Stone Cat Marathon 2009 Results

These are preliminary results taken from the GAC website.

* COURSE RECORD


Place Time First Last Town State Sex Age Bib


1 2:54:45* Ben Nephew Mansfield MA M 34 106
2 3:09:30 Greg Hammett Chesterfield NH M 32 65
3 3:09:50 Jeff Hunt Concord MA M 45 72
4 3:11:59 Mark Engerman Concord MA M 42 49
5 3:18:23 Steve Wolfe Merrimack NH M 45 162
6 3:18:31 Andy King Lowell MA M 33 77
7 3:32:09 Michael Lohrer Carlisle MA M 54 88
8 3:34:48 Stanislav Trufanov Arlington MA M 30 156
9 3:35:35 Kevin Sullivan Andover MA M 38 332
10 3:44:33 Dave Molk Somerville MA M 27 100
11 3:44:35 Garry Harrington Keene NH M 49 66
12 3:45:19 Bruce Campbell Peabody MA M 52 19
13 3:46:41 George Lapierre Williston VT M 30 82
14 3:46:41 Brian Lenihan Hingham MA M 42 86
15 3:48:43 Michael Thornton Harvard MA M 39 147
16 3:51:31 Paul Funch Groton MA M 59 53
17 3:51:40 David Boudreau Brookline NH M 38 15
18 3:53:02 Steve Smith Boyds MD M 43 140
19 3:54:13 Roland DesRochers Wrentham MA M 41 39
20 3:55:00 Rob Zaccardi Hanover MA M 163
21 3:58:13 Jay Curry Lynn MA M 38 35
22 3:58:40 Courtney Bell Salem MA F 34 12
23 3:58:43 Joe Alfano Holden MA M 43 5
24 3:59:25 Stuart Smith Ipswich MA M 38 141
25 4:00:15 Nathan Echols Long Valley NJ M 42 234
26 4:02:09 Callum Henderson Hingham MA M 41 69
27 4:04:17 Brad Beveridge Mirror Lake NH M 35 14
28 4:05:15 Jeffery Hart Rindge NH M 41 67
29 4:05:59 Ed Reagan Levittown NY M 53 124
30 4:06:49 Nathan Sanel Bow NH M 41 322
31 4:08:48 Erica Labella Sugar Hill NH F 30 80
32 4:10:21 Howard Tansey Harwich MA M 45 143
33 4:14:09 Dan Townsend Arlington MA M 30 153
34 4:14:18 Lauren Commons Sharon MA M 46 28
35 4:14:26 Jim Pugh North Andover MA M 58 123
36 4:15:55 David Holt Pepperell MA M 50 264
37 4:16:36 Mindy Slovinsky Scarborough ME F 38 138
38 4:18:50 Colin Maclay Salem MA M 41 91
39 4:24:13 Eric Gelber New York NY M 42 54
40 4:24:45 John Pearsall Guilford ME M 51 112
41 4:27:04 Michael Crosby Middleton MA M 43 32
42 4:28:36 Eric Finney Chelmsford MA M 39 51
43 4:32:41 Elizabeth Touchette Revere MA F 26 150
44 4:33:13 Ashley Gosnell Medford MA F 26 59
45 4:33:46 Jennifer Merriam Portsmouth NH F 40 99
46 4:33:53 Chris Pruchnic Denver CO M 41 121
47 4:34:28 Doug Cummings Longmeadow MA M 47 33
48 4:36:23 Clinton Morse Tolland CT M 47 294
49 4:36:47 Joy Grossman So Woodstock VT F 44 63
50 4:37:23 Robin Asbury Andover NH F 42 6
51 4:37:42 Dale Bob Eckert Newburyport MA M 53 46
52 4:38:09 Amy Mosca Newburyport MA F 37 104
53 4:38:09 Kathleen Winslow Rowley MA F 41 161
54 4:38:52 Chris Accettella Hingham MA M 34 2
55 4:38:52 Thomas Campbell Charlestown MA M 28 20
56 4:41:14 Karen Ringheiser Carlisle MA F 45 317
57 4:41:58 Tim Clarke Salem MA M 48 26
58 4:43:07 Bill Morse Dracut MA M 58 103
59 4:44:26 Kathleen Karpe Hopkinton MA F 47 76
60 4:44:26 Laura McKenzie Hopkinton MA F 44 95
61 4:44:37 Tim Pruchnic Scarborough ME M 37 122
62 4:44:47 Matt Carroll Westford MA M 36 23
63 4:44:54 Deb Touchette Salem MA F 54 149
64 4:44:55 Stephen Touchette Salem MA M 54 151
65 4:46:33 Thomas Parker Nashua NH M 42 111
66 4:46:48 Christine Carone Burlington VT F 32 22
67 4:48:36 Shawn McCardle Kinkora PEI M 41 288
68 4:48:58 George Alexion Waterboro ME M 50 4
69 4:49:08 Glenn Meister Wellesley MA M 47 98
70 4:50:03 Ronald Johnston Bedford NH M 57 75
71 4:50:24 Kevin Curry Lynn MA M 51 36
72 4:50:50 Kenny Rogers Fairhaven MA M 55 129
73 4:51:41 Emily Trespas Andover MA F 38 155
74 4:52:17 Stephen Gould Camden ME M 58 60
75 4:52:39 Jeanne Christie Windham ME F 52 24
76 4:55:15 Robert DiBurro Boxford MA M 41 42
77 4:56:14 Mark Barton Manchester NH M 38 10
78 4:56:15 Sarah Sheppard Worcester MA F 25 134
79 4:58:45 Priscilla Welch Boxford MA F 56 158
80 5:02:18 Nick Tooker Holyoke MA M 30 336
81 5:02:38 Steve Collopy Holliston MA M 52 224
82 5:02:55 Courtney Paige Norwalk CT F 34 110
83 5:04:29 Lois Alexander Merrimac MA F 57 1
84 5:04:51 Sarah Evertson Ipswich MA F 49 50
85 5:05:09 Ira Zaroff Melville NY M 34 344
86 5:06:40 Dennis McGurk Gloucester MA M 62 94
87 5:07:37 Kimberly Phillips Natick MA F 40 117
88 5:07:45 Dan Cooper Salem MA M 37 29
89 5:10:42 Stephanie Sheridan Newmarket NH F 43 135
90 5:11:08 David Delibac Grand Isle VT M 57 38
91 5:11:44 Rebeckah Iseman Newburyport MA F 30 73
92 5:13:52 Deanne Hobba Salem MA F 42 70
93 5:16:52 Patricia Clark Worcester MA F 49 25
94 5:20:46 Clarence Eckerson Yarmouthport MA M 58 45
95 5:22:32 Scott Walsh Newburyport MA M 52 157
96 5:23:01 Andrea DiBenedetto Woolwich ME F 50 41
97 5:23:01 Deb Taylor Wiscasset ME F 38 144
98 5:24:12 Michael Goolkasian Ipswich MA M 45 58
99 5:24:15 Cindy Bennett Marblehead MA F 51 13
100 5:24:17 Joseph Reynolds Newfield NY M 65 126
101 5:25:20 Keith DeVeau Lewiston ME M 41 40
102 5:25:27 Kristina Burns So Hamilton MA F 35 17
103 5:25:29 David Morris-Barker So Hamilton MA M 45 102
104 5:25:39 Jen Tougas Ipswich MA F 36 152
105 5:25:41 Robert Martin Topsfield MA M 42 92
