Looking back - August 2000

 25 Years Ago: August 2000 – I raced four times while amassing 480 miles during the month.  The 480 miles marks the most I’ve ever run in any August.  Weeks of 131 and 121 while in Europe helped with that total.  My goal was a few marathons and Ultra’s in the fall, so high mileage was important, although I don’t think it had a major impact on my racing.  I started off the month (08/01/00) at the Newburyport Yankee Homecoming 10 mile taking 2nd place in 51:34. 

 

    1    51:21  5:09 Michael Slinsky        31 M  CHELSEA NY          SAUCOUNY

    2    51:34  5:10 Dave Dunham         36 M  BRADFORD MA        CMS

    3    51:39  5:10 Nelson Rocha          31 M  DANBURY CT

    4    52:04  5:13 Dan Verrington        38 M  BRADFORD MA        CMS

    5    52:17  5:14 Eric Beauchesne      30 M  CHELMSFORD MA    GLRR

 

Eleven days (08/12/00) later I had a solid run at the Bridge of Flowers 10k.  The time wasn’t great (32:26) but there is a nearly mile long hill in the race.  I went out conservatively in 9th place at the mile then worked my way up to 5th place by the top of the hill.  I held on to 5th place trailing only Non-New England runners and as such was the USATF New England Champion. 

 

    1   Paul Mwangi          33 M OSSINING NY                 30:58   4:59

    2   Paul Mbugua          38 M FARMINGTON NM           31:02*  5:00

    3   Malcolm Campbell  29 M MARIETTA GA                31:48   5:07

    4   Michael Chettle      23 M HOBART, TASMANIA       32:13   5:12

    5   Dave Dunham       36 M BRADFORD MA               32:27   5:14        CMS

    6   Sandu Rebenciuc   31 M W SPRINGFIELD MA        32:50   5:17        GSH

    7   Dan Verrington      38 M BRADFORD MA               32:57   5:19         CMS

    8   Nelson Rocha        31 M DANBURY CT                 33:13   5:21

    9   Eric Lavigne          24 M ASHLAND MA                 33:50   5:27        GLRR

   10  Larry Sayers         40 M BELLOWS FALLS VT         33:52   5:28        CMS

   16  Kevin Beck          30 M CONCORD NH                420 CMS          34:59   5:38 CMS

   27  Stephen Peterson 34 M CHELMSFORD MA             433 CMS          36:23   5:52 CMS

 

The following week (08/20/00) I headed back to Susa Italy for the Challenge Stellina, a 9.5 mile mountain race on the slopes of Monta Rosa.  I had a reasonably good race taking 9th place in 1:23:30 and picking up $100 (200,000 lire).  I trained pretty hard that week and into the following week as teammates Paul Low and Dan Verrington joined in for three runs a day nearly every day.  Between runs we’d eat, nap, and play cards.  Despite the hard training I still managed a good run in Austria at the Kitzbuhel mountain race (8 miles with 4,000’ of climb) on 08/27/00.  I took 3rd place in 1:00:28 and won $250 for the effort.  The final 400 meters was brutal with each 100 meters tougher than the last.  My final 100 took 45 seconds (12 minute mile pace).