runningheritageblogger

Run 4 Kerri

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:08:00 +0000

Running Heritage member Scott Bessette and family once again put on an excellent race, that continues to set participation records each year, including this year with 832 registered participants. 1000 next year? I'm guaranteeing it right now!

Individually, the results for the members of Running Heritage varied greatly. Matt Pelletier finished 1st overall (for the 3rd time in 10 days), but ran almost a minute slower than last year (when he finished 2nd). Hoping he was just tired from racing so often as of late, he's not looking down on his performance.

Race organizer, Scott Bessette, ran a very strategic race to take 2nd overall. Working double duty as a race director, and athlete at his own race, usually doesn't work out for him, but this year's race was different. Scott stayed in the chase pack for much of the race, until it slowly whittled it's way down to just a few athletes. In the final mile, Scott started to surge and relax and surge again on eventual 3rd place finisher, Bronson Venable, putting 10 sec. on him between mile 3 and the finish. Scott ran almost a min. faster than last year's race where he finished 5th.

4th place finisher Ed Duhamel was in the chase pack with Scott and Bronson, but Scott's surges eventually separated the 2 teammates. Finishing 2 seconds behind Bronson, Ed improved upon his time from last year by 26 seconds. Ed is another member of the team, besides Matt and Glen, who ran the Blessing of the Fleet (as a workout) in addition to the Newburyport 10 Miler, and the Run 4 Kerri in a span of 10 days.

Glen Gullemette continued his streak of fast racing with a 6th place finish in 21:29. Glen also ran the Johnny Kelly 11.6 mile road race (as a workout) the day before, finishing 4th. Glen also ran the Blessing, finishing 5th (the 3rd member of the team with 3 races in 10 days). This was Glen's 1st Run 4 Kerri.

Closing out the top 10 was Running Heritage's 5th finisher, Erik Russo. Erik started training with the team over the winter, and suffered an injury that kept him from running during much of the winter and into the spring. Now, Erik is back and healthy, and running very well. He's also handling racing during marathon training, which is not very easy to do, especially when you're training for your 1st marathon.

After Chris Poulos's poor performance at the Newburyport 10 miler, he was just looking to have a decent race. He has been working hard all Spring trying to get back to where he was at this time last year. This race finally got him there. His goal was to break 22:49, and he did just that, running 22:13 (a new PR), which puts him right where he wants to be at this point in his marathon training.

Heather Crosby, in her first race in a Running Heritage jersey (albeit an old one...for now), finishing as the 11th woman. Returning from an injury she sustained during a hill workout done on grass, she was off her winning performance from last year. (as well as the addition of some of the best female runners NE has to offer being in this year's race, including former Olympian, Marie Davenport).

Elaine Craik continued with her consistency at this race, running only a 9 sec. difference from last year's race. With windier conditions, and a much higher weekly mileage average, Elaine is showing that she plans on destroying the course in Chicago. Elaine was also the 1st Craik across the line by 2 1/2 minutes, as her daughter Jessica and son Jonathan both ran as well. Husband Chris, did an excellent job of working the finish chute keeping everyone in line and making things run smoothly. Rumor has it that someone will have to take his place next year as "Chief chute engineer", as he plans to run the race.

Next Race on the schedule is the Bobby Doyle 5 Mile Summer Classic on 8/16.

New England 10 Mile Championships

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:13:00 +0000

Running Heritage headed north to Newburyport, MA for the 2008 Yankee Homecoming Road Race, which also served as the USATF-NE 10 Mile championship. With hopes of finishing in the top 3 as a team, the athletes did not alter the marathon training preparations, and kept the mileage high the week of the race.

Matt Pelletier was the first New England finisher as well as the first finisher overall defeating a strong field over the challenging course. Matt went out with Casey Moulton, and hoped to stay with him as long as possible. At mile 5, the lead pack contained only 3 runners, and by mile 6, Matt and taken the lead and ran alone easily to the finish. The race started a few minutes early, and as a result, Matt Ely (another favorite for top NE'er) missed the start by almost a minute. There's a good chance he may have contended for the lead, had he not started after everyone else.

The next finisher was John Larosa. John ran an excellent race, placing 34th overall in the competitive field, and running a 10 mile PR. John also helped the team score by passing several runners from other clubs in the race's final .15 miles, which consists of a steep incline from a parking lot up to the football field, eventually finishing on the field itself.

Scott Bessette and Ed Duhamel were in sight of each other for most of the race. Both have been running very well as of late, and both do not run very well in the heat and humidity. In the 2nd 1/2 of the race, Scott pulled ahead of Ed. In the final miles, Ed was pulling Scott back in but ran out of real estate and the 2 finished 17 seconds apart running 57:23 and 57:40 respectively.

The next finisher had a huge breakthrough race. Erik Russo who has only been running with the team since the beginning of the year, wanted to run under an hour in his first long distance race in quite awhile. Admittedly, he went out a bit too fast in the race's 1st downhill mile (5:37 with Ed and Scott), he managed to hold it together, and just missed breaking an hour by 6 seconds, running 1:00:06. The future looks bright for this new up and coming runner from Woonsocket.

Chris Poulos broke the cardinal rule of racing, and tried something new on race day. Wearing his orthotics in his racing shoes for the first time, he experienced severe foot pain and did not race to his expectations. He still managed to finish, running 1:06:13. Learning from his mistake, Chris plans to show what shape he's in by running well at the Run4Kerri this Sun.

Ray Nelson and Elaine Craik continued their game of playing cat and mouse during races, by exchanging the lead with each other several times over the course of the race. In the end, it was Ray who prevailed, running a conservative early pace and picking it up in the 2nd 1/2 for a negative split. The heat and humidity (and hills) took their toll on Elaine who did not run as well as she wanted. The bigger goal is to run well on 10/4/08 and not necessarily to run well in July. With the higher mileage, and tougher workouts, she is ready to run a tough fall marathon.

Overall, Running Heritage placed 7th as a team, missing their goal of top 3 by less than 8 minutes. The other New England Clubs really stepped up their game, and ran better than we had expected. This was Running Heritage's first team race on the NE Grand Prix circuit, and they didn't do too bad for being such a small club.

Next up is the Run4Kerri on Sun. 8/3.

Vermont City Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:28:00 +0000

Running Heritage chose the Vermont City Marathon as it's spring marathon, mostly because the city of South Burlington, as well as the race directors, put on a great event. The other reason was because Matt Pelletier wanted to continue his winning streak and try for a third straight victory, as well as take a shot at the course record of 2:17:08. After some quick early miles (4:50 pace) battling with Hilary Lelei, the course record was not to be as Matt died a horrible death in the last 5 miles, but did hold on to become the race's first 3 time champion in 2:20:44.

The 2nd finisher from Running Heritage,with a 9 minute PR, was Ed Duhamel. His new PR of 2:38:15 was good enough for 12th place, and just 2:45 from breaking into the top 10. The heat combined with a not-so-easy course, really worked against Ed, but it shows that he is capable of going under 2:30 in Chicago in the fall.

The next Running Heritage finisher across the line was Scott Bessette. Scott does not have a good history with the marathon, and also does not run well in the heat (the race finished with temps in the 80's). Add in that Scott will be having a baby any day now, and was taking classes combined with working full time this winter, it's amazing he even made it to the starting line. Scott ran with Ed until the Battery St. Hill at 15 miles, and than started to fade. He held on to finish 25th in 2:47:32. A respectable time considering the tough winter he had.

The final finisher, and only female runner from the team in the race, Elaine Craik, ran a PR of 3:31:50. With the weather, and tough course conditons, you can expect another huge PR from Elaine when the team heads to Chicago in the fall.

Running Heritage also had a 2 person relay entered, with runners Kristen Duhamel, and Gina Poulos each running a 1/2 Marathon. Kristen ran the first 1/2 marathon in 2:11:58, and Gina ran the 2nd 1/2 marathon in 2:06:15 for a total time of 4:18:38.

For more info on how the relay went, as well as some footage of the marathon, check out the video made by Chris Poulos, who had to sit this race out due to an injury he's had for several months. You can find the video located in the "Running Related" section of the message board.

Broad St. 10 Miler

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:21:00 +0000

4 members of Running Heritage (and 1 husband) traveled down to Philadelphia, PA for a fast 10 miler 3 weeks before they run the Vermont City marathon. It was a chance to get a fast, longer race in on a course that Scott Bessette called downhill and flat.

The team disagrees with Scott and thinks that there is almost as much uphill as there is downhill in the first 5 miles. The 2nd 5 miles are almost completely flat, but there was a bit of a headwind after you passed City Hall and for most of the second part of the race. After the race, even Scott said that he didn't remember the course being that hilly.

Matt Pelletier fell well short of running his goal of sub 48:00, but lowered his PR by almost 2 minutes, running 49:05 and placing 4th overall.

Ed Duhamel was next with the biggest PR of the day, taking 2:11 off his previous best at 10 miles by running 53:35. Until March, Ed had not even broke 1 hour for 10 miles (officially, but he split faster in a 1/2 marathon).

Next was Scott Bessette, running 53:58. With all the school work, and classes that Scott is taking, his training is going remarkably well. This could be the year where he gets the best out of his marathon training. For the record, MARATHON: 5; SCOTT: 0.

The story of the day was Elaine Craik breaking a 22 year old PR by 1:44 with a 1:12:26 performance...A time that would have been faster, had the other competitors actually seeded themselves appropriately. Her first mile was her slowest because she had to pass all the slower runners. It ended up costing her a minute and a half over the course of 2 miles. Lesson learned.

Look for good things in Vermont from all of the Running Heritage athletes.

State Police 5K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:05:00 +0000

I think it's about time the front page got an update...

4 weeks before the team leaves to go out to the Vermont City marathon, the team ran the State Police 5K as a workout. Matt Pelletier decided he could use the extra money, and broke his own course record of 15:11 with his 15:04 performance. Ed Duhamel and Scott Bessette ran together through the first mile, with Ed eventually pulling away in the second mile with a 15:48 to Scott's 16:12. Todd Simmons returned to the racing scene with an 18:01 performance. A week after running Boston, (and than working a 12 hour shift less than 7 hours after finishing) John Gadrow ran a 19:37, but missed out on 25 pts. in the Gadrow Grand Prix by losing to his wife (who also ran Boston in under 3 hours) by 12 seconds. Elaine Craik ran a very controlled 21:57. Starting off slow, she picked it up i the second mile, and unleased a 6:30 final mile to place 2nd in her age group. Gina Poulos continued with her training for the VCM relay (with Kristen Duhamel) running 17 seconds off her PR with a 26:59.

Next week: The Broad St 10 Miler in Philadelphia, PA

GBTC Invitational

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:32:00 +0000

This race was the first stage in a 3 week racing period. Running Heritage will race 3 consecutive weekends (unheard of for this club) beginning with the Greater Boston Track Invitational held at Harvard's indoor track.

Ed Duhamel's race was first. He ran in the open section of the Men's 3K. His goal was to run under 9 minutes. He started off towards the back of the field, and moved his way up throughout the race, eventually finishing in first place with a new PR of 8:53, which Ed hopes to lower next week at the Terrier Classic.

The next race was Chris Poulos' first track race ever in the Open Mile. Track racing (especially the mile) is very different from road racing, as Chris found out. Not used to being pushed, elbowed, and fighting for the inside lane, Chris' introduction to track racing left him short of his goal. He did gain valuable knowledge of how to race on a track, and expect a better race as he tries the 3K next week at the Terrier Classic.

The final race of the day was the Men's Invitational 3K, with Matt Pelletier and Scott Bessette. Matt separated from the field with the leaders early on, and held the lead for almost a 1/2 a lap before he realized that he's not a track runner and should just stay behind the fast guys and get pulled along. He faded badly in the 2nd 1/2 of the race, finishing a distant 3rd and well short of his goal of breaking 8:20. Scott Bessette, on the other hand, showed what a few good track workouts can do for you by running 22 seconds faster than he did 3 weeks ago at the BU mini meet. He ran in last place through the first kilometer, and moved up throughout the rest of the race, eventually finishing 6th in a competitive field. He hopes to run a faster 3K next week at the Terrier Classic which has a much faster track. Matt who has had enough of lactic acid, will be running in the longest event possible, the 5K.

1 weekend in NYC...

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:52:00 +0000

3 members of Running Heritage took to the streets of NYC to run in 2 seperate marathons this weekend. The rest of Running Heritage, members of their families, and friends came out to cheer them on.

The weekend started with the U.S. Men's Olympic Trials held almost completely inside Central Park. The first 2 miles are run from Rockefeller Plaza to the park. Matt Pelletier had been up to check out the course 6 weeks earlier and as a result of seeing how difficult it was, didn't expect a fast time, but wanted to place well. He was ranked 46th at the start of the race, and thought he may possibly finish in the top 25 if everything went well. He and Ray Nelson had a conversation before he left for NY where Ray told Matt that he could run a 2:18 even with the difficult course. He also gave him some motivational quotes. All the quotes had the same idea: In order to experience victory, you must be willing to do battle. Matt read those quotes the night before the race and decided to trust his training and his coach.

It proved to be a good plan. The leaders of the race took the pack out so slow, that the entire field was together at 2 miles (11:07). These would be Matt's 2 slowest miles. From there the field started to split up as the leaders increased the pace. Matt got into a smaller group and moved up steadily through the field, passing many runners late into the race. He was passed by 2 runners (James Carney, and Clint Verran) in the final 2 miles, but placed 19th overall. He negative split the course in a time of 2:17:17 was a PR by 1:43, and well above his (and his coach's) expectations.

The following day, Chris Poulos and Ed Duhamel went on a hunt for new PR's. Ed having smashed his PR at Clarence DeMar only a month earlier, was looking to run under 2:40, and Chris was looking to run under 2:50. Ed went through the early miles on pace for a 2:38 marathon. Cramping in his legs in the middle miles, caused him to fall off his goal pace, and finish in 2:49:42. Well short of his goal, but had he not run Clarence DeMar, it would have been a new PR. Ed has made leaps and bounds in his training, as evidenced by the fact that he is upset with a "mere" 2:49 marathon. In a few more months he'll make an attempt at the 2:40 barrier again, no doubt with better results.

