Other Races in March and April

US National Snowshoe Championships

Scott Graham wants to build a snowman.

Scott Graham took a 'break' from marathon training to run in the US National Snowshoe Championships in Woodford, VT on March 1.  He finished 7th in his age group.  A full race report can be found at http://www.levelrenner.com/2014/03/06/snow-not-stopping-graham/.

Stu's 30K

Jill Trotter on her way to 1st Master.
Photo courtesy of Krissy K.

EJ, Jason, Jill, Dan Button, and Frank Georges all made their way out to Clinton, MA for Stu's 30K on March 2.  Dan Button was 3rd overall in his first race in GLRR green.  He posted an impressive 1:52.  EJ continued his dominance on this course with a 1:58 that won him his age group.  Jill was first woman master and fifth female overall in a time of 2:16.  Jason ran a 2:04 and Frank ran a 2:16.  All impressive on this difficult course.

Full results can be found here.

Claddagh 4M

Steve Gendron and Kara Haas were both second overall in this second race of the Wild Rover Series.  Richard Molloy and Jonathan MacKenzie went 1-3 for the 70 year olds.

Full results can be found here.

Hynes 5M

Kara crossing the finish for the win at Hynes.
Photo courtesy of Mike Stanwyck.

On March 9th, the Wild Rover Series wrapped up with the Hynes 5 Miler.  Kara Haas won for the women, while Steve Gendron and Matt Theodoros went 2-3 for the men.

Full results can be found here.

It's Baaaack.  Good Times Series Started April 8th

After four races, Jefferson Welch leads for the men and Katie Gessler leads for the women.  Can Katie hold her lead AND make it through her first marathon?  Tune in to find out!

Marathon Woman

By Kerri Haskins

As I embark on the second try at Boston this year (first attempt last year), I am also reflecting on where I have been since I started running longer distances in 2005.   I had run from age 8-22..sprinting, jumping, throwing but had pretty much put my sneakers away after college.

It wasn't until I had some medical issues and life issues in fall of 2005..did I decide it was time to try again and signed up for my first half in Hyannis that winter of 2006 (I know what a good first choice-middle of winter).   3 months later after training some more, my ex mother in law past away, after a 8 year fight

with schleroderma.  The day after I was determined to run my 1^st marathon in October 2006 (Hartford) for her and raise money..and the rest is history.

Below is an article featured in the UNH alumni Magazine last summer.  Had run 50 marathons in 50 states and first woman from NH to do so.  I will be running my 84^th marathon at Boston Monday, and probably one of the biggest marathons and most emotional for me.  From there I will attempt a 100 miler in NJ in May.  We all know we need to set our next goal. ; )  That is a given.

With regards to joining GLRR this February, I am glad I did.  The group is great, very motivating and supportive.  Although I am usually in the back of the pack, do not have a runners body, and call many of you “speedies”..this gives me inspiration to run another race, either be a 5k or another marathon ; ).  I hope to run my 100^th marathon next fall, and will be close to home in MA or NH.

---

*From UNH Alumni Magazine.

Marathon Woman
This summer, Kerri Haskins '93 became the first New Hampshire woman to run 50 marathons in 50 states.
By Kristin Waterfield Duisberg

Eight years ago, when Kerri Haskins '93 stepped on a treadmill to see if she could run 2 miles, the former UNH track and field captain was shocked to discover the answer was no. "I'd had some health problems," she says, "and I knew I had let my fitness slip, but I had no idea by how much."

Determined to get back in shape, Haskins signed up for the February 2006 Hyannis, Mass., half-marathon, and ran the 13.1-mile race in a blizzard. The same October, she ran her first full marathon, in Hartford, Conn. "It just felt good," she explains, "knowing I could set a goal like that for myself and achieve it."

Seven years later, the Danville, N.H., resident is closing in on the 75-marathon mark—a goal she expects to achieve this fall. And in July, when she crossed the finish line at the Missoula Marathon in Montana, she became the first New Hampshire woman to fulfill an elite marathoner goal: to run a marathon in every U.S. state.

A self-described tomboy, Haskins started running at the age of 8, and began competing in the New Hampshire Hershey Track and Field program at 9, after beating the local boys in playground races lost its thrill. As a 12-year-old, she set a Hershey state record for the 200-meter dash that still stands today. Her focus was on the sprint distances, and as she added volleyball and softball to her high school sports repertoire, she picked up javelin and long jump as well. By the time she graduated from UNH with a degree in business administration, however, she was pretty burned out on running, all but hanging up her sneakers—until that afternoon in 2005 when she stepped on the treadmill.