106 5:25:52 Vincent Ma San Jose CA M 40 90
107 5:25:55 Reza Olia Boxford MA M 107
108 5:25:58 Robert Schrater Salem MA M 61 133
109 5:27:14 Paul Copeland Winthrop MA M 46 31
110 5:28:29 Peter Perkins Boxford MA M 69 114
111 5:31:05 Bob Buckingham New London CT M 49 215
112 5:31:06 Nora Ball Manchester NH F 36 7
113 5:31:06 Geno Dube Manchester NH M 40 43
114 5:33:33 Bruce Olean Hope Valley RI M 64 165
115 5:35:38 Larry Godbout Lynn MA M 58 57
116 5:36:30 Julie O'Mara Westminster MA F 38 301
117 5:36:46 Richard Zaunbrecher Concord MA M 56 345
118 5:37:39 Jim Banyas Portsmouth NH M 45 8
119 5:37:39 Timmy Poole Hampton NH M 38 119
120 5:37:39 Kate Wheeler Hampton NH F 36 160
121 5:40:58 Alison Phelan Peabody MA F 45 115
122 5:43:00 Pete Lyons Dennis MA M 44 89
123 5:49:16 Stephanie Cooper Salem MA M 41 30
124 5:50:34 Richard Lewis Lynn MA M 52 87
125 5:54:14 Denise Murphy Salem MA M 45 105
126 5:54:14 Patrick Smith Salem MA M 47 139
127 5:54:40 Christine Wenzel Chelmsford MA F 33 159
128 5:54:57 Karen Giroux Salem MA F 43 56
129 5:58:07 Nancy Hatfield Lynn MA F 43 68
130 5:58:25 Carin Zinter Sunderland MA F 36 347
131 5:59:05 Stu Greely Lynn MA M 56 62
132 6:00:59 Dale Granger-Eckert Newburyport MA F 57 61
133 6:07:59 Mary McDonald Conway AR F 56 93
134 6:08:49 Celia Leber Bend OR F 45 85
135 6:11:58 Frederick Ross III Vernon VT M 63 130
136 6:14:35 Terry Reagan Harvard MA M 54 125
137 6:14:35 Krista Schepanovsky Harvard MA F 41 132
138 6:16:56 Bonnie Hallinan Danvers MA F 60 64
139 6:17:41 Karen McWhirt Southbury CT F 48 97
140 6:21:37 Stan Tiska Hinsdale MA M 52 335
141 6:22:32 Bob Falk New York NY M 66 238
142 6:22:32 Marty Ellowitz Hubbardston MA M 55 235
143 6:24:10 Liza Genovese Marblehead MA F 40 55
144 6:27:35 Diane Krygowski Budd Lake NJ F 46 79
145 6:31:56 Ann Alexion Waterboro ME F 52 3
146 6:31:59 Bill Pennington Andover MA M 54 113
147 6:32:03 Peter Beane W. Farmington ME M 55 11
148 6:32:08 Penny Duncan New Sharon ME F 58 44
149 6:39:33 Pamela Thompson Industry ME F 54 146
150 6:41:10 Jay Short Rowley MA M 44 136
151 6:47:34 Richard Busa Marlboro MA M 80 18
152 6:47:38 Barry Ostrow Ashland MA M 67 109
153 6:49:18 Gary Larson Dover-Foxcroft ME M 64 83
154 7:12:15 John McLaughlin Ipswich MA M 43 96
155 7:29:15 David Barker Guilford CT M 70 9
156 7:31:58 Jim Simpson Huntington Beach CA M 67 137
157 7:36:34 Tamara LaTorre Bridgewater MA F 44 84
158 7:40:15 Greg Taylor Delmar NY M 63 145

Stone Cat 50 Training Plan

With only nine weeks to go before my first 50 mile attempt at the Stone Cat trail Races I thought I should devise a training plan to get me to the starting line. Up until now I have be winging it from week to week without any goals or plan in place. That worked fine for my 50K at the Green Lakes Endurance Runs but I don’t feel like it will work for Stone Cat. I think a more structured approach is better for the longer distance.

Of course this is just a plan and subject to change along the way. The biggest question mark I see right know is how my knee feels in the days and weeks ahead. Right now it’s still sore. I can run for about an hour before I feel pain in the left knee. It gets worse when running downhill to the point where I feel as though I am altering my stride. I’ve been icing it twice a day but haven’t tried stretching the IT band yet. I’m not even sure if it is the IT band but I suspect it.

Anyway, here is the plan by week.

1. 40 miles, 14 mile long run, 3 x 1 mile intervals (50K recovery week #2)
2. 45 miles, 20 mile long run, 3 x 1 mile intervals
3. 50 miles, 24 mile long run, 3 x 1 mile intervals
4. 50 miles, 20 mile long run, 10K trail race
5. 40 miles, 18 mile long run, 4 x 1 mile intervals (recovery week)
6. 50 miles, Mountain Madness 50K (as long training run)
7. 35 miles, 15-18 mile long run or 15 mile trail race (taper week #1)
8. 25 miles, 3 x 1 mile intervals, 15K race (taper week #2)
9. 3 days easy running follow by 3 rest days (Race week!!)

I'm just not sure where I will find the time to do all this running!

Stone Cat 50M

I got home from a rain soaked run this morning. It was a pleasant break from the heat and humidity that has been beating me up all week. Before jumping in the shower I checked the GAC website and there it was:

"What's New? 7/31/2009 Stone Cat Application is up for 2009. Click here for the application. Click here for more info. Race date is November 7"

I immediately filled out my application and brought it to the post office. I know there was no need to rush mailing in my application but this is the race I have been thinking about all year. I just couldn't wait!

Stone Cat Trail Marathon Race Report

"I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite." - G. K. Chesterton

My day began in the early morning darkness. I awoke at 2 AM and had a difficult time returning to sleep. It wasn't that I was nervous about the upcoming race; I was just concerned that it may fall back to sleep and not wake up in an hour as planned. Since I was feeling hungry anyway, I decided to get up and eat a little early. I got the coffee started while I prepared some food for breakfast. I had packed all my gear the previous evening so that there was no need to rush this morning. After finishing breakfast I gathered all my gear and brought it out to my truck. I couldn't believe how much stuff I packed for this marathon! I didn't think I would need everything I had but I would rather have something and not use it than need it and not have it.

It was still very dark at 4:30 when I left for the race. There was a light but steady mist in the air. At least the temperature was pretty mild. I started thinking about all the great weekends we've had in the past two months. Bright sunny skies, with cool temperatures perfect for running. Today would be nothing like that. Driving north on Route 1 virtually alone was in sharp contrast to the daylight hours when tens of thousands of cars pass along this busy stretch of highway. I had a difficult time keeping my eyes open and was yawning constantly. I should have had a second cup of coffee.

I arrived at the Doyon School around 5 AM. Two men in brightly colored vests and waving flashlights were directing traffic. They asked me if I was running the 50 or the marathon. When I told him I was running a marathon I was told I had to drive down the road about a quarter-mile and park at the soccer field. Parking in the school lot was reserved for 50 milers only. The soccer field was pitch black but there were a few other runners gathering their belongings. There was a minivan waiting to shuttle runners back to the school. I hopped into the van with three other runners. It turned out we were all first-timers to Stone Cat and would all be running the marathon distance. We were dropped off at school lot and headed immediately to the gym.

I picked up my race number and was handed a very nice Brooks technical tee shirt. I claimed some floor space along the wall and settled down for a little rest before the race. Stone Cat is as much a reunion as it is a trail race. It was obvious that many people have run this race more than once as they greeted fellow runners like old schoolmates. There was a large contingent of Lynn woods runners as well as other familiar faces from previous trail races. I introduced myself to Ian of Trail Monster Running fame. He's an excellent runner and getting faster all the time. The gym filled quickly and the excitement started to build in preparation for the start of the race. Gilly, the race director gave us some last-minute instructions before we headed out to the starting line. He is certainly a character that lives up to his reputation.

We lined up in the soccer field around 6:15. Darkness had lifted and the mist had almost ended. I wanted to start out slowly so I got near the back of the pack. The command to go was given and the pack slowly moved across the grass field. At the end of the field was a narrow trail head. This created a huge bottleneck as runners tried to funnel their way into the narrow path. My decision to get the back of the pack cost me over two minutes as I had to stand and wait for nearly 300 runners to squeeze their way into the trail. The race course is a 12.5 -mile loop in Willowdale state forest. The 50 mile runners went straight into the woods and to complete four loops. Marathon runners would run two loops. Before the marathon runners could start onto the loop course we were directed to make a sharp left hand turn to first complete a 1.2 mile rectangle route around the front of the school and then back to the soccer field. This was needed to make the race 26.2 miles.

