Great Bay Half Marathon Preview

The first race of the New Hampshire Grand Prix is coming up in a couple of weeks (April 5th). The Great Bay Half Marathon in Newmarket, NH hit the road running (no pun intended) two years ago in its debut with over 1200 runners and had over 1100 last year. The folks at Loco Running do put on a well organized race, I must admit. I still think it's a bit pricey, but I sent in my paper app this week (in protest of course).

I ran this race last year (and nearly beat Mark Wimmer, but that's a different story) and it was harder than I expected. Maybe harder is too harsh. I guess I was expecting a flatter, easier course. Maybe challenging or honest is a better description.

I couldn't find my mile splits from last year so I'll go off of memory (which means most of this will be wrong or made up). The first 2.5 miles are fairly easy rollers, nothing hard. The course then jumps onto a dirt road for just over 2.5 miles. Again, some rollers here but mostly this section was slow because of all the pot holes and muddy conditions. Miles 5 to 9 travels along Bay Road and is a real nice stretch of road, very scenic and quiet. It is the toughest part of the course IMHO, reminding me of the roads along Lake Winnipesaukee. A few steep ups and downs before flattening out. Miles 9 to 12 head out on an easy out and back loop towards the bay. Depending on how fast you are you'll either see the fast guys up front or the slow guys behind you, or both as you pass them on the out and back. Finally the last mile heads back into town with a ton of turns so pay attention (unlike Mark!). It climbs slightly, but eventually provides a nice downhill finish to the school.

Goals for this race: none (they can't all be PR's!)

Gate City Striders at New Bedford

1951 total finishers.
Complete results can be found here.

Gate City Striders who ran New Bedford yesterday:
Hopefully I didn't' miss anybody.

Place	Name	Age	Sex	Div/Tot	Div	Finish	Pace
52	RICH SMITH	39	M	3/143	M3539	1:12:29	5:32
131	ERIK KREES	35	M	8/143	M3539	1:18:41	6:01
133	RANDY MACNEILL	47	M	11/168	M4549	1:18:51*	6:01
154	STEVE WOLFE	44	M	29/171	M4044	1:19:55	6:06
169	JOSEPH ROGERS	41	M	32/171	M4044	1:20:33	6:09
213	MICHAEL WADE	40	M	35/171	M4044	1:23:07	6:21
238	STEVE TOMASI	51	M	12/157	M5054	1:23:50	6:24
269	JEREMIAH FITZGIBBON	52	M	17/157	M5054	1:25:22	6:31
276	CHRIS BOUGOPOULOS	35	M	25/143	M3539	1:25:43	6:33
281	DAN FERREIRA	26	M	54/137	M2529	1:26:00	6:34
286	LEN HALL	55	M	3/88	M5559	1:26:14*	6:35
338	KAREN LONG	43	F	8/128	F4044	1:28:12*	6:44
344	KAREN PATTELENA	40	F	10/128	F4044	1:28:25*	6:45
378	JIM BELANGER	54	M	31/157	M5054	1:29:43	6:51
405	KEITH O'BRIEN	44	M	52/171	M4044	1:30:33	6:55
426	JIM VELINO	49	M	39/168	M4549	1:31:12	6:58
450	DANIEL HOUSTON	47	M	45/168	M4549	1:31:58	7:01
461	STEVE PIPER	53	M	37/157	M5054	1:32:13	7:03
476	AMBER CULLEN	26	F	32/147	F2529	1:32:38	7:04
513	CALLIE HARTNETT	20	F	6/73	F1924	1:33:43	7:09
524	DONNA PITTS	26	F	35/147	F2529	1:34:02	7:11
539	TOM KOLB	53	M	46/157	M5054	1:34:20	7:12
552	TAMMY GAFFEY	41	F	17/128	F4044	1:35:02	7:15
569	JULIE HANOVER	39	F	20/134	F3539	1:35:19	7:17
580	JOHN LEWICKE	61	M	6/49	M6064	1:35:34	7:18
645	RICH STOCKDALE	58	M	19/88	M5559	1:37:32	7:27
673	LESLIE REAP	38	F	24/134	F3539	1:38:37	7:32
676	DAN DUGGAN	35	M	71/143	M3539	1:38:44	7:32
725	DAVID CONTRADA	51	M	74/157	M5054	1:39:56	7:38
743	JANICE PLATT	43	F	32/128	F4044	1:40:44	7:42
814	DENNY LEBLANC	67	M	2/19	M6569	1:42:42	7:51
848	PAUL JOYCE	51	M	90/157	M5054	1:43:27	7:54
876	STEVE MOLAND	65	M	3/19	M6569	1:44:22	7:58
955	ROBERT KNIGHT	64	M	18/49	M6064	1:46:34	8:08
1047	ROBERT LUDWIG	68	M	5/19	M6569	1:49:14	8:20
1054	ALISON FINDON	37	F	39/134	F3539	1:49:25	8:21
1055	JOHN GREEN	45	M	111/168	M4549	1:49:25	8:21
1079	DICK DOYLE	61	M	23/49	M6064	1:50:01	8:24
1279	TOM CONLEY	55	M	55/88	M5559	1:55:52	8:51
1308	STAN KLEM	61	M	33/49	M6064	1:56:33	8:54
1528	TERRY KENNEY	68	M	11/19	M6569	2:04:16	9:29
1919	JENNIFER MACK	35	F	129/134	F3539	2:41:16	12:19