Haskins says the seed for the "50 in 50" goal was planted in 2007, at the beginning of her third 26.2-miler. Spotting an older man in a T-shirt that identified him as a member of the "50 States Marathon Club," she asked him how many marathons he had run. The man turned out to be the club president, and his answer—"250, so far"—captured her imagination. "I kind of figured, 'Why not?'" Haskins says with a laugh.

Among the more memorable races she logged en route to the magic 50 were a Baton Rouge, La., race that she ran on four hours' sleep; the Big Island, Hawaii, marathon, which began at 6 a.m.; a tiny race in Green River, Wyo., held at 8,000 feet—and this year's Boston Marathon, her first. Haskins was just past mile 21 and Heartbreak Hill when the bombs went off and the news started filtering in. Along with hundreds of other runners, she continued on to mile 24, where she was required to stop.

"I went through a lot of emotions," she says. "Shocked, angry—it was just surreal." The race didn't count toward Haskins' goal, and five days later, when she headed to Lovington, N.M., for her next marathon, she was anxious. "That's the one time I wondered whether I wanted to continue my journey," she admits.

She did, of course, tapping into the same mental toughness that's gotten her through 60 marathons and seven ultra-distance races, through hills, heat, high winds, and even a bout of flu. Beyond that first-marathon sense of accomplishment, she is at a loss to explain what drives her to run, but counts as her inspiration her fellow "Marathon Maniacs" and 50 State Marathon Clubbers. Although she shoehorns in her marathons on weekends and vacation days from her day job at Pfizer, Haskins laughingly brushes off any suggestion of a Type A personality—even if the 1,400-plus miles she'll run this year suggest otherwise.

"My family and friends were a little bewildered when I first started this, but now they think it's pretty cool," she says. "When they text or call me, the only thing they want to know is, 'What state are you in today?'"

---

Editor's Note -
Kerri finished Boston in a time of 5:43:28 to complete her 84th marathon.  Shen then followed it with a 50K the following weekend in Kent, CT -- finishing in 7:11:20 to complete her 85th.  I get tired just reading that.

GLRR Inducts Four Women into the Hall of Fame

Patty Foltz

By Tom Foltz

Patty joined GLRR in the spring of 1988, thus making this the 27th year she has run Grand Prix races for the club. By my reckoning, she has run more GP races with the GLRR singlet than any other woman in the club. She routinely scored for the team throughout her Master years, and did well in the GP standings, winning the Masters division once. When she turned 50 in 2008, she finished second in the Grand Prix series and was named GLRR Woman Runner of the Year. In the 10 years she competed as a Senior, she finished first twice, second twice, and never finished lower than 7th place.

But it was in her 60s when she truly came into her own, and dominated her division. She sold her business in 2007, finally giving her the opportunity to develop a better and more consistent running base, and in the spring of 2008, she took advantage of the club's offer and began getting coached by Nate Jenkins. That year (2008), she won every local race, ever Pub series race and every GP race in her age group. She also won her second GLRR Woman Racer of the Year. There was a string of races in the fall of 2008 which demonstrated her dominance in the field:

• Ran 20:59 on a USATF-NE certified 5K course and broke the Age-group record that had stood for 18 years by over 3 minutes.
• Won her division in the Tufts 10K in October with a time of 43:37, finishing 121st overall out of a field of over 5000. She also beat every other 50-year old in the race, except for GLRR's Liane Pancoast, who was 23 seconds ahead of Patty.
• Less than one week later, she won the Vet's division of the Bay State marathon (the final GP race that year) by 45 minutes, with a time of 3:31. She beat every 50-year old by at least 5 minutes.
• Won the Vet's division at the National Club XC championships in Spokane, and was 4th overall for Masters in the age-graded standing.

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Diane Geehan

By Amy Molloy

Congratulations to Patti, Liane, & Kara! I know Diane would be thrilled and honored to be elected in to the Hall of Fame with all of you. Diane may have only been one member, or one runner for Greater Lowell, but she made a big impact on the Greater Lowell scene. Not only was she was an excellent runner, but she was a full time nurse, full time mother, and dedicated member of the running club.

