Mt Ascutney 06-29-2003
Perspective by Rich Bolt
"Hey, that's not what we planned!", I thought to myself at the 1/2 mile mark. "This is going to suck", were my next remarks. Before the start of the Mt. Ascutney Run for the Summit, Dave Dunham, Eric Morse and myself had made an "arrangement". It was the end of the series, we were all nursing injuries and the USATF-NE 20k championships were taking place the next day. "Let's just take it easy and run together"; after all, we were all going to the US National Mountain Running Championships the next weekend in Vail, CO and nobody wanted to be a hero today. That was until Eric decided to "race".
This screws up my plans. I was wearing my training shoes and didn't really get my motor fired up for this 3.7 mile sprint up 2250' of Mt. Ascutney. Also messing up the plan was the arrival of Ben Nephew and Greg Colburn at the race. These guys were good and were not likely to let us take an easy jog to the summit.
So as I was saying, Eric took off at the 1/2 mile mark leaving Dave, myself and the rest of the lead pack behind. Not to be outdone, Dave and I also picked up the pace and began to spread out the lead pack. When I say "we" what I really mean is Dave picked up the pace and I struggled to stay in contact with him. Upon reaching the first water stop at mile 1, we were greeted by a cigarette smoking race volunteer kind enough to extinguish his face full of fire as he handed out water.
Mile 1 to 2 continued to climb steeply and I began to have thoughts of doubt. Dave was pulling away and I knew Dr. Nephew was not far behind. I could see Eric ahead bounding easily up the hill. Unlike Mt. Washington or other New England mountain races, there are no views on the way to the summit of Ascutney. The pavement quality is very good and a lush green canopy of trees gives good shade for most of the climb. With no majestic vistas or precipitous drops, one only has the runner ahead of them to focus on and wonder..... can I catch that guy?
Once I got to mile 3 and a short flatish stretch, I knew I was going to make it and tried to close to gap to Dave. Eric was long out of sight, but with no pressure from behind I did my best to put the hammer down. Not a big hammer; in fact, maybe just a plastic Tonka hammer, but a hammer none the less. Each 10th of a mile is painted on the road in the final 1/2 mile of the climb. It's a nice way to gauge how much effort to expend, but I couldn't remember how far the race was - 3.6 or 3.7 or 3.8 miles? I'm sure I've seen or heard all 3 versions.
At last I could hear the small crowd cheering Eric's arrival and I knew the finish was just around the corner. I was surprised to see clock ticking thru 30:30 as I crossed the line, only 15 seconds slower than last year. I was followed by trail standout and newly crowned "Dr." Ben Nephew and series newcomer Greg Colburn. 6th place was fellow CMS member and Pack Monadnock winner Rod Viens.
