Trail Running News ...Western Mass Athletic Club
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Trail Running News ... Western Mass Athletic Club Volume 16 …. Issue 3 …. Late Summer …. 2010 In this issue: Grand Tree Series: Bone on Bone by Dave Raczkowski Results and stories from: That’s the diagnosis my doctor gave me. That knee just wasn't getting any better, so I Nipmuck Marathon - Greylock was hoping another surgery could fix it. But the x-rays showed that there wasn't any space between the bones. The only fix would be a knee replacement but I'd have to Cranmore Hill - Skyline Trail promise to quit running. I think I'll keep my knee, thank you very much. I can still run if you want to call it that. But it's sooooo slow. But I'm comfortable. I need that knee for work until I retire so, I have to quit racing or it will deteriorate even quicker. Peoples Forest - Escarpment Since I can't race, I don't feel motivated to go to any races. At this time I'm just going to fade into the woodwork. But don't be misled. There's still some phoenix left in me Oxford Dam - Savoy that could arise somewhere down the line. Plus: But I still love and enjoy long runs in my backyard. I consider myself quite wealthy. GT and Trilogy Up-dates I measure wealth by how many trails I have to run on and love. More than enough to keep my crazy for the rest of my life. It has both organized trails where there are Greylock Road & Monroe Entry Forms blazes on the trees and three times as many trails that are less visible, some downright subtle. The way to tell you are on a trail is by how it feels underfoot. When twigs start crunching, I know I'm off trail. And Plenty More ….. It’s All Inside! So I recommend that if you're racing and you love it, appreciate it to no end because it Up n’ Coming Events: won't last forever unless you feel you have that special gift in which case I hope you run forever and ever. When you achieve a PR or accomplish some other goal, make Wed. Night Fun Runs ……5:30 PM sure you stop for a moment and feel real good about it. That way it will always last Meet at the Hoosac Valley High School forever in your heart and soul. G T Series and other events: With this feeling in mind my only goal for Nipmuck was to finish. I did the most Wapack Trail…………………. 9-5 wicked of tapers for race day and I was trotting along quite nice for the first 15 miles. Greylock Road ………………… 9-6 Then the humidity of the day made me see a wall in front of me. I didn't want to hit it Curly’s 1/2…………………… 9-12 so I slowed down to ease myself into it. But some of those hills made me feel I was George Coope Run ………….. 9-19 carrying a full pack up them. I was thrilled to finish. But that's not my swan song. Pisgah MT.…………………… 9-19 Monroe / Dunbar …………… 10-10 Everyone else was talking about the humidity. Slower times reflected this. The Groton Forest ……………….. 10-24 winning time by David Herr was the slowest since the first year NipMuck was held. Hairy Gorilla …………………. 10-31 That year, 1984, I had no way of measuring trails so it was about two miles longer Busa Bushwhack …………….. 10-31 than the present day course. Still only 4 percent of the field dropped out this year. I Stone Cat …………………….. 11-6 restrict the hell out of this race. Only runners who have done it in the past, those who Turkey Trot ……………………. 11-25 completed 6 Grand Tree races in '09, and those who completed 50 mile trail races WMAC Holiday Party …………. Dec ?? were allowed in. Keeps the race small, keeps the work manageable, yet profitable enough so that Joshua's Land Trust and The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp both got a Check the web page for complete schedule, nice hunk of change. latest info, and up-dates! No records this year but a new age group was created. It took 25 years to have an over 60 year old female finish, Laura Clark, but it took all 27 years to come up with www.runwmac.com an over 80 year old finisher. That would be Rich Busa who finished in 8:45. This race is supposed to have an 8 hour time limit but gimme a break, he’s 80. I’m Contact us at ….. honored to cut slack. Every year Rich runs at NipMuck it enlightens us to realize we The Hot Line …...... 413 – 743 – 5124 will be hopefully running that long. Club Officers - [email protected] Newsletter …… [email protected] The pre-race briefing lived up to its standards. I had seven tape decks; each was a Write us at: synchronized fart tracks. I was quite proud out the grand finale. But that wasn't my WMAC P.O. Box 356 swam song. Adams, MA. 01220 Clint Morse was the new assistant race director. In 2011 he will be the RD. I didn't leave him too many chores. I wanted him to mostly observe, learn, and get to know my help who have been with me for decades. Continued next page: Bone on Bone cont: One key helper this year and last was my girlfriend who Some of them put in double the hours I asked them to. I wasn't kept asking me what else can I do. I kept giving her jobs until I too sure how many would be willing to help out Clint out in couldn’t come up with any more which made race directing go 2011. But to the person they've already volunteered for next much easier this year. Since my knee has been limiting my year. I will be the assistant RD. Might even be fun. No running it’s nice to be sinking myself into a love affair so this registration to worry about, don't need to get a quarter ton of retirement has not made me sad. Endings create beginnings. food together, and my back is already thanking me for not This circle came around because that divorce way back when having to haul water. I won't be doing the pre-race briefing but was with my present day girlfriend. And there is the sweetest I may interrupt Clint when he gives his with the same finesse I swan song. That would be NipMuck Ann. have used in the past. Good luck Clint! Nipmuck Dave What are you saving it for? A Continuing Saga in Three Parts After rereading running philosopher George Sheehan, I decided that I would lay it all on the line at Soapstone Half Marathon. What was I saving it for? Did I really need to be alert for the three hour car ride home? By this time Annie should know the way. And did I really want/need to be bright- eyed and bushy tailed at work on Monday? Most Mondays I pretend anyway. So ditto for the following marathon weekend… Technically, a marathon is a 26.2 mile event, unless it is Nipmuck Trail Marathon, logging in at 26.4. For roadies, a marathon weekend consists of expo Saturdays and rubber-to- asphalt Sundays. For trail runners, marathon weekend sometimes involves a Saturday warm up race crowned by an o’dark thirty motor trip topped off by a really long race. No expo, no goodie bag, no bystanders –all offset by ridiculously Dave Raczkowski gives his last pre-race briefing at the 2010 easy parking, lots of tradition and a friendly, casual crowd. NipMuck Marathon photo by Scott Livingston Part I: The Warm up at Freihofer’s Run for Women: One way to get people to help you with a project like this is to have an unwavering passion for it. I remember helping a Freihofers Run for Women has all of the hype, all of the stars member of the Willimantic AC with his kids' summer track and all of the ceremony traditionally associated with big city meets. W.C. Fields said, “Anyone who hates children can't be marathons. Except that you don’t actually have to run 26 miles all bad.” That was my feeling but I was still happy helping to enjoy the glamour. Like its longer cousins, it has spawned so someone else with their dream. I know I've lived this dream of many auxiliary events—kids’ runs, race walking, community NipMuck to the fullest. No way could I have done it without walks—that you don’t even have to run to take part. Begun in my trusted help. 1979 to enhance the new women’s running movement, it is more of a celebration than anything else with club teams, I was trying like crazy to come up with a respectable swan sister/sister teams and mother/daughter teams. song. I had been working on a secret plan to have the race start at a new place. We’d have a building and I could cut out the Rt I used to take Freihofers seriously, jockeying for position, 74 crossing. 70 mph cars and trail racing don’t mix. But plans aiming for a coveted age group posting. As I got older and just haven’t materialized yet and I’m not feeling too optimistic moved beyond the age of nationally ranked masters, I even that they will.