Diane was an avid marathon runner. Her fastest of five Bostons was in 2008, only a few months before she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Her time was 3:48,an average of 8:40 per mile. She finished the Cape Cod Marathon in 2006 in a Nor'easter in a time of 3:55. But her fastest marathon was Cape Cod in 2007 with a time of 3:38 at 46 years old. She was the female Runner of the Year for GLRR in 2007 and I believe she was the only female for the club who ran all of the Grand Prix races that year. She was so proud to get her jacket for that and wore it with pride. She ran every marathon and race with determination; the same determination she used in her fight against cancer. Less than 3 months before she passed away from Lung cancer, and a few days after a chemo treatment she participated in one of her favorite road races. Pete and I were lucky enough to join her in the John Carson 2 Miler on the fourth of July. Hot and humid as usual. We all walked it together and that's a memory I'll never forget. There were a few times I didn't think we 'd finish, but she was determined and wasn't gonna give up. Diane was also a compassionate runner. In 2002 she ran the last mile of the Boston marathon carrying a fallen firefighter's helmet from 9/11. I also can't help but think she would have been one of the runners last year running straight to the hospital to donate blood or start IVs on patients that needed help. She would never think twice about doing good for others like that. She's even helped one of our own after running 26 miles. Glenn can contest to that. Her quick nursing skills helped him with a medical emergency one year.

There was something about Diane that always made you smile. From the time she was wolfing down a hot dog at the end of the Newburyport 10 miler on a 95 degree day, or the year she hopped on a plane to Philly just a few hours after running Boston to go to a nursing conference. She called me the next day to tell me that the fire alarm went off in the hotel and she had to walk down several flights of stairs! Anyone in this room who's run a marathon or lives with a marathoner knows how painful it is and how ridiculous it looks to walk down stairs the day after running 26 miles. There were also a few years, I believe, that Diane didn't tell her husband Brian that she was even running Boston! She didn't want to worry him she would say, but then she'd always get caught by a friend or family member out on the course. Then there was her "CHI phase" She would walk around with her "CHi Running" book for weeks 24/7. I teased her and her "CHI" book, but her times drastically improved from it right before she got diagnosed. That's alright cause she got the last laugh when i eagerly picked that book out of a pile of prizes at the Chamberas XC race this past fall. Yup I Couldn't put it down for days either!

Diane enjoyed her family, running, friends, and being a nurse and she had fun doing everything she did. She had so much energy and determination in all that she did. I remember training for Boston with her when i was only 23 or 24 years old and I would roll out of bed at the last second to go for an early morning run...at 8 and i would barely be awake enough to run and Diane would have already delivered the Lowell Sun to her whole neighborhood for her boys so they could sleep in. Then after our 20 mile runs she would then bring them to soccer games and other activities. And i would be going home to lay on the couch all day. She was a great role model because now, for me, 10 years later after my first Boston i get "it" I get what its like to wake up earlier to get stuff ready for my boys and then come home after a 3 hour long run and play with cars or do crafts, build a lincolnlog house or whatever it may be, grocery shop , make dinner, etc. I hope to be half the mother, runner, nurse, friend, and wifethat Diane was. She was a great role model.

Diane was not "just a runner" for GLRR, she was also an advocate for GLRR and all the people it services. Diane's passion for nursing had a great impact on the running community as well. She was the medical director of the 2007 & 2008 Baystate Marathons. At the 2008 race she had a terrible cough and was carrying hundreds of gallons of water at the finish line, doing her part to keep things organized at the finish. It was only days later she had a patch on her chest with numbing medicine because her cough was so bad her chest ached and a little over a month later she was diagnosed with lung cancer . Giving back to the community was clearly important to Diane. She was always stressing the importance of community service to her three children. She brought her kids to any youth meet or event GLRR held. One of her last wishes in life was to better the GLRR youth club and that's how the Diane Geehan youth fund was formed. This running club has come a long way since the days Diane was running with us. Between all the success of the youth and being running club of the year, I know Diane has a huge smile on her face right now and is extremely proud.

Here are some words of wisdom from Diane I wanted to pass on that she shared with us towards the end of her battle against cancer. "Care for each other and your families, drink water instead of diet coke, go outside for lunch, feel the breeze and sunshine, park way out so you get a walk in and out, run or walk outside during your free time even if its only 10 mins, buy that house, go on that vacation, watch a ballgame on a Sunday afternoon with your family, choose fruit, hug each other, and pray for a happy life."

Thank you for honoring Diane and electing her into the Hall of Fame!!!

