The Cambridge Running Club

Race Results

2000 Results
Race of the Month

Tampa 5K

New Bedford 1/2 Marathon

The National Masters Indoor Championships

Results Archieve

March 2000

Race of the Month
Mass Law Enforcement Half Marathon and 5K Melrose, MA, March 12, 2000
The CRC race of the month was wet and wild! In the 5k Missy Mendel snagged first in her age group and while she was disappointed with her time rumor has it the course was way long.

In the half-marathon, Drew Hanchett (aka Drew Harriet) led the way for the CRC. Bob, Molly, Jim and Lori were right behind him.

Missy Mendel reports:

It was a good day to race...if you're a swimmer! But it was not ideal for runners. It was cold and rainy. The race finishes with a lap on the Melrose HS track, which had a deep puddle in the first corner (flashback to Falmouth '99). As I raced through the puddle towards the finish line I was met by a goose, which wanted to waddle in the puddle and did not want to move to let me by. As I swerved to get around him I think he hissed at me. I finished 2nd woman but with a time I was not at all pleased with. Too bad I can't blame the goose.

Missy Mendel 19:47 6:22(2^nd/1^st)

HALF-MARATHON

Drew Harriet 1:26:34 6:37

Bob Boudrot 1:39:53 7:38

Molly Va Houweling 1:45:56 8:05

Jim Kane 1:51:39 8:31

Lori Marcotte 1:52:17 8:34

Other Races:
Sunday March 19, 2000

5th John Cannon Channelside Challenge Tampa, FL.

Shelley McDonough does a Tampa run:

I ran a 5k in Tampa last weekend. I woke up on Sunday morning --slightly hungover and definitely dehydrated after attending a wedding the night before -- in time to make it downtown for the race, so I figured why not? I had low expectations because I am just getting back into my regular training schedule after taking some time off due to injury. But apparently, my body responds well to 80 degree weather, traces of alcohol, and a lack of fluids, because I ended up placing 2nd in my division and 6th (?) overall (it's tough to tell because they didn't produce a list of all finishers). Even better, my time of 21:30 (6:57 pace), while not a PR, was at least closer to where I was before I took time off. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt good while running. Let's hope that lasts! For my efforts, I was awarded a handsome plaque and a gift certificate to a running store in Tampa (which I promptly spent before boarding the plane for home).

New Bedford Half Marathon New Bedford, MA.

Feliciano Protasi offers this account:

Not exactly a perfect race!!

Ten minutes to the start of the race and I am running down the hill to get to the bus where my racing gear sits. We had gotten there late, and I was not yet signed up! And now here I am.... no time for a real warm up...... no time for stretching!! This is my warm up, running to the bus. I get to the bus and I change: new shirt, take off my over-pants, new shoes. Ray is already outside tapping his finger on his watch: "IT'S LATE", he yells. I HAVE TO GO...... The start line is pretty close. We are in time. We get in the pack 3 minutes before the start. The gun goes off. I am trying to concentrate..... my mind is not in the race yet. I keep thinking that I haven't warmed up properly, "I didn't even stretch".

Three miles into the race two hills are already behind... "One more, only one more, and then down....... one more hill and I can start pushing. Be patient, Feliciano". It's hot. I decide to un-zip the neck of my shirt......... NOOOOOOO... I have no number "I HAVE NO NUMBER" I say it out loud. I want to drop out........ I stop..... Ray comes by few seconds after and tells me to keep going!! Another runner says that had happened to him before and that I will be able to get the time by telling my name at the finish. "How can I have done this?". I am not focused anymore. I run a 1/2 mile more. I stop again on the side of the road. Ray again tells me to keep going. 10-20 seconds of looking at runners going by. Extremely long seconds in which one side of my mind is try to convince me that it is not worth it!! Then the other side starts working telling me that I am probably looking for an excuse not to do this. That side wins. "I must do it!!". I restart running...... I am mad.... mad with myself!! "I cannot believe I did this!! It's not my first race for Chr-sake" 6:27, 6:20.... "I am feeling good......maybe I am running so well because I am so upset!!" 6:19, 6:19..... "I am going to finish this!! It'll probably be just for myself but I am going to finish it anyway!! They are probably not going to register my time........ or maybe they will.... keep going. Don't think, RUN"

Then the wind...... a lot of wind!......... and then the final hill.... and then down to the finish line!!

I try to go through the shoot. But for naught!! Two people try to stop me....... then a third finally does!! I have to cross on the side...... 1:26:52... a PR!! 2 minutes off my time at Bay State in October..... 4:20 faster than my time last year, here in New Bedford.

I go immediately to the race director. I tell him that I DO have a number and he tells me to bring it to him. I run to the bus 3 blocks away. I run back and give the race director the number with time and last name. He tells that he'll take care of it. Well... now my name appears next to a time of 1:31:05 that is probably pretty close to the time in which I gave the number to the RD!! Maybe I should not have given it to him!! What did I learn??? ..... not to get to the race late, maybe??

Feliciano Protasi 1:26:50 6:37

Ray Gonzalez 1:32:18 7:03

Alison Abbott 1:36:18 7:21

Saturday March 25, 2000

The National Masters Indoor Championships Boston, Ma.

This past week-end was a fine one to watch some wonderful and truly amazing indoor track performances! If you were lucky enough to attend the event, you probably saw more than one new world record made.
Peter Gallimore and Bruce Davie acted as CRC representatives in the 800 and mile events. Though Peter was disappointed in his mile time of 4:33, he managed to regain his focus for the 800m blasting the track 1:59 and change breaking the 2 minute barrier. Bruce turned in equally strong performances which he describes below.

This weekend, I returned to the National Masters Indoor Championships for the third time, to compete in the the mile (Saturday) and 800m (Sunday).
Diane summed it all up when she showed up on Saturday morning saying "Boy, and I thought you were stressed at Winnepesauke." This is definitely an event that gets the adreniline going. Before each race, I explained to her and Felix what my goals were: (a) not finish last (b) beat a specific time: 4:39 for the mile, and 2:08 for the 800.

The mile went out pretty fast, but I was never in last place, and actually moved up from 7th to 6th about half way through. I was pretty much on pace throughout - maybe a bit quick at the half, but I passed the the bell in 4:03 or so, which was where I needed to be. But that last lap took 37 seconds instead of the necessary 36, and must have been my slowest by far for the race. Still, 4:40.2 is a fine time, and I took 6th place, which is about as good as I hoped, and I would have needed to be a whole lot faster to get into 5th.

I was very grateful to have so many CRC folks watching - Beth, Shelley, and Bobby as well as the aforementioned Diane & Felix.

At home on Saturday evening, resisting the urge to drink a lot of beer as I recovered, I checked my pulse rate a few times. Whereas it had been 43 on Friday night, it was 63 on Saturday night, 6 hours after the race. I was hoping I could recover in time to race again on Sunday.

Back on Sunday for the 800, I was determined not to go out too fast, and I almost made the reverse mistake. I was dead last after 200, so I picked it up and moved into 5th place. Past the bell in 1:36, which meant I needed a sub 32 last lap to break 2:08. I focused hard on staying relaxed, hoping to avoid a repeat of the previous day, and managed 2:07.95 - only the 3rd time I've broken 2:08, so I was happy. I was 5th, and actually pretty close to the next 3 guys in front of me. I also discoved the wonders of age-grading: according to the age-graded times (which give you a second or so credit for every year after age 33), this is just 0.15 seconds slower than my best ever time (run last year). I guess you know you're getting old when you start caring about age-graded times.

More great CRC support from Felicia and Jeff Phillips as well as the ever-present D&F.

As always, there were some fantastic races among older runners. A great sprint for the finish between 2 70+ guys in the 800m. An 88 year old blind woman who ran the 3k, mile, 800, 400, and 200, led around the track by a rather younger man (her husband? son?) in each event. I believe she set the world record for her agegroup in at least one event. And I was worried about running twice in the same weekend.

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