September 2000

 25 years ago Sept 2000 – I had a decent month, covering 416 miles (despite a sprained ankle on the 18^th), I also raced five times with the last three races being “tune-ups” for my first Ultramarathon race.  I started the month with a win at the Hochgrat Berglauf in Oberstaufen Germany.  Dan Verrington, Paul Low and I were training and racing in Austria and Germany and chose this as our final race before the mountain running world championships.  I ended up with a win covering the 3.76 miles with 2,800’ of climb in 33:07. 

 

1 Dunham 33:07 USA   2 Low 33:45 USA    3 Green 33:55 AUS    6 Verrington 34:34

 

The following week I missed my goal of a top 10 finish at the World Mountain Running Championships (Bergen, Germany) taking 12^th over the 7.3 mile course with a brutal climb of just under 5,000’ in 51:33.  Thirty countries were represented in the men’s race with 140 finishers.  The day started with an open race which included Dan Verrington (who traveled as the ‘alternate’).  He ended up in third place running 54:43. Eric Morse noted (somewhat tongue in cheek) “I’d rather be last in the championship race than first in the open race”.

 

1 47:29 Jonathan Wyatt NZL

2 49:48 Hans Kogler AUT

3 50:16 Alexis Gex-Fabry SUI

4 50:31 Thomas Gregor GER

5 50:39 Sergio Chiesa ITA

6 50:47 Raymond Fontaine FRA

7 50:50 Billy Burns  ENG

8 50:59 Martin Cox  ENG

9 51:18 Helmut Schmuck   AUG (former world champ)

10 51:25 Massimo Galliano ITA

11 51:30 Uli Steidl   GER

12 51:33 Dave Dunham     USA

15 51:44 Antonio Molinari  ITA (former world champ)

17 52:05 Marco De Gasperi ITA (former world champ)

30 53:27 Richard Shelley   USA

37 53:59 Eric Morse USA

63 55:57 Matt Carpenter    USA

81 57:54       Paul Low      USA

94 59:21 Scott Gall  USA

 

Not sure who I was flipping off here

Next up was a trail race with Steve Peterson at Pisgah Mountain.  Keith Schmitt hung with us until late in the race at which point I told Petey “I’m going to make sure one of us wins”.  Soon thereafter I got nervous that Schmitt might be able to outkick both of us so I pushed the pace and dropped both of them.  I won over the 25k distance (15.5 miles) in 1:37:52 and Petey took second in 1:38:38 and Keith took third in 1:38:56. 

The following weekend I won the Clarence Demar Marathon in Keene NH with a 2:29:10. My goal was to run as “slowly” as possible to get the win.  I was starting a three week stretch of racing a marathon, marathon, and 100k and the marathons were more of a tune-up for the big race. 

1   2:29:11 Dave Dunham 36M Bradford, MA

2   2:37:09 Alden Hall       30M Washington, DC

3   2:39:27 Jeff Day          30M Olmstead, OH

4   2:40:21 Eric Beauchesne 30M Chelmsford, MA

5   2:24:02 George Adams 30M Keene, NH

 

I followed that up with my second marathon win in six days taking first at the hilly NH Marathon with a 2:43:10.  I won despite three bathroom stops, which really freaked out the lead police vehicle as he had no idea why I left the course and went into the woods.  I think he figured it out by the third time.  This was my final preparation for the Chancellor 100k and it also earned me a bunch of “rat points” in the Hockomock Swamp Rat series.

 

September 1995

 30 years ago Sept 1995 – I raced twice during this month and the results were pretty disappointing.  On 09/10/95 I raced the World Mountain running championships in Edinburgh, Scotland.  This would be my worst performance in a mountain race as an open runner.  I ended up placing 46^th in 57:19 over the 7.45 mile course.  I never found a rhythm on this very technical course that was constantly either steep up or steeper down.  I took no solace that I was the top USA finisher.  Two weeks later I headed to Keene NH for the Clarence Demar marathon.  Dan Verrington, Byrne Decker and I went in with our goal being a “B” standard Olympic trails time of under 2:22.  Conditions were good, and after a 2 mile warm-up we headed out “strong to 6 miles with Dan, Byrne, and Mike O’Brien”.  Byrne fell off the pace and O’Brien fell back at 10.  Dan and I knew at halfway that we wouldn’t qualify (1:10:45 for the faster first 13.1 miles), so we slowed to 6-minute pace.  Byrne went by at 17 and was 10 seconds ahead by 20 miles.  We caught him soon after when he stopped in the woods, Dan also stopped to change out of racing flats, and then I stopped to do the same!  I caught back up to Dan at 23 and we ran together to the finish.  It seemed like neither one of us wanted to push for a win and just before the line I 

eased back and Dan crossed the line a step ahead of me for the win with both of us timed in 2:30:25.  Byrne took 5th place in 2:34.  None of us qualified for the 1996 trials.  Dan ran a 2:21:10 at Vermont in 1996, which was after the trails.  Byrne would come close in a few years later running a 2:22:53.