Next time I'll need a better plan.......or more cooperative teammates.
RESULTS
MT. Ascutney "Run to the Summit" Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation June 28, 2003 3.7 Mile Run Brownsville, VT Timing By: Granite State Race Services (603)863-2537 www.gsrs.com ================================================================================ PLACE DIV/TOT DIV TIME PACE NAME AG S RACE# CITY/STATE ===== ======== ===== ======= ===== ====================== == = ===== ======================= 1 1/12 M3039 29:49 8:04 ERIC MORSE 38 M 37 BERLIN VT 2 2/12 M3039 30:23 8:13 DAVE DUNHAM 39 M 14 BRADFORD MA 3 3/12 M3039 30:32 8:15 RICHARD BOLT 32 M 5 MANCHESTER NH 4 1/6 M2029 31:12 8:26 BEN NEPHEW 27 M 41 CANTON MA 5 2/6 M2029 32:34 8:49 GREG COLBURN 25 M 70 ARLINGTON MA 6 4/12 M3039 32:47 8:52 ROD VIENS 35 M 66 SUNAPEE NH 7 5/12 M3039 33:42 9:07 GREG WARD 31 M 55 HOLDEN MA 8 3/6 M2029 35:44 9:40 ANGUS MCCUSKER 22 M 33 BUCKLAND MA 9 6/12 M3039 36:44 9:56 LARRY O'TOOLE 39 M 79 WARREN VT 10 1/6 F4049 36:52 9:58 SUZY WEST 40 F 64 PUTNEY VT 11 1/3 F2029 37:57 10:16 KATIE GREENIN 28 F 86 STOWE VT 12 1/16 M4049 38:07 10:18 CHUCK LANDRY 47 M 78 PLAINFIELD NH 13 1/18 M5059 38:28 10:24 RICHARD STOCKDALE 52 M 50 MASON NH 14 1/7 F3039 38:36 10:26 BONNIE RITCHOTTE 30 F 44 LITTLETON NH 15 2/18 M5059 38:49 10:30 BOB MULVANEY 50 M 39 DERRY NH 16 7/12 M3039 38:53 10:31 BOB ZOCK 35 M 73 SUTTON NH 17 2/6 F4049 39:26 10:40 SHERYL WHEELER 40 F 57 RHINEBECK NY 18 4/6 M2029 39:55 10:48 ROBERT MARTIN 23 M 31 EAST CORINTH VT 19 5/6 M2029 40:14 10:53 MICHAEL FENZEL 27 M 16 WINDSOR VT 20 2/16 M4049 40:26 10:56 DON SLOVENBAL 47 M 82 FITCHBURG MA 21 3/18 M5059 40:55 11:04 JON STABLEFORD 58 M 63 SOUTH STRAFFORD VT 22 3/6 F4049 41:16 11:10 DONNA SMYTH 43 F 49 VERNON VT 23 6/6 M2029 41:43 11:17 JEFF DUNFEE 24 M 13 ESSEX JUNCTION VT 24 1/7 M6099 42:23 11:28 PETER ORNI 60 M 42 ASHBURNHAM MA 25 1/4 M0119 43:38 11:48 JOHN BASSETTE JR. 16 M 2 QUECHEE VT 26 3/16 M4049 44:07 11:56 JAN DEMBINSKI 45 M 11 WOODSTOCK VT 27 8/12 M3039 44:17 11:59 MICHAEL MALONE 33 M 29 PUTNEY VT 28 4/16 M4049 44:28 12:01 RAY DAUPHINAS 43 M 81 RINDGE NH 29 5/16 M4049 44:36 12:04 LEE DICKEY 49 M 59 DRACUT MA 30 2/3 F2029 44:45 12:06 ERIN FOURNIER 28 F 18 LUDLOW VT 31 4/18 M5059 44:53 12:08 GLEN FULLERTON 50 M 19 SO. WOODSTOCK VT 32 4/6 F4049 45:06 12:12 PAULETTE BOLTON 43 F 83 DANIELSON CT 33 6/16 M4049 45:11 12:13 BASIL THOMPSON 46 M 51 HOOKSETT NH 34 5/18 M5059 45:21 12:16 KEITH BOCKUS 50 M 3 HUBBARDSTON MA 35 6/18 M5059 45:25 12:17 WALTER KUKLINSKI 54 M 88 PRINCETON