Double-D running blog: Looking back

5 years ago (September 2021) With a little vacation time in hand, I started the month off with a couple of trips to Vermont. My first trip involved 421 miles of driving over 10.5 hours with 15 miles of running in 9 towns. The second trip a couple of days later included 387 miles driven in 10 hours along with 17 miles of running in 11 towns.

Gorilla & VW Quiet farm road in Vergennes

I got back to racing at the Hollis Fast Five (5km) on 09-06-21. The point to point race is a bit unusual, the net drop of about 250’ makes it one of the fastest 5k’s out there. I’d run the race three times in the last 11 years and ran between 29 and 69 seconds faster than my fastest time that particular year. So, I figured 5:40 pace would be about right. It was kind of warm and VERY humid but this was a 5k so it shouldn’t be a factor. I counted how many in front of me at the first turn and had myself in about 20^th, so that seemed right. I felt pretty comfortable and slowly started reeling people in. I hit the mile in 5:29 which was a pleasant surprise. I continued to pass one or two people and was closing in on the top 10 by two miles (10:57 – 5:28). I got two more guys in the final mile (5:41) and was in 8^th place. I could not hold it and one of the guys I passed in the last mile went by me in after the last turn. I cannot complain with a 9^th place finish and a 17:16.6, not a bad sign for attempting to break 18 on a flat course

1 Cameron Cook 26M Dover NH 15:33.9

2 Vojta Ripa 32M Amesbury MA 15:46.9

3 Jessie Cardin 25F Stafford Springs 15:55.0

4 Michael Studer 10M Westford MA 16:03.6

5 Jacob Wormald 26M Nashua NH 16:05.6

6 Mark Rabasco 27M Pittsfield MA 16:26.5

7 Jason Viera 42M E Greenwich RI 17:04.8

8 Ian French 39M Londonderry NH 17:16.1

9 Dave Dunham 57M Haverhill MA 17:16.6

10 Eli Lemire 15M Weare NH 17:21.1

50 James Pawlicki 46M Lynn MA 20:36.7

Posing with NE Delta Dental CEO Tom Raffio

Next up (09/12/21) was the GBTC XC race at Great Brook Farm in Carlisle (MA). I’ve run in the woods of Carlisle since my Billerica days but have only raced there twice The course featured three progressively longer loops with a great mix of ups, downs, grass, dirt, roots, rocks, and even a little bit of mud.The small field of only 32 lined up for the master’s race (everyone over the age of 40). I like when we get to run without the open runners, it is so much easier to see the competition. Off we went and by the first turn I counted 15 guys ahead of me, I slowly moved up and by the end of the first loop (1/2 mile) I was in 12^th place. I caught a couple more to take 10^th place in 19:12. HFC ended up beating us in the 40+ team scoring 23 to 33. I was fourth man on the 40+ team and third man on the winning 50+ team, we beat HFC 24 to 31!

1 16:37 TJ Unger 43 HFC

2 17:03 Aaron Price 44 BAA

3 17:27 Lee Danforth 43 HFC

4 17:49 Tim Van Orden 53 CMS

5 18:15 Paulo Amaral 41 GLRR

6 18:26 Jason Cakouros 56 HFC

7 18:35 Steven Brightman 52 CMS

8 18:52 Arthur Besse 49 CMS

9 19:08 Rbrt McCormack 60 HFC

10 19:12 Dave Dunham 57 CMS

11 19:14 Steve Neri 54 HFC

12 19:47 Justin Renz 49 HFC

13 19:53 Steve Bosic 52 SRR

14 20:01 Dan Verrington 59 CMS This was the 300^th time Dan and I raced each other!

17 20:25 Doug Deangelis 55 CMS

20 21:14 James Pawlicki 46 CMS

I decided to complete my quest to run in every city and town in VT. I had 6 runs of 3 miles each that would get the final 13 towns I needed. I was out the door on Monday (09/13/21) at 4:30am for the nearly 3 hour drive to my first stop. In all I ended up driving nearly 500 miles and was back in a little less than 12 hours. Good friend Eric Morse met me in Winooski for the final 5km run in Gillbrook Nature area which gave me my 255^th Vermont city or town (or gore & grant). In all I drove 19,799 miles in 75 different trips to Vermont and ran a total of 690 miles (I only counted the first time I ran in a city or town).

Next up was SEA (State Employees Assoc) 5km race which was the finale in the CARS. It was certainly unusual running this race in mid-September since the race is typically held in April. I was hopeful that the final CARS series race would also be my fastest 5k of the year. The series was pretty much wrapped up with little chance of any movement (I was in 6th in the overall category, first in the 55-59 age group, 1st in the age graded masters, and our team was in 2nd place).

The field was especially small this year (130 finishers) and only a couple of guys moved up to the front. They were starting us in four waves with the first being under 7:00's. Off we went and I found myself in 5th place during the first loop. I Checked my watch at the half and was a little ahead of pace but not crazy fast. I hit the mile in 5:38 and 2 miles in 11:22 (5:44) and not much changed. The leaders were out of sight. I can't complain as I closed with a 5:46 mile and was well under 18. I ended up 5th overall and first in the 50+. The big surprise was that I moved up to 5th in the overall in the CARS and took home $50 for that. I also got $100 gas card for taking the age graded series (with Ernie very close behind).

Kicking for the finish Duct tape & Spit = Jim Pawlicki, Doug Deangelis, me

1             16:13     5:13       Cameron Cook    26   Dover, NH        MOPEN
2             16:35     5:21       Warren Bartlett   24   Loudon, NH                   MOPEN
3             17:03     5:29       Drew Tuttle                   26   Alton, NH                   MOPEN
4             17:31     5:39       Michael Eddy                 16   Madbury, NH                   M1519
5             17:41     5:42       Dave Dunham                57   Bradford, MA                  M5559
6             17:47     5:44       Erik Paddleford               46   Concord, NH                   M4549
7             18:00     5:48       Jim Angell                      57   Hopkinton, NH               M5559
8             18:24     5:56       James Brady                  20   Newbury, NH                   M2029
9             18:32     5:58       Ernest Brake                  60   North Sutton, NH               M6064
10           18:36     5:59       Sam Wood                     35   Laconia, NH                   M3539
11           18:55     6:06       Matt Deschuytner 34   Canterbury, NH              M3034
12           18:57     6:06       Doug Deangelis 55   Newbury, MA                  M5559
13           19:39     6:20       James Smith                  63   Concord, NH                   M6064
14           19:55     6:25       Michael Barry                65   Northwood, NH               M6569
15           19:56     6:25       Nicholas Brady      23   Boston, MA                  M2029
16           20:47     6:42       James Pawlicki    46   Lynn, MA        M4549