Gate City Team Results:

MALE OPEN TEAM Results (27 teams)
12. GCS-TRIAD RACING TEAM
1:12:29 1:18:41 1:19:55 1:20:33 1:23:07 = 6:34:45
1604 RICH SMITH 39, 1606 ERIK KREES 35, 1648 STEVE WOLFE 44, 1649
JOSEPH ROGERS 41, 1647 MICHAEL WADE 40


MALE MASTERS 40+ TEAM Results (21 teams)
10. GCS-TRIAD RACING TEAM
1:19:55 1:20:33 1:23:07 1:23:50 1:25:22 = 6:52:47
1648 STEVE WOLFE 44, 1649 JOSEPH ROGERS 41, 1647 MICHAEL WADE 40,
1642 STEVE TOMASI 51, 1641 JEREMIAH FITZGIBBON 52
NOTE: missing Randy MacNeill for some reason??


MALE SENIORS 50+ TEAM Results (20 teams)
4. GCS-TRIAD RACING TEAM
1:23:50 1:25:22 1:26:14 = 4:15:26
1642 STEVE TOMASI 51, 1641 JEREMIAH FITZGIBBON 52, 1640 LEN HALL 5


MALE VETERAN 60+ TEAM Results (3 teams)
2. GCS-TRIAD RACING TEAM
1:35:34 1:42:42 1:44:22 = 5:02:38
1631 JOHN LEWICKE 61, 1628 DENNY LEBLANC 67, 1630 STEVE MOLAND 65



FEMALE OPEN TEAM Results (30 teams)
12. GCS-TRIAD RACING TEAM
1:28:12 1:28:25 1:32:38 = 4:29:15
1611 KAREN LONG 43, 1612 KAREN PATTELENA 40, 1619 AMBER CULLEN 26



FEMALE MASTERS 40+ TEAM Results (18 teams)
2. GCS-TRIAD RACING TEAM
1:28:12 1:28:25 1:35:02 = 4:31:39
1611 KAREN LONG 43, 1612 KAREN PATTELENA 40, 1609 TAMMY GAFFEY 41

New Bedford Half Marathon

This one stunned me.
Prior to today, my half marathon PR was 1:23:20 (6:22 pace) and that was just a few months back on November 2nd. I've been snowshoe racing all winter and I've been doing indoor winter track for the last 12 weeks so I felt pretty confident about breaking my PR today. Goal for today: 1:22:00.
I lined up with Mike Wade and Joe Rogers at the start. Joe was aiming for a 1:20 so I figured I'd try to keep him in my sights for as long as possible and see if he could drag me along.
I'd consider this a fast course, or at least a course that has the potential for being fast. Wind can play a huge factor in this race as the course heads down by the water around mile 7 and hangs around the shore for the next 3 miles or so. This course is famous for the head winds during this stretch.
The first 2 miles were pretty fast, with a gentle downhill and then plain old flat. I hit 2 miles at 12:05. There are a couple of decent climbs in the 3rd and 4th miles but today I felt great and pushed the hills hard, hitting mile 4 at 24:41. The next few miles are long, mostly straight and either flat or gently downhill. I really thought I could pick up the pace and hold it during this 4 mile stretch and averaged just under 6 min pace for the stretch, hitting mile 8 at 48:35. Joe kept his lead, however.
I didn't really hit the winds until mile 9 and 10 and unfortunately got stuck in no mans land during this stretch, unable to get behind another runner and working way to hard. Mile 9 was easily my slowest mile of the day at 6:29.
By this point I felt pretty good about beating my PR but I wasn't sure by how much. Mile 11 was mostly flat and mile 12 had the last hill on the course. Today the hills did not slow me down and I ended up having one of my fastest miles of the day during mile 12 (5:58) and finally caught Joe as well. Thankfully the course ends with a downhill before flattening out a 1/4 mile before the finish.
It wasn't until I was a few hundred yards out that I spotted the clock, and it was 1:19 something. What the...I had a chance to break 1:20? I ran as hard and fast as I could hoping to break 1:20....crossing the line at 1:19:55 (6:06 pace)! I was stunned. I beat my PR by nearly 3 1/2 minutes.
I feel very satisfied today and grateful I've remained injury free for over a year. Next up, the Eastern States 20 Miler on March 29th.