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Kara Haas

Kara has been dominating the local running scene since she first laced up her running shoes over twenty years ago.  She learned running and racing from the likes of GLRR greats Bob Hodge and Dave Dunham and has put that knowledge to good use over the years.

All of her PRs have come after the age of 35, but some of her most dominant performances have come after bringing her daughter into the world in the fall of 2011.

• Set a Masters American Record for the 3K of 9:49 at the BU Track on 12/31/11.  Yes, that's about 3 months after delivering.
• Won the USATF Masters 10K Championship at the James Joyce Ramble on 4/28/13 with a 37:51.
• Won her age group in the 2013 BAA 10K with a 37:47.
• Won her age group at Falmouth in 2013 with a 43:06.

The list goes on.  But numbers don't tell the whole story of what she means to the Lowell running community.  She is simply one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.  She has been known to follow times of local runners and offer pats on the back or pep talks when needed.  Greater Lowell is happy to welcome her 'back home' and to induct her into our Hall Of Fame.

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Liane Pancoast

By Glenn Stewart

I've been running with Liane for most of the time I've been with GLRR – which is about 10 years.  Her history goes back much farther than that – and I try my best to do it justice.  

I'll talk about the recent stuff first.  We've always been roughly the same speed – so when Liane got really active again (5 years ago) with racing, we seemed to be in the same track groups or training run groups.  Now when you train with Liane – be prepared. She is going to have a lot to say – I find out a lot about the club from Liane.  You can tell when she starts to struggle, or is not feeling well – silence.  Of course there have been the times that I've struggled – like Carver 2 years ago – when Liane dropped me like a rock because I was making so much noise heavy breathing.  Probably the most famous of the races we did together was the 2011 Cape Cod Marathon.  There were about 8 or 9 of us to start with running as a group. Much like a training run – at the beginning. Lots of chatter (we had Liane and Ally).  At about 17 miles Liane was dropping off the pace. I went ahead with Ally (who was logging her first sub 4 marathon). Once I got Ally in, I went back to look for Liane.  I went back half a mile, then a mile, then a mile and half… and started getting concerned – I figured she might be walk a little.  At just over a mile and half – I found her, just kind of mopping along – this was the worst I've ever seen Liane (she says it’s the worst she ever felt running).  But we sucked it up – and she did finish the race. We even ran some of the mile and half (especially when she was the race photographer – actually he as nice to let us stage and pose the picture – and she gave it her Liane smile.)  Despite the ordeal – she finished 5 in the division.  She swore she’d never do another marathon!!! But she did.

Last summer, due the events of Boston, she committed to getting into Boston – with a BQ. So it was off to Santa Rosa.  Without my help – she did much better – she took 35 minutes off her Cape Cod time and finished 4th in her division. So now it’s on to Boston.

Liane’s been racing with GLRR since the 'Green Slime' days.  She posted a 19:20 at the Louise Rossetti 5K – back in 1999.  Old timers (pre me) remember RoJacks – used to be the GP 8K – Liane did it in 32:13 in '98.  She still runs the Tufts 10K every year – though it will be hard for her to surpass her 40:40 from '95.  In '99, she was the 3rd master at the Philly Distance Run half marathon in 1:29.  She followed that with a 3:17 at the Vegas Marathon in 2000.  During all this time she has been a solid member of the GLRR race team.  I've come to rely in her help rally the troops.  More than once she has saved the team by getting that one more we need to score, or being the one more even if she was not really up to racing.  No one has been a more tireless booster of the race team than Liane.  Always there – always cheering us on.

Other Race Results

1st Run

Bethany Knoettner
Photo courtesy of Jim Rhodes

5K:

Kara Haas - 3rd female

Bethany Knoettner - 1st 30-39 female

Robin Nichols - 3rd 30-39 female

Mike Haas - 2nd 40-49 male

Dan Dorazio - 2nd 60-69 male

Richard Malloy, Jon MacKenzie, George Bisson - 1,2,3 70-79 male

10K:

Chuck Farrow - 3rd 50-59 male

Liane Pancoast - 1st 50-59 female

http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/ma/Jan1_1stRun_set1.shtml

Super 5K

Steve G. powering to the win.
Photo courtesy of Ted Tyler

             ********** MALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1 Steve Gendron        26 LOWELL          MA   15:48 

                       FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1    32 Kara Haas            43 Chelmsford, MA   19:12
    2    42 Trish Bourne         49 Tewksbury, MA    19:59

                         MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    3    13 Ej Hrynowski         50 Arlington, MA    17:39

                        FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    3    95 Liane Pancoast       55 Westford, MA     22:51

                         MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69
    3    64 Glenn Stewart        63 N Chelmsford, MA 21:02 
Plus, a huge thank you to Jim Rhoades and the Super 5K 

Race for their generous donation of $400 to the GLRR 

Diane Geehan Youth Running Fund!







http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/ma/Feb2_Super5_set1.shtml

Martha's Vineyard 20-miler

Melissa posted a strong 20 miler in MV.
Photo courtesy of Granite State Race Services.

   32   2/21   F2529 2:19:19  6:58 Melissa Scott          26 F   378 North Chelmsford MA

  104  11/37   F3539 2:38:52  7:57 Susan Bourque          38 F    33 Westford MA    

  105   5/29   F3034 2:38:57  7:57 Ally Maslowski         31 F   268 Lowell MA      

http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/ma/Feb15_Martha_set1.shtml

Hyannis Half Marathon

Congrats to Sarah Moseley on a 10 minute PR at Hyannis!

  678 104/556  F1829 1:48:01 1:47:09  8:11 Sarah Moseley          28 F  2837 Westford                                                               

http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/ma/Feb23_Hyanni_set1.shtml

Frozen Shamrock 3 miler

Kara captures the win.
Photo courtesy of Mike Stanwyk

Male Overall

2nd - Steve Gendron

Female Overall

1st - Kara Haas

Male 70-79

2nd Richard Malloy

http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/ma/Feb23_Frozen_set1.shtml

Youth Team at Northeast Indoor Classic

Fudgcicle 2014

Fudgcicle 2014

Or is it Fudgicle?  Fudgical?  Phudgycal?  Well any way you spell it we had pure Fudgical weather for the 2014 series.  Weather was -7 with packed snow, 34 with fog, drizzle, and black ice, 31 and snowing, 13, 25, 13, 23 and icy, and 32 and icy.

Ken Cain and Katie Gessler grabbed the men's and women's titles, respectively.  Each closed out the series with four straight wins -- a first for the Fudgcicle.  Only thirteen runners braved the conditions to be named a Frozen Runner.

Number of Frozen Attendance Runners

13

Names Highlighted Below





Ken

Cain


18:25


Best (Fastest) Man


Katie

Gessler


20:53


Best (Fastest) Woman


Nate

Gavin


2:26


Most Improved Man


Rita

LaBella


2:34


Most Improved Woman


Takayuki

Nakano


0:14


Most Consistent Man


Nancy

Corasro


0:13


Most Consistent Woman





Frozen Runners



Joseph

Andella


Kim

Budryk


Ken

Cain


Mary

Casey-Gorman


Colleen

Casper


Joy

Flanders


Tobey

Hartman


Rita

LaBella


Colin

Loghin


Michael

Luebech


John

Mulroy


Susan

Rogers


Hannah

Spratt

In week 5 the Fudgcicle ran a fundraiser for the GLRR Youth Fund, which is dedicated to Phil Riley and Diane Geehan.  The race raised an amazing $338.  In week 7 a food drive was run for the Tewksbury Food Pantry.  A palate was filled with generous donations from the runners and volunteers.

Full results at http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/ma/Feb15_2014Fu_set1.shtml.

Jones Group 10 Miler 2014

By Glenn Stewart

Big Turn-Out of The Green at the First GP race of 2014

The Sub Size Boys

The 2014 USATF-NE Grand Prix season kicked off as it has the last few years with a trip out to Amherst MA for the Jones 10 Miler.  Thoughts on this race are mixed - it’s a long way to go, the course is challenging in the best of conditions and coming as it does in the tail of winter, conditions are rarely ideal.  But it’s a great test of your early season fitness and Boston readiness – so I guess that’s why it keeps getting voted into the series and it does bring out the big guns from the clubs.

We had 47 Green Teamers toe the line – and perfect attendance!

Yesterday conditions were better than usual.  It was very similar to last year, without the snow flurries.  This year’s course was slightly changed with a new start and finish, but the murderous hills and the dirt road remain.  The dirt road was so-so this year (as opposed to horrible in years past).  The first mile or so was slush and muck and the last half mile solid slippery ice.

Andrew Downey

However the conditions were to Mr Downey’s liking – as he channeled his inner beast and sliced an amazing four plus minutes off his 2013 time to be the first in a GLRR singlet across the line in 56:04!!  In what this observer considers an upset, Andrew edged out James (The Kid) Sullivan by 7s.  And James was not loafing – he posted a 56:21, which was a second faster than his 2013 breakout performance.  Next in line was James’ Boston training partner Bash Zaganjori in 57:47.  Also under the one hour (6 minute pace) mark was Jason Bui in 59:52.  Rounding out the top five for our Men’s Open team was master runner Mike Girouard in 1:00:10.  That propelled the team to a ninth place finish.  Although two of the teams ahead of us were from New York – and last I looked they are not in the USATF-NE chapter.  So hopefully that gives us seventh in the GP standings.

Melissa Scott

On the ladies side, they were led to the finish by new member Melissa Scott who posted a 1:09:08.  Next was master (soon to be senior) Trish Bourne 70s back at 1:10:18 and just edging out Jill Trotter was relatively new member (new to the GP series) Katie Gessler in 1:11:03 to round out the Women’s Open team.  The ladies placed eight.

For the Ladies Masters team, the leader for the aforementioned Trish and followed by the also aforementioned Jill Trotter who crossed the line in 1:11:05 and our senior leader Liane Pancoast in 1:20:40.  That placed them seventh.  

For the Men’s Masters team it was support from the old dudes that did most of the work.  The boys were led by Mike G, with help from seniors EJ Hrynowski in 1:01:11 and Jim Garcia in 1:04:09.  And scoring all the way down from the Veteran’s division was The National Veteran Runner of 2013 – Bill Dixon in 1:05:28 (which age graded would have beaten the race winner by 47 seconds!).  The only other master runner along with Mike to score was new man Shawn Conway (brought to the fold by Mike – thanks!) finishing in 1:03:21.  That placed the Men’s Masters at fifth.

With all that talent scoring down for the guys you’d expect the Men’s Seniors team would be way up the standings and you’d be right.  They bested all but one team.  It was EJ, then Jim and Bill and rounded out by another Vet, Chip Mann in 1:10:04 and Paul Hadley in 1:10:29 to grab second place.  For the Women’s Seniors, they were led as always (at least until the next race) by Liane and followed by Lynn Graham in 1:23:14 and Linda McCarthy in 1:40:07 to finish in sixth place.  At the next race Trish moves to the senior ranks to give Liane some needed support.

Finally in the Men’s Veterans division – the Green Team dominated!! The team won by almost 16 minutes.  Chip pointed out on Facebook that even if took away the other worldly performance of Bill Dixon, the team still would have won.  Led by Bill and Chip – who also went 1-2 in the individual scoring, they were followed by Tom Peters in 1:12:14.

The five year age group breakdown was not available when this was written – a couple of green teamers may have grabbed awards – and for sure some scored individual GP points.  When that becomes available you can see it at: http://www.usatfne.org/road/gp.html.

All in all – it was another fine day for the Green – on to New Bedford!

Full Results at http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/ma/Feb23_40thAn_set1.shtml.

Winter Snowshoeing

The author practicing what he preaches.

By Scott Graham

So you live in New England and you've never tried this sport/torture.  Well let me tell you something, you're missing out.  As I type this I'm looking out my window seeing our first snow storm of the new year.  Most runners would say to themselves "UGH, I either have to go out in that mess or get on the dreadmill."  But if you've taken up snow shoe running you have a sense of excitement, as if it were Christmas Eve.    Especially the light fluffy stuff like today's storm.   In addition you get to do your run on the trails avoiding all the knuckle head drivers who try to run you off the road as one tried to do this morning to my running group.  

One of the most beautiful things you can do in the winter is break fresh trails in snow shoes.  The woods are alive with fresh powder.  You will find fresh tracks of an array of animals, rabbits, coyote, deer and in Westford's case, black bear.    

Now I bet you're thinking to yourself,  "Gee that sounds like fun, but will I get a workout out of this?"  The answer is YES!!   I can't highlight  the word "yes" enough.   This will be one of the toughest workouts you'll ever do if you try and do it at your normal training pace.  You're heart will rip out of your chest like the creature in the movie Alien.  So before you begin, reset your expectations.  Know that you're not going to cover as much ground and you're going to be going much slower.   But there also some advantages.   First, if you know the area you are in, you don't have to stick to the trails.  Do a little bush whacking.  Explore areas you've never been to.  Go to the top of a hill and fly down the back side.  The sensation on snow shoes is amazing.  

What equipment do you need?  Well snow shoes....duh!!   But you'll need running snow shoes.  These are lighter and smaller then your normal snow shoes and allow for a more natural stride.  However finding them can be a little difficult.  Many of the national brands make them but they are tough to find in stores.   So you may have to order over the internet.   I've owned a couple of different brands and the brand that has become the runners choice are Dion Snowshoes  http://www.dionsnowshoes.com/  These shoes are made in Vermont and are different than all the other makers.   They come in 3 pieces, frame, binding and cleat.   Why is this important?  Snow shoeing really pounds the equipment.  With all the other manufactures the shoe comes in one piece.  If you break any part of it you'll be throwing out the set.   Most of the manufactures do not even warranty their equipment.   With Dion's you can swap out the broken part.  How tough is that?  Well at one race a few years ago with 3 minutes until the start I noticed that my binding was ripping apart from a rocky trail I had run the day before.   I yelled over to the owner of Dion's: "Bob, do you have any spare bindings".   In 30 seconds we had the snow shoe taken apart and put back together with a new binding.  REALLY, just 2 screws with a quarter turn each.  I promptly paid Bob for the new binding after the race.  Try that with another brand.   Now, I do not work for Bob Dion and get nothing for recommending his products, but they are the best.  Dion's sells a couple different frames, bindings and cleats.   The best set up for running/racing are the 121 frames, the quick-fit bindings and the deep cleat.   This set up will set you back a few $$'s but it's well worth it.  

OK now you have the right snow shoes, what should you wear?   Dress in layers, thin layers.   Trust me you will get hot.  VERY FAST.   The worst thing you can do it over heat and have to walk.  You'll start getting cold very fast.  Another thing you might want to invest in are a set of snow gators.   These are covers that go over the tops of your shoes and go up over your calf.   They help keep the snow out of your shoes which will keep your feet dryer and warmer.  Speaking of shoes, just go with a set of training shoes.   Heavy boots are NOT an option.   You'll be work hard enough without that kind of weight.  

Now you're all dress up and ready to go, where do you run.  Well there are tails all over the place, even in Lowell.   Shed Park and Lowell-Dracut state forest to name two right in the city.   All the suburbs have lots of conservation land that you can have loads of fun in.  

Now you've been out for once or twice and you want to test you metal in a race.   OH BOY are you in for some fun.   There are a couple of series right here in New England.   First there is the Granite State Series http://www.granitestatesnowshoeseries.org/.  Then there is the WMAC series http://www.runwmac.com/snowshoes/default.html.  An there a bunch of independent races.   But you're in luck.  This year the national championship (yes there is such a thing http://www.snowshoeracing.com/) will be held in Woodford, VT.   You do have to run a qualifying event but there are 5 year age categories and they take quite a few runners.   If you're interested please go to the National qualification page to understand how and where you can qualify http://www.snowshoeracing.com/2014qualifyingrules.htm.

What race should I start out with?   Great question!!   Trust me on this one.   One person I know who's name rhymes with Fason Gooy decided it was a good idea to do a half marathon snow shoe race as his first event.   DON'T DO IT!!   Select something in the 5K range as a starter race.  Poor Fason Gooy had one heck of a day his first race.  You have to remember a couple of things.   First, you're going slower.  So your going to be out there anywhere from 2 - 5 minutes PER MILE longer than your normal 5K time.  Second, your working your whole body.  There is a lot of balance and corrective actions going on while your running on these things, so you're going to get a full body workout.  Third, most of these races have the word "Mountain" in the race name.  So many times one of the key race features is your running UP a mountain only to be followed by running back down the mountain or in my case falling down the mountain.  Yes, falling does occur often, but in most cases you fall off the trail and you're in waist deep snow so you're laughing at yourself.    You just get back up and start running again.   Lastly, most of these races are very low key events and everyone is out to have fun.  Many times people will stop to check that you're OK and help you up if need be.   The are also two other things you have to know before you bust off the starting line.   At the start there is a lot of snow flying.  So much some times you can't see where your going.  Be prepared.   Second if you're out on single track and there is a faster runner behind you, step aside so they can pass you.   No sense in blocking people.  Someone will do the same for you.  Trust me.

So take advantage of the wonderful New England weather and get one of the toughest, most fun work outs you can get in the winter months.   Heck if you really like it you can run the sand dunes with snow shoes in the summer.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate in contacting me  runscottygrun@gmail.com.