Chris Poulos ran a steady pace throughout the race to eclipse his old PR by set in Boston (2:55:47) by almost 4 minutes, and run a stellar 2:51:57. Apparantly producing movies, and beating off the temptations of ice cream does not cut into his training time. Chris celebrated excessively after the race, drinking 2 Seagrams "Jamaican Me Thirsty" beverages, while watching the Patriots beat the Colts.

So ends the 2007 Running Heritage marathon season.

Mike Donahoe 5K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:56:00 +0000

After watching the Running Heritage Relay Team "blast" through Newport yesterday, Chris was inspired to run his own pre-marathon race. He drove 2 hours up to Georgetown, MA for the Mike Donohoe Memorial 5k. He chose this race because it was a certified course and it was advertised as "flat". The race was anything but "flat"! The first 3/4 mile of the out and back course was all uphill and the last 3/4 mile was all downhill. The race went very well though. Chris stayed close to the leaders the entire race. Chris' splits were 5:26; 5:20; 5:17; and 0:28 (4:40 pace). He finished 5th place overall in a new PR time of 16:31 (5:19 pace). Chris is very psyched!

Clarence DeMar Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:41:00 +0000

Ray Nelson was running his first marathon since the Vermont City Marathon in 2003. Elaine Craik, Ed and Kristen Duhamel, and Matt Pelletier ventured up to Keene to watch their coach's race as he has done so many times for his athletes. Matt and Ed also decided to get their last super long run (SLR) in before their Nov. marathons.

As of a few weeks before, Ray was not going to run due to an Achilles injury that caused him to miss 5 weeks of training. After battling back from injury, and having a few good workouts in the final weeks before the marathon, he decided he would race. Even though he missed a big chunk of training, Ray still finished in a respectable 3:59:10, and most importantly, injury free. Ray stated that he had established a new PW for himself (Personal Worst) and was not yet ready to run slower than 4 hours in the marathon.

Matt won the race overall finishing comfortably in 2:38:55, well over 8 minutes in front of his closest competitor but like Ray, he also established a new PW. His closest competitor just happened to be teammate Ed Duhamel. Ed stole the show in this race finishing his long run in a huge PR (over 8 minutes) and running a huge negative split (1:27, 1:19). He is prepared to take even more time off his PR at the NYC marathon, when the team travels there in less than 5 weeks.

Covered Bridges 1/2 Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 20:37:00 +0000

All the planets were aligned ever so nicely for Chris Poulos' Covered Bridges Half Marathon today. The weather at the start was a clear and cool 41 degrees. There was no wind, and Chris was well rested and ready to race. The race was run around Swanzey, NH going through 4 historic "covered bridges" (hence the name of the race). Chris followed the race plan perfectly, starting out easy and negative splitting the course. The first half of the race was flat and the second half was hilly. Chris started out in 20th place when the start settled in around mile 2. From there he picked off runners one by one until he ended up in 6th pace by mile 10. He held this position for the rest of the race. At 13 miles the 7th position runner made a move but Chris held his ground finishing 3 seconds ahead of him. Chris was very happy with the way everything unfolded. He was psyched to set a new PR by 50 seconds. It gives him lots of confidence going into NYC in November.

Blessing of the Fleet

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:58:00 +0000

Another hot and humid Blessing of the Fleet 10 mile Road Race has came and went. Here is what the members of the RH team had to say about it...

Matt had originally wanted to break the course record (49:44) but withe the hot temperatures decided to try and go out in 25:30 and try and pick it up on the flatter 2nd half of the course. After 2.5 miles, Matt had the lead in the race and was alone. He hit 5 miles in 25:30 exactly but the heat was getting to him so he was not able to pick it up anymore, but did run 25:33 for the second half. Somehow, he managed to PR by 4 seconds and wonders what he could have done with cooler temperatures.

Scott was still looking for a good result for all the hard work he has been putting in. It was hot and humid tonight, two things that usually spell disaster for Scott. He got out smart, exactly to plan for the first 5 miles, 27:40 with the goal of negative splitting the second half. Unfortunatley when he reached five miles he knew he was in trouble. He was already heavy in the legs and losing ground to the competition upfront. He ran 60:00 pace for the last 5 miles and was passed by a boy wearing a cape. Looking forward to the fall with cooler temps and good results.

Ray set the goal for Ed to be just under 6 minutes at the mile (he hit 5:54) and then the goal was to stay as close to 6:00 pace as possible through 6 miles (36:00). He came through 5 in 30:08 and still felt like he was going to be able to make a move in the second half. However the wheels feel off and he ran the second half in 32:12 due to the heat/humidity to finish in 62:20

Chris was hoping to break 60 minutes for the first time ever in a 10 miler. His plan started out perfectly. He hit mile 1 (the easiest mile) in 5:43; Mile 2 (one of the two toughest miles) in 6:06; Mile 3 (the other toughest mile) in 6:05. After going through 3 miles in 17:54, Chris "hit the wall" and started to feel the effects of the heat. By mile 4 he was all done! He was very disapointed and thought about dropping out. He deicided to stick it out and just jog the rest of the course to the finish.

After a 3 mile warm-up, Coach Ray advised Elaine to re-write the race plan due to the difficult conditions. Unfortunately, her first mile wound up being faster than the original plan, which set the stage for alot of difficulty throughout the race. She was able to stay near goal pace through 4 miles, but the trek up the Rte. 108 'frying pan' wreaked havoc with her quads and her pace dropped off significantly. She tried to regroup through miles 7 & 8, and was able to finish miles 9 & 10 near goal pace, but the damage was already done. On the positive side, it was an exercise in perseverance in very difficult conditions.

Kristen really didn't have any major expectations going into this race - other than to just have fun. She had long week at work, which really put a damper on training this past week. Overall, it went ok - She went out a bit too fast (in the sweltering heat and humidity), which really put a damper on her last 4-5 miles. She hit the 4 mile mark in about 37 min. and the 6 mile mark in about 61 min. She was on a pretty good pace considering the weather, but really struggled in those last 4 miles. She ended up finishing in 1:43:56, which was pretty good considering the circumstances.

Leah was running her first race longer than 4 miles. It was HOT and HUMID! This was not only the longest race she has ever completed, but the longest she has run in 6 years. She had hoped for a better time but after a long day of feeling ill, She was happy with a start and finish. Thanks for all of the team support.

Gaspee Days 5K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:18:00 +0000

Elaine Craik and Chris Poulos traveled to Pawtuxet Village with (Coach) Ray Nelson, for the 3rd round of the RI Prix Series, the Gaspee Days 5k. Thanks to Ray’s superb navigational skills, they got to the race quickly, and found the best parking spot of the day, right on the corner at the starting line. Upon arrival, it was looking like perfect weather for a race. It was cool and overcast, with no wind. Unfortunately, 10 minutes before the race started it began to rain. Elaine and Chris were both hoping for PR’s, but it was not going to happen on this day.
Elaine enjoyed the 4th of July atmosphere at this race, and found the crowds to be very supportive and fun. As for her race strategy, she was hoping to stay under control for the first 2 miles, and then pick up the pace to the finish. Elaine went through the first mile in 7:10, a good bit slower than she had wanted. At the turn around she realized that her pace was to far off for a PR. From there she ran steadily faster, trying to shake out whatever cobwebs were still lingering from Boston. She finished in 22:24, and placed 109th overall and 5th in her division (which featured many “superstar” runners). With her finish today, Elaine continues her hold on 1st Place Overall Female in the RI Prix Series.
Chris wore his yellow “Magic Racers” today, knowing they would get lots of attention from the crowd. What he didn’t expect was all the “snap-and-pops” that would be flying his way throughout the race. Chris ran very well (even though his left knee was swollen with an “egg” on it). He ran his first 2 miles in 5:22 and 5:28, right on track for a PR, but in mile 3 the last hill was too much for him to handle. At the top of the hill he was running 5:50 pace. From there he picked it up as much as he could. He finished the 3rd mile in 5:37 pace. He kicked the last .10 in 0:28 (5:13 pace), finishing in 16:58, and placing 9th overall and 8th in his division. With Matt Pelletier not racing because he is recovering from his win at the Vermont City Marathon, and Ed Duhamel not racing because of a friend’s funeral, Chris moved into 1st Place Overall Male for the RI Prix Series.
The full results can be viewed online at: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/07/ri/Jun9_Gaspee_set1.shtml

Vermont City Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:40:00 +0000

Matt had no expectations going into the 2007 VCM. He had planned to take a group as far as he could at 5:25 pace and then see what happened. Nothing went as planned and matt was well ahead of the 5:25 group at 3 miles. He worried about the early pace and how bad he would die at the end. Every once in awhile, going out over your head and hanging on is how breakthrough races happen. Matt ran even splits (1:09:31, 1:09:29) and ran a 1:26 PR to finish in 2:19:00 and get the "A" standard for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Scott had high hopes of finally running a time that was worthy of his training in this years VCM. In accordance to the race plan he went out conservatively averaging 5:40 pace for the first few miles. By mile 10 he felt tired and tight. Scott had many distractions previous to and during the race, but is not using those as excuses. Scott finished 28th overall, and was pleased that he did not blow up, his slowest mile was 7:15 which included a short period of walking. He is planning a huge base period leading up to the New York City Marathon in early November in hopes of breaking 2:30.

