Looking back - November 2001

 25 years ago – I only raced once in November 2001 (11/17) but got a little over 50 miles in during that one race!  On a perfect day (38 at the start and 65 at the finish) I joined over 800 others in Boonsboro MD for the JFK 50 mile.  The first 16 miles on the Appalachian trail left me well behind the leaders (getting stopped by a freight train meant waiting a couple of minutes at the aid station at the end of the trail).

 

I was in 9th place at the 15.4 mile checkpoint, 9 minutes behind the leaders.  The next 26 miles on the C&O canal path had me reeling in many of the front runners.  I ran the second fastest time of the day for that marathon split (3:07) trailing only Chad Ricklefs (3:02).  During that stretch I moved up to third place and then on the last 8 miles of hilly road running I moved up to 2nd place at 45 miles and that was my final position as I crossed the line in 6:11:18.            

1 Chad Ricklefs        6:00:47

2 Dave Dunham      6:11:19

3 Clark Zealand       6:12:18

4 Sean Andrish        6:14:28

5 Gregory Loomis    6:24:05

6 Ian Torrence        6:29:23

7 Wes Kessenich     6:33:57

8 Matt Mcdonald      6:36:13

9 Eric Clifton 6:36:32

10 Serge Arbona     6:38:07

37 Mark Godale       7:33:41

40 Mike Woodman   7:37:30               

Looking back - November 1996

I was back in Tewksbury for another go at the “Run your turkey off” 15k...5 years after my last go at this race, this time over a big loop course. My time was 7 seconds faster than 5 years ago and I again took the win (46:37), this time over Dan Verrington (47:17) and Ed Sheehan (47:27).

 A week later I headed over to Slattery’s to run the fast five mile race in Fitchburg. I ran back and forth with CMS teammate Eric Morse (24:05), pulling away from him in the last ½ mile to take second in 23:58. The winner (from Kenya via NY) ran 23:35. 

(pictured above 901=Morse, Polar shirt = me, 1037 = unnamed winner of the race).

Four days later I raced Danny V and 3,000 others at the Feaster five road race. I tried to lose Dan in the mass of people running the 5k, but he hung tough finishing 10 seconds back in 2nd place with me winning in 24:38.  

Crossing the line – Verrington is in the background taking the final turn

Looking back - November 1991

 35 Years ago: I had a busy November 1991, putting in five races ranging from four miles to the marathon. I started the month with a 2nd place finish at the Rhode Island marathon running 2:29:28 as a “hard workout”.

1 Gregg Cornell       2:25:21

2 John Strickland     2:28:56

3 Dave Dunham      2:29:28

4 Jeff Mutter           2:31:00

5 Mike Woodman     2:32:30

1F Kim Goff             2:54:15

 

The following weekend I finished in fourth place running 24:15 at the Alamo Alumni race. The highlight of the day was a warm-down run with local legends Bob Hodge and Bill Rogers.

1 23:37 Are Nakkim            BU

2 24:00 Brian Harshman    Bucknell

3 24:14 Bob Hodge            Lowell

4 24:15 Dave Dunham       Lowell

5 24:26 Ed Sheehan          Harvard

40+

1 24:34 Keith Woodward   Keene St

2 24:44 Bill Rodgers          esleyan

3 25:24 Frank Shorter        Yale

The next weekend I ran the “Run your turkey off” 15k which was a three loop affair over the popular Fudge loop in Tewksbury. It was windy (20mph) and I spent most of the race with Larry Barthlow and Ed Sheehan before making a move on the final lap to take the win (and $200). Splits for the 5k loop were 15:25 / 15:54 / 15:20 for a 46:43.

 

1 46:43 Dave Dunham       GLRR

2 46:58 Ed Sheehan          BAA

3 47:26 Larry Barthlow      BAA

4 50:10 Don Alvey             GLRR

5 50:29 Jim Quadros                    GLRR

 

The next weekend I headed off to watch U-Lowell win the D2 nationals near St Louis. A few of us alumni went to the Deaconess 4 mile road race. I took the win in the final ¼ mile running a 19:35. I closed out the month at the US XC national championships at Franklin Park. I spent the early miles in over 100th place but slowly worked my way up (with GLRR teammate Bob Hodge). I finished in 30:49 over 6.25 miles to take 45th place.

