Snow or no, we go!

 I’d been struggling with getting back to racing since tweaking my glute back in December.  It had been six weeks since I last raced.  There just isn’t much going on that really jumps out as something I really wanted to do.  I almost raced last weekend then decided I didn’t want to press it in single-digit temps (so I ran a tempo the day before instead).  My goal is to get to the World Master XC race (March 23) in good shape and as healthy as possible.  This weekend I picked the “Snow or no, we go” race in Franklin NH.  I’d done this race two years ago and they do a very nice job.  The facility is nice, the course has a lot of twists and turns and ups and downs, but nothing too crazy.  I decided on the two mile as I hadn’t done a snowshoe race since I’d won in Franklin back in March of 2023.  I figured that 20 minutes of hard racing would be plenty to see how my knee, ankle, and glute held up.  It snowed Friday night (2-4” inches) which made the 1 hour drive a bit of a nerve wracking 1:45. I planned it right and was one of the first to arrive.  I got my number, my post-race donut, some chocolate milk, and a pair of sweatpants (perfect for pajamas).  It takes a lot longer to prep for a snowshoe race with changing clothes, selecting the correct number of layers, and getting into the snowshoes.  An hour before the start I headed out on the road for 3 miles (one on my own and two with Teammate Paul Bazanchuk).  It was nice getting to catch up with Paul.  I quickly changed into racing gear, always a tough call with layers and how much will get wet in the snow.  It was about 20 degrees and sunny with a strong wind.  I went with two lighter layers and kept a windbreaker on for the final mile of warm-up.  I headed out on the course and did a mile in snowshoes to try and get comfortable.  The snow was quite slow, it had been snowmobiled, but the snow was so fluffy it was still very loose.  The course was being run in counterclockwise direction which was the opposite of how I’d done it previously.  This meant a fair amount of climb in the first ¾ of a mile.  I was hopeful I could grind it out.  Sixty-six lined up with exactly half running in each race.  The 2m and 4m options would be run together and you could even change your mind during the race and switch to a different distance.  I was not inclined to do so.  Two miles would be plenty.  Steve Brightman (CMS) took off in a swirl of snow right at the start and would not look back, taking the win by exactly 5 minutes (33:29).  I found myself in third place as we headed out but was not worried as the trail was quite wide and there was plenty of space to pass.  Oddly, the guy in front was running down the middle and it looked like the best way to pass was on the right.  That is not normal trail etiquette.  Wouldn’t you know it, as I made a move on the right he swung right and there was some contact.  I apologized and then accelerated away.  I was pretty sure at that point I’d be able to get a win if I held it together.  Of course, we were only ¼ mile in and anything could happen.  I settled into a good rhythm and could not hear anyone behind.  I took a little peak in the field we loop at ¾ of a mile and had at least 10-15 seconds lead.  Finally we got some downhill and it felt good to stride out a bit.  There were a few rollercoaster bumps that had to be negotiated (and with the bright sun it was often hard to see exactly what I was about to step into).  Staying on my feet was goal number one.  I spotted a couple of deer along the way and enjoyed giving a good effort on the course.  I broke the tap in 19:12.9 to pick up my first win of the year.  Since this was also my first race of the year, I’ve won 100% of the races I’ve entered!  More importantly, this extended my winning streak.  I’ve now won at least one race every year from 1979-present for 47 years of wins.  I watched the next few come through (about 35 seconds back) as they continued on doing the four mile.  I ended up taking the win by 2:42. I’m not sure what the next race will be or if I’ll do any more snowshoe races, it’ll take a few days to see if all of my parts held up 😊

Snow or No, we Go - 02/01/25 Franklin, NH
Place	Chip Time	Name		Cat	Age	City	St	Net time	Pace	Bib
1	19:12.9	Dave	Dunham	M	60	Bradford	MA	19:12.9	09:36	55
2	21:54.5	Stephen	Laboe	M	33	Concord	NH	21:59.5	10:57	17
3	23:12.8	Kevin	Perron	M	54	Concord	NH	23:19.5	11:36	38
4	24:13.7	Shawn	Hassell	M	53	Bow	NH	24:21.5	12:07	73
5	29:11.2	Jordan	Boelig	F	19	Tilton	NH	29:33.0	14:36	50
6	31:12.5	John	Conboy	M	60	Alton Bay	NH	31:20.1	15:36	8
7	31:56.0	Jacquie	Desmond	F	34	York	ME	32:04.2	15:58	10
8	32:34.6	Marc	Carbonneau	M	56	Exeter	NH	32:57.6	16:17	53
9	33:22.6	Alice	Tuson	F	50	Concord	NH	33:37.7	16:41	58
10	33:42.7	Gregory	Thompson	M	36	Franklin	NH	33:52.6	16:51	30
11	36:50.0	Judy	Tasker	F	52	Melrose	MA	37:03.1	18:25	65
12	39:18.9	Cheryl	Lasell	F	65	Williamstown	VT	39:34.5	19:39	34
13	40:24.8	Chris	Waters	M	59	Moultonborough	NH	40:43.1	20:12	60
14	40:46.7	Jennifer	Troiano	F	56	Exeter	NH	41:08.9	20:23	44
15	40:47.3	Robert	Lade	M	60	Manchester	NH	41:11.7	20:24	49
16	40:50.5	Tina	Lade	F	57	Manchester	NH	41:09.5	20:25	48
17	41:29.6	Jenn	Maguier	F	60	Loudon	NH	41:56.2	20:45	47
18	42:35.6	M Alex	Frnklin	M	15	Cnter Barnstead	NH	43:02.5	21:18	43
19	42:39.2	Susan	Lovering	F	72	Franklin	NH	43:04.8	21:20	41
20	43:02.0	Michelle	Schlickman	F	54	Hooksett	NH	43:33.8	21:31	24
21	43:42.5	Tom	Raffio	M	65	Bow	NH	43:42.5	21:51	1
22	46:10.3	Heather	Judkins	F	53	Franklin	NH	46:40.5	23:05	74
23	46:10.5	Lindsey	Judkins	F	27	Franklin	NH	46:41.2	23:05	75
24	46:59.1	Angela	Franklin	F	47	Cnter Barnstead	NH	47:28.7	23:30	13
25	47:35.4	S	O'Connell	F	11	Tilton	NH	48:00.0	23:48	20
26	47:36.1	Holly	O'Connell	F	44	Tilton	NH	48:00.3	23:48	19
27	48:38.7	Kathleen	Fisher	F	56	Loudon	NH	49:06.2	24:19	76
28	48:41.5	Mikki	Huges	F	67	Loudon	NH	49:07.7	24:21	46
29	51:47.0	Kristine	Reardan	F		Meredith	NH	51:58.0	25:54	72
30	52:34.2	Richard	Chaney	M	72	Canterbury	NH	52:51.3	26:17	6
31	54:10.8	Joseph	Merriam	M	65	Franklin	NH	54:24.3	27:05	59
32	01:26.0	D	Wilkens	M	9	Gilmanton	NH	01:28.7	30:43	37
33	01:53.5	Claire	Wilkens	F	57	Gilmanton	NH	02:08.2	30:57	36