Course Overview. School loop in upper right corner.

I settled into a steady comfortable pace. The course turned left up a long gradual hill. There was a long line of runners ahead of me making it difficult to pass on the single track trail. I decided to just go with the flow and hang back until the course allowed for easier passing. The course consisted of several miles of twisting, turning single track trails over gently rolling terrain. No major hills but a few good climbs were mixed in to make thing interesting. It was difficult to maintain any rhythm on the single track. The constant zigzag of the trail kept the pace pretty slow. Occasionally the trail opened in onto wide paths where the running was easier. I decided my strategy for the race would be to run harder on the wider trails that tended to be straight and run a slower, steady pace on the narrow single track.

View Larger Map Course Terrain View

Elevation gain: 2240 feet

About 40 minutes into the race I approached a long straight trail cutting its way across two ponds, one on either side. Recent rains had raised the water level to a point that water was over spilling into the trail. I tried to stay off to the side where the mud was thick and deep. It was nearly impossible to stay dry as my feet kept slipping into the water on the trail. I decided it was ridiculous to try to tip-toe my way across 200 feet of trail since I would lose time and in the end still be wet. After about 20 feet I just started running through the water, passing and splashing runners off to the side. I'm sure this didn't endear me to any of them but what can I say, this is a trail race! With heavy, wet feet I lumbered along wondering if this would cause blisters later on in the race. I continued to click off the miles running a pretty even pace along the way. Around mile 10 I realized I had been running most of the race alone. This sort of amazed me that with 300 people on a 12 mile loop, I would be running alone. Just another long training run!

First loop past very quickly and soon I was entering the soccer field and heading for the start finish line. I checked the finishing clock and noted the time, 2 hours, 13 minutes. At this pace, I definitely had a shot at running 4:30. I walked over to where I had left a drop bag with a towel, a shirt and shorts and Succeed Ultra electrolyte drink. I refilled my hydration pack with the Succeed and debated whether I should change my shirt, socks and shoes. At this point I was drenched from head to toe. A combination of sweat and humid air made me look as if I had taken a swim while out on the course. In the end I just toweled off. I didn't think it would be worth spending all the time to change my clothes knowing I would be running through that long stretch of water again in 40 minutes. I looked back at the clock before I headed off for my second loop. The time was now 2 hours, 15 minutes. I only lost two minutes in transition which wasn't bad.

I was only about 4 miles into the second loop when I started to feel fatigue setting in. My quads were feeling heavy and my hamstrings and calves were tightening up. I also started feeling a little pain in my right knee and my left hip. I think the sharp left and right turns on the tight single track were throwing off my SI joint and causing the hip pain. The knee pain was probably caused by my IT band tightening up. By mile 18 I was really beginning to struggle. I was a little worried knowing I had another 8 miles to go. I got a little energy boost when I hit mile 20. I'm not sure if this was physical or psychological but I felt good for about 2 miles. By mile 22 I was feeling like crap once again. At this point I could barely get my feet off the ground and tripped over a rock and went down hard on my right knee and elbow. No real damage done but it took the wind out of me.

The last 4 miles were very tough. I resorted to many short, swift walking breaks. I tried to calculate what my finishing time would be but mentally I was too fatigued to do the math in my head. I didn't think I had a shot at 4:30 any longer, and finishing became the only goal. Up ahead I saw a runner and a bright orange shirt. I thought if I could keep him in sight he could pull me to the finish. Unfortunately, he was having difficulty and started taking walking breaks as well. To finish this I would be on my own, as well it should be. The last 2 miles passed very slowly and painfully but eventually I was nearing the finish. I felt a sudden burst of energy and started to kick it in. In the distance I could see the finishing clock but it was difficult to make out the numbers. I kept running hard and soon I could read the time. I was a little surprised to see I would break 4:30. After downing 80 oz of Succeed, 10 oz of water, 4 strawberry-banana gels and 2 S-caps along the way, I crossed the finish line in 4:26:59!!