Looking back - November 1986

 40 years ago: I raced 3 times in November 1986, closing out my senior year of cross country at the University of Lowell.  I started the month with a third place finish behind Dean Crowe and Are Naakim (both from BC). Crowe won the New England championship with a 24:06 over the 5 mile Franklin Park course around and through the golf course. I finished six seconds back and one second behind Crowe.  

Leading the way at 2 miles in the New Englands                    

In 2^nd place at New Englands

The following week I was leading the NCAA qualifier race in Philadelphia with a little over a mile to go I was sent off course. The first 50 runners were sent the wrong way and the result was the top ranked teams were given a pass to the National Championships. My final college XC race was a windy and warm 10k in Riverside California. I ran with the lead pack for the first 4.5 miles then got buried as the guys with speed took off. I finished in fourth place in 31:09 with mile splits of 4:36/9:52/15:08/20:16/25:24/30:11 over the rolling terrain.

Looking back - November 1981

 45 years ago: I raced 3 times in November 1981, closing out my senior year of cross country (XC) at Billerica High School.  The three races were “podium” finishes for me.  On 11/07/81 I took 2^nd place (15:08) with Steve Perkins (Danvers) first in 14:58 at the State Coaches meet on the 3 mile course in Franklin Park.  Back in those days we raced on the south side of Circuit road.  We’d start down by the Shattuck Hospital and the first half-mile was all uphill, the next mile was on the sidewalk along Circuit drive. The finish changed a few times over my high school years but would generally be back down at the bottom of the bowl.   The following weekend (11/14/81) I managed to knock six seconds off my time taking a win in the State Class meet.

1 Dave Dunham      Billerica                   15:02

2 Shawn Coughlan   Brockton                 15:10

3 Curtis Splain         Attleboro                15:26

4 Paul Partridge       Newton North         15:39

5 Tim Gannon         Beverly                   15:41

6 George Fulk         Newton North         15:45

7 Bob Sheehan       Cambridge R&L       15:48

8 Tom Carleo          Newton North         15:49

9 Helder Braz          Peabody                15:52

10 Jose Rocha         New Bedford         15:59

 

Tri-Captains – Bernie Brown, Jim Sullivan, me

On a cold day (11/21/81) on a very slick trip around the same course I slowed to 15:20 and took third in the Mass State Meet. Chris Gorman (Weymouth) won in 14:56 with Steve Perkins (Peabody) second in 15:16. BMHS teammate Mike Busnach took 42^nd in 16:24 and on the girl’s side Billerica put two in the top 10 with Senior Kathy Norton (6^th – 18:18) and Sophomore Dawn Hartnett (8^th – 18:24).  Full Billerica boys’ results at the state meet: 103 Kevin Healy 17:20, 124 Scott McKinnon 17:46, and 128 Jim Sullivan 17:53, 135 Bernie Brown 18:11.  Due to “Proposition 2 1/2” there was no official State meet as funding had been cut.  This meet was put on thanks to Nike and a bunch of volunteers from the Mass Track & Field Officials Association. 

Week Ending 11/08/26

 Not too many complaints (laugh). Got some decent miles in and even did a little workout on Wednesday. Ankle has been pretty bad for a few weeks and will not improve just hoping so I'll look into the next possible treatment. I may be able to get into a trial for Low Dose Radiation (LDR) treatment. Hoping to make it through the USATF NE XC championships next weekend. I haven't raced in 9 weeks!

Week - 86

Month - 94

Year - 3,447

Life - 170,447

A November record of five 70 degree days in a row

October totals

This was nearly my lowest mileage month this year. Recovering from a torn MCL. I also had the most single run days of any month this year. The two "low" weeks were almost entirely all one run a day.