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May / June 2018 brought to you by the members of the The indispensable journal for the Western Massachusetts runner In This Issue: Member Profiles Pages 4–7 Shorts Page 7 50th Ron Hebert Race Pages 9–10 Boston Marathon Pages 11–13 Sue Grant, Ron Hebert, and Tom Raffensperger (photo by John Stifler). Ponchos in Boston Page 14 50th Ron Hebert Road Race – April 8, 2018 Fort Hill Half Marathon WMDP Runs Ahead, Everybody Has a Good Time Page 15 by John Stifler Dowsing Two runners sporting the blue-and-white singlets of the Western Mass Distance Project Pages 17–18 showed up at the starting line of this year’s Ron Hebert Road Race. Both won. Gender Categories Not only did Mark Rabasco and Jenna Gigliotti win the men’s and women’s top prizes, but Page 19 they placed first and second overall. Rabasco crossed the finish line at JFK Middle School in 48 minutes and one second; Gigliotti finished next, a minute and a half later, in 49:37, with Paradigm Shift the 89 other runners in the field following her. Page 20 Following, in fact, virtually all the way. From the start, Rabasco took off in front, and Gi- Boylston Street Report gliotti was his closest pursuer. By the time they turned onto Route 9 by Look Park on the Page 21 way toward Haydenville, Rabasco was all alone, while behind him Gigliotti had separated herself from the rest of the pack. Once More to Boston Sometimes this race is tight for most of the first half. A couple of years ago, a lead group of Pages 22–23 six or seven guys were still beating each other up as they scampered step for step up and Upcoming Races down High Street in Haydenville to the right turn that connects to North Farms Road. Oth- Page 24 er years, like this one, the winner eliminates any suspense early. Rabasco, 23, ran up the long hill on Rte. 9 past Leeds like a guy doing a serious tempo run Weather Model with nobody else in mind or in sight. Gigliotti, 25, went through the first mile in 6:02, look- Page 26 ing equally serious and totally comfortable. Not much changed as they made their way up Parting Shot High Street past the 3-mile marker, then down the long hill to mile 4, and right onto North Farms Road. Just one runner behind Gigliotti – Chris Pellicia – seemed stronger and faster Page 27 [Continued on page 9] From the Editor May is here! And that means big blockbuster movies, big sweet soft surfaces of newer ones, there’s a part of me that big blooms of wildflowers in the woods (if you know where to wants to revisit the old-school style. I mean, I didn’t love it at go looking), and big chances to beat your race PR at all sorts the time, when it seemed like we lost precious seconds on of distances. It also means that track season is in full swing at any loose dirt or post-rain muddy spots, but now that I’m old- lots of local high schools. And that ours is coming up. er (OK, a lot older), I’d bet there wasn’t actually that much of a difference. Since I run many of my miles on dirt and trails SMAC’s weekly hill training series has been going on at anyway, it might even be better for training specificity. Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation for a month now, and will continue for another month until the end of May. Led by our Anyway. Where were we? Oh yeah, spring! Or as much own Laure Van den Broeck Raffensperger, these excellent spring as the past month has given us, which isn’t much. Old workouts combine warmup, stretching, and strength training man winter really held on tight this year (that one 70-degree into one fun (and social) training session. At the end of May, week in February notwithstanding). And holy moly how about they will give way to SMAC’s summer track training season, in that wet weather in Boston. And oh what a race. At our which coach Barry Auskern leads weekly structured workouts house we turned on the TV to watch coverage, intending to at the Deerfield Academy track. Everyone is invited to attend just catch some highlights. Yeah, right. We ended up watch- and participate; check the club website and Facebook page ing the whole thing, start to finish. The heavy rains made for for details and updates as June 1st approaches. pretty dramatic coverage, and seeing Desi Linden pull ahead and hold that lead with such confidence and strength in the I feel lucky to live in an area rich with so many excellent