MA 36 2/4 M0119 45:30 12:18 MATTHEW HEWES 14 M 23 CHARLESTOWN NH 37 9/12 M3039 45:32 12:19 TIMOTHY MUNROE 35 M 40 NEWMARKET NH 38 7/16 M4049 45:38 12:20 DAMIAN ROWE 49 M 47 MILFORD NH 39 2/7 F3039 45:49 12:23 CARLA CHANDLER 38 F 76 PLAINFIELD NH 40 7/18 M5059 45:55 12:25 PETER PATTEN 50 M 72 VT 41 3/7 F3039 46:16 12:31 ANGELA IARIA 32 F 25 BOSTON MA 42 10/12 M3039 46:20 12:32 PETER CEBRERO 31 M 65 HUDSON NH 43 2/7 M6099 46:35 12:36 ELDON BURKINSHAW 64 M 9 LONDONDERRY NH 44 8/18 M5059 46:54 12:41 CRAIG WHIPPLE 50 M 69 BARRE VT 45 3/7 M6099 47:04 12:44 BARBER OWEN 65 M 61 KEENE NH 46 9/18 M5059 47:08 12:45 VINCENT RIVARD 57 M 45 LEOMINSTER MA 47 8/16 M4049 47:24 12:49 SHAWN HICKEY 43 M 24 CLAREMONT NH 48 4/7 M6099 48:32 13:07 STEVE AIKENHEAD 62 M 68 PERKINSVILLE VT 49 9/16 M4049 49:02 13:16 RICHARD BRITTAIN 47 M 7 W.R.J. VT 50 1/1 F5059 49:25 13:22 MARCIA MASLAND 58 F 85 LEBANON NH 51 11/12 M3039 49:28 13:23 ROGER ROBERT 30 M 67 EAST DOUGLAS MA 52 4/7 F3039 49:50 13:29 CHERYL GARCIA 32 F 20 SUTTON VT 53 5/7 F3039 50:11 13:34 NAPLES KATE 35 F 60 EAST SANDWICH MA 54 5/7 M6099 50:35 13:41 BILL ENGLE 72 M 87 DUBLIN NH 55 5/6 F4049 50:40 13:42 MARY MANCUSO 45 F 74 CORNISH FLAT NH 56 3/3 F2029 50:45 13:43 KRICKET FELLOWS 22 F 15 WALPOLE NH 57 10/18 M5059 51:01 13:48 FRED ROSS 57 M 46 VERNON VT 58 10/16 M4049 51:28 13:55 LEE MICHAELIDES 47 M 36 NORWICH VT 59 12/12 M3039 51:32 13:56 JULIAN SCHAFER 36 M 75 BOSTON MA 60 11/18 M5059 51:38 13:58 DAVE WENDT 57 M 56 NASHUA NH 61 12/18 M5059 51:39 13:58 DAVID BOLES 56 M 4 NEW PALTZ NY 62 11/16 M4049 51:42 13:59 EUGENE METTO 42 M 35 NEWBURYPORT MA 63 6/7 F3039 51:49 14:01 ROBIN REED 39 F 43 RANDOLPH VT 64 12/16 M4049 52:37 14:14 TIMOTHY PATTEN 42 M 71 RUTLAND VT 65 6/7 M6099 53:05 14:21 DONALD DAYTON 69 M 10 DARTHMOUTH MA 66 13/18 M5059 53:06 14:21 ED BUDD 55 M 62 KEENE NH 67 14/18 M5059 53:30 14:28 SKIP CLEAVER 58 M 80 SOUTH WOODSTOCK CT 68 6/6 F4049 53:53 14:34 EMER O'DONOGHUE 41 F 77 LEXINGTON MA 69 15/18 M5059 54:08 14:38 CHIP WINNER 54 M 58 MIDDLEBURY VT 70 13/16 M4049 54:14 14:40 KEN GOODIN 48 M 89 LOWELL MA 71 14/16 M4049 55:28 15:00 MARK DROY 47 M 12 AMHERST MA 72 16/18 M5059 55:41 15:03 NEAL MCBAIN 56 M 32 LEBANON NH 73 17/18 M5059 55:58 15:08 RICHARD MACDONALD 53 M 28 MILFORD NH 74 15/16 M4049 57:47 15:37 JOHN BASSETTE 43 M 1 QUECHEE VT 75 18/18 M5059 57:49 15:38 RAYMOND BOUTOTTE 57 M 6 PEPPERELL MA 76 7/7 M6099 58:05 15:42 RICHARD MOSLEY 61 M 38 HALIFAX MA 77 7/7 F3039 58:27 15:48 LAUREL SHORTELL 37 F 48 NORTHAMPTON MA 78 16/16 M4049 59:44 16:09 GREGORY CARSON 42 M 84 LONDONDERRY NH 79 3/4 M0119 1:14:21 20:06 ANSEL THOMPSON 16 M 52 HOOKSETT NH 80 4/4 M0119 1:20:52 21:52 DEREK THOMPSON 13 M 53 HOOKSETT NH
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