtime runner and friend, Ray Nelson who is a USATF certified course measurer. I thought it would be interesting to get a little insight into the measurement of race courses.

Take it away Ray:

I have been measuring course for over 30 years, starting out in 1978 with a measuring / surveyor’s wheel, and walking courses. As a competitive runner back then, I wanted to know the ‘actual’ distance of race courses, rather than the ‘stated’ distance which was usually not accurate. I wanted to be able to compare and assess my race performances and check my performance level and progress. And if a 5 miler was short, say 4.8 miles, I couldn’t get a decent reading on how I was doing. So it was kind of for selfish reasons that I first got into course measurement, wanting to know the actual distance so I could then calculate my real per mile average, and compares races, etc.

In 1978, I recall flying from westerly, RI to block island with Pat McNulty, friend and Johnson & Wales AC teammate, to “wheel walk’ the Run Around the Block 15K. It took us a long time to walk the course, compared to using a bicycle, but we marked the course which as far as I know is still being used today, and has not changed !!!

In the early 80’s I learned that there was a road running “technical council” founded by Ted Corbitt, and got hold of a Procedures Manual, bought a Jones counter, and basically taught myself how to measure a course according to TAC standards (The Athletics Congress), the name for the sports governing body at the time, since changed to USATF.

In 1986, I was invited by John McGrath, former publisher of NER magazine, to measure the Boston Marathon, along with David Katz, an expert certifier from NY. We rode our bikes together but did independent measurements. When we got to 10 miles we compared notes, and discovered that we were within 1 foot apart – an extremely close correlation!! From that point on, I had gained considerable respect and personal validation that I was going the job right !

After serving a year-long apprenticeship, I was appointed NATIONAL CERTIFIER in 1992 by Wayne Nicoll – the Eastern Chairman of RRTC at the time. Wayne and I had done some measurements together, and he was my mentor, who showed me the fine points of course measurement. So I have been a USATF certifier for 18 years, and have measured 100’s of courses, probably close to 1000, mostly in RI and MA.

Accuracy is important to standardize performances so they can be graded and count legitimately as PR’s, and for records in general, including world / American, and age group records. In 1993 Elana Meyer set a world record for 5k on the roads at the downtown 5k in Providence. In order for her record to count, the course had to be accurate, and not less than 5000 meters. The following week Pete Riegel from OH, national chairman of RRTC at the time, come to Providence to perform a ‘validation’ measurement of the course to make sure it was at least 5000 meters, so that Meyer’s record could be ratified. So my work, her performance, and the race reputation were all on the line. Bottom line was that the course passed !!

Anyone is eligible to measure a course by following the procedures, and submitting an application and course map to the certifier for that particular state. You need a Jones counter which attaches to the front wheel of the bike, and a calibration course of at least 1000 feet or 300 meters. The calibration course is tape measured, usually 100 feet at a time, and the endpoints are marked with nails. There is a separate section in the procedures manual for measuring a calibration course. Prior to measuring a course, the bike must by ‘calibrated’ on the ‘cal’ course. This takes 4 straight, wobble-free rides and recording the number of “counts” for each ride from end to end. From the average number of counts of the four rides, the number of counts is figured for each mile or kilometer, and for the total course distance. Now you are ready to do the actual course measurement. For USATF certification, you must measure according to SPR (shortest possible route) that the runner can take, i.e. measuring by tangents. This can be challenging without police escort with traffic coming at you both ways!! This is why early Sunday mornings are generally best for measuring when there is the least amount of traffic, but it can still be tricky. The course must be measured at least twice, and the difference between measurements cannot be greater than 0.08% of the race distance (4 meter for a 5k). After the course measurements, the bike must be post-calibrated to again figure the number of counts for each mile, etc. The details of these procedures can be found at www.rrtc.net .

I think the most dangerous course I measured was a 10 miler in Worcester, MA in heavy traffic without a police escort. The race director did follow me in his car with flashers on, but it was quite a harrowing experience with more than a few close calls, and getting called every name in the book!! I definitely used up 1or 2 of my ‘cat lives’ on that measurement, and looking back on it, I probably should not have done it.

Ray @ Block Island in 1980

I measured the Boston Run to Remember Half Marathon in South Boston a half dozen years or so ago, and then found out the day before the race that the course had to be changed, as part of it went through private property and the owner said NO to using his land !!! So I was called upon to adjust and re-measure the course with the race a day away. Driving up to Boston on that Saturday in early March, it was snowing hard in blizzard-like conditions. I was wondering how I would be able to do the measurement in this horrible weather, and thought how bizarre it was. Fortunately the snow shifted over to slush, and rain, and the temperature did not drop below freezing, so I was able to ride my bike and get it done, but now without incident. On Day Blvd. I biked through a large puddle, as that was the ‘shortest line’ to take, and for accuracy sake did not want to go around it. Unbeknownst to me, I hit a pot hole, and lost control of the bike and went head over heels into the puddle. I was wearing several layers of clothes and a gortex outer layer, so I did not get chilled to the bone. I shook it off and went back the previous mile mark and continued on the remaining few miles to the finish. After a hot shower and dry clothes I was fine, and the course was done!!

Don’t get the wrong idea, most course measurements during peaceable weather, and minimal or no traffic , are not catastrophic, and are quite enjoyable. I get to go to places I would not ordinarily go to, and some are like mini-vacations in a sense. The best one was the Mt. Desert Marathon in Maine, starting at Bar Harbor and going by Arcadia National Park. It is by far the most scenic course I have ever measured. I was awestruck by the majesty of this course.

In 2007 I helped design, measure and certify the Women’s Olympic Trials course in Boston. After a short opening loop, the course repeated an exact 6 mile loop four times. I designed it so that the mile marks on the 6-mile loops overlapped at the same points, making for easier splits and course management. That was a difficult assignment and one in which I take considerable pride.

I recently measured the B.A.A. Half Marathon in Boston, a major race that just last week (mid-july) sold out in just two hours !!!!!!!!!!!!

I take pride in the maps I produce, doing my best to make sure they are clear, neat, and accurately depict the course. I look back on some of the maps I made 25 years ago and note the poor quality, as with most jobs, it takes time to develop one’s skills and get better and better at what one does. That is what I strive for……….. to find ways to improve, there is always room for that.

Course maps for all states at all distances by different measurers and certifiers can be accessed from the rrtc.net website.

Run to the Top of Vermont Weekend

2010-08-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

OK, So i know i haven't blogged in a while, as i was reminded over the weekend by another fellow blogger. So here goes....

Over the weekend the Turtles headed up to Stowe, Vt for the 3rd Race to the Top of Vermont up Mt Mansfield, the highest point in Vermont. Heading up on Saturday were Bob Jackman, Larry Walker, John Peabody, Vicki & Chris Jasparro and myself. We all made this trip last year only Vicki did not run, this was to be her first mountain run. We arrived at the Golden Eagle Resort on Saturday afternoon, we had rented the "White House" out on the main road in front of the resort. It was too early to go pick up numbers so Ken Skier of RunwithKen fame came over with a growler of Berkshire Beer and we all chilled out for a while, then it was up to the ski resort for number pickup and then dinner.

One thing we love to do is hit up brewpubs wherever we go and this was no different. Heading back from the ski resort, we stopped at The Shed Brewpub where we had eaten last year also. Sorry to say, the beer was just mediocre at best and the food was overpriced. Fifteen dollars for a quesidilla? Of course the real reason we went was for the beer, too bad all the beers i sampled tasted like the main ingredient was a handful of caramels. Now i've hit enough brewpubs and i also homebrew, so i know what a beer should taste like. I know...I am a beer snob. I just don't know how a brewer can not taste the off flavors in a beer. Maybe they like this "flavor". The IPA did not taste of hops. The DunkelWeizen did not have that wheat taste i like. The stout just tasted wrong. I could get more taste out of PBR's. I suggest they try a different yeast, it could make a huge difference. Of course, if you only want to sell so- so beer to tourists, keep doing what your doing. Looking for a beer in Stowe, don't go here. Funny thing is we went here last year and the beer wasn't bad otherwise i would not have returned this year. I should have stopped at Millie's in Manchester, NH on the way home just to say i had some great beer on this trip. So much for my beer rant, on to the race.

Race morning dawns and everyone is up early for the 9am start, it is nice to be 10 minutes down the road from the race. Last years winner, Jim "DoubleJ" Johnson stayed with us Turtles and payed the price as the TV was on til 2:35 in the morning which doesn't help with sleep. You should have had a few beers with us JJ, that would have helped knock you out. My back was killing me in the morning, I popped a handful of Motrin and hoped for the best. Once at the race lot, i went for a warmup (do you need a so called warmup when it is 70 degrees at 8am?) with Bob and JP. The back really wasn't any better. We were at the start area with a half hour to go, i was getting hot and i could use more water.....water, at a race...nowhere to be seen. Why in hell was there no water before the race, i know we runners should always be prepared and there was more water in the car, but the cars were at least a 1/4 mile down the road, and i mean down! It is hot out, try supplying some water for the runners before the race next time!!

The race goes off on time at 9am. You start on an uphill so the pace goes out slow for me and John Peabody, who i started next to. I went through the mile in under 12 minutes and i knew today would suck. I got to the 1 1/2 mile point of the course just as a car! was coming up the road through the crowded dirt road which begs the question, WHY is there a car being let up the road right after the race starts? At this point i realized that my race was over, why should i suffer for 3 more miles when my back is stiff as a board. I turn around, remove my number and jog down the mountain. Now i know how Kevin Tilton felt at Mt Washington, only i am a slow middle of the pack runner, not a favorite. It was nice how many runners asked if i was ok as i ran past them on the way down, we really are a caring lot.

Up the mountain, Vicki was running good, taking 3rd place overall for the women. Bob, Chris and John were off last years times and Larry ran faster than the previous year. I heard the was a big lack of water at the top of the mountain too. Maybe one of next years sponsors should be a water company. Maybe they can import some from Maine.

I really want to like this race, but there are too many little things that seem to be overlooked. Oh well, it doesn't matter now, i won't be coming back again. I would like to do the 100 on 100 relay that starts in Stowe the day before and runs 100 miles down Rte 100 to the Okemo Ski area. Long relay races can be a lot of fun.

I'm A Goon!

2010-07-12T21:57:00.001-04:00

First let me say that i am still a Tuesday Night Turtle and will always be one. I was there at the beginning of the Turtles, 21 years ago in 1989 and would not think of leaving this great group of runners.

That being said, yesterday after the Mt Ascutney Mountain Race in Windsor, Vt, I was inducted into the Goon Squad Runners. I consider it an honor to be a Goon. I love the name of the club, much like the Turtle's, it is unconventional which gets noticed. I like the way you race in numbers, your turnout at Grand Prix races is admiral. The race shirt is great too, the lone "G" in a collegiate style that shows up for miles, trust me on that as a photographer. I have met some of the Goons at various races and know some of you through cyberspace and know most of you through a lens. I hope to meet more of you in the near future. Thanks to Doctor Death (Chris C.) for presenting the coveted "G" shirt at the river after Mt Ascutney with assist from Thunder God (Thor K.) and Taz (JJ). It was a great setting to find out you are a Goon. Doc...Good thing you did this after the race because it might have been incentive for me to grab back that 9 second lead you had on me at the finish and beat you!

Oh Yeah, My official Goon Name -"Flash". Here with Thunder God, Doctor Death and Taz.

As for the race.........

This was my fourth race of the year, the first one not on snowshoes. I ran here last year as my first mountain race ever. It was brutal, half pavement, half muddy trails probably not the best choice to get into mountain running. This year it was back to the road for the whole run. I was liking it already. I arrived at the race real early, making much better time from RI than planned. Drive time was 2:40 for the 185 miles to Windsor, VT, slightly over the speed limit. The drive went by fast, some Motown and Bob Marley helped. One thing i notice with mountain/trail runners is that they like to show up early to races and when you are in nice settings like this, why not! I had no sooner parked when Dave Dunham pulled in next to me with Little Dave. After that it was just a steady stream of cars and still a hour and a half to race time. I started my warmup with some of the CMS and INOV8 crew but cut back early as i wanted to keep some energy for the run up.

The race started a minute or two after 10am, just as the sun seemed to blast out from behind the overcast sky. I started out slow, real slow, knowing i have only been running steady for two weeks. The hill slams you right away and it is a good steady climb. I probably started too far back as i passed a number of runners in the first quarter and then settled in with a lot of runners i would be with all the way to the top. I pulled up with Doctor Death, No not the grim reaper but Chris Chetsas of the Goon Squad and we chatted for a second or two and i pulled away. Shortly after, he came back by me and we went back and forth to the top. I slowed to a walk at about 3/4 miles and then alternated run/power walk to the top. Everyone around me was doing the same. My first mile was about 12.05, second was 13 change and not sure of the rest. In the end, i ran 13.04 pace for 48.18 and 98th place, about mid pack. Not bad for where i am right now, I do hope to improve by the time of the Race for the Top at Mt Mansfield at the end of August. After the race, i ran back down the mountain with Doc D, it was a slow but enjoyable run. He had mentioned walking down the mountain earlier, but he beat me so i figured the hell with that, we are running down.

Post race, a huge group headed over to the river a few miles from the race. The water was cool but not cold, it felt great anyway. The beers flowed and the conversation was great. When does a group this big meet in a setting like this after a race....uh...never, well, almost never. What a fun time.

It is always kind of sad to see the USATF-NE Mountain Series come to an end. I went to 5 races this year, 4 as photographer and one to run. Now i look at next weekend and say to myself, what am i going to do? Yard needs some work...ugh!

Time to get me into shape too. Snowshoe season will be here before you know it and i would really like to be competitive this year.

Congratulations to Eric Blake and Gina Lucrezi on their 1st place finish in the series.

Congratulations to everyone else out there who competed in this great mountain series. I look forward to next year already.

Later

Scott (Flash)

Cranmore Hill Climb Photos

2010-06-28T19:07:00.000-04:00

Cranmore mountain 11.4 km USATF NE championship

Results

1st Lap Photos

2nd Lap Photos

See You Next Week at Loon Mt.

Mt Washington Weekend Musings

2010-06-21T22:36:00.001-04:00

First off, let me say that i did not run the 50th version of the Mt Washington Road Race. I was entered, but i am in no shape to this kind of thing right now. The way i see it is that even in shape you are going to suffer so why multiply that pain by ten. I don't want a Scott Graham-ish look on my face at two miles, at least Scott's was at 7+. So instead of running, i was there with cameras to shoot and then on to the partying.

A few thoughts and observances from the weekend.

---We stayed over at Attitash Mountain Resort. What a great place, the condo slept up to 14. There are
   special rates for MW runners and they have bears wandering around to keep you on your toes. There
   were three MW runners staying here, Bob Jackman, Carl Pecchia and Martin Tighe. CMS had taken a
   condo on the other side of the tracks from us which prompts the question of who was coming from the
   wrong side of the track? Lets see....they were faster than us but we probably drink more, i guess it IS
   the Turtles.

---I brought 20 bottles of my homebrew up for post
   race at the base of the mountain, an Imperial IPA
   code named MW 50-50. It seemed to go over
   pretty well for the lucky one's to sample the
   brew. Chris Dunn was the lucky first recipient,
   the benefit of being parked next to the GTI. I
   wish i had more to go around, maybe next year.
   Fitz finally got his hands on some, i think he has
   been looking forward to it for quite some time.
   I think i may brew a batch for a snowshoe race
   this coming winter, what do you think Chris?

---It was a beautiful day on top of the mountain,
   some wind, but out of the west so you did not
notice it much on the other side. I liked last year better
   as the clouds were below you and the effect was great. Being clear all the way up makes for a tense
   ride at times for the passenger, right Jackie? Last year driving through a cloud means you don't see the
   drop off that is ten feet to your right. This year i got to drive Bill Riley down the mountain. Bill
   finished 1st in the 70-74 age group. His time was a bit off as he was looking for about 1:35 but had to
   settle for 1:39......not bad at 74 years old. Bill's wife Debbie had her Sea Shades sunglass booth set up
   down below which doubled as our drinking base camp. Thanks Debbie and Bill.

---One thing i love about this race is that you get to hang with so many good people after the race, one
   big party atmosphere. You don't get this at many races, not like here. Runners tend to hang out much
   longer. There are a lot of old school runners here as well as the regular mountain runners and snow-
   shoe people. Many people that i see at a lot of races, all great people. Tuckermans Brewing is here
   pouring their good beer. There is live music. Teams set up their tents, break out the grills and beer.
   How can you not like this scene.

