Yesterday’s weather was perfect for the 16th annual Covered Bridges 1/2 marathon from Woodstock to Quechee VT. The sign up for this race was closed within 3 hours, 3000 ppl had signed up, which tells you how popular the race is to the running crowd. I used to run the race in the early nineties when it was West Woodstock and the Lincoln Covered Bridge to Lake Pinnacle in Quechee. The course now starts at Suicide Six, the Woodstock Inn & Resort Ski Area in Pomfret, VT(one if not the first in history, right backside of the ski tow hill).
Steve, Schuyler and I met Tina & Chris at the Antique Mall in Quechee where Steve gave us a ride to the start. Tina and Chris raised more than $1000 for the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and were a part of the team – so we checked in there, stretched and wandered around the crowd.
I found my way to the start line (I hate to juggle around people and it gives me the extra motivation and edge to start near the front), to begin and pushed it through right from the start. Not looking at my watch the whole first 1/2 of the race I actually led the women until mile 9. For some reason after the hill, I was all alone on the stretch before the Quechee golf course and really slowed my pace. I tried to push, but then began to think of the last 3 days in Tampa (tropical storm Barry hit them hard) and being delayed in Tampa (1/2 hour) and then in Phili (2 hours) arriving Hartford and driving home 2 hours to sleep at 12 midnight or so… Tough to travel and race and get into a regime for running…. I began my excuses in my head and slowed even more. No one was around me to talk to me, and the little bands on the road were done… the last one was the tempo drums on the flat… I ran through by Simon Pearce finally and to the finish, but by that time 4 women had passed me and I was 5th. I was disappointed in my finish, expecting a PR? Not sure, but still not so happy, or maybe I was just exhausted and am pushing myself so hard. I staggered at the finish, exhausted and just worn out. Lack of sleep these past few months felt like it was catching up with me. Steve and Schuyler were there at the finish to welcome me and give me big hugs.
We wandered around and I saw my friend Amy Robb, an old friend from my bike race days and we chatted for a while, catching up. So great to see her! We talked to Rod Viens, my neighbor out on Old Springfield and he was 5th. He wasn’t real happy with his run, but he ran mid 5/min/miles.
After I changed out of my soaked clothes we went back to the finish to Tina & Chris who ran together finishing in 1:53 – awesome job for Tina’s first 1/2 marathon. She was thrilled!
40 2/178 F4044 1:29:35 6:50 1:29:36 Nancy Peck 42 F 1827 Sunapee NH
Top Ten M/F Results
TOP TEN RESULTS
16th Annual Covered Bridges Half Marathon
June 3, 2007 USATF Certified #VT97004WN Woodstock to Quechee, VT
Timing By ChampionChip – Granite State Race Services www.gsrs.com
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TOP TEN MEN OVERALL
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Place Div Div Time Pace Name Age Sex Race# City/state
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1 1 M2029 1:11:10 5:26 Nathaniel Freese 22 M 820 Tunbridge VT
2 1 M3039 1:14:14 5:40 Rich Smith 37 M 2 Enfield NH
3 2 M3039 1:14:25 5:41 Paul Curtis 33 M 552 New York NY
4 3 M3039 1:15:05 5:44 Rod Viens 39 M 4 Sunapee NH
5 4 M3039 1:16:29 5:51 Matthew Hyde 30 M 9 Arlington MA
6 1 M0119 1:19:01 6:02 Dylan Grald 16 M 922 Grantham NH
7 1 M4044 1:19:03 6:02 Christopher Lang 42 M 18 Hartford VT
8 2 M4044 1:19:06 6:02 Christopher Gould 41 M 913 Pelham MA
9 1 M4549 1:20:02 6:07 John Lachance 48 M 14 Lunenburg MA
10 2 M2029 1:20:10 6:07 Joe Reynolds 28 M 1943 Brookline MA
Record 1:07:06 by Seth McClennan in 1995.
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TOP TEN WOMEN OVERALL
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Place Div Div Time Pace Name Age Sex Race# City/state
===== === ===== ======= ===== ======================== === === ===== ========
1 1 F3039 1:27:24 6:40 Laurie Greenberg 32 F 2566 Perkinsville VT
2 1 F4549 1:27:41* 6:42 Cindy Pomeroy 45 F 1 Windsor Locks CT
3 2 F3039 1:27:54 6:43 Maribel Souther 32 F 3 Hanover NH
4 1 F4044 1:28:50* 6:47 Debbie Gould 41 F 914 Pelham MA
5 2 F4044 1:29:36 6:51 Nancy Peck 42 F 1827 Sunapee NH
6 3 F3039 1:29:39 6:51 Amie Creagh 34 F 524 Deerfield MA
7 2 F4549 1:29:46* 6:51 Sue Lachance 47 F 16 Lunenburg MA
8 1 F2029 1:29:55 6:52 Rebecca Butler 29 F 330 Honnnnover NH
9 2 F2029 1:31:05 6:57 Beth Coughlin 28 F 507 Newton MA
10 3 F4549 1:31:53* 7:01 Sarah Tabbutt 47 F 2284 Philadelphia PA
Record 1:18:40 by Maribel Sanchez in 1998.
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
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FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 to 44
Place O’All Nettime Pace Guntime Name Age Sex Race# City/state
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1 35 1:28:47 6:47 1:28:50* Debbie Gould 41 F 914 Pelham MA
2 40 1:29:35 6:50 1:29:36 Nancy Peck 42 F 1827 Sunapee NH
3 116 1:37:29 7:27 1:37:36 Lynn Stanford 43 F 2221 Lancaster NH
4 132 1:38:28 7:31 1:38:32 Lisa O’Neil 41 F 1773 Quechee VT
5 133 1:38:28 7:31 1:38:32 Kim Sheffield 41 F 2128 Woodstock VT
6 161 1:39:05 7:34 1:40:18 Stephanie Clark 40 F 436 Lyme Center NH
7 175 1:40:33 7:41 1:40:57 Katrina Hotchkiss 40 F 1096 Pittsfield VT
8 181 1:40:56 7:42 1:41:18 Robyn Churchill 41 F 428 Cambridge MA
9 187 1:41:04 7:43 1:41:25 Cindy Pierce 42 F 1863 Etna NH
10 253 1:44:02 7:57 1:44:47 Catalina Vial 40 F 2385 Pittsford NY
* Under USATF