Kristen: "Overall, VCM started off pretty good. I felt great for the first 10 miles (other than the fun climb back up the beltway that I wasn't aware of.....). I came through the 10 mile mark in about 1:45 on my watch, which was pretty good for me considering my PR for 10 is a 1:43. Now - I may have felt good, but I think this was my downfall. After the half-marathon point I started to feel myself crumble a bit. I came through the half in about 2:25 or so (good pace), but couldn't hold on. The quiet bike path and residential area were rough and my legs started to hurt (as expected). When I came to Battery I actually felt myself get a second burst of energy and got up the hill with no problems - The crowd and energy was amazing and I actually found that to be one of the best parts of the race. After the hill is a different story.... Once I was back out in the neighborhoods it started to rain - At first it was a nice light drizzle - Refreshing..... However, the drizzle turned into a monsoon like rain, equipped with wind and all. Lots of fun! Nothing like trying to run the last 10 miles of a marathon with sopping wet shoes, socks and clothes. I also managed to land my feet in a few puddles, which didn't help. Once the rain finally let up it was back into the woods for the final and most challenging part of the race. My legs felt like they were going to explode and the bottoms of my feet were numb. I was struggling, but managing to run (barely). In the end I survived and completed my first official marathon in a time of 5:07:32. I REALLY wanted to go under 5 hours, but it just wasn't my day. The feeling I had when day was amazing and I cannot wait to do another one! I know I can improve on that time with some harder training! "

Jerry Musco 8K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Tue, 22 May 2007 11:33:00 +0000

Ed Duhamel, Chris Poulos, and Roland Levallee ran the Jerry Musco Memorial 8k in Lincoln, RI. The race only had 46 runners. But what it lacked in numbers it made up for in difficulty. The course was ALL hills! The Running Heritage team had a great showing, placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall. First finisher was Roland. He led the race from the gun. He cruised his way smoothly up and down the hills to win the race in 26:41. Chris and Ed followed. They ran the race together as part of a 13 mile workout. Chris finished in 29:31 and Ed was right behind in 29:33.

Backshore 5 Miler

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 13 May 2007 21:27:00 +0000

Where to start. 2 weeks before a marathon, RH runners like to run a tune-up race to top off their training. For Vermont City, this weekend was the same weekend that Matt Pelletier's sister graduated from Franklin Pierce college in NH. Luckliy, there was a Friday night race in Gloucester, MA that allowed him to race and attend the graduation. Unfortunately, the 2 hour drive was slowed by traffic and took 3+ hours getting Matt to the Gloucester YMCA at 6:20pm for a 6:30 race. Not the best situation, but since the race doesn't start at the YMCA, but about 10 min. away, he ended up just missing the start. He changed in the car as his girlfriend Kelly drove him from the YMCA to the start and jumped out to register them both while she went to park the car. He started the race from the registration table and went chasing after the field, leaving Kelly's registration number at the table for her. (Thank You registration lady!)
Matt passed through the 1 mile mark at 5:08 (probably closer to a 4:48, since he started at the registration table, which was about 20 sec. from the start) on his watch but 7:38 on the split clock, which put him 2:30 behind the leaders. Perfect conditions and a fast course allowed him to run the next 4 miles in 4:52, 4:57, 4:48, and 4:46 to catch everyone but the first 2 runners who finished less than 40 seconds ahead of him. His finishing time of 24:34 (or 24:14 if you take off the extra 20 seconds) would have been a huge PR, but his finishing time is officially listed as 27:06 so he's decided not to count it.

Rhode Island State Police 5K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 02:33:00 +0000

The Rhode Island State Police 5K gave the team it’s first warm weather racing opportunity on a beautiful day in Narragansett. It served as a tune up for Matt Pelletier and Scott Bessette who are in the final preparations for this month’s Vermont City Marathon, and a post Boston assessment of recovery for Ed Duhamel, Chris Poulos and Elaine Craik. Team participation was rounded out by Leah Bessette, running in her first race of the season.
The gun went off (literally) and Matt took the early lead. He was followed closely by Scott, Ed & Tim Rudd (Providence Police Department), with Chris not far behind. Around mile 1.25 Ed had pulled away from Tim, and by mile 1.75, Chris had moved into 4th place with only RH runners in front of him. Scott ended up with a stomach cramp and had to back off the pace after going through the first mile with Matt. Matt finished first in 15:11, breaking his own 2006 course record by 14 seconds. Scott finished second in 16:11. Chris gained some good ground on Ed in the last 1.3 miles, but in the end youth prevailed. Ed finished third, in a time of 16:52, and was happy to have broken 17 minutes after a 10 day layoff. Chris was psyched to cross the finish line fourth, in 16:56, a new 5k PR by 2 seconds, less than 2 weeks after Boston! These great performances also earned Running Heritage the Team title, in a combined time of 48:14. Elaine ran a comfortable race, and finished 65 overall in a time of 21:39, one second faster than her Nayatt 5K time. Leah started off the season well with a new 5K PR in a time of 32:14.