Photo credit to the much injured Jim Johnson :-)

Race Fees

I was online yesterday looking to sign up for the Great Bay Half Marathon (1st race of the NH Grand Prix) and was amazed how much they charge for the privilege of signing up online. At first I was annoyed the race costs $45. Sure ,you could save a few bucks ($38) if you registered 3 months in advance but who the heck does that? Ok, I don't. To me early registration means I sign up before race day.
Then I was even more annoyed when the online fee was $4.60 or something. Nearly $50 for a half marathon?? When the fee to sign up online is 10% of the cost you have to wonder what's it all for? I would think online registration makes it easier for the race director and timing company. It bugged me bad enough that I printed out a registration and will mail mine instead (for the price of a stamp). Good luck taking the time to open it, hand enter all my information into the computer and cashing my check. Gee, I would have thought you'd price the online stuff to deter this, but what do I know.

To continue on my Andy Rooney rank I wanted to mention the Manchester Half Marathon as well. Although I enjoyed the race last year, I will NOT be running it again. First, their early registration for this November event is the end of May. That's right, to take advantage of the early registration of only $45 you need to sign up 6 months in advance. It then jumps to $55 as long as you register 3 months in advance. Still haven't decided yet? Well if you wait until the last week you'll pay $65, and there's no race day registration. $65 for a half marathon, that's crazy.
At least they recognize the additional work mail in registrations cause. All of the above costs were for online registration so tack on an additional 10% to those numbers. However, tack on an additional $10 if you want to mail it in. That's right, if you wait until September to sign up and you mail in your registration, it'll cost you $75 to run a friggin half marathon. No thanks.

Reach the Beach is SOLD OUT

Sold out on March 11th, now that's got to be a record. If you snoozed you're out of luck for 2009.
Thankfully our team is all signed up (Mine Falls Milers), looking to defend our masters title. This will be my 5th consecutive year running RTB. whoo hoo!

How Long Does it Take??

Maybe we're spoiled here in the Northeast but just how long does it take to post race results on the West Coast?? The US National Snowshoe Championships took place yesterday at Mt Hood, Oregon and I dare you to find any mention of it, ANYWHERE (except from the folks from the Northeast who have posted limited info on their blogs).

That includes the USSSA (United States Snowshoe Association), the organization sponsoring and promoting the event. No results, no story, no nothing. What's the point of the website? Isn't their charter to 'promote' snowshoeing? IMHO they're doing a lousy job at it. Posting results for any race is pretty standard stuff. Really, how hard can this be?

Makes me want to go out and join and support the USSSA.....or not.
Come on folks, get with the program!

New Bedford Half Marathon

The second race of the New England Grand Prix Series take place this weekend in, you guessed it, New Bedford, MA. I ran this race once (2006) and recall it has the potential for being a fast course. I think I remember it starting out flat, climbing around mile 3 or 4 and then about 4 or 5 miles of gentle downhill. I don't remember much of the course after that, except I think it was down near the water and it was WINDY (aka head wind), with another hill around mile 12.

With the snowshoes packed up for the season, I've been able to focus just on running the last couple of weeks. Although I've maintained a good solid base through the winter and had plenty of speed work (with track and snowshoe racing), my distance running has been a little weak (at least in my eyes).

New Bedford should be a good test of fitness since I'll be well rested and hopefully healthy. Goals are always a tricky thing but I feel like I can improve upon my 1/2 marathon PR from the fall so I'll try for 1:22:00, weather permitting. Plenty of competition in the NEGP races so I won't be running alone. If I don't hit it, no big deal.....it's only March!