---There were a lot of good performances, JJ ran a PR. DD ran above expectations, Dave Quintal had a
   good one. I felt bad for Kevin Tilton just not having it on Saturday, but i imagine he will be back with
   a vengeance. Bob Jackman had a solid first run up the hill. Congrats to Reno and Bill Riley for
   winning their age groups.

---Good to hang with the CMS crew for a while late saturday night at the condo. Knocking back a few
   Genny Cream kingers with the brothers Quintal and the rest was fun.

---Great to see my friends Sarah and Sheila. Been a whole year.

---Good to catch up with ex-RI runner John Gorman after the run.

---Note to anyone wearing sandals on a day like this, take them off, apply suntan lotion, put them back
   on. My feet have tiger stripes on them right now and my ankles are burnt too, they feel more like

cankles!

---Photos for the race are up on my website now,
see them HERE.

25 Years Ago -Maine Coast Marathon

2010-05-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

I could say it seems just like yesterday that i ran and won the Maine Coast Marathon, but no, it seems more like an eternity. Twenty five years ago i was living in Portsmouth, NH. I was running pretty good, coming back from a bad hamstring pull, I had just run a pair of 5 milers in identical 25.22 times. I was feeling fast. I had teammates from the Amtrol Racing Team going up to Maine to run the marathon, so i decided to join them although i wasn't training for anything past 5m-10k. I ramped up the training a bit so that come race day i had two long runs of 19m and two 14 milers, not what you would call totally prepared.

Race day arrives, the gun goes off and i blast off. I take the lead 100 yards into the race and go solo for the win. Sounds great, doesn't it? It wasn't that easy. I went out at what felt comfortable, building a sizable lead. At 20 miles i was at 1:47 flat with an 8 minute lead. Along the way, my friend Roland Davide, who has the course record and still has the fastest marathon run in Maine at 2:15, was with me on the bike warning that i was running too fast. I should have taken the advice of someone of his running stature, but i felt good. I was thinking from the splits that i was looking at 2:18-19 range...SWEET! Two hours in, well past 22 miles and i am having a sense of impending doom. The legs are starting to go, so i am thinking it is only 3 to go, how bad can it be. Bad. With 2 to go i had to walk, there was nothing left in the tank. All in all, i walked 5 times in the last 2 miles. I finished the race at 2:28., a minute in front of second. It took 19 minutes to go the last 2 miles. It is still a win, just not how i planned to do it. I did get the best trophy ever, a hand made lobster trap table. It still sits in my parents living room in Narragansett

In the twenty five years since this race, i have run 5 marathons. It is not what you would call my favorite distance. I don't like training for them, i really never respected the distance. I would like to do one more though so i could try to get into the 5 Decade Club which is running sub 3 hours in 5 different decades. I have 4 down now from the seventies on with nothing slower than 2:47. I have ten years to do it, we will see what happens.

Check out this link for a cool website on Maine running history:
mainerunninghistory.org

Boston Marathon Photos

2010-04-22T07:22:00.005-04:00

Went up to the Boston Marathon on Monday to spectate and take some pictures.

See the photos here.

The shots were taken at 5.5 and 19.8 miles.

Into the Light

2010-04-12T21:14:00.001-04:00

I shot a lot of photos this past weekend between the Merrimack River Trail Race and the Doyle's Emerald Necklace 5 Miler. I think this is my favorite, shot at the Doyle's 5m.

Photos from Merrimack here.

Photos from Doyle's here.

Nike Hairs

2010-03-18T22:09:00.005-04:00

I just came across this tonite while going through some old running stuff. Years ago, my brother got Don Bousquet to sign one of his cartoons for me. Don is from RI and did stuff in the local papers and Yankee Magazine. He obviously was overstating on my marathon abilities. In my opinion anyway, but i guess i was my own worst critic.

Granite State Snowshoe Finale

2010-03-16T22:56:00.003-04:00

You had to wonder if it really that good of an idea to head up to the Granite State Snowshoe Championship. Here in Rhode Island, the winds were gusting to over 30mph and the rain was coming down sideways. The clocks "sprang" ahead the night before, so you are somewhat sleep deprived for the 6 am departure time AND you have a 4 hour drive in front of you. Sounds like the perfect morning to sleep in.....NOT! Actually, i had no intentions of missing the final race of the season and then towards the end of the week, Dave Principe confirmed he was going too. Now i did not have to go up solo which made it much easier. Dave's son, DJ came along too, as we hydroplaned our way to Great Glen. I think Dave was getting a bit nervous as we hit the halfway point in Portsmouth and it was still raining heavily. Three hours in and still raining, we get into North Conway and wonder where is the snow. As we gained elevation heading towards Pinkham Notch, the wet roads slowly turned to slick, sloppy roads which caused a hairy moment or two in the last few miles (see Ryan Triffitts blog). Once we arrived, there was plenty of snow and more coming down.

I was not running the race because of a sore foot i am just getting over. So i did my usual thing, i photographed the race. This turned into more of a challenge than i figured on. At race time, the snow was coming down pretty good, mostly sideways though and right into the front of the lens, meaning the auto focus was getting thrown off. I was constantly wiping water off the lens glass too which was giving the photos a softened effect, not what i was looking for. I found that the camera kept focusing on the snowflakes and not the runners . I have shot in snow before as well as rain and even monsoon conditions and this may have been the toughest race i have done. So, all in all, i wasn't totally thrilled with the results, but considering the weather, they aren't that bad. See them at scottmasonphoto.com

As for the finish of the race, it had to be one of the best i have seen. I was standing on the last downhill before the finish line that was about 100 meters away. As they came into sight, Kevin Tilton led Jim Johnson down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, Jim was pulling up even with Kevin, then as they approached the shed and went out of my line of sight, Kevin seemed to be pulling away again. When both came back into sight from behind the shed, Jim looked to be sprinting to catch Kevin and put in a final lunge at the line. Both went down and i could not see who won from my vantage point. In the end, it was called a tie. That last 30 seconds of the race was great! A fitting end to the GSSS season.

Another great finish to the season was having the post race awards at the Great Glen Outdoor Center. Sitting in a warm room with all those windows, looking out at the snow falling and the start area of the Mt Washington Road race was real nice. There was food from the cafe, a big cake with little pine trees on it and most importantly, a keg of Redhook LongHammer IPA. Boy did that IPA taste good after standing outside getting cold and soaked. The raffle was huge as they went two times around so as to not to leave anything untaken.

Big thanks go out to Chris Dunn and all the crew at Acidotic Racing for a great snowshoe series. In a winter season that lacked snow, the races still came off in a first class manner. Let us hope that the big snow is back for next season.

A big shout out goes to my teammates, the Tuesday Night Turtles, as we moved up to fourth place in the final team standings. Bob Jackman ended up third in the overall standings. Dave Principe was coming on strong at seasons end (look out next year). DJ Principe, at 11 years old, ran 4 races. Ben Keefe, John Peabody, Jenny Saunders, Vicki and Chris Jasparro all were there along the way. I even got out there 3 times in between aches and pains. I think we should have a stronger showing next season.

What is in that trash can Chris??? Could it be Longhammer IPA?

More Race Reports:

DoubleJ Running                                             Dare Might Things

HAV2RUN                                                       DoubleD Mountainrunner

Now on to the trail and mountain series. See you out there.

Scott

Greetings From Syracuse

2010-03-10T10:33:00.007-05:00

This past weekend was the USSSA National Snowshoe Championship in Fabius, NY. My original plan was to run this race as i had qualified at the Sidehiller in Center Sandwich, NH. At the time, I figured that i had 5 weeks to get ready, but the way this winter was going, who knows what would happen. Well....Two weeks ago at the Horse Hill SS race in Merrimack, NH, I end up aggravating a nerve on top of my foot which made running impossible. Turns out that i probably had the strap on my snowshoes too tight and that led to the problem. All is well right now, I ran a 3 mile tonight without problem, but lack of training has really screwed up the season. Lack of snow hasn't helped either.

As for the Nationals, I decided to go up anyway. Turtle teammates Bob Jackman and Dave Principe were going up to race so i packed the camera and figured to shoot the races which i do better than racing lately. We took the 5 hour drive up on Friday, checked in at the Best Western and headed over to the race site to pick up numbers and check out the course. As we pulled off the main road on to the road to the park, i looked at the hill in front of us and joked how they would be finishing up that thing. Yeah...ha, ha, ha. Well, seems i was right and the race would finish the last 350 yards uphill to the finish line. At this point, I was sort of happy that i would not be running the next morning. Oh well, now that we have seen the course, it is time for a beer (more on that later).

Saturday morning comes, it is sorta cold, upper teens. We head up to Highland Park early to see the Juniors go off at 9, followed by the Women at 10 and finally the Men at 11:30. The course is in decent shape from the cold temps overnight, but it is headed for the 40 degree range today. In the womens race, it was good to see Acidotic Racings Amber Ferreira take the National title.

After two races and rising temps, the men took to the line. By now, the snow was getting soft, the course was getting chewed up and that meant the racers would suffer. The softer the snow, the slower the course. Talking to Dave P. after the race, he said how he couldn't get any footing at the start and lost time right away. He also mentioned how his footing was all over the place in the single track. The hill at the end did not help either as he fell on the way down and then almost again on the way back up to the finish.. Of course, watching the mens champion, Josiah Middaugh, run this thing, you would have thought the course was flat. He averaged just under 7 minutes a mile in slow, mushy snow on a hilly 10k route. Just amazing to watch. I guess that is why he is a 4 time National Champion. Bob Jackman, fighting a cold, finished in 30th place at 56.15/9.04 pace and two spots behind was Dave Principe at 32nd/57.17/9.14 pace, good placings in a very competitive race.

Mens Race Results
Womens Race Results

I heard some grumbling after the race about the course, the hill and snow conditions. It is what it is, everyone had to deal with the same thing. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses in different conditions. I wish i could have tested mine, but there is always next year!

Keeping with our tradition, we searched out a local brewpub for a pre-race meal and beer. Into Syracuse we went, Jackie, Bob, Dave and myself, to the Empire Brewing Co. It is down below street level in the basement of an old brick building, a very nice setting on a street loaded with restaurants. Checking out the beer menu, it was quite obvious what i was getting, so i ordered up the IPA along with Dave. It is a nicely hopped brew listed at 6.8% alc. We sampled something called Deep Purple, it is a wheat beer made with concord grapes, it wasn't horrible, just reminded me of grape soda. Bob and Jackie went for the darker stuff, stout and porter. I didn't hear any complaints so they must have been good. Food here was excellant too. I had a Philly Turkey which is a Philly Cheesesteak, only with turkey instead of steak. It was great! No sweet potato fries here, but we did have this big slab of blue corn bread as an app with maple infused butter. All in all, a very good brewpub.

For more Nationals reading, try these blogs:

Kevin Tilton

DoubleJ Running

Dare Mighty Things

Irongirl and Ultrarunning Boy

PHOTOS:

Mens Race
Womens Race
Juniors Race

Mens Race by Dave Dunham

DH Jones 10 Miler - Back in the Day 1981

2010-02-28T19:58:00.001-05:00

I had thought about driving out to the USATF-NE Grand Prix / Jones Realty Group 10 miler today to shoot some pictures and see freinds run, but sleep got the better of me. So instead of todays race, i am posting some photos and results from the 1981 DH Jones/Sugarloaf 10 miler. I drove out there with race winner Roland Davide as well as Gerry Beagan and Kenny Field. It was a RI 1-2 that day as Ron Gillooly took 2nd place. Roland set the course record at 51.02. I do not know what the current CR is, but seems to be a pretty good time by RI's best runner ever on that particular course.

This day was also the first time i had seen Dick and Rick Hoyt run in a race, it was early in their running career. It is amazing at what they have accomplished in the 29 years since then. I only wish i had pictures of them finishing.

See more photos here.

The race report was from the April 1981 Issue of Frontrunner Magazine. Click on the article to enlarge.

Horse Hill Turtles

2010-02-21T18:54:00.005-05:00

Nothing like a beer and some food after a race. After the Horse Hill SS race, we hit Martha's Exchange in Nashua. I recommend the veggie panini with sweet potato fries. As for drink, i started with the Vow of Silence Belgian Stout. It had a real homebrewed taste to it, very smooth and at 7.5%, a little bit of a kick. Sticking with the belgian style, i went for the Abbot's Habit Tripel. For a beer at 9%, it was not noticeable, very smooth going down. As you can see from the picture that Dave Principe took with his Blackberry, mine only came in a smaller glass where his S.H.A.P.E. ale could be served in a 22oz glass.
In 3 visits to Martha's, i have never been disappointed. They rotate different beers on a regular basis and the food is always good. I only wish the few brewpubs down here in RI were more like this, They basically suck in the brewpub world. You might as well head over to Wild Colonial and grab a Gansett. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Now for the race. After being cancelled once for lack of snow and the possibility of it being a trail race, we were blessed with a mid week snowstorm. Merrimack got somewhere between 6 to 8 inches of snow, but you would have never guessed it by looking at the ground on Saturday. Most of the snow was gone!

The big decision today was what to do with two SS races being held and a so called double header taking place. You got Horse Hill at 11:30 and then the Kingman Farm Moonlight race at 6 pm. Reports of lack of snow at Kingman settled the choice, Dave Principe said he was going to Horse Hill and that was it, i would be there in a support role. The more shoers your team has, the better your team places and the Turtles are in a battle for the 4-5-6 places in team competition. Dave was there with the Principe clan, Denise, Tara and SS stud DJ. I drove up with Vicki and Chris Jasparro, both SS newbies. We pulled in the parking lot to see less than 20 cars, so you had to wonder what the turnout would be like. Next in the small lot was DoubleJ in the short bus, so i knew the race would go out fast for the runners up front. Before the race, i talked to Steve Wolfe who said snow coverage was pretty good but there were some thin and bare spots out there. Steve also said the course was pretty flat......Never trust someone from New Hampshire telling you that the course is pretty flat :) I went out for a couple of miles to warm up with Dave and DJ, Chris and Vicki went out to test their loaner Dion snowshoes. I got a chance to catch up with Jim Hansen before the start, we had a good battle last year over at Feel Good Farm. I could only watch his back today. We then headed up to the path for the 11:30 start time.

A few words before the race start by director Mike Amarello and we were off. JJ took off like a bat out of hell and the rest followed. Uphill for a quarter and then into single track. I went out easy, running with Vicki. Dave was out in the front pack and Chris was in the second pack. I was running comfortably for the first half of the race with Vicki right on my tail, but as i was hitting my aerobic capacity, i pulled to the right and let Vicki go by. Why hold up someone else? Nice thing about snowshoe races is that most everyone is aware of shoers behind them and will gladly pull over to let you by. In the end, JJ won easily, but the battle for second was close with Dave Principe edging out Sean Snow for second. Other Turtles were Chris Jasparro in 10th and his wife Vicki in 15th, not bad for two runners who never put a snowshoe on before today. I place 19th with a so-so effort and 5th Turtle was DJ Principe in 28th place. DJ and a few others took a wrong turn out on the course, so their times should have been about 2 minutes better. DJ was the youngest on the course by 6 years, he being 11 years old.

After the race i realized that i had broken a cleat on my Dions. That was nothing compared to DJ who had his rear strap slip up above his shoes and dig into his achilles. Steve Wolfe was running on busted up snowshoes too. Lousy snow conditions can really do some damage.

It seems there is snow/rain in the forecast for this week. Lets hope it is more snow than rain in Exeter, NH. Next week is the Hullaballoo and i really want to run it.

Photos courtesy of Denise Principe

                                                                                    Race Results Here

                                                                                    DoubleJ race blog
                                                                                    Jim Hansen blog
                                                                                    Steve Wolfe blog

Turtles @ Sidehiller

2010-01-31T18:44:00.006-05:00

Nothing like waking up bright and early on a Saturday morning to find it is 7 degrees out and you have a 3 hour drive in front of you where the temperature will be dropping even lower. So it was, yesterday, as i waited for Jackie, Bob, Dave and DJ to get to my house for the trip up to Center Sandwich, NH and the Sidehiller snowshoe race. It really isn't too bad a drive, as it tends to go by fairly fast. We had the Family Guy's Star Wars adventure going for the back seat passengers, some good politically uncorrectness to pass the time.

By the time we got off the highway in Ashland, the temp was reading -1 or 9, depending on which bank you prefer. The one thing that was noticeable was the lack of snow and because of that, the Sidehiller course had been altered from last year. This year it was a 3 lap race around the fairgrounds with a few short excursions into the woods. A very fast course. For some anyway.

