There are many reasons to not visit Cape Cod on a foggy, rainy winter week-end -- winter fog and rain is one reason; perhaps the service at the restaurants was another (Waitress: "Uh…oh yeah, soup and salad...I forgot."); maybe another reason, the bed in the local hotel, the length of which more closely fit one of the seven dwarfs than one of the several CMSers who visited for the running of the Cape Cod Times Marathon/Half-marathon. Regardless, the race was a reason to be there.
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| Barbara McManus (in the lead) and Gary Bridgman (in the cute little matching yellow outfit) score points for synchronized running while Krom (partially obscured, far right, black shorts, white t-top, and tall) settles into the first mile. (photo by Linda Olson) |
Over 1,000 runners in a combined 5, 13.1, and 26.2 mile race started Sunday morning as an exercise in precision: the start time (10:40 Sharp!), the course map ("mile X is 3 feet seven inches from the center of the Green #67 mailbox on Poxquietaksis Trail Road -- just short of the expansion joint in the highway and left of Grandma Fudley's potted plant -- the green pot not the orange one."); and, the finishing results and awards posted quickly as the racers finished. Water stops and course markers abounded. The scenery, while potentially magnificent, was...well...grey and white. ("It may be cold but at least it's foggy.") Before the race, there was a "deal" for overnighting runners in the local Hyannis Inn Hotel. After the race, there were showers, food and stuff to buy that you didn't even know you needed.
The end of the five mile and the half-marathon left Dave Krom still on course towards a Boston qualifier. Early on, in a close pack, thick with CMSers, Dave dutifully held to a 6:45 or better pace per mile through the half-way point. For the next loop, except for the cheers from the Krom Krowd, he had to go it alone through the fog and mist and the wall, from 13.1 to the finish. He qualified for the Boston 2000 Marathon, on the last qualifying day, in the last qualifying race, with 8 minutes to spare and a PR 3:12:21.
(photo by Linda Olson)
CMS members included Rich and Annette Lemerise, Lisa Mentzer, John Carey, Joanne Lachapelle, Stu Kravitz, Barbara McManus, Meg Ryan, Dave Krom, Ken Lemerise, Bill Ferarro, Gary Bridgman, and John Grenier. And of course, there was the Krom contingent of cheerleaders: Papa Krom, Sisters Krom, Brother "King" Krom to prod Dave ("no...that one's not Dave; that runner's not running like a duck.") Krom to a Boston Marathon qualifier.
Dave Krom, Barbara McManus, Gary Bridgman, Annette Lemerise, Rich Lemerise and Joanne Lachapelle trespassing on private property prior to the race (photo by Linda Olson) Each CMSer had his or her own success (in no particular order): President Rich Lemerise, a darn respectable (1:49:17) in the half-marathon in coincidently the same pace per mile as wife Annette in her PR of 41:46 in the five mile along with an award for the woman runner finishing with the most layers of clothing. Lisa Mentzer, with a huge PR in the half, a 1:34:28, and an age group second. John Carey (claiming to be weak from "veg-ing out" the previous night) with a 1:34:24. Stu Kravitz with a 1:27:45 and the "gentleman of the race" award, as he slowed to offer motivation to Barbara McManus, inspiring her on to a PR of 1:27:35, and third place woman overall. Meg Ryan with a 1:39:44 in the half, but more importantly, running through some niggling lower leg injuries which are hopefully now only memories. John Grenier, wearing his new stealth uniform, so he could not be seen, covered the half-marathon in 1:42:20. John also stayed below radar coverage, thus completing the entire race undetected. Other CMS included Gary Bridgman (1:27:30), Ken Lemerise (1:33:07), and Bill Ferrara (1:33:17) and an age group 5th. (Apologies to those I've neglected, but the official race results didn't list club affiliation).
Sunday, January 07, 2007 01:59 PM