111th Boston Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:20:00 +0000

Four members of the Running Heritage Team converged on Hopkinton, MA to tackle the 111th Boston Marathon. The rain, wind, and cold temperatures made this one of the most difficult marathons in recent history, but that didn’t deter John Lawson, Chris Poulos, Ed Duhamel, and Elaine Craik from running.
Jon started off at 6:21 pace for the first 5k. At 30k he was on pace for a 2:45 marathon. The next 5k was his slowest at 21:28 (6:54 pace), but Jon recovered nicely with a 19:50 5k (6:23 pace) from 35k-40k. He then ran 6:13 pace from 40k to finish in 267th place overall (244th Male/207th Division) in a time of 2:47:22 (6:23 pace).
Chris ran practically identical half’s of 1:27:54 and 1:27:53. He negative split the course by one second. Chris’s first 5k was 7:15 pace, due to starting in the 7th corral and being behind so many slower runners. It took him until 4 miles to get decent running room without having to weave in and out of runners to pass them. Chris did not slow down much through the hills from 25k to 35k. He averaged 6:45 pace for that 10k stretch. From 40k to the finish, Chris ran 7:15 pace, the same pace he did for the first 5k. He cruised his way to his first Boston finish in 606th place overall (571 Male/453 Division). His time of 2:55:47 (6:43 pace) is a huge PR.
Ed started out just right, with a nice and conservative 19:44 first 5k (6:21 pace). At half way his pace was 6:21, same as his first 5k, and on pace for a 2:46 marathon.
Then his quads and left calf started twitching. He was able to hold off a full-on cramp, but it slowed him down significantly over the 2nd half. The last 4 miles were 7:35 pace, and were run as a matter of finishing the race without doing further damage to his quads and calf. He finished in 696th place overall (657 Male/514 Division). His time of 2:57:05 (6:46 pace) is worth more than his PR at Chicago last October.
Elaine spent her time waiting for the 10:30am second wave to start in the rain. Her primary goal was to break her PR of 3:34:45 set last October at Chicago. She would have to average 8:12 pace or better to do it. Her first 5k was at 8:12, a perfect beginning. Elaine ran the next 10 miles at 8:03 pace, reaching half way at Wellesley at 1:46:04 (8:05 pace) with a projected finish, based on even pace, of 3:32. Her slowest 5k was from 25k – 30k run at 8:28 pace. For most Boston marathoners, the slowest 5k is from 30k–35k, including Heartbreak Hill, but Elaine pressed on running an impressive 8:20 pace on that uphill stretch. At 35k she was on exact pace to match her PR to the second. It would come down to the last 4.47 miles and there could be no let-up or slowdown. From 35k–40k, she ran a remarkable 8:10 pace and would then have to run the last 1.36 miles from 40k to the finish at 8:13 pace. It would (and DID) come down to seconds. Actually “second” as Elaine charged her way to finish in 6,643rd place overall (1,202 Female/189 Division) in a time of 3:34:44 (8:12 pace). It was a new PR by ONE second!
Overall, everyone was pleased with their performances considering the conditions, and is already planning to return for the 112th Boston Marathon in 2008.

Nayatt School 5K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:59:00 +0000

This race was used as a final tuneup before the 111th Boston Marathon. Jon Lawson, Ed Duhamel and Sean Livingston took the early lead, passing through the mile marker in 5:11. Jon and Sean eventually pulled away from Ed while running a 5:08 second mile and fought it out for the victory. Jon had to settle for second place in 15:58 while Ed finished third in 16:35.
Chris Poulos was on pace to run a sub 17 minute race, but unfortunately took a wrong turn just before the 2 mile marker. There has been speculation that he was distracted by the thought of post race girlscout cookies. Still, Chris fought hard in the last mile to finish 5th overall in 17:35.
Elaine Craik ran 21:40 to finish 38th overall and second in her age category. She ran 1:08 faster than her Super 5k time from February, and averaged just under 7:00 per mile, clearly displaying that she is ready for big things in Boston.

Shamrock 1/2 Marathon/Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:07:00 +0000

I remember getting to this trip last year being much easier.

We were scheduled to fly out Fri. evening at 6:00, but when those flights were cancelled due to the weather, and it didn't look like we would be leaving anytime soon, we had to make some quick decisions. Amtrak wouldn't get us there by Sat. morning, so Scott suggested driving down. Matt tried to get the van from the group home, but it was being worked on (figures). Scott got us a great deal on a van so 8 of us left Matt's apartment in Warwick at 3:30pm for what Mapquest said would be a 9.5 hour drive to Virginia Beach, With Chris and his wife Gina scheduled to try and fly down Sat. morning.

With the weather and the traffic, the 9.5 hour trip took 14.5 hours, and we arrived at our hotel at 6:30am Sat. morning. Definitely not what you should be doing 2 nights before you plan to race (especially if it's going to be a marathon, like it was for Scott). Chris and Gina's flights were also cancelled so they had to drive down as well.

After that ordeal, the race still went well for most members of Running Heritage. In the 1/2 Marathon, Matt Pelletier PR'd by 1:10 to finish 13th overall and 2nd American in 1:06:20. Ed Duhamel also ran a huge PR in 1:16:07, as well as Chris Poulos setting a 6:49 PR in 1:18:33. Elaine Craik's time of 1:39:58 was 11 seconds off her PR. All 3 are training for Boston and did not try and peak for this race.

Scott Bessette, running the full marathon in an attempt to qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon, decided that the conditions were not conducive to chasing the 2:22 standard, and stepped off the course at the 1/2 way point looking fresh, but not sure that it would happen on that day. The conditions were windy (steady at 14mph, gusts up to 24mph) and just after the 1/2 way point, the race runs into the wind for 7 miles. Add that into sitting in a van for 14+ hours 2 nights before and you get Murphy's marathon law. He knew he would have to make this decision to try and qualify somewhere else before he was too far into the race. Not finishing the race means that he will be able to attempt another go at the standard relatively soon. He has decided to try at the Vermont City Marathon on Memorial Day weekend which is where many people have expressed an interest in qualifying.

Quonset Point 10 Miler

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 20:27:00 +0000

On a perfect day to race, Running Heritage took advantage of the warm temperatures to run some impressive times for this point in the year. Matt Pelletier (2nd, 53:53), Scott Bessette (4th, 57:41), and Ed Duhamel (10th, 1:00:59) used this race as a workout/race. They were supposed to run the first 5 easy and then race the 2nd half of the race. Matt and Scott came through 5 miles a little faster than they wanted to in 28:38. Matt could not catch Kevin O'Neil who had too much of a lead on him to make up. Scott, having had the flu for the past week, finished slightly faster than the first 5 on a tougher part of the course. Ed ran much faster in the second half of his run to finish in 1:00:59. Chris Poulos once again set a huge PR at this race. He was 10:13 seconds faster than last year, finishing in a time of 1:00:04, narrowly missing his goal of breaking 1 hour. He attributes it to going out a little fast in the first mile, which had a strong tailwind. Elaine Craik also ran much faster this year, running 1:19:14 compared to last year's 1:23:56.

Super 5K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:58:00 +0000

The majority of the team used this race as a workout doing a long warmup beforehand. Matt Pelletier, Scott Bessette, and Ed Duhamel ran 12 miles as a warmup, and Elaine Craik ran 10. Chris Poulos and his coach George Terry decided to forego the long warmup in favor of shooting for a PR, even though the conditions were terrible (really windy for the first 2 miles and cold). Succeed he did, running a huge PR and breaking 17 minutes for the first time running 16:58. Matt, Scott, and Ed all ran the race knowing that they had to run the course again afterwards as a tempo run, and Ed his first race after a long warmup with a tempo to follow. Elaine also used this race as a workout, having done a speed session on Fri., just 2 days before the race. All 4 were satisfied with their races given the conditions and the heavy workload for the day, and Chris was also psyched about his PR.

Frostbite 15K

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 18:26:00 +0000

Chris Poulos took another step towards the Boston Marathon today, running the 7th annual Frostbite 15k in Raynham, MA. Chris went to the race with his coach (George Terry) to do a 15k workout. The plan was for Chris to run the race in about 6:00 pace (including the 1 mile uphill portion of the course) and pick up the pace in the last couple miles to finish in under 56:00. Chris executed the plan like clockwork. His splits were: 5:57, 5:56, 5:56, 5:57, 5:57, 5:56, 5:58, 5:52, 5:42, and 1:24 (4:39 pace) for the last .3 of a mile. Chris finished in 18th place overall in a time of 54:40. Chris' next race will be February 4th at the Super 5k in Narragansett.

Millennium Mile

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:22:00 +0000

Chris Poulos competed in the 8th Annual Millennium Mile in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The race raises money for a college scholarship fund. The weather at the 2pm start was sunny and cold, but it was a beautiful day for December 31st in New Hampshire. The race had 771 finishers. Chris finished 43rd overall, running in 4:42 (a new 1 Mile PR by 20 seconds). Chris will race again on February 4th at the Super 5k in Narragansett.

Santa Run 5 Miler

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 22:38:00 +0000

Today’s race was the Santa Run 5 Miler in Pawtucket, RI. Chris ran a new PR time of 29:37 (5:55 pace), which was good enough for 2nd place. The course had many turns. Chris used all the tangents well and ran negative splits throughout the race. His last mile (my fastest) was 5:43 pace. He is very psyched to have beaten his oldest PR (from 1992) by 15 seconds.

Philadelphia Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (runningheritage) — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 00:36:00 +0000

This was Chris’ second marathon. His first was also Philadelphia in 2005 where he finished in 4:26:18. This year was much different. He finished in 3:16:18. That’s a huge 1:10:00 PR and a very psyched Chris. The bad news is he missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by a mere 19 seconds. He averaged 7:11 pace (2:45:24) through mile 23 but did the last 3.2 miles in 30:54 (9:58 pace). Look for him to improve even more at the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia on March 18, 2007.