We arrived about 9:45 for the 11 am race and headed to check-in. Right away you could spot the horses, Jim Johnson was there with a copy of the Fosters Daily Democrat newspaper pullout section "Showcase" with an awesome snowshoe race photo on the cover taken by yours truly. See the article by Geoff Cunningham here. Also spotted at check in were names like Dunham, Ferenc, Morse, Quintal, Wolfe and Tilton. I was thinking i should have photographed the race instead of running it. Too late now. We did a short warmup with the CMS boys and then it was time to race.

At the start, i was lined up about 3 rows back. I did not know what to expect here. The front row looked like just a regular stacked 5k race, all of them were ready to just slam the pace as the race started. I was just there to run steady and finish. I started next to teammate Ben Keefe and his brother, Josh, who was sporting a nice moose hat, antlers and all. When the race started, everyone went off like it was a road race! I'm thinking, Damn, what is going on here. I can't figure out if i went out too slow or too fast. I ran with a group for the first 1.7 mile lap, feeling half way good, but really not sure how things were going. At the short hill right before the finish, i walked to the top and started running again. My knees were not liking the uphills today, as they were sore for most of the week and the only way to make them feel better was to try massaging them by getting my fingers up under the kneecap. A nice form of self torture :) Once at the crest of the hill, i was just fine. I finished the first lap in 13 change and then dropped off for the next 2 laps. The 2nd lap was 14+ and the last dreadful lap was 15 or so. I was hoping to have a somewhat better race today, but it just wasn't in the cards. I went into the race with only 10 miles for the week and fighting off a chest cold. I know, i don't like excuses either but half way through the race, i knew i wasn't going to run anything worth bragging about.

Up front, teammate Bob Jackman was running a good race, finishing in 7th place. Not as good as last year, but a much better field today. Turtle Prez Dave Principe, who has been bitten by the SS bug, sporting brandy new Atlas snowshoes, finished up in 14th place, not too far behind Jim Pawlicki and Eric Morse and realizing what a difference a real pair of shoes make. Next Turtles up were Ben and Josh Keefe in 32nd and 33rd place. The elder Keefe let the kid brother win :) I was the next TNT runner in 47th place. After me was DJ Principe who was having a bad day. DJ was complaining of a sore calf muscle on the warmup and it really came around to bite him in the race. He finished in 76th place, no where as good as he ran at Feel Good Farm, but still kudos go out to DJ, the youngest finisher in the race. One more runner of note is Rose, Ben's signifigant other who finished 87th.

All in all, a fun day. TNT'ers Bob Jackman, Dave Principe, and myself all qualified for the SS Nationals in Syracuse, NY in March.

One other note from the race. It was great to meet up with former employee Chris Tessier from Athletic Attic days, who i had not seen for 20 years. We worked in the RI Mall many years ago, drank beer in the parking lot after the store closed and were big Police fans, the band, not the local constabularies. Where is your next SS race Tess?

Race is over, now what? Oh yeah, brewpub time!

Today's choice is Milly's Tavern in Manchester, NH. Situated in the basement of an old mill building on the river, it is a great location! The place was deserted for the most part, being a Saturday afternoon. The Turtle crew grabbed a table and tripled attendance at the bar. The beer menu had 16 beers on tap, all in house brews. I naturally gravitated towards the hoppiest they had, ManchVegas IPA. It is a decent IPA with good west coast hops and not too much maltiness. A very drinkable IPA. I was bummed out that the Imperial IPA was not on tap as it was last time here. It Rocks!! I did try the cherry porter. It is a pretty good brew with subtle cherry flavor. As for food, i had the BBQ Chicken Quesadilla with a side of sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were good, not outstanding.

On a side note, as i type this, i have Pulp Fiction going in the background. Is there a better scene than Mia getting the adrenaline shot from Vincent when she is OD'ing. Oh well, probably not everyones cup of tea.......

Next week? Looks like Exeter. Talking with Northfield RD Dave Dunham on the warmup, seems like that race could be a no go. I prefer to do the longer race, but i want to race no matter what. Looks like Exeter. Then Horse Hill, Kingman Farm and Nationals. Granite State Finals, maybe i run........maybe i just take the camera, what do you think, Chris Dunn??

More race blogs here when they are good and ready to post:

Dave Dunham
Jim "DoubleJ" Johnson
Acidotic Racing
Steve Wolfe
Jim Pawlicki

Sidehiller Results
Sidehiller Photos

Later

Scott

First Snowshoe Race of the Year.

2010-01-23T22:12:00.004-05:00

Finally, I am competing in my first snowshoe race of the season. The location is King Pine Ski Resort and the Pooh Hill SS Race in Madison, NH. I had been a bit banged up due to a knee problem suffered 3 weeks ago, but the pain has subsided and i felt a need to race.

I started the preparation for the race on Friday night with the best massage therapist in RI, Nikki Toth. She pummels the knots out of my legs like no one else and seems to enjoy it.

Saturday morning, Dave Principe, Jackie and Bob Jackman and me, headed out for the 3 hour drive to Pooh Hill. It is not too bad a drive, straight thru Boston and up to Rte. 16 in NH to Madison. When we left here in Warwick, the temp was about 25 and as we headed north, it kept dropping. By the time we reached Madison, the trucks thermometer read 13, but it was a dry 13 :) Oh yeah, the sun was out too.

Sign in and it was time for a 3 mile warm-up. I was surprised that my knee was feeling quite good, no aches or pains. Looks like the massage helped! I cruised thru that and felt pretty good about what was about to come. Now i just wondered how to dress, so i went for the thin polypro and Turtle tank top and no hat. It may have been cold, but the sun was warming things up just fine. This was just the second time this year that i was on snowshoes, so there was some trepidation heading into this race. So the gun goes off and unlike last year at this race, i hold back and keep it easy. As we run thru the early single track, i am actually feeling pretty good. No oxygen debt, no high heart rate, i like this. Thru the little ups and downs, everything seems to be working well and i actually manage to pass a few runners out there. Coming up to 30 minutes of running, i was starting to feel the lack of conditioning that you really need to run in snowshoes. I walked a short hill but was running within 20 seconds. Then came the zigzag across the lake thru a narrow trail with slow, soft snow that really seemed to sap my strength. So for the last 2 miles, i survived by running and quickly walking up a few of the inclines. Into the finish and a 47 minute 8 k, give or take a bit, and it was over. All in all, a good race. It surpassed my expectation so i was happy with it.

Bob Jackman finished up in 3rd place and Dave Principe took 10th place. Nice run guys!

I have to applaud Chris Dunn and the Acidotic Racing Team for the job that they do. This is a very organized race, even going off right on time. The check in is easy and post race is a great time with lots of awards and a large raffle. Oh, by the way, i won the big prize...Kahtoola Snowshoes...in the raffle. Thanks Chris.

Now that the race was over, time to think about the task at hand. Turtle tradition says we have to hit a brewpub on the way home and today that choice is the Portsmouth Brewery in Portsmouth, NH. After a race this grueling, you find yourself craving a good brew. Well, there aren't many better spots than this. The Bottle Rocket IPA was up first for me, quite tasty with a good hop bitterness but not overpowering. Bob, Jackie and Dave all went for the Stout and seemed to enjoy it. Food wise, i went for the salmon fillet sandwich with chipotle mayo and fries. I was a bit bummed out that they did not have sweet potato fries as i tend to judge these places by their IPA's and sweet potato fries. The fries were good none the less. I tried a barleywine ale also, it was good and malty with some good hop overtones, i recommend it if you find your way to Portsmouth. I do like my homebrewed IPA much better, for the record.

Next week it is the Sidehiller Snowshoe race in Center Sandwich, NH, which also means i get to go to Milly's Tavern in Manchester after the race. Nothing like good snowshoeing and good beer!!!!

Thanks to Steve Wolfe and Krissy Kosloski for suppling the photos above of fat old me.

It was funny how a few runners asked who was going to take pictures at the race, since i was running and Krissy Kosloski who shoots too was competing, but turns out that Krissy dropped out and grabbed her camera so see her photos here. For the record, i love shooting photos at the races but would much rather run. I will find my way to another SS race to shoot this year, but it is not a priority. Either way, i will support the sport!

If you would like to read some blogs of the fast guys up front, check out these:

Jim Johnson
Steve Wolfe
Acidotic Racing

Todays Results:

Go Here.

Later

Scott

Feel Good Farm Snowshoe Race

2010-01-17T17:13:00.006-05:00

Usually when we go to a snowshoe race, there are 2 or 3 Turtles competing, but Feel Good Farm was a major breakthrough for the club. We went up to New Hampshire with 6 runners, should have been 7 except for my gimpy knee. Regular shoers Bob Jackman and Ben Keefe were joined on the line with Dave Principe and son, DJ as well as John Peabody and Jenny Saunders. The latter 4 runners have never run a snowshoe race before and ended up choosing a race that might not be the best initiation to the sport. The course is between 4 and 5 miles, exact milage really doesn't matter as you can't compare race to race because the courses vary so much. Jim Pawlicki noted in his blog that his Garmin measured at 4.03 miles. Total climbing elevation was 2200 feet. I ran this race last year when the snow was much deeper, this year you had to deal with some icy, almost bare ground with a lot of rocks in a few spots. As i hiked up to the top of Moose Mountain with Jackie Jackman to find a spot to capture some good photos, i noted to her that there were some real treacherous downhill running and it made me happy that i decided not to run here.

It turned out to be quite the day for a snowshoe race. Temperatures were approaching 45 and the sun was shining brightly. There was some wind at the top of Moose Mt, but nothing to affect the run. The big question for the day was how to dress for the race. A few brave souls went with shorts, but many opted for tank tops and short sleeves with their tights.

I parked myself at the top of the second climb and waited. First up and over was Kevin Tilton with a sizable lead, first Turtle up was Bob Jackman in 5th place with newby Dave Principe running in the top 20. Next Turtles up were Ben, then DJ, John P and Jenny. By then i was shooting from the downhill where everyone looked great. I even got a few smiles as runners ran by the camera. As we moved back down the hill shooting as i went, Kevin came by for a second time looking somewhat out of control, but that is how you run downhill in snowshoes and you really are in control of your running. This section of trail had little snow, lots of ice and rock. This must have been the reason for a number of broken cleats on snowshoes, hopefully they were wearing Dions where replacing a cleat is a cinch. Once past here, there was plenty of snow for the rest of the downhill into the finish.

Bob finished up in 5th, Dave P was 19th, Ben came in 28th. John Peaboby was 49th followed by DJ Principe(11years old) in 64th and Jenny at 73rd place. There were 100 finishers, a bit of an improvement from the 12 finishers last year. I am not sure how the team awards go, but it looks like the Turtles did ok as we had 3 in the top 28. CMS Polarbears put 3 in the top 6 and Acidotic Racing put lots of runners in the top 30. Post race was a good time. There are no indoor facilities here at Feel Good  Farm, so the warm weather made it quite enjoyable. There was a big pot of portuguese kale soup, thanks to race director Mike Amorello. I heard Mike comment that the RI'ers should have brought up some quahogs. We will Mike, one of these races.

Next up is the Pooh Hill Snowshoe Race on the 23rd. I plan on running this one. It is really pissing me off that the knee isn't healing as fast as i want or like.

As is tradition after a snowshoe race, we hit a brewpub on the way home. This time it was Martha's Exchange in Nashua. We were joined by Dan Scotina, Chris Smith and Emily Trespas. The beer was good, i had a Belgian called Barrel of Apathy, very tasty. There was a lack of a real IPA which really bugs me since i am a hop head when it comes to beers. The chicken mozzarella panini was very good but i would not recommend the sweet potato fries, they were over cooked with no meat on them. I heard no complaints about other beers, so i assume that everyone liked what they had. I think Emily had the appropriately named "Blond Bombshell" A fun time was had by all. After next weeks race we get to hit Portsmouth Brewing, i can't wait, it is one of my favourites.

On a side note to Steve Wolfe, sorry to hear about your dog. It really hurts to lose a pet.

Want to see a bunch of photos from the race, see my site: ScottMasonPhoto

More photos to see here at Krissy Koslosky's site.

Race Blog Roll Call: Dare Mighty Things - Chis Dunn
                                Breakheart Trail Running - Dan Scotina
   Good Clean Run - Jim Pawlicki


Race Results here at Coolrunning

SeeYa Next Week

Scott

Best shot of 2009??????

2010-01-09T21:31:00.001-05:00

2009 is over. I shot many photos last year, 40 thousand plus over the course of the year. I was at a lot of races and i took many shots that i liked. What was the best one of the year, a very tough one to call....or was it. What exactly constitutes the best shot? I think that emotion has much to do with the best picture. If that is the case, then the shot of Scott Graham at the top of Mt Washington should be my best of the year. It is a case of "you had to be there", i was 400 meters from the finish, above the clouds and shooting runners coming up the mountain. I like to think that i got the real feeling of running up the mountain in this shot. The look on Scott's face says it all...this race sucks every last bit of energy out of your body and then you have to dig down even deeper to make the top. This is a feeling that i will get to endure this year, as i am already entered into the 50th Mount Washington Road Race. Gee, i can't wait!!

Here is a bonus slideshow that never made it out this past summer. It never made it to YouTube because of the music choices i wanted to use on it. Recently, i uploaded it to Facebook and linked it to my blog. Hopefully you will like going back to last summer and the warm weather of July to enjoy this slideshow. It is also on my Facebook site if you belong and can watch it in a higher quality than here.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1193893843954

A New Year

2010-01-02T22:07:00.002-05:00

A New Year and what is my resolution......that's easy......RUN MORE! I just totaled last years miles and had to cringe, it came up to a paltry 866 miles. That used to be a nice 2 month total! Wanna run better, run more miles. Like the Nike ad used to say, Just Do It. Lets see if i can.

I headed up to Hollis, NH January 2nd for the Beaver brook Snowshoe Race. I was supposed to run it, but ended up just taking pictures. Seems i screwed up my knee the other day while photographing the RI Classic High School Indoor Track Meet in Providence. I had tripped over the inside lane curbing, planted my foot and then the body twisted but the foot did not move, thus, a twisted sore swollen knee. Damn good grip on those INOV8 shoes :) I had really looked forward to running this race, it was a wicked fast course. I still got to touch base with a bunch of the NH regulars and fellow bloggers, Jim Johnson, Dave Dunham, Steve Wolfe, Scott Graham and a few i didn't get a chance to talk to like Jim Hansen, Chris Dunn.
Hope to run in 2 weeks at Feel Good Farm, which i did last year. Up and over the mountain twice, what fun.

Click here for Beaver Brook Snowshoe Race Photos

Speaking of the RI Classic Indoor Meet here in Providence. Here is my niece, Lindsey Kopech, ripping it up in the 4x200 relay for Classical High School.

Best of the Year??

2009-12-27T18:48:00.007-05:00

Here are some of my favourite images that i took this year. There were many more, but going through 40,000+ photos wasn't something i really wanted to do. I hope you enjoy these.

The slideshow is from Facebook, as Youtube would not approve the audio that went along with the images. Turn up the volume and set the show to full screen. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1184526329772&ref=mf

First Shoes

2009-11-20T19:54:00.052-05:00

Yes, these are the first real running shoes i ever had, bought in early 1979. How many of you out there still have you first real pair of running shoes? I ran before i bought these, first starting on the cinder track at Lockwood Jr. High wearing leather Nike shoes, the Cortez. After realizing that i like doing this, it was time to get into real hardcore running shoes and the New Balance 320 was the choice for me. I bough these shoes at Lightning Sports on Thayer Street in Providence. At the time, these were top of the line and cost a whopping $29.99. Choices back then weren't anything like today, i could have gone with Brooks, Adidas or Tigers, which seemed to be the choice of many top runners, now known as Asics. The NB 320's weren't the most attractive shoes out there, but they were comfortable. They had a gum rubber herringbone outer sole, not very long lasting. I used to build them up with ShoeGoo to get extra mileage out of them. Funny thing, they were a 9 1/2, i now were 11 but these shoes still fit. It seems the lasts that shoes are built on changed, not my feet. I would beat the crap out of my shoes, lots of miles and running sockless would do that and they would stink to high heaven. Why did i keep these, i don't know, maybe i thought it would be cool to see them 30 years later and compare. Obviously, they don't compare to anything now, not even remotely, but i could probably sell them on EBAY for more than i bought them for in 1979.

Later

Scott

Rhode Island 6 Hour

2009-11-16T23:58:00.004-05:00

I woke up Sunday morning to a light mist and darkness, time to roll out of bed and get over to the Warwick City Park for the RI 6 Hour Race. The weathermen in all their infinite wisdom are saying that it will be a nice day, temps in the low sixties and no rain. I can't imagine that there is anymore rain to fall after Saturday, how much can the clouds hold? 6:30am and here comes Mark Mitsmenn down the street for a ride over with USATF-NE Ultra Chairman Paul Kirsch following behind us. There is a steady stream of cars heading into the park and the locals must be wondering what is going on. We head on down to the beach and start area, the lot is filling fast. Tents are popping up all over, this place doesn't see this much action even in the summer. On a clear day, there is a view all the way down Narragansett Bay towards Newport, it is a very nice spot for a race. The course here is a 2.7 mile paved bike path that meanders through the woods and ball fields of the park. Much of the path is flat, but there is a rolling section that lasts for less than a half mile which could wear on the legs over the course of 6 hours. So let the fun begin.