 

1   2:30:25 Dan Verrington 33M Bradford, MA

2   2:30:25 Dave Dunham   31M Bradford, MA

3   2:33:40 David Herr        30M Canaan, VT

4   2:33:48 George Adams  25M New Milford, CT

5   2:33:56 Cathy O’Brien    28F Durham, NH

6   2:34:16 Byrne Decker    28M Londonderry, NH

September 1990

 35 years ago Sept 1990 – I had a very big month, running 479 miles and also raced four times.  I started the month with a “training run” pacing Steve Peterson at the Cape Ann 25k (Gloucester).  We ended up taking 6^th and 7^th place running 1:29:29 (5:45 pace). 

Two weeks later I ran a hilly 6 mile leg of the Lake Winnipesaukee relay.  I got in a solid run of 30:50 and then did a warm-down of 6 miles running back to my car.   A week later I jogged through the U-Lowell Alumni cross-country race at Chelmsford high school.  Bob Hodge won in 15:45, leading the alumni to a 26-29 win over the college team.  I ran with Leo Kashian and Jim Murray and took 22^nd place in 19:40. I was saving myself for the next day which was the New England 15km championships at Wilton NH.  I noted that I “felt lousy” and took 5^th place running a 46:33. My 5k splits were 16:00, 15:28, 15:05.  Future CMS teammate Eric Morse won the race in 45:48.

 

15km Championships

1 45:48 Eric Morse CMS

2 46:00 Norm Tinkham CAN

3 46:13 Brent Barnhill PA

4 46:30 Ken Halla NYAC

5 46:33 Dave Dunham GLRR

6 46:37 Bob Hodge GLRR

7 47:15 Tom Anderson CMS

8 47:30 Jim Zimmerly CMS

9 47:45 Brent Coon GSH

10 47:53 Pat Gillooly BAA

12 48:21 Scott Clark CMS

14 49:07 Reno Stirrat CMS

16 49:23 Rachid Tbahi GLRR

18 49:30 Doug Sweazey BAA

Front row: Doug Sweazey, Tom Anderson, Eric Morse, Jimmy Fallon, Scott Clark Rachid Tbahi, Ken Halla, Pat Gillooly, Bob Hodge, Dave Dunham

September 1985

Northeastern Invitational

 40 years ago Sept 1985 – In August I had taken a bad step in a pothole and hurt my knee.  I got a cortisone injection at the end of the month, but that did not help. I was able to run but it was extremely painful.  I raced twice including the day before I got arthroscopic surgery on the knee (I had torn cartilage).  I wouldn’t race again for nearly a year!  On 09/07/85 I ran (unattached to save my eligibility) at the Northeastern XC invitational.  I finished in 4^th place running 31:51 over the 10km course at Franklin Park.  Tim Gannon won in 31:30 with Bob Hodge taking 2^nd place.  On 09/15/85 I closed the book on the year with an uninspired 6^th place finish (24:59) at the Jim Witt 5 mile in Lowell.

 

1 Tim Gannon NU              31:34

2 Bob Hodge NB                31:39

3 David Westover NU         31:42

4 Dave Dunham WRT        31:51

September 1980

 45 years ago Sept 1980 – I raced 5 times during this month as my junior year of cross-country running at Billerica Memorial High was underway.  This was my first year running varsity XC for BMHS and I had a lot of fun and gained some experience in bigger XC meets.  I ran 213 miles over the span of the month, which is pretty good for a 16 year-old.  I started the season with a 9^th place finish at the Northeastern Invitational at Franklin Park (16:11 for 5k).  I followed that with wins at Andover and at home versus Dracut in two dual meets.  On the 26^th I lost my only dual meet that season finishing in 2^nd place at Chelmsford.  Tom Chamberas beat me by 4 seconds over the 3 mile course 15:08 to my 15:12. We’d have some good battles later in the season at the bigger meets.  Four days later I got back on my winning streak with a 14:59 (2.85 miles) over the Shedd Park course in Lowell.

Me, in front, teammate John Dangora (775) and Tom Chamberas (754)

Week Ending 09/07/25

 I was able to get back to a bit of running this week with runs of 3, 3, 4 and 5 starting on Thursday.  Slow going and a lot of knee soreness.  First time I've started running with my "new" knee and I can feel it.  Not going to rush it but so happy to get back outside.  I'm hoping when I get the cast off my hand this week that I'll be able to get on the outside bike soon after.

Week 

Bike 10:30 - 223.8 miles

ElliptiGo 7:30 105.0 miles

Run  2:30 15.0 miles

Total 20:30

Running odometer

Week - 15

Month - 15

Year - 2,815

Life - 165,585

Week ending 08/31/25

 Glad the month is over and hope to get back to running soon.  Things got even more difficult with thumb surgery on Friday and 2 weeks with my hand in a big brace (maing indoor biking tough and outdoor out of the question).

Weed

EllitiGo = 7:30 - 105 miles

Bike = 13:32 - 270.7 miles

Total = 21:02 - 375.7