NETT women defend title at Andover, men 3rd

The NETT Mini Ponyettes bravely defended their team title at the Andover Country Club XC Race today, while the men's team could only muster up a third-place team finish in a competitive field.

The ladies got the job done with an extremely low score of 13 in the race, outpacing five other women's teams. Kristen Hall led the charge in 23:11 over the 3.5(ish) mile course, finishing second in the female masters divison. From master to youth, it was Katherine De Zutter scoring next for the NETT women's team in 25:13, second in her age group. She was followed by Tina Wang (25:56), Karyn Miller-Medzon (26:53) and Chrissy Durden who somehow got shuffled into the men's category.

But not that the men were complaining about having Chrissy on their squad, as they could use all the help they could get. With the Central Mass Striders nabbing 2-3-4-5 in a heated men's race with CRC, it was tough sledding for NETT, who put their best foot forward for a third-place team finish. It came down to the Andover stalwarts for NETT, Paul Miller, Crazy Dave, Dave Mingori, Frank KJ and Toledo Joe the scoring five with Jim De Zutter toughing it out to be our fallback member. These are familiar names for NETT at Andover, as Paul, Dave and Joe were scoring members in the first-ever NETT race at Andover back in 2002, and Dave M and Frank KJ have certainly been regulars in recent years.

(The men's plaque is small, but the ladies assured us size doesn't really matter.)



Despite some construction (what else is new, right?), the slightly altered Andover course lived up to its reputation for rolling hills and the post-race celebration remains the best around. Did I mention the free beer? Didn't take Andy long to catch on!

Turkey Day Results include Marathon effort!

Well this Thanksgiving had the usual batch of race results for NETT members racing around in various Turkey Day races. Out in at the Stow Gobbler 5K it was Crazy Dave, Frank KJ, Toledo Joe and the three DZs (Jerry, Katherine and Jim De Zutter) ripping it up. The Miller-Medzon clan headed up to Andover and saw Daniel (21:10) and Noah (23:10) scorching the 5K while mom Eminem braved the crowds in the five miler (37:49). And I'm SURE there were plenty of other folks that had good performances on Thursday morning.

But there was one runner that outdid us all.

NETT newbie John Grainge ran the Atlanta Marathon in 3:15 on Thanