1/1/97 Hangover Classic 10K, Salisbury MA

It gets cold in New England. Really cold. And this is one of those mornings. It seems like a crazy fun way to ring in the new year. Temperature reads 7 degrees F at the start. One person is wearing shorts, the rest of us are bundled up. Tired and do not feel like doing any warm up running. Road has some snowy and icy spots, one part of the race takes us onto a paved trail that is very icy and slippery. Feel crazy being out here, all my friends are sleeping, but I am having fun. Don't even care about the finish time so much, there is no way I can run my best on this ice. Still end up with a decent finish time.

46:50
165th of 335
***

11/23/96 AGN Turkey Tune Up 5K

My first 5K. That is 3.11 miles. This one is out on "Great Neck" the almost island in Ipswich. Small low key event. Fairly tough hilly course. I run well and have a fun time.

22:03
32nd of 109
****

6/22/96 My Brother's Table Half Marathon

One year anniversary of my first race. I feel like I have progressed so much in the past year. I know that I can run faster that last year. I've done a few races and since I have been here before I know the routine and the course. I am fairly relaxed.

Mile 13.1 - No wall this time. Just solid running throughout. I get a little emotional as I cross the finish line and realize that I just ran this race 16 and half minutes faster than a year ago. I took off more than a minute per mile. Great feeling of accomplishment.

1:42:33 PR
257 of 650 (200 place improvement)
****

5/17/96 Race Against Extinction 10K

Plum Island - home of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Newburyport MA. First came here for field trips during college. Still visit now and then to do some bird watching or walking on the beach. Mid week, evening 10K race. Nice T-shirts.

Super flat and straight out and back course. I count the runners ahead and behind me and know my finish position before the results are posted.

46:36
122 of 270
***

11/5/95 Shrine 10K

Ipswich MA. Evening race. Long uphill run to the finish makes this a tough course. Negative moments during the race but still a good time.

48:17
97th of 205
**

9/30/95 Ebsco Run for Youth "10K"

Small race put on by the YMCA and a local publishing company. T-shirt. Start and finish is really close to our home in Ipswich MA.

Run well and finish strong. But wait, my watch is reading a super fast time. There is no way I could have run that fast. Discuss among other runners, then confront the race director. "Oh it is about 5.5 miles, not really a 10K". I am not OK with that. Course should be measured and as accurate as possible. But I do enjoy running in any race.

42:47
20th of 34
**

7/25/95 Firemen's 5 Miler

Hamilton MA. Weeknight evening. It is really really hot.

Hilly tough run. Did I mention that it was hot out?

Race number 2

40:13
100th of 150
**