8am is here and the start of the race goes off right on time. The players here are Ben Nephew and Martin Tighe, Ben is 34, Martin is 17 years older than that at 51. Both have impressive running resumes. Both are looking for more than 50 miles in the alloted 6 hours. They take off together and plan on running together for a while. At the same time as the ultra run, there is also a relay going on. Twenty Eight teams
with anywhere from 2 to 6 runners doing anywhere from 1 to 3 laps an individual stint. This is not a strictly regulated relay like some, you can set it up anyway that suits your team. My team, the Tuesday Night Turtle "C" team is handing off every lap, figuring that will keep us better rested and able to kick the ass of the Turtle "B" team. All our best runners were on the "A" team which was going for the overall win, but we weren't concerned with them, only the B's. Team FuelBelt came in with 5 teams, there were teams from the Wild Colonial Running Club, Shamrock Running Club, Inskip Auto Dealership and many more. Oddly though, no other big RI running clubs showed, oh well, maybe next year.

Meanwhile, Martin and Ben are going at it on the bikepath. Two laps in and Ben has already shed his shirt, a few laps later Martin does the same. They are lapping at around 6.30 pace which comes out to about a 5:25 50 mile time. Seems a bit rich. Two hours in and Martin is off the front just hammering the shit out of the course, i guess he did not want anymore company. Did he go too early, time will tell. Ben seemed to just settle in and run a fairly even pace. Martin was adding time every lap, building up to a 7 minute lead, but things were closing in. Cramping was starting to be an issue. Both runners slowed over time, that was a given considering the early pace. With a few laps to go, it hit. Martin was lying down on the path with someone trying to massage the cramps out of his legs, this cost a good 5 minutes of his time as Ben closed in. Now Martin's pace was off, he was hurting but still able to push on. One thing i know about Martin is he is a tough runner and will do all he can to hold on. But when you are being pursued by someone like Ben Nephew, the writing was on the wall. With a lap to go, Ben came around side by side with Martin and that was it, Ben put 1 1/2 minutes on Martin on the last lap. In the end, both runners covered 51.3 miles, but Ben did it quicker. Both runners ran sub 5:50 for 50 miles, an amazing feat. Martin ran a PR by 10 minutes, i do not know what Ben has previously run for a 50. Separated by a minute and a half after 6 hours, what an exciting race! Congratulations to both. In the womens race, Daniele Cherniak of New York, a long time excellent ultra runner won by about 2 minutes over Allison Lassoe. Daniele covered 41.4 miles.

Meanwhile, back at the relay. The TNT "A" was out front by over a lap and the rest of us were left to shoot it out. My "C" team was led by Captain Jodi Hall as she led myself, George, Jim, Vicki and Pieter to a third place finish, way above expectations. I managed to run better than i thought i would, averaging 7 min. pace for 3 legs. I'll take it for now. My knees felt good, that is a good thing. I even wore racing shoes, probably not the best thing for a fat, starting to get back in shape runner, but it is a relay and i don't want to let the team down. With the relay going on with the ultra, there were many more runner/ spectators here, and a very boisterous crowd. This had to help the ultra runners and added a certain electricity to the race. The one thing i would like to see next year is an updated leader board for the relay so that we know who we are close to. I was surprised to find we were in the top 3, but in the end, the 2-8 teams were separated by only 4 minutes. It would be good to know who you have to go after or hold off.

I did get to hang out some with old friend and racing foe, Jon Barnes, who was running on one of the Fuel Belt teams. Back in the eighties, Jon ran for the Belle Watling A.C., anyone out there know where that name came from without googling it? Buy you a beer if you get it right.

Want to see many photos from the race, go HERE.

By the way, that is the lovely captain of our relay team, Jodi Hall who is interviewing Ben Nephew after the race.

A big shout out goes to the other Turtle in the 6 Hour, Jake Schieffelin who covered 37.8 miles and took 3rd place in the USATF-NE masters championship.

Way to go Jake!!!

New York City Marathon

2009-11-01T21:01:00.000-05:00

How great is it to see an American win the NYC Marathon? In a USA shirt to boot.

I get a kick out of how they played up Ryan Hall for much of the race and Meb comes through with the win. Of course, that has to do with some of the non-running broadcasters. Everything has to be a cliche or witty remark. Why not put Toni Reavis alone in the booth and keep the others out on the remotes? They did a good job. They just had to put up with stupid questions or idiotic observances from the play by play guy. Just my opinion, of course.

Oh well, aside from that. Great to see Americans finish 1st and 4th.

Photo at right is from Boston in 2006 at 15 miles. Meb finished in 2:09.56, 2.42 behind Robert Cheruiyot. Not sure who #19 is, he was a dnf.

Boston Mayor's Cup

2009-10-26T07:14:00.000-04:00

It was a gorgeous day to watch some cross country racing at the Boston Mayors Cup in Franklin Park. The trees were on fire with color, the temps were low 60's and there was a bit of mud on the course, it doesn't get much better than this.

Kudos go out to DJ Principe, son of Turtle president Dave. DJ won the 10 and under race with a time of 6.40 over a 1.1 mile course.

See some photos of the races here:

Mens Championship 8k

Womens Championship 5k

All races gallery

Grog and Dog Jog

2009-10-12T21:32:00.001-04:00

What a beautiful day for racing and eating. I headed over to watch the Turtles race the Grog and Dog Jog at the Wild Colonial in Providence. It is a relay of 1 1/4 miles X four with a beer and a dog before you hand off to the next runner. The trick is trying to eat and drink as fast as possible with out puking, because many places change during the handoff. You can also leave your eating manners home for this one.

Our Turtle team dressed up as Geeks, well, truth be told, it is not really a turtle team. Two Turtles, Bob Jackman and Ben Keefe were joined by Alan Bernier of CMS and Zak Kudlak of the Unattached TC. Alan went as far as to add tape the glasses and pens in his pocket, no pocket protector though. Also on the start line were a wench, a hot dog, runners in tux's and wigs and wings, i even saw a running clam. From the start, Zak took the lead for the defending champion Turtles, building a small lead by the time they emerged on the other side of the Providence River. At the end of his leg, Zak grabbed his beer and dog and chowed it down pretty quick, then handed off to Ben Keefe. Ben hasn't been doing any speed work this summer and it showed. He held off the second runner, clad in a tie and BC tank top, by mere seconds. This is where fast eating comes in handy, we were out first with Bob Jackman and another BC runner right behind. Bob lost the lead, but due to fast eating we got a good start on the last leg with Alan cranking out a fast mile and a quarter, but it still was close enough that they were eating for first and second in the food corral at the same time.

From the sidelines, you can look at them and wonder why they aren't eating any faster, but i guess until i run one myself i will just never know. Someone said that Keith Kelly put down his dog/beer combination in 20 seconds, hope he didn't spill any on his wench outfit. Costume of the day is a tossup between the running wenches and the hot dogs. One can only imagine what a passing motorist must think? Why is the St Paulie Girl chasing that guy down the road, is he a bad tipper?

Kudos go out to Brien Lang and the Wild Colonial for putting on a fun event.

For more photos of the Grog and Dog Jog, look here.

Link to the Wild Colonial here.

At right is Clammie the Narragansett beer mascot.

CVS Caremark Downtown 5K

2009-09-20T22:03:00.003-04:00

I got out for an early run today so i could finish up and head over to the USATF National Championship 5k in Providence. It is nice having a top notch race as this just 10 minutes from my house. I ran this race only once, 11 years ago when i was 40 years old. At the time, i was pretty quick and managed to run a 15.25 for 5th master, that would have won todays race. That's what happens when you pull out the money for masters, it went 10 deep then and maybe 3 deep now. Aside from that, this is still a great race. You want to run a fast time and aren't concerned with place, come to this race. Don't want to run, it is still a great race to spectate at

Want to see some photos from the race, click here..

See some off beat high school runners here.

See Flotrack Video here.

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM

2009-09-07T20:54:00.000-04:00

Well, it is Labor Day Weekend which means one thing to me, Lime Rock Vintage Fest! For those of you not in the know, it is a weekend of old sports cars racing around a mile and a half road course in beautiful western Connecticut. There are cars from the early thirties to the late seventies. It is NOT your popular run in circles with cars that all look the same kind of boring racing. These cars have character and history attached to them. These cars have style, grace and elegance.

Pictured is the star of the show. It is a Mercedes-Benz W154 Silver Arrow Grand Prix car last raced in 1939 as World War II broke out. It had not been on a road course since then. The sound that this car makes going around the track is like a symphony. See a video of it here .

If you care to see some photos from the event, here are 50 of my favourites.

If you are really bold, see the full 275 shots here.

Race to the Top of Vermont

2009-08-31T11:22:00.001-04:00

The Turtle Mountain Team headed up to Stowe, Vermont this weekend to run up Mt. Mansfield. The event is The Race to the Top of Vermont. Making the drive up on a rainy Saturday were John Peabody, Martin Tighe(why do people continue pronounce his name"teague"?) and his nephew James, Vicki and Chris Jasparro, Jackie and Bob Jackman, Zak Kudlak, Larry Walker and me. We had rented a house for the night right in Stowe and packed it tight with runners. Also staying with us was Jim Johnson, author of the world famous DoubleJ running blog.

Saturday night, we picked up our numbers and headed over to The Shed Brewery for dinner and some beers. The beers were decent but not great and the food was expensive for what you get. A vegetarian quesadilla for 18 dollars seems a bit steep and it wasn't that big either. Towards the end of dinner, the waitress came over to the table and informed us that there was a police DUI checkpoint set up down the road so we let the non-drinkers drive back to the house. Turns out the police were set up right in front of our house! After the checkpoint broke up, we picked up a few six packs and sat down to watch the 2009 video of Mt Washington road race, good stuff. You might be able to tell that we weren't taking the race too seriously considering all the beers.

Race morning was overcast but soon burned off to produce a beautiful day. We left early to make a stop at Bingham Falls in Smugglers Notch State Park. It was a long downhill hike to the falls and was worth the walk. The hike also helped loosen up my legs for the task ahead. Now it was time to get over to the toll road and hang out for a while for everything to get started.

First off were the walkers, then an hour later go the mountain bikers followed ten minutes later by the runners. I started off with John P., just behind Jackie and Chris J. I started off real conservative seeing that the uphill started right away. I figured to run with John Peabody as far as possible, but John wasn't coming along, so i had to go it alone. The course is a mixture of steep climbs and a few flats or near flat sections to give you a chance to catch your breath. The road is also dirt, but in really good condition. I chugged along at 12 min. or so pace for much of the race, mixing in slow running and power walking, this seemed to work well for me. Once the temperature started to drop near the top, i felt even better, not that i was going any faster, just more comfortable with the pain. By half way, we were passing mountain bikers on the road. I just can't imagine riding my bike up a road like this, last week i was riding up some of the jeep trails around Mt Toby and the quad burn was intense. I passed bikers on my power walks, they were peddling and going nowhere. I finished up in 54.40 at 97th place. Not too bad for where my fitness level is right now. This summer has seen too many little setbacks, you miss a week here and 10 days there, so there isn't any forward progress. I think that is behind me now, or at least i hope so. I ran down the mountain after the race and could actually walk this morning, unlike Mt Ascutney six weeks ago. I guess that is a sign of progress.

As a group, the Turtles did well, Jackie Jackman placed 4th woman overall and first in 30-39. Martin Tighe won the 50-59 group and Bob Jackman was 3rd in 20-29.

Overall, the race was won by Jim Johnson (35.30) and Kasie Enman (40.12) New course records for both.

Eric Morse finished second.

All in all, this is a nice race. Organization was very good. The only gripes i have are with the post race. If you go to the effort to do big post race free barbecue, you might want include something to drink too. Bottled water, soda, juice, something. In this case, you had to stand in a long line at the bar to get an overpriced can of soda after waiting in a long line for food. The other thing is the award ceremony. At the start, we were told that awards were at 12.30, the entry form said 1pm. In all actuality, 1.45 they finally got underway. There was a huge raffle with some real nice stuff, but considering that we had a 4 1/2 hour drive in front of us, there was no way we were hanging that long. Chip timing was nice, so can't you get things going faster?

For a report on the goings on up front in the race, see Jim Johnsons blog.

Later

Scott

Runner Attacks Photographer

2009-08-24T22:26:00.007-04:00

   Well, I wasn't really attacked by a runner, it just looks like i was in the line of fire.

I took a ride up to the Mt Toby Trail Run on Sunday with 5 of my Turtle teammates who were running this 14 mile trail race. Since i am in really lousy running shape right now, i went only as photographer and as one turtle put it, Turtle trail organizer. The runners were Martin Tighe, Bob Jackman, Larry Walker, Ben Keefe and John Peabody. I like the fact that more of the Turtles are getting into mountain and trail racing, only wish i was running more of them. Soon, i hope! Actually, next week i am supposed to run up Mt Mansfield @ Stowe, Vermont. Not really looking forward to that. Anyway... i did take my mountain bike with the camera in the backpack up the trail at Toby in search of a place to take photos that wasn't too dark. It wasn't an easy trail to bike on, lots of uphill, ruts, rocks and water, but i loved it. I only wish that there wasn't a race going on and there wasn't a 10 pound camera strapped to my back. Flying down the trails at breakneck speed over rocks and ruts is a total blast! I finally settled on a good place to shoot in a brief clearing where the local fire department guys had set up a water stop. We were the 12 mile mark, down hill all the way to the finish. They even offered me a beer, who am i to turn that down until i heard the choices, Bud or Bud Lite. Much as i despise both of these, i went with the Bud. I was hot and sweaty and covered in mud, the Spudweiser tasted great.

After many photos, we all headed south to Northampton for the local brewpub. The Northampton Brewery was very good. Food and beer both tasted good. The double IPA was quite tasty and the aroma from the brewing process just enhanced the whole experience.

   I love the smell of boiling malts in the afternoon.

   Want to see some photos from Mt Toby, click here .

Back in the Day, 30 & 10 Years Ago

2009-07-18T00:02:00.000-04:00

Thirty years ago this weekend, i ran my first St Mary's Feast 5.5 Mile race. It is held at 5 pm on a Saturday and needless to say, is normally a swelteringly hot day with very little shade along the way. This was race #11 of the year for me which also make it 11th ever, seeing this was my first year racing. I started out with my buddy Richard Collard and after pulling away from him, ended up in a battle with Darryl Simoneau from Cumberland HS, getting out kicked into the finish. I finished in 30.30 for 5.5 or 5.7, or whatever the real distance was. My friend, Roland Davide, in my opinion, the best runner ever to come out of Rhode Island, easily won the race. Roland was on the comeback trail at the time with a lot of great running in front of him.

Along the way, i logged many long runs with Roland, which helped push me to the extreme. We would run a Saturday morning 21 miler that was back loaded with some killer hills, pushing up the pace towards the end of the run. It was not unusual for us to run the last mile in 5-5.05 after running two shitty steep long hills leading to the finish at his house in Coventry. Of course, there were days when i would just grab his shoulder and say SLOW DOWN, we always ended up picking the pace up again anyway. I remember one long run leading up to the New York City Marathon in 1982. I told him of this 20 mile workout we could do on a rolling course out around the Scituate Reservoir. We headed out on the supposed 20 that ended up being 27 miles, the pace coming in was fast. I think Roland was pissed! We were wiped out, having no water for 27 miles will do that, but back then, who needed water anyway. Because of my indiscretion in getting the miles right, Roland told me i had to double up on my races the next day so i could join him at an afternoon race he was committed to running at the PM Pub. We both ran the Warwick 10k in the morning where i surprisingly ran 32 flat for a PR at that distance, Don't remember Roland's time, but i would guess it was 30 low change. Later that afternoon, we showed up at the PM Pub and went 1-2 for the 5 mile race after an early scare from Dick Tardiff, who rocketed out at the start, and we no doubt, enjoyed a few beers after the race. The photo in the local paper had us finishing side by side and many people said i almost beat Roland, Yeah, Right. He was a sub 30 10k guy, no way i was beating him at that point of my running career. I really enjoyed my time running with Roland Davide and he is part of the reason i got as fast as i did.