Complete Results Here: 50M & Marathon

Stone Cat Race Photos Courtesy of Emily Trespas: Click Here

This has been a come back year for me. I have overcome injuries and setbacks and made slow, steady progress. Stone Cat has been a year long goal and the culmination of a lot of hard work and determination. I am happy to have finished and thrilled to have broken 4:30. This is not the end, but merely the beginning of a new phase in my training. I will take some time to relish in the accomplishment and to rest my weary body before readying myself for the next challenge. Now that I have a marathon under my belt I'm looking ahead to a 50K (maybe).

If I had followed the advice of some medical specialists, I would not be running right now. So much for years of education, training and practicing medicine. No one knows my body as well as I do, what it is capable of, what pain it can endure and overcome. How much farther can it go?
Stay tuned.....

Stone Cat Marathon - Today's Goals

I didn't expect to be sitting at my laptop at 3 AM but I woke up about an hour ago and couldn't fall back to sleep. It's not that I'm nervous about the today's race, it's just that I thought I might oversleep. It's unlikely I would have even though I never set an alarm. I was hungry anyway so I got up to eat. Waffles, a banana and some whey protein should hold me over until after the race.

It's been 20 years and 7 months since I ran my last marathon. I never thought I'd be running one again but my love of trail running got me interested in doing one on trails. All my previous marathons have been on roads. I set three goals for today. The first is the most important, to finish! Sure I am confident I can, but in a race of this distance minor issues can turn into big problems, and finishing can become a major struggle.

Goals number two and three are time goals. Although finishing is my main concern, I believe it's important to place some time limit out there to challenge yourself. Time goal #1 is a time I think I am capable of running based on my training and performances in shorter trail races over the past two months. Time goal #2 is a time I may be able to run if I have a day when everything falls into place and I run a perfect race. I'll know the answer to this in about 7 hours.

Race Goals

Goal #1: Finish
Goal #2: 4:30
Goal #3: 4:20

Good luck to all...

Stone Cat Marathon Training Schedule

I have averaged 31 miles over the past 5 weeks with a long run between 10 – 12 miles. This is my starting point for my 13 week marathon training schedule. The plan may be a bit ambitious and I will have to closely monitor how my body is feeling from week to week. Any increase in symptoms from my injuries will call for scaling back on the long runs and total weekly miles.

Week Long Total

1. 10 --- 26 √
2. 14 --- 40 √
3. 16 --- 44 √
4. 18 --- 48 √
5. 12 --- 24 √
6. 16 --- 52
7. 20 --- 54
8. 22 --- 51
9. 14 --- 32
10. 23 --- 57
11. 25 --- 57
12. 16 --- 40
13. 12 --- 25
14. 26.2 Race

I hope I don't need it but wish me luck.

Stone Cat Trail Marathon - Goal Race for 2008

Applications for the Stone Cat 50 Mile and Marathon were made available today. This race has been in the back of my mind since January. This is when I began my slow return to running after a seven month layoff due to multiply injuries. I am still struggling to overcome them completely but have not yet been successful. However, I have improved a great deal since I started my comeback six months ago with a minute jog/minute walk training regime. I’m now running 20 – 30 miles a week at a very slow pace. Still, I am thankful that I have come this far.

Now it’s time to move on to the next phase. It’s time to set a goal. I have never been the type to set easily attainable ones. I prefer to set a goal that has some possibility of failure. As T.S Eliot said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go”. So, despite all the setbacks I have had in the past year, I feel I am making slow but steady progress. I am confident I can continue on this path and slowly increase my training without further complications. To make my commitment complete, today I mailed my application for the Stone Cat Marathon to the race director.

Fourteen weeks until race day. It seems so far away, yet there is much to do. I will be posting my 3 month training plan for the marathon in the next few days. I will also provide weekly updates of my actual training vs. my plan. In this way, I will resist any temptation to slack off when the training gets more difficult. I just hope to stay healthy enough to make it through the training. The race itself will be the easy part.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.--Confucius