women’s race was simply magnificent. tracks. Just within a 15-minute drive I can get to good ones in Greenfield, Buckland, and Northfield, and two each in Deer- Closer to home SMAC was proud to put on the FIFTIETH field and Turners Falls. That’s a far cry better than the one running of the Ron Hebert Road Race (see John Stifler’s cover single track within a half-hour’s drive where I grew up on the article in this issue). It was tremendously uplifting to see so coast of Maine. And that was a dirt track at the time. many club members come out to race and/or volunteer. All stops were pulled out and everyone went to town to make Speaking of which, are there any dirt tracks around any- sure we celebrated this special anniversary race in style. And more? Are they tracks lost to time? As much as I love the since John doesn’t mention it in his article, I want to give a well-deserved shout out to the excellent slideshow he gave about hiking the Appalachian Trail after the lunch and awards The Sugarloaf SUN (2018, Issue #3) ceremony. It was a terrific cap to a terrific event. As always, do remember that the Sun newsletter only is a publication of the Sugarloaf Mountain happens with your help, so please keep your outstanding Athletic Club (SMAC) and is produced by, for, and with the considerable help of its members. contributions coming. Please, send stuff, stories, recipes, race recaps, routes, rants, profiles, pictures, letters, and anything Ben Kimball, Editor and everything to me at alpinefin [at] comcast.net. Greenfield, MA 01301 (603) 491-1839 -Ben alpinefin [at] comcast.net Please submit your written work or pictures, and send along any comments or questions (or even praise). Photos by Ben Kimball unless otherwise credited. For more about the club and for membership information, please visit our website at: www.sugarloafmac.org Publication date: May 1, 2018 The Sugarloaf Sun — May/June 2018 page 2 Member Profile SMAC Member Profile Name: Christine Morin Age: 54 Town: Orange Job: Technology Coordinator at Swift River School Runner since: In fall 2011, I felt weak and knew I needed to grow my stamina just in case we had a zombie apocalypse. Deciding that running was the way to do it, I jumped on the Couch-to-5K bandwagon at 47 years young. Personal Records? I consider all runs records! Though I love data, I’m not very good at keeping it… my first 5K was slow, so I sped up for the rest. I ran 39.9 miles at my first 12-hour race while strategizing how I’d run 50 the next time. Last No- vember, I amazed myself by PR-ing at the 6-hr. TARCkey Trot run on Saturday then running a slow marathon the next day at the Village Ultra. But most importantly, every time I can run up the big hill that gets me home is a personal record. Favorite distance to race/run: ALL THE MILES! Favorite place to run: On my favorite 6-mile loop with three Favorite season to run in? Hot or cold? Time of day? How awesome uphills, I cross over Rte. 2. It doesn’t look like much come? I love to run on hot, humid, sunny days. I figure if I’m when I’m there but when I drive on Rte. 2 and glance up, it going to sweat anyway, I may as well be running! Everything looks AMAZING! feels right on those days. Favorite author/book/movie or TV show (s): Stephen King is What is one of your biggest running aspirations? To run for my favorite author and I’ve probably watched Armageddon a the rest of my days! Anywhere, anytime, with anybody! hundred times! I might be an adrenaline junkie… Favorite piece of running gear: FlipBelt! I can’t imagine run- Top songs on your running playlist (or favorite music): We ning without it. Keys, phone, tissue, food, gum, lip balm, ID, Come Running, Youth of a Nation, Soak Up the Sun money, more food… Greatest adventure: I spent almost a month roaming around What was the last running event you participated in? Village our country on a whim. My car’s odometer turned 100,000 Ultra in New Salem miles and I realized it hadn’t seen the Pacific… so, off we went! Favorite non-running activity: Playing with my grandson is the best! Secret ambition: Save the world Favorite food: ALL THE FOOD! Favorite recovery drink: Water Personal goal for 2018: To run without injury is my goal again Recent memorable moment while running? Recently, we this year. A stress fracture took me out during the summer of approached some turkeys hanging out on the side of the 2016.