Shoot ahead 20 years to the same weekend as St Mary's and we have the Wachuset to Wachuset Road Race. Like St Mary's, it was a late afternoon 5 mile race and this year, it was hotter than hell. Race time temp was about 95 degrees. I made the trek up to this race with some of the Turtle boys, Dave Larsen, Mark Mitsmenn, Ernie Valliere and Chris McDonough in Dave's 1977 Eldorado. There is more room in this car than a school bus. One of the major draws here was that it finished at a brewery with live music and beer after the race, what is better than that! It also had 40% downhill and only 20% up in this point to point race, so the course profile seemed quite interesting. The race started in the parking lot at the ski area and came screaming downhill to Rte 140 and then headed along rolling hills until you hit the 4 mile mark where it went down for about 3/4 of a mile and then flat into the finish. My last mile of the race was a 4.40 mile, side by side with Dan Johnson from Providence, not bad for a 41 year old. We came in towards the finish and realized that you had to make a sharp 180 degree turn 100 meters from the finish. At the pace we were running, we thought, who the f--- thought up this finish? Dan, with the younger legs, got me in the sprint. The last mile was electric, it had to be one of the most exhilarating last miles i ever ran in a race. Side by side and neither would give, striding like gazelles, that is what racing is all about!

Too bad this race only lasted for a few years, your entry fee got you a t-shirt, a pint glass and a growler of beer along with music and food. Why do these races always seem to disappear?

Wachusett to Wachusett 5-Miler

Westminster, MA, July 17, 1999

  1   1/98   M2029   24:20  4:52 ARTHUR GILKES          25 M   774 SOMERVILLE MA           CMS
 2   2/98   M2029   24:41  4:57 DANIEL JOHNSON         26 M   956 PROVIDENCE RI           BAA
3   1/176  M4049   24:43  4:57 SCOTT MASON            41 M   576 WARWICK RI              TNT
4   1/203  M3039   24:47  4:58 MAURITS VAN DER VEEN   32 M   775 SOMERVILLE MA           CMS
5   1/19   M0119   24:55  4:59 MIKE SMITH             19 M  3034 PRINCETON MA            CMS
 6   3/98   M2029   25:00  5:00 RICHARD BOLT           28 M   862 PEPPERELL MA            CMS
 7   2/19   M0119   25:21  5:05 NATE JENKINS           18 M  3037 TEMPLETON MA            UMASS LOWELL
8   4/98   M2029   25:39  5:08 KEVIN BECK             29 M   982 CONCORD NH              CMS
9   2/176  M4049   26:49  5:22 TIM BLOUIN             42 M   607 TEMPLETON MA            GLRR/NMC
10   2/203  M3039   27:09  5:26 JASON CAKOUROS         34 M   107 MILTON MA

Ascutney

2009-07-13T07:04:00.009-04:00

For the last two years, i have been photographing the mountain races and i've had a great time doing it. Yesterday, i decided to be on the other side of the camera and try running one of these things. This would be the first time i have ever done a mountain race. The thought had crossed my mind many years ago when i was a much faster, but i just never pulled the trigger on it. It is also my first race this year without snowshoes under my feet. I knew coming into this that i was in no way ready to race, but what the hell, lets do it anyway.

The day started good with a nice easy 3 mile warmup with all the CMS and other mountain studs. Running wise, that is as good as the day got. Soon after, it was over to the start line to begin this adventure. A few words with Trail Pixie before the gun and we were off. I found that trying to figure out what kind of pace to run up the mountain is not easy, so i just went slow. At about the mile i broke into a power walk which is not much slower than running on the steep sections of road. I kept this up for the next mile or so when it was time to veer onto the trails to the top. This is where it got ugly. The rock strewn trails are steep technical climbs, not condusive to running at all. On top of that, there was much mud, running water and slick footing. For me, being in less than ideal condition, call it fat and out of shape if you will, it was torture. I pulled over a number of times to let faster people through, otherwise you could not pass. I finally made it to the top, it was great to come out of the woods and see the finish line right away. As i made it the final steps, there was Jim Johnson with his camera shooting away. I just had a blank stare towards the camera. Now i know what some of the mountain runners must think when they see me pointing a camera at them on the steep slopes i like to set up on. Oh yeah, Jim also won the race, congratulations JJ. After a long wait for the awards to be given out, we ran back down the mountain road. Probably not the best thing to do as my legs feel shot today, but the knees are good which is very positive.

Now i know what i have to do to get ready for Mt Mansfield in 7 weeks.

If i decide to try Ascutney again next year, i hope that they change the course back to all road.

Upper Walking Boss, Loooooon

2009-07-05T22:07:00.020-04:00

A few days before the Loon Mountain race, race director, Paul Kirsch, mentioned that nobody ever shot photos from the Upper Walking Boss and he wouldn't mind seeing some from there.Well, it sounded like a good subtle hint to me and a great challenge too. I watched the start of the race down along the Pemigewasset River and then made haste for the gondolas for a ride to the top, well, almost the top.

Once i got off the gondola ride, i had to get to the North Peak before the runners reached the same. I booked it up the Summit Trail, a 300ft rise in about 1/3 of a mile, a power walk mixed with some slow running, all while carrying two good size cameras. That little hike kicked the crap out of me, but i made it well before therunners. Now that i was there, it was time to start down Upper Walking Boss, a black diamond slope. My first reaction was, i'm not walking down there, but with a closer look, it did not look so bad. At least i wasn't running up it! Watch your step going down and it is easy. Once the runners started coming up, it was all worth it. I love to shoot where the runners are pushed to their limits and this is one of the best places i have ever been able the photograph. Anything you shoot at the local 5k could never come close to what you see here.

See all my photos here.

It was great to see Jim Johnson coming up the slope first, granted he wasn't moving too fast and seemed to

be getting caught. He did get caught and then got it all

back and then some on the descent. Good win, Jim.

The grade where i started shooting was around 40-45%. You look at some of the pictures and have to be amazed at the angle these runners are to the slope. Absolutely brutal! A few of the runners did manage to run, slowly, all the way up the mountain. Talk about quad burn.

As i worked my way down the course, taking photos all along the way, most everyone is in good spirits. You wouldn't think so if you saw what they were in the midst of running up. I got many smiles and mugging for the camera. I carried on some short conversations and joking around. I even had some runners ask why i was shooting pictures on the worst part of the course. Why shoot when you are running comfortably, that is too easy. Of course, i told them Paul made me do it :)

These mountain runners are a great group of people.

Read these blogs for the real runners accounts of the race:

Cranmore Hillclimb 2009

2009-07-03T18:56:00.010-04:00

Yeah, I know, A little late on getting this stuff out on the blog this week.

I had a great time shooting the race this year. I picked up a ride to the top of the mountain with the waterstop crew and then gradually made my way down the mountain while shooting 2000+ images. A stellar field made it an even better to watch. Too bad there aren't more spectators up on the hill to urge the runners on, they don't know what they are missing.

See my photos here and here.

I also put out a video slideshow here.

See a fun slideshow of the race by Ken Skier here.

Gotta love the look on Paul Bazanchuks face in the photo, kinda says it all, don't it.

See you all at Loon Mountain this week. Paul Kirsch wants to see some shots from the Upper Walking Boss, so that is where i will be. 40% grade, WOW!

Later

Scott

20 Years ago this week.

2009-06-22T22:07:00.019-04:00

So here i am, hanging out at the Mt Washington Road Race. It was the first time i had ever been to the top of the "rockpile". All the runners i talked to along the way were amazed that i had never run in this race.

It might be a big deal that i never had run up the mountain, but there are other races. Back when i was quick, i was kind of hooked on this race in Connecticut called the Norwich Rose Arts Race. It was 10.57 mile race, seems Ct. never was much into traditional race distances and it was run the day after Mt Washington. I ran it a few times, in 1989 i came in as the defending champ but was not the favourite for the race. Mike Cotton, a very good CT. runner was proclaimed the race favourite. I was pissed off at that. I destroyed the field the year before so give me the honor of at least being the best runner here. I already knew i was going to win this race, not to be cocky, but i was going after the race favourite. When you have to race against all the Irishmen who come to RI, it just toughens you up that much more.

So off goes the race and off go i. Toy around with this guy til we hit the hills and drop the hammer. As a runner, you have to know your strengths, mine were running uphill. We hit the Canterbury Turnpike and the race was over. Mike was a good runner but i was better that day. I was going for John Flora's course record, but the heat of the day was just too much. The race win was good anyway. Click on the newspaper article to read the race report.

I had always thought back then than Mt Washington would be a great race to run and i wish that i had done it. Would have been interesting to see how well i could have done then. Hopefully i find out next year just how it is to run up the mountain. I look forward to pushing myself to the summit, just not to the level i was once at. The competitive urge will always be there though, so here goes nothing, i will run as hard as i can up the hill next year, i hope!

Pictured in the shot is Glen Guillmette, Al Pettinichio, Eddie Tarczyk, Mark Mitsmenn, Kevin Maguire and Me. This was the first year of the Tuesday Night Turtles. Notice our race outfits, fluorescent green shorts, you could see us coming a mile away. Life was good.

Mt Washington Road Race

2009-06-21T14:49:00.022-04:00

Before Saturday, i had never had the opportunity to get to the top of Mt Washington, running or driving. This year i drove up (i have the bumper sticker to prove it!), next year i run it. I think i would rather run up after the drive to the top. Driving through a cloud to the top made me feel like i was inside a cotton ball, it was somewhat nerve wracking knowing there was an extreme drop-off right next to you, but you can't see it. I had Jimmy Buffett blasting on the CD player to sooth the nerves. Once i hit about 5000ft, everything cleared out and it was just beautiful! It was nice to get up there early so i had a chance to wander around and check things out, looking down on top of the clouds was an awesome site, not that it was the first time i have seen this, just that it is the legendary Mt Washington. My first look at the finish was astonishing, the "wall" in the last 100 meters or so is quite intimidating. 30% grade hurts to walk up, let alone, run up after covering 7 1/2 miles already. I staked out a spot halfway up the wall for the first few runners and then made my way back down the road a little for more photos. See them here.

Just a few comments and observations:

>Watching Ricky Gates sprinting to the finish after cresting the wall to get under the hour mark and make the money bonus was very impressive.

>Tara Cardi running to second place was awesome, especially coming from a state with a high point of 812ft. Just shows you can't rule out us flatlanders.

>Thanks for the Smuttynose IPA, MG.

>Hey Sheila, sorry i missed your photo, i'm pissed at myself for that lapse of concentration. Watching that moose in your yard the night before was cool!

>Another flatlander, Glen Guillmette ran great, next year he moves to the 50 age bracket, too bad Craig Fram is already there :( Craig's blowing away of the old course record wasn't a surprise, but impressive none the less.

>Good run, DoubleJ

>Great to meet up with George Zack, it is good to

actually talk to Facebook friends in person.

Especially when they live in Colorado and you have never met before. See you next year, i'll bring the homebrew. That is George in the Fleet Feet top in the photo. Read George's Blog here.

>Fun post race get together at the base of the mountain, i got to catch up with many runners i

do not get to see too often. I was also the provider of the bottle opener for the gang at the corner of the tent, all us oldtimers, Don Fredrickson, Bob Hodge, Bob Fitzgerald and Dave Quintal.

>Too bad i missed you at the post race, Tess.

>Stupid Human Tricks Dept. : Coming home along Route 16, i realized i needed to stop to relieve myself. So i find a deserted place to stop, hop over a log (well, not quite) and fall flat on my face and cut open my shin, the log didn't look slippery. Bloody shin and sock, but i felt better anyway. Next time i think i will look for a gas station.

>To anyone going to Cranmore next week, See you there.

Later

Scott

Grog and Dog

2009-06-14T20:56:00.013-04:00

I started the day with a run, 6 miles at Warwick City Park followed by bottling my latest homebrew, an imperial IPA. With all the important stuff done, it was time to venture into Providence to watch the Wild Colonial's Grog and Dog Relay. This consists of a four runner team that has to run 1 1/4 miles each, but before the handoff, you must eat a hotdog and down a beer ( Narragansett, to be exact).

We had a team entered here, lets call them TNT!?. Seeing that one of our runners is not really a Turtle, he was the !? part of the name. The team consisted of Dave Principe, Ben Keefe, Bob Jackman and former Turtle, Zak Kudlak. Dave was the leadoff runner and was caught off guard by the low-key start but quickly got up to pace and came in second on the leg, getting beat by someone in a Hendricken HS singlet. Dave was a bit slow to get down the dog and beer, so a mixed team got out front with Mary Camire running. Our second runner was Zak Kudlak, who got by Mary pretty fast, but then had to hold off Keith Kelly and Molly Huddle on his leg. Keith was dressed as the construction worker from the Village People, as well as Ben the indian( sorry, don't know your last name), Clay Howland as the cowboy and Brien Lang as the leather clad biker.

Zak finished and grabbed the dog and beer, he seemed to struggle a little with getting these down while Keith coming from behind, actually inhaled his. How you eat a hotdog and down a beer this fast i do not know. I think i heard Keith say it took 14 seconds, either way, they had a brief lead. Brien took off first, followed by Ben, who was coming off the Nipmuck Trail Marathon. He took the lead and we never looked back. Ben handed, if you want to call it that, to Bob Jackman, and we cruised to the win.

This was an awesome event. There were 40 teams entered, the race put on by The Wild Colonial on South Main in Providence and sponsered by Narragansett Beer is so much fun. You race along the Providence River on the edge of downtown P-town. It is a great setting for a very low key race.

Everyone seemed to have a great time here. I really want to compete in this race when it is held again this fall. Just have to sign up early.

Check out a few photos here.

Read Keith Kelly's Blog here.

Photo at left is Mary Camire, i think

she is giving me the evil eye for taking her picture while eating :)

Saturday, i headed up to Northfeild, Ma for the Northfeild Mountain Race. See some photos(300+)from the race here.

Busy Weekend

2009-06-08T23:06:00.008-04:00

What a hectic weekend! I was photographing a soccer tournament in Tiverton and Pawtucket on Saturday and Sunday. It consisted of 9-10 year old kids, girls on Sat. and boys on Sunday. There were 2-3 games every hour and i had to get photos from them all which means a lot of hustling around, 34 games in 13 hours between 2 days. It was fun to watch the kids playing, but equally annoying to listen to some of the parents. They seem to forget that there are actual coaches to tell the kids what to do. Why confuse the kids? They have people yelling at the from both sidelines, just shut up, sit down and enjoy the game. If you are going to yell, try some encouragement. I'm not a parent, so you can take my opinion for what it's worth. I'm just an outside observer.

See a few soccer photos here

Before Sundays games started, i stopped by the Rhody 5k NE Grand Prix in Lincoln. I would have thought it was Lincoln, Ma. or NH when i looked around at the lack of RI talent that shows for this race. Being that it is the USATF-NE Grand Prix and gets almost 800 runners is great, but why aren't there more good RI runners at this race? I counted 6 RI men in the top 100 and 12 RI women in the top 100. I realize that there were two other races in this tiny state on Sunday and that real Rhode Islanders have a problem with traveling across the state without making hotel accomadations for the weekend. This is a good race on a somewhat dull course, but it is a 5k race and you aren't here to sightsee. The post race feed is great and they even have good, deep competition here, all the better to drag you along and get a good time out of it. I know that hosting a Grand Prix will boost a races numbers greatly, but i do wonder why they even bother considering holding one in RI. It would be nice to only hold the GP Series where the locals are going to support it. Runners drive hours to get here for such a short race, it just doesn't seem right.

You can check out a few photos from the race here.

The photo above is DJ Principe, son of Tuesday Night Turtle Prez Dave Principe. DJ ran 20.41 @ 6.40 pace, not bad for a 10 year old!

Next up, Northfield. See you there.

Scott

Farewell, Woody

2009-05-29T19:54:00.003-04:00

My cat, Woody, died yesterday. He was 18 1/2 years old. He was a good cat, a pain in the ass at times and a good friend too. Woody wasn't a lap cat or the most friendly one you would ever run across. He was your best buddy when it was dinner time, but try to scratch his belly and be prepared to lose some blood. He would wake you up at 5 in the morning by jumping up on the bed or hawking up a hair ball next to it. In other words, Woody was a typical cat in many ways. He acted like he didn't care until he wanted something. Woody liked to sit next to my computer and wait for me to give him his tuna treats. It just seems like he was always around, lurking, waiting to pounce. I watched him jump on a squirrel once and then not know what to do, i caught it, now what?

The last year or so, he was deaf, which bothered me because he couldn't sit in the window and enjoy the outdoors at it's best, in other words, not hear the birds. Through all that though, he was still a great and beautiful cat. I will miss him.

I think i will plant a flower garden over where he rests now.

Wachusett Mountain

2009-05-26T09:26:00.006-04:00

I headed up to Wachusett Mountain for the race this past Saturday and then on to Burlington, VT for the Vermont City Marathon and Relay. I was only there to shoot some photos and cheer on 3 of my teammates that were running the trails. Since i arrived pretty early, i decided to do a run with Martin Tighe and get a feel for the condition of my left calf muscle that i pulled a few weeks ago. The day before, i had had a massage from Nicole Toth and the calf was sore from that, but deep down, it felt good. So off i go with Martin, it felt good to run some trails. We ran maybe half the course, it looked to be more challenging than just running up the auto road. I bagged it early and turned back, happy that the leg held up and not wanting to risk too much. Now i could settle in with the camera and try to shoot some good stuff.

The race itself was great to watch, nothing like a close finish. See the photos here scottmasonphoto.com

Here are a few shots from Vermont City Marathon

Homebrew Weekend

2009-05-18T20:50:00.011-04:00

I started the weekend with my first real bike of the year, 53 miles with Don Henderson. It started out as a nice ride to the Point Judith Lighthouse and back to North Kingstown, but the ride got ugly towards the end, mainly because i bit off a little more than i could chew. It was a painful ride past forty, the body was running on empty, but i survived and realized i need many more miles on the bike. I am not in 50 mile condition, more like 35-40. At least it was a workout of some sort, since running is not going good at all right now with a pulled calf muscle. Friday is massage day, i can't wait!

Once the ride was over, it was time to get down to the business of the day,

homebrewing two batches of beer. These are going to be some big beers, one being an imperial porter and the other is an imperial IPA.

The porter is made up of various grains steeped before boiling and then adding in 12lbs of dry malt extract. That is alot of malt, which means high gravity/high alcohol and some hop aroma with a late addition of cascade hops in the last 10 minutes

of the boil. This is not what you would call a "session" beer, 2 after a

hard run will knock you on your ass. As you can see by the photo, fermentation is going well.

The IPA is my favourite style of beer and this particular recipe is the best i have. It will turn out to be a large, chewy, aromatic brew. I started out by mashing 6lbs of pale and crystal malt followed by 9lbs of dry malt extract and when finally done, 12ozs of hops. I dry hop in both primary and secondary fermentation to get a beer that just smells heavenly.

Joining me for this homebrew extravaganza was George Ross, Mark Howard and Bob Jackman, who had just finished second to Mark Carroll at 5k just up the street from here. The race wasn't close ;) They got to experience the sights and smells and sample some good beers along the way, as well as a great still cider i made 6 years ago, and yes, i even helped press the apples for the fresh cider.

Looks like a busy weekend coming up as we make the annual trip up to the Vermont City Marathon and Relay. I am the captain of the mens master team in the relay, but obviously not running. The long range goal was to be in this race but there always seems to be some minor setback that crops up to kill my training. I keep having to reset my goal races. I think i should just plan on being in as good of shape that i can be for snowshoe racing next winter.

On the way to Vermont, we will be stopping in at Wachusett Mountain so Bob Jackman and Martin Tighe can run the race and i can take some pictures. I'll be the one on the mountain slopes with the big camera pointed at you. Smile and say hi if you like, should be fun.

Later

Scott

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2009-05-10T19:59:00.010-04:00

What a beautiful day for a race! Newport, RI was a great place to be today, unless of course, you were a beat up out of shape Tuesday Night Turtle. A few weeks ago over a few pints, one of our members decided it might be a nice idea to have a race for the ragged bunch of Turtles that are coming back from injuries or just not training much anymore. We set Mothers Day as the time and Newport for the place. For the record, it was the NPEF Mothers Day Road Race, but were calling it the Broken Down 5k, a race within a race.

We had 11 runners show for the race of which 7 were in the "banged up" class. There should have been more, i did not run because i tweaked my calf on Monday and hadn't run since , that is my excuse and i am sticking by it. Being Mothers Day, i figure the rest had prior

commitments, or they were just plain chicken.

The race went off like all others, some guy from Australia took the lead and the rest followed. As the busted up Turtles came by, i thought i could hear bones creaking, but maybe that was just the 30 mph winds blowing through the trees. Coming up the final hill, we had Martin Tighe and then Dave Schaad come by before the first broken Turtle, Capt. Ken Kirejczyk came by. It should be noted that Ken only had a broken collarbone from falling on the ice in a race on New Years Day. Next up, Jenny Saunders, not broken and running pretty good followed by Pieter "Dutch" Snoeren, who is recovering from knee surgery. After this, the fun started. Who would be next? Who would be walking? "Cousin" Rich Northup was next in followed by the blazing Rick Curran and Mark "no knees" Mitsmenn. Finally we had Sir George Ross of Scotland and Mark Zartarian bringing up the rear. This race is sort of a run in to the Sir George Ross TNT Handicap Race and Barbecue in August. Today just gives us an idea of where some runners are in their training or lack there of. It also sets off the 8 weeks of trash talking that will precede the handicap race. If you are counting, that is only 10 runners, Iron Mike Darigan was 4 seconds behind Jenny, that makes 11.

With my latest setback this week, i was forced to put off my run up Mt. Washington until next year. It is something i really did not want to do, but i really need to be in shape to run up this hill, and i am i such lousy running condition, i had to do it. I still may go up to cheer on friends that are running and take a few photos. It sucks, i was looking forward to doing this race, but i am so far behind in my training. I look forward to next year.

Later

Scott

1st Race - Thirty Years Ago

2009-04-27T20:11:00.009-04:00

It was thirty years ago that i ran my first race, the Kiwanis 10k Road Race in Warwick, RI. What prompted me to try this race i really don't remember. Could be that i just saw it mentioned in the local fish wrap and figured it was time to see what it was like. I had started running 8 months before just for the hell of it and was addicted right from the first lap i ran on the cinder track at Lockwood Jr. High.

Going into this first race, i hadn't a clue about pacing, actually, most all of my runs were solo so running with all these people had to feel strange. I can't say as i remember much of this race other than running hard and finishing in 35.28 for 11th place. Having never raced before, i had nothing to compare this race to and since i did not know any of these runners, i couldn't gauge myself against the others. I ran 5.42 pace in my first race, not bad. Now i was really hooked!

In thirty years, i have run good, run great and not run at all. I have dealt with way too many injuries, most could have been averted, but i always had this thing about running fast workouts. When healthy, i ran very well, seems like there was no in between. Run good or don't run. I do wonder just how much faster i could have run if i wasn't always getting sidetracked with one injury or another. Oh well, one can only speculate.

On to the next 30 years.

Boston '09

2009-04-20T17:47:00.004-04:00

I took the day off from work today so i could make the annual trip up to the Boston Marathon to watch and take some photos. George Ross, Glen Guillmette and myself left Warwick at 8am and headed to Framingham to see the runners at 5 1/2 miles. We then planned on going over to the 20 mile mark to catch the action and then back to RI.

The lead womens pack at 5 1/2 was large and at a somewhat casual pace, but the men came by at record pace and it showed, the lead pack had already distanced itself from the rest. Nice to see Ryan Hall setting the pace, even if it was a tad quick into the headwind. I did not see a whole lot of familiar faces out there, but DoubleJ Jim Johnson came by looking good, wish i could say the same of him at 20, not a good day for JJ. Don't fret Jim, there will be others. My teammates, Don Henderson and Patrick Meacham came by looking comfortable, as did Scott Bessette. Don and Scott lost time over the second half where Patrick stayed pretty close to first half pace.

At 20 miles, the women were still bunched up where the men had blown things apart. It must have been a fun womens race to watch coming in, but it is not like i could have recorded it since it wasn't on tv in RI. This must be the first year in a while that it hasn't played on national tv, must have been something more important on, like a poker game!

It is always a fun time coming up to watch, it almost makes me want to run it again. Last time i ran Boston was 1981 and that was a DNF. I could never really see the lure of this race, but i would like to do it again sometime.

Want to see shots from todays race? Go to scottmasonphoto.com

Mt Washington Road Race

2009-03-25T19:11:00.004-04:00

OK, so i got my spot in the lottery to run up Mt Washington, YAHOO!!

Now for the reality of it all, i have to start training for it. Lets see...last week i ran 18 miles. That is not going to get it done for this race. I have 12 weeks to whip my body into decent shape so as not to embarrass myself on this run. Can i do it? I think so! It isn't like i expect to compete for age group or anything like that, just have a good strong run. Having some of my teammates running will help, Bob Jackman, John Peabody and Martin Tighe will be there running. So, here goes nothing, Mt Washington, here i come.

Photo by Corey McEntyre

Weekend Update

2009-03-22T19:42:00.011-04:00

What a beautiful Saturday for a race! It is the 1st annual St. Patricks Day Race in Providence, RI. For a first time race, there were 2100 finishers, not a bad turnout. Race director Charlie Breagy had to be overjoyed. And seeing that this was a St Patty's Day race, what better than the winners being from Ireland. Mens winner, Mark Carroll ran unmolested for the whole race, coming in at an easy 14.25. Womens winner and first master, Trish Hillery(photo at right), also from Ireland, took the title in 18.21.

Photography for the race was done by George Ross and Myself, you can see all our stuff on George's website here (if you want to go thru thousands of pics).

Post race was the annual parade, check out a few of my shots here.

The post race party was at RI-RA, those pints of Guinness sure tasted good.

There was a big marathon down in Washington DC on Saturday that a few of my Turtle teammates went to run. It was the Suntrust National Marathon that was won by Patrick Moulton(no, not a teammate) in 2:21.17. Tuesday Night Turtle Finishers were:

Bob Jackman 2:40.47 (PR)

Dave Principe 2:47.15

Michaela Driscoll 2:53.12 (pr)

Jackie Jackman 3:03.59 (pr)

Sorry to say, Martin Tighe was not able to attempt his 1ook in Ireland this weekend due to a bout with pneumonia. Alot of training to no avail, but be assured, Martin will be back for another try sometime in the next few months.

Whats up with the 6 foot plus leprechaun with Mark Carroll and Jim Harvey? Thats Way Hedding, race director extraordinaire from SNERRO in Ct. Way puts on many road races in southern RI and Nearby Connecticut including Lil'Rhody Runaround, Block Island 15k, John Kelley Ocean Beach 11.6 Miler and the late, great Norwich Rose Arts Festival 10.6 Miler.

New Bedford Half Marathon

2009-03-16T20:46:00.013-04:00

Pictures from the New Bedford Half marathon are up

@ scottmasonphoto.com

Treadmills Suck!

2009-03-03T21:52:00.008-05:00

I did a treadmill run tonite at the local gym, the purple palace, also known as Planet Fitness. First off, i am not a treadmill runner, in fact, i have scoffed at these machines for the first 30 years of running. My first TM run was last May because the weather was lousy and i thought i would give it a try. Strangely enough, i came down with a knee injury the day after the run and just figured that they were evil machines and would never use one again. Now that everything is healed and i am trying to get back into running shape and a snowstorm hit Monday, i decide to give it another try because i really wanted to run. The run was OK, i did a few miles and felt it was a decent workout, then did the same tonite. My question is, how do you actually put up with the boredom of running on a treadmill? There are 24 TM's at the gym and after work, they are all full, so how bad can it be? Well, on one side i have someone with a book propped up on the machine and on the other is a guy that stops every 5 minutes to adjust his ipod. I need something to keep me going, why can't i have the New England Patriots cheerleaders working out in front of me? I feel way out of place but press on at a slowish 7.30 pace, but feel guilty, like i am rubbing it in to all these casual workout people. I also wonder why i am the only one who is sweating during their workout, am i a freak? I used to do the elliptical machines, there would be someone in front of me on their cellphone for twenty minutes, why do these people even bother? You can't get a workout while yakking on a phone. I guess we all have our priorities. Back in the day, i would run in any weather, afterall, isn't that why they made goretex. Have i really gone that soft that i even thought about running on a treadmill? I did not care if it was snowing, pouring rain or even a thunder storm, I RAN OUTSIDE! I am becoming a wimp. We were talking tonite at the local watering hole and Turtle Prez Dave Principe put it best, it is a necessary evil. F that, if i am going to get back in shape, i have to run outdoors. For those of you who run treadmills, i give you all the credit in the world, but they are so boring to run on! Running in lousy conditions helps build an inner strength that you need for racing well. I can only hope that i get that feeling back again real soon. That is my rant, agree with it or not, don't matter to me :)

Speaking of treadmill running, we have my friend and teammate, Martin Tighe. Now we all know that Martin is somewhat of a freak when it comes to running, but how did he ever manage to run 85.83 miles on a treadmill in 12 hours? It is still the standing World Record even though there is one better time that hadn't been ratified yet. During the same run, he also set the current 50 mile WR of 6:06.19 and is 2nd for 100k in 7:39.31. We are talking about a treadmill run, that is sick!! Of course, this is a guy who would do treadmill runs in an ice cream cooler for hours at the local dairy in preparation for his North Pole Marathon attempt, which he won, of course. I don't doubt there is anything Martin can't accomplish.

Three weeks from now, Martin will be running the UK 100k Championships in Galway, Ireland. Best of luck to you, Martin. I can see a top three performance happening.

Mt Washington Lottery

2009-03-01T20:27:00.003-05:00

Well, today is the first day to sign up for the Mt. Washington Road Race so i figured that it is a good a time as any. This morning at 8 am, i signed up for the lottery as a group leader, hoping that i get more of my Tuesday Night Turtle teammates to try and get in also. I know that Martin Tighe is in as he did the whole mountain series last year and we have a few runners who showed some interest in this endeavor. Personally, i have always wanted to do it, but something always got in the way (mostly injuries). It was always the same weekend as the Norwich Rose Arts Race in Connecticut, that was a favourite of mine. Hopefully i get in this year as i need a goal to help me get back into running shape and is there a better race to egg you on than this one. If i do not get in, i can always park my ass somewhere up on the mountain with my camera to get the pain on your faces as you approach the summit, but i would rather try to do it myself this year.

I always liked this photo on the cover of New Englang Running taken near the finish. Really wants to make you run the race, Don't ya think ;)

Kingman Farm Moonlight Snowshoe Race

2009-02-22T13:49:00.006-05:00

I took the 2 hour drive up to the Kingman Farm Moonlight Snowshoe Race yesterday with teammate, Bob Jackman. I had decided not to run after running just 3 times since my lousy race at Sidehiller, due mainly to shooting a hockey tourney here in RI that took up 8 days of my time between taking photos and editing. I figured to take a few pictures and hang out with some of my NH freinds. Of course, it was also an opportunity to go to my favourite brewpub, Portsmouth Brewery, after the race. I found out two things about this race, it is tough to spectate at a night race and taking pictures is even harder. I only took a few shots that were ok, if not surreal with the little light you are afforded from just the headlamps on the runners. I tried using the flash for some, but really did not want to blind any of the runners out there.

After talking to Bob and Jim Johnson after the race, i found out they had run together for the first part of the race, putting some distance on the rest of the field. Then Bob's bad luck hit again, seems there was this guy walking his dog out near the course and this friendly pooch decided to knock Bob down by running into the back of his leg. So Bob falls and has his snowshoe partially knocked off and loses a few spots in that time. The ironic thing is that his entry fee check was made out to Cocheco Valley Humane Society , had the dog known this, maybe things would have turned out differently :) There is no truth to the rumor that DoubleJ payed off the dog owner to watch his back in the race. Now Jim has a huge lead and Steve Wolfe moved up to second and Bob finished in 5th place. It was real cool to watch the headlamp wearing runners weaving down the switchbacks near the finish in total darkness, just little specks of light through the trees.

I was glad to hear Chris Dunn announcing that the series would be expanded next year so that you can score best 6 of 8 finishes which allows you to miss a race or two. I hope to make at least six of those races next year and if i can get my fitness level close to where it should be, i will do pretty good. I look forward to it.

We hit the Portsmouth Brewery on the way home for a bite to eat and a

couple beers. I had a 5c's IPA and a cask IPA, both very tasty for a beergeek like me. Of course, they aren't as good as my homebrewed Imperial IPA, but still damn good.

I though about going out to Amherst today to shoot some stuff at the GrandPrix, but the weather looked like it was going to suck. I will be at the next race in New Bedford.

Smile at the camera when you come by.

Ekiden Relay, New York City 1989

2009-02-11T20:50:00.012-05:00

On April 9th, 1989, i had the privilege of running in the Ekiden Relay in New York City. It was made up of 8 international and 50 state teams plus Washington, DC and New york City. The distance covered was the marathon, 42 kilometers in 5 legs, running the lower perimeter of Manhattan and finishing with a loop of Central Park. This was the second and last year that this race was held. Why i did not make the first years race i don't know, i was faster than 4 of the 5 runners that year, but so much for sour grapes, at least i was here this year.

Asics was footing most of the bill on this race and seemed to spare no expense. We had our whole trip payed for, airfare, hotels and meals. We flew down on Friday for the Sunday race, meeting at TF Green Airport in Warwick, it was a pretty talented group of us. The RI team consisted of Charlie Breagy, Mike Crawley, Mark Donahue, Dave Murphy and myself, plus alternate runner Mick O'Shea. Also on the plane with us were Irish team runners John Treacy and John Doherty. I felt more like i was on the Irish National Team than the RI team with Mick being a former Irish Olympian and Charlie being from over there too. Once we got down to New York and got settled, it was off to dinner and a stop at an irish pub for a few pints of Guinness. It's pretty cool to hang with a bunch of talented irish runners in an irish bar, i remember getting my balls busted for drinking my Guinness too fast. What do i know, i didn't grow up with the stuff.

Saturday, we ran Central Park. I did the whole loop i was to run the next day, but wasn't paying too much attention as i was running with Dave Murphy, who finished second at the NYC Marathon a few years before and was telling stories about that. We ran 10 miles and i was second guessing if that was a bit much for the day before our race, didn't matter, i was having a great time.

Sunday morning, we wandered over to Tavern On The Green where the relay was starting. My leg was going off last so there was time to kill. I was hanging around watching everyone warm up for the first leg of 5k and was just amazed at seeing Steve Scott doing strides. He has the longest, most graceful, effortless looking stride, just incredible. He was fastest on the first leg, blasting a 13.35 5k time. We started out with Charlie Breagy doing 14.43, running mid pack at 25th position, he handed off to Mark Donahue for the 10.8k leg which he ran 32.32 and moved us up to 14th place in the state team division. The international teams were running their own division, not that we had to worry about trying to compete with them. The third leg was a 9.3k leg that we had Dave Murphy doing, he ran 28.20 and moved us up into 11th place and was followed by Mike Crawley for 7.1k in 21.32 to put us into 10th position. It should be noted here that the second fastest state time for this leg was by Dave Dunham in 20.44 for Massachusetts. I took the handoff for the last leg, 10k around Central Park. I remember not feeling all that smooth out there, but being a relay, i was all alone for most of the run. As in any relay, you do not want to get caught from behind, but about 4 miles in, i hear people cheering for RI and then almost right away for Pennsylvania. I'm thinking, oh shit, Sydney Maree is running for them, nothing i can do except watch him blow on by. Sure enough, here he comes, there he goes, former world recold holder for 5k. Next from behind comes Paul Cummings, ex-olympian, on his way to a 29.24 followed by Pat Peterson, who ran 28.46. Now after all this, i think i must be running 6 min pace which i wasn't, my finishing time was 30.27, not a good race in my mind, but my teammates did not mind. We finished 14th in our division. The team from Ma. was in 4th place with DD, Dennis Simonaitis(who i knew from work at the Athletic Attic), Wally Collins, Paul Gorman and Tim Gannon. The Irish team finished first in their division with a come from behind win on the last leg, John Doherty ran 27.50 to pass Pat Porter( 28.20) for the win.

This was a fun race. It is too bad that it ended after only 2 years. The race was on tape delay replay by NBC on a Sunday afternoon. So it was a pretty big deal.

Click on the results pages to enlarge.

Sidehiller Adventure

2009-02-08T08:42:00.007-05:00

I have been looking forward to running the Sidehiller since Feel Good Farm, thinking that my fitness level is starting to improve and i am getting a used to running in snowshoes. Oh well, wishful thinking.

Bob Jackman and myself hit the road at 7am for the three hour drive up to the race. I'm getting used to these long rides to the races, so it is not a big deal. We pulled into the lot about 10 to see a pretty good crowd already there. Sign in was quick and then it was off for a warm-up run. I was feeling quite good, which surprised me, considering the long ride. We ran a bit with some of the CMS heavy hitters, but turned back before them, i did not want to push it too far. So now i am feeling positve about the race. I lined up well towards the back of the pack. Paul Kirsch started the race by just saying GO, and we were off. The snow seemed real soft and could not get any grip at all, by the time i was half a mile in, i knew this would be a long day. It seemed like my feet were sinking and rolling, there wasn't any stability there which isn't good when you have a funky knee. Once i was across the road and into single track, it got worse. My knee was screaming at me, the smart thing would be to end the race here but i was going to finish this even if i had to powerwalk most of the way, which i did. I like running the downhills and even that hurt today. Not much more to say, i guess these things happen when you are coming back from a 2 year break due to injuries.

I must say that it was a good course and real cool how the locals shovel snow onto the road so you can cross without killing the cleats on you shoes. Not many people along the course, but the ones out there were very supportive which is greatly appreciated when you are having a bad day. Thanks to them all.

On the brighter side of things, at least Bob managed to split up the CMS winter train, getting 4th place. I hear that DoubleJ and Kevin Tilton had a good battle up front. CMS took 1,2,3,5,6 and 7th places for a real good showing.

Right now, i don't know if i will try anymore snowshoe races this year. I will probably be better off working on base mileage and looking forward to some late spring races. It is always frustrating trying to get back into shape and attempting a few races early on. What you have done in the past is always in the back of your mind and you can't figure out why you are not improving faster. People say you are not a young as you once were, i don't buy that excuse. There are plenty of real good 50 year old athletes out there and i will be one of them again, one of these days. Being patient with the comeback training is the hardest part.

You can read some race stories by some of the faster guys:

Steve Wolfe
Chris Dunn
Jim "DoubleJ" Johnson
Dave Dunham

Photos by Kristen Thanks for not taking my picture :)

Check out Bob looking for a BIG meal.

Actually, we hit Milly's Tavern in Manchester on the way home for some good food washed down with some excellant beers. We have been hitting a brewpub after every race, part of the fun of going to faraway races.

Maryland Marathon Numbers

2009-02-02T20:53:00.007-05:00

I ran across this results booklet while going through some old running stuff the other day, it is from the 1980 Maryland Marathon. I had made the road trip down to Baltimore with 5 of my teammates: Roland Davide, Gerry Beagan, George Gardiner, Richard Collard and Kenny Field. I ran a 2:47.15, not a very good race for me, but i wasn't in too good a shape as i was coming off a groin pull. Roland ran 4th in 2:24.24, 5 minutes behind winner, Jerome Drayton.

A few observations on this race....

There were 2430 finishers

2229 Men 91%

201 Women 8%

339 Men under 3 hours 14%

1743 Runners under 4 hours 71%

Those are interesting numbers when compared to marathons run now.

Feel Good Farm ???

2009-01-25T20:10:00.015-05:00

So if they call this Feel Good Farm, why did i feel like crap for most of the race?

I drove up to NH on Saturday for this snowshoe race hoping to improve on my first race at Pooh Hill, two weeks ago. I brought along Bob "wrongway" Jackman, who was looking to get redemption from his shortened race at Pooh Hill, along with his better half, Jackie. Also coming up was Ben Keefe, who finished third at last weeks race in Hollis. We pull into the driveway to see two runners there, DoubleJ Jim Johnson and Dan Verrington. Last place is looking like a possibility right now. We check in at the barn and meet race director, Mike Amorello, who proceeds to describe the course. He points at the top of this hill and says that is what you have to go over.....twice! Oh Shite!! I would call him evil, but i wouldn't be the first that day. The race went off with 13 starters, so i was thinking i had a great chance at a top ten finish :) At the start, Jim took off like he was shot out of a cannon, i tucked in towards the back. The trail was narrow and i kept it real slow to start as opposed to the last one where i was sucking wind almost before the start. Things went well until the uphill at which point i figured a power walk up the hill would work better for me, at the top i ran into Steve Wolfe taking pictures, great, just what i want to see. People probably say the same thing about me at times. OK, so i make the top and now for the descent, i let it all hang out, flying down at reckless abandon. It was great, a total adrenaline rush. I passed Jim Hanson on the way down, who seemed to be going very cautiously and put some good distance on him, but going into the next loop, he caught and blew my doors off going up the hill a second time. I took him on the downhill a second time and finished one place in front of him at the finish. Little did i realize that we were battling for the 50 year old title. I will look out for Jim at the next one i do. All in all, it was a beautiful day at Feel Good Farm. As much as i dreaded the course at the start, it was fun. Your not evil, Mike, a little sick, but not evil :)

Oh, i almost forgot, Bob stayed on course and finished second to Jim Johnson and Ben finished 5th. CMS beat us, but there wasn't a team prize so forget about it.

We hit Martha's Exchange Brewpub in Nashua on the way home for some good food and excellent beer. A good race makes them taste all that much better.

See more photos by Steve Wolfe here: http://hav2run.shutterfly.com

What to do on Sunday? Well, Martin Tighe was going up to Derry for the Boston Prep 16 Miler, so i tagged along to shoot some (323 pictures) at the race. It was quite cold when we got there, about 6 degrees, so we went out for a short run so Martin could get 20 in for the day. I cut it short because the legs were still dead from the race yesterday. Martin is training for a 100k race in Ireland in March, that is why he wanted extra miles.

It was nice to get out there with the camera, i hadn't shot anything since an early December Cyclocross race, so i was feeling a bit stale. No need to worry, all the shots came out good.

I got to hang out with some of my blog buddies up there. DoubleJ and Steve Wolfe were there as well as Goon Squad Runner Sarah Prescott, who i finally was able to meet in person. What a treat!

Saturday night was a party to celebrate Turtle Pieter Snoerens becoming an American citizen. Congratulations, Pieter!

What a great weekend.

See more photos from Derry here: Boston Prep 16 Miler

This Sport is Tough

2009-01-11T10:07:00.011-05:00

I took the ride up to East Madison yesterday for the Pooh Hill Snowshoe Race with teammate Bob Jackman, not knowing what to expect. Having not raced in over 2 years and with little training at all, my expectations were very low. Last week was my highest mileage in 8 months at 21 miles, but i figured that i have to start somewhere so this was as good a place as any, why start out with something easy?

It was cold at the start, the temperature down in the single digits without any wind, so it did not feel too bad. I ran a short warmup with Bob and then we strapped on the snowshoes for another short run, this was the first time Bob had ever run in them. With the race about to go off, I did not know what to expect. How slow should i go out? Slower than i started would be the answer to that! Running through snow on single track is work, my lungs were burning before the 2k marker and i found it easier to walk up the hills and get going again at the top. Then i arrived at the Pooh Hill trail which went up for what seemed an eternity.

As i was trekking up this steep trail, Jim Johnson was flying down the trail looking somewhat out of control with a very comfortable lead. Turns out that Bob was running in second place when he missed the turn for the trail and did not realize it until he was kilometer or two down the course, so his race was over as he just jogged it in, at least he has some snowshoe

experience in the bank now. As for Pooh Hill, that would be a tough hike with no snow around, so doing it in snowshoes was just brutal. It really showed me how badly out of shape i am in right now and also train that much harder to get back. By the time i reached the top, the knees were screaming at me and now i had to run back down. The run down was incredible, you are out of control and trying not to run into any trees or trip over any logs. My knees hurt and i was loving the challenge of bushwhacking down the hill. Once i got to the bottom and back on the groomed trails i just slowed it way down and did some powerwalking on the way in with some jogging in between. I finally finished in a whopping 14.41 per mile pace.

All in all, i am glad that i went up to this race. Acidotic Racing put on a good event.

I met Steve Wolfe, who finished second and has a blog i read alot, have2run.blogspot.com

I will be doing more of these races, i am looking at the Feel Good Farm 7k outside of Wilton in two weeks and then the Sidehiller up in Center Sandwich. I hope to be in better condition for these. Can't get any worse :)

Special thanks to Kristen Wainwright for taking the photos. See more here doublejrunning.smugmug.com

Read Jim's account of the race here doublejrunning.blogspot.com

Lake Waramaug 50m/100k 1981

2009-01-08T21:17:00.006-05:00

Lake Waramaug was one of my favourite ultras to go to, not that i ran 50's, but i was there to act as photographer and handler for some of my crazy friends that did these races. Waramaug is out in western Connecticut, run around a lake. It is beautiful country. This race would bring in the best runners in the east as well as the rest of the country and beyond.

This particular year i was heading out with the usual crew of Gerry Beagan (who was running) and Kenny Field (fellow photog and handler) and picking up Amby Burfoot along the way, Amby was running part of it. We got there late and set up camp in the truck while Amby headed into the Inn to get his room. I slept in the back of the Bronco with the gate down and feet hanging out as did Kenny and Gerry slept under the truck as we were parked in the middle of a field, so the grass was sort of comfortable. This is not what you would call ideal sleeping conditions, but alot of our roadtrips to races ended up like this and we did not mind. Morning came fast. The cows in the pasture woke us early as well as a pissed off George Gardiner who was cursing at the cows and anyone else who was around, he hopped into his car and drove back to RI without running a step which is too bad, he would have been one of the top runners.

You can read the race report from Frontrunner Magazine by clicking on the story at the below.

The race was won by Stu Mittleman, who was just elected into the US Ultrarunning Hall of Fame. He ran an impressive 5:14.05 50 mile time, going through the marathon split in 2:41.
Leslie Watson from England won the womens race in a World Record time of 6:02 37, marathon split of 3:10, which was good for 10th place overall. The depth of talent here was incredible, 21 runners finished under 6 1/2 hours. 11 runners ran under 3hours for the marathon on their way to 50 miles, and in a 2 cases, all the way to 100k.

I really like going to these races, it is similar to going to the mountain and trail races. Runners here have a different mentality, going to extremes for the challenge of pushing their bodies. They do what seems impossible to many runners, but if you set your mind to it, you can do it.

You can see more photos from this race as well as other recent entries, Nifty Fifty 1980, Block Island 1980 and Boston Marathon 1986 @ scottmasonphotography.com.

Fast Guys Plus One

2009-01-03T23:58:00.007-05:00

Went out for a few beers tonite with the guys and ended up hanging with these guys among others. It is a tough group when you are the slug with a 14.23 5k personal best. Here we have Charlie Breagy, Mark Carroll, Geoff Smith, Keith Kelly and myself. Do i have to list their credentials, no, i didn't think so. If you haven't checked out Keith's blog, please do so, if just for the music links, good stuff!
The link is on my blog page.

And as for those Narragansett kingers at as220, i should have stuck to the pints of Guinness.

Check out Jimmy Hirst's t-shirt, signed by a few runners. Can you decipher what it says?

First Snowshoe Run

2009-01-01T16:04:00.007-05:00

Well, i had a good start to the new year. With all this snow yesterday, i was able to go for a run in the new snowshoes and see what kind of torture i am getting myself into, so i took a ride over to Goddard Park this morning. It was quite windy here, so trying to judge the depth of the snow was tricky. The wind cutting across Narragansett Bay left some bare spots on the ground and also 15 inch deep drifts. Anyway, off i go and i'm thinking this isn't too bad, then i hit the first deep "hole" and almost fall flat on my face, back to reality! The course goes into the woods on the horse trails where i'm trying to stay in the cross country skiers tracks because the snow was a bit deep. I will admit that i did some walking along the way, i don't know how you guys do it for long runs in deep snow, this is tough work! I survive the trails and come out into the fields (where's the Thin Lizzy music?) and head for the golf course where i know the snow depth will be better for running. It was, but now i'm running out of gas, so i see a xc skier that i can use as a target to try to beat across the field and i win. Dangle a carrot in front of me and i can get it going, all i need is a target. Almost done, i run down the par 5 fairway towards the parking lot, i come up past a woman with her dog and wouldn't you know it, misstep and faceplant. So all those opportunities to fall and i have to do it in front of one of the only persons that i see in the last hour. I must admit, it was a great fall, not as good as hitting a tree on my mountain bike, but very spectacular anyway. She looked at me like i was out of my effin' mind, but we did a good laugh out of it. Across the field i go and i am done, soaking wet and tired. As a snowshoe neophyte, i have a ways to go, but i am determined to succeed. It is one hell of a workout. It looks like the snow will hang around for a while so that i can get in some more workouts, and i need all i can get before heading up north to do some races, or should i say, survive some races :)

Now it's time to sit down with a Ruination IPA and a pizza to watch USC play Penn State in the Rose Bowl.

Later.

Happy New Year

2008-12-29T21:16:00.011-05:00

Happy New Year!!

I would like to take a minute to wish a happy new year to all my faithful blog readers and my Tuesday Night Turtle teammates. Hopefully, everyone will have an even better year than last, i know i will.

First things first. I would like to say congratulations to my Turtle teammate Dave Schaad who just ran his 75th race of the year in Florida. Dave has not missed a day of running in over 4 years and in that same time, has run in 235 races. One thing about Dave, he runs every race hard, likes to play the part of the rabbit and loves every minute of it. His consistency is amazing, running most of his 5k times between 18.30 and 17.50 while winning his share of master divisions. Oh yeah...Dave is also a beer rep for Dundee's and Genesee as well as the host for the greatest Labor Day party around. Good going, Dave.

New Year, New Goals.

The new year better be better for me. This past year was just awful when it came to my running. I think that both knees are finally better and i am at a point where i actually look forward to going for a run. It has been 3 years and 10 months that i have been dealing with one knee or the other and a stress fracture that seemed to start it all off. Now i just have to build a base, lose some weight, throw in some quality training and i will be racing before you know it. Knock on wood :)

Some goals for the year:

**Running a few snowshoe races and probably making a total fool of myself in the process.

**Running Mt. Washington if i can be lucky enough to get in. If not, find some other mountain races that i won't be photographing to run.

**Cross country and trail racing if it don't kick the shit out of my knees.

Too Much Snow

2008-12-21T17:52:00.007-05:00

What a lousy weekend! 48+ hours of snow combined with incompetent snowplow drivers means roads that can't be run on safely. When recovering from knee problems, the last thing i want to do is get out and run on roads like these. Add in the idiot driver factor and missing a few days seems the right thing to do. I was looking forward to having my biggest week in 8 months, granted it would have only been close to 20 miles, but it is better than the zeroes i was putting up in the fall. All because of too much snow, if i wanted this much of the white stuff, i would move back to New Hampshire.

Now if this was next week, i would have my new Dion snowshoes and could get a workout in the snow. I am looking forward to using them and it just so happens that my buddy Martin Tighe has snowshoes too, so i will have someone to train and try a few races with. Hopefully Martin will take it easy on me, he is coming off of a 2nd place, 6:20 50 miler down at Sunmart in Texas a few weeks ago. One other Turtle, Bob Jackman has shown some interest in trying some snowshoe action, we'll see how a bunch of flatlanders do up north. Should be fun.

The photo is my summer toy with my snowblower. I would much rather be playing around with the TR6.

Charlies Surplus 10 Miler 1981

2008-12-12T22:36:00.028-05:00

Hey there everyone, time for some more vintage running photos. Charlies Surplus was a great 10 mile race that attracted very high caliber fields back in the day. The course was hi-lighted by Tower Hill, which came at about 6 miles if memory serves me right, but i could be wrong. It did tend to break open the race if it was close. I don't really remember alot about this race except for the fact that i had the cover shot on Frontrunner Magazine with the photo at right with Bob Hodge and Geoff Smith. If you click on the text below, it should enlarge so that you can read the original story of the race that was in the June 1981 issue of Frontrunner Magazine, written by Don Drewniak of the Central Mass Striders. See more pictures at www.scottmasonphoto.com/gallery /6813634

Snow and Bikes

2008-12-11T22:42:00.019-05:00

I know, it is Thursday and pouring rain outside right now. There is no snow left on the ground and it was 60 degrees yesterday, but last Sunday i went to the NBX Grand Prix of Cyclo Cross in Goddard Park, Warwick, RI to see some great bike racing in the snow and loved it. If you don't know of CycloCross, it is really just road bikes on trails with some minor modifications to the bikes. The New England CycloCross Series is a great experience, you have music blaring, announcers walking around with cordless mikes and a small, but vocal fan base watching riders do 45 -60 minute races. I wish road races could
be this enthusiastic, the fans here were hardcore, ringing cowbells or even handing out cups of beer to riders and they were taking them and downing the beer. If you ever get the chance to check out a cyclocross race, do it! These riders are into it and the atmosphere is just so electric, you can't help but get into the frame of mind of these riders. We had some great riders out there, Jamie Driscoll won the Mens Elite Race and is heading to the Nationals this weekend and Luke Keough took the under 19 age-group and seems to be a future national champion. There seems to be something about this sport that you can relate to. As a kid, you ride your bike through the woods just because, and now as an adult, you ride through the woods for the same reason. Because it is fun. What is better than That?! Do you want to see more photos? Check out this, http://www.scottmasonphoto.com/CYCLING/665999

Matty P.

2008-12-04T20:54:00.009-05:00

Went out for a run tonite, a whopping 3 1/2 miles. The legs wanted to go, but the lungs said no. Heck of a birthday run. I really hate starting up my running from square one. To make matters worse, i finish up at the lot just after Matt Pelletier, Patrick Moulton and Scott Bessette get done with their quick run. I'm jealous. Seems like not that many years ago i was running workouts stride for stride with Matt. I got hurt and he got faster.

I told Matty about this photo of him from the Martini-Hicks 5k in 1996 and he said you gotta put it up, so here it is. Please excuse the quality of the picture, i did not take it, it was given to me by the guy in front of Matt in the shot. It was March 31st, 1996 and that is Mark Zartarian kicking in front of Matt. Zart ran 17.08 to Matts 17.09, Zart was 42 and Matt was 16 years old at the time. I'd say he has done quite well since then, what do ya think?

Maybe i'll be out there running with you sometime in the near future, Matt. On your easy day, of course :)

Old Running Photos

2008-12-01T21:29:00.013-05:00

Well, tonite i started uploading some of my old race photos onto my website. I am putting them under the categorie of Vintage Running. This stuff starts in 1979 and goes through the 80's and 90's. You won't see loads of pictures like you do in today's digital age, after all, it was film and you did not want to waste anything if you didn't have to. Most of the photos are in pretty good condition, but there were some negatives that weren't handled too well over the years and it shows. I will try to label as many of the photos as possible as long as i recognize or can find results of the runners in them.

First up is the Freedom Trail Road Race in 1979 & 1980 and the Brattleboro National 50k Championship in 1980.

I hope you enjoy.

www.scottmasonphoto.com/vintagerunning

Photographs and Injuries

2008-11-29T19:42:00.012-05:00

I was reading Dave Dunham's latest blog entry about popular holidays to race on and the mention of injuries intrigued me. I've been running for 30 years now and racing for almost that much. That also means that i have been dealing with running injuries for almost that long, the first would be a groin pull in the winter of 1980. So i got to thinking and compiled a list of all the running related injuries i could think of off the top of my head. These would be considered major setbacks, missing at least 4 weeks time each. Of course, there are numerous minor problems that we all deal with like lost toenails, callouses, blisters, etc.
Here is the list (i know i am missing some)

**Groin Pull
**Hamstring Pull (3)
**Hip (4)
**Quad Muscle (2)
**Heel Spurs (2)
**Patella Tendonitis (5)
**Achilles Tendonitis (1)
**I.T. Band (1)
**Stress Fractures @ 5th metatarsal on feet (6, but probably more)
**Foot Puncture, stepped on broken glass in a snowbank, but did finish up the last 5 miles of the run because there was no other way to get home.
**Threw out back rounding a street corner
**Broken Toe, stubbed while running at night but kept running for the week because the Utica
Boilermaker was coming up and i did not want to miss it.
**Neuroma, had to have surgery to remove the nerve between 3rd and 4th toes.
**Knee Surgery to remove scar tissue built up on Patella Tendon
**Foot Surgery to remove part of bone to straighten out little toe.

That is all i can think of at the moment, there was never a list i kept for this stuff. Oh yeah,almost forgot the current problem i just am getting over, a knee cap that wasn't tracking correctly that led to the other knee acting up that caused me to miss alot of the last 3 1/2 years.
It took long enough just to get it diagnosed correctly. I could go on about orthopedic doctors that don't deserve a license and numbnut podiatrists, but the blog would take three days to read. The guys at Foundry Sports in Providence, Ken Furcoulo and Michael Wiggins are great, they know what they speak of and really care.

The biggest shout out goes to my excellent massage therapist, Nicole Toth. She has helped me out more than anyone.

So it seems that this last injury is finally over and it is time to run. Now i just have to try to not over do it and get hurt again :)

Since i am talking numbers here, i thought i would mention one race time. It is 52.56, what is that you say? It was my last 10 mile time that i ran at Yankee Homecoming in 1999, it is also the same exact time i ran 10 days before that at the Blessing of the Fleet. Oh yeah, that's right, i ran that exact time the year before at the Blessing of the Fleet, kind of freaky, ain't it? My last three ten milers are all run in the same time! High expectations if i ever run another 10 miler.

Later

Scott

P.S. That x-ray picture is 2 years old.

Dick's Dash - Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-27T21:37:00.020-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there. This morning, the Turtles got together for the annual Dick's Dash at "Cousin" Rich Northup's house. The run consists of either a 4 or 10 mile run followed by breakfast and beverages. It was a great morning for a run, upper 30's and no wind. Our winner today was Bob Jackman, time? Does it really matter? Everyone had a nice run and then ended with breakfast and coffee(with Bailey's, of course), and then to beer and a raffle and good times. You can see our president, Dave Principe (in black) and Sir George Ross at left, cracking the crab legs open for a snack. Along the way, we sampled some great beers, a Belgium Gueze, Newport Storm 02 & 04 and Unibroue Terrible. That is the "Cuz" downing a brew in the photo below. It also started the beginning of our Man Of Winter Award, an outdated prize that needs to disappear.

This made 5 runs in the last 6 days for me. I have had no knee pain to speak of, just burning lungs and tight muscles. I haven't run this much in 3 plus years. I can only hope that this is the beginning of another comeback, how many? I lost count. Right now, i am optimistic about the running, i really want to compete again. I have even been pricing out racing snowshoes for a foray into that snowsport. I think that i can get back into racing shape and compete in my age categorie, if i can't, i won't race. But i really think i will be back.

I headed down to my parents house after the run for dinner, you can see the sunset from their front deck. Nice!

Orange, Orange, Everywhere.

2008-11-23T17:21:00.011-05:00

I took a ride down to Charlestown, RI this morning for the Li'l Rhody Runaround to watch some of my teammates run this trail race. It was a cold morning, right around 30 degrees with a brisk wind and lots of sun. Not to many runners in shorts today, kind of wimpy if you ask me. Anyway, this race is just short of 8 miles, being listed at 7.9 and mostly singletrack, although the last mile is on paved road with a downhill finish. This is a well put on race, hosted by the Westerly Track Club and timed by SNERRO. You get an orange t-shirt with your entry fee that comes in hand, seeing you must wear orange because of hunting season. There wasn't much drama in years race as the mens race was led wire to wire by Greg Hammett in 46.31 @ 5.49 pace followed by Ben Nephew in 46.50 @ 5.51.

First place female went to my teammate Michaela Driscoll in 54.45 @ 6.51 pace. Other Tuesday Night Turtles were Bob Jackman in 6th overall and first 18-29 @ 50.39, Dave Principe in 10th place 4th master @ 52.23 and "Cousin"Rich Northup in 29th @ 56.37. Ex-Turtle Zak Kudlak ran 53.02, just beating out Stormin' Norman Bouthillier at 53.16.

Norm was running well until rolling his ankle with less than 2 miles to go, he wasn't too happy leaving the race but had to be feeling better after the Patriots beat the Dolphins.

It was just plain cold after the race as runners huddled in the hut for hot soup and cider. The wind was coming across the pond, right in the front of the open hut, but there were fireplaces at either end of the hut with fires roaring to help everyone stay somewhat warm. It was nice to get to the local swillhole afterwards for a beer and a bite to eat, and some warmth.

Falmouth Road Race Weekend 1980

2008-11-22T18:48:00.019-05:00

Falmouth weekend, 1980. We started on Friday night, Gerry Beagan, Kenny Field and myself headed out to Provincetown, Ma for a little run back to Providence, RI. Gerry was doing this run as a fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy that was billed as Gerry's Run For Jerry's Kids. It was to be a 120 mile run over 2 days, starting at 6 am at the base of the Pilgrim Tower in the center of Provincetown. Gerry would be joined by 2 other runners, John Armour and Tim Lepore. We left Coventry, RI on Friday night and headed east, when we got to Swansea, Ma, we decided to get Gerry pumped up for this run by going to the drive-in theater that advertised Rocky 1 + 2, awesome, lets go. We get in and set up, and looking up at the screen, realize that they are playing a porno film with some guy in a wheelchair. Well, this is not the kind of pump-up film we were thinking of, so out we went and in the next parking lot to us was a bar with live music, so we figure we might as well stop in. The band Northeast Expressway was playing, a good cover band, so we hung out until closing time and then headed to Provincetown, it was now 1am or so and Gerry was to start at 6am. Gerry got to sleep for most of the drive as Kenny and myself drove that long, boring ride on Rte 6 to the tip of Cape Cod. I think we pulled into P-Town about 4am and tried to get some sleep in the van, i was stretched across the front seats with the cooler between to make a very uncomfortable bed. We awoke and headed to the Pilgrim Tower for about 5:30am, so Gerry heads out for a warm up run, why?, i couldn't tell you. He runs into a cop who asks where he is running to, Gerry says Providence, so the cop shakes his head and walks away. Kenny and myself are sitting in the van reading Playboy magazines, trying to hold off the locals. So, off goes the run, Gerry, John and Tim are off on their adventure. All my film from this run is in the possesion of Gerry, so i can't show any of the photos from the run. Maybe at a later date. I also learned about DMSO this weekend, also known as DimethylSulfoxide, it is like a bengay on steroids and it was legal for use on horses. Tim Lepore was using this stuff on his legs, Tim is a surgeon. It would go strait to your bloodstream, so if you mixed aspirin in with it, you would get very direct results. One thing you would notice is the taste of garlic in your mouth about ten minutes after applying this stuff. Did it help? Not that i ever noticed and i did personally try it. Gerry did make the Cape Cod Canal on day one.

The next day, Gerry was to finish his long run, but i was not to be there, i was heading to Falmouth to shoot the race. I met up with Betsey Roundsville to photograph the race as we were both shooting for Frontrunner Magazine. The race went off as many others, we were at 5 miles or so on the course, shooting like crazy. Rod Dixon won the mens race and Grete Waitz took the womens win. The fun started after the end of the race. With Gerry doing his ultra-fundraiser, we thought it would be cool to get the current cover of Frontrunner signed by all the top runners for Gerry. Most everyone cooperated with us, Grete, Joanie, Bill Rodgers, Dixon, Hodge, Patti Catalano, Jackie Gareau. The only real prick we ran across was Herb Lindsey, but Benji Durden took care of that with us, walking over with a pen and saying "sign the magazine, Herb".I think we ended up with 40 plus great runners signing the cover. The photo of Grete Waitz that is above, ended up being printed in an Australian newspaper, but i do not remember which one. The photo pass above was signed by Ric Rojas, who finished 3rd this day, but was overlooked for the other "bigger" runners. He was hanging out in the tent with Jan Merrill, seems like no one cared that they ran so good so it was kind of cool to hang out talking with them without any distractions. I always liked this picture of Jackie Gareau, it was just 4 months earlier that she had to deal with the Rosie Ruiz bullshit.

The Bumble Bee Shoes

2008-11-17T18:45:00.017-05:00

Anyone out there remember Nike's Sock Racer? These were wicked comfortable racing shoes, they were very light and fit like...a sock, of course.

I got my first pair from Nike on their Wear Testing Program. I can't remember, but i would tend to think that when i opened the box and saw these, it was kind of like WTF is going on here. One race in these and you had to love them, especially if you like flashy shoes. I think on the testing program, i only had them for about 6 weeks, not much time to test in real race conditions. From what i can tell from old race logs, i wore them for 4 races. The first one being the picture below at the West Warwick Holy Ghost Society Labor Day 5k, also know as the La-La Race. Don't ask me why, i don't know. I ran 2nd that day in 14.58. The last race i wore them in was October 19th at the Cape Cod Relay. Lucky me, i got to run the longest leg, the 14.6 mile seventh one. By the time i took the handoff, it was pouring rain and there was no one close in front of me or behind which made for a long boring time trial. I had to settle for a 1:16.0 on the leg in conditions that just plain sucked, but the team did get 5th place that year so i can't really bitch about it too much. The next day the shoes went back to the testing labs which were in Exeter, NH at the time. With all the rain in the race and the very porous EVA midsole on the shoe that acted as a sponge, the shoes probably weighed twice what they were supposed to. I was wringing water out of them after the last race, i can just imagine what the lab techs thought when they opened the box. I did buy a pair of these when they hit the market, that is a picture of them above, i only kept them because they are a great conversation piece.

I don't think i would have had the balls to wear the bumble bee socks that Ingrid Kristiansen wore with her shoes in the 1986 Boston Marathon, of course, she ran 2:24.55 and won the race that year. Still, the shoes were ugly enough without wearing matching socks. But they were probably the best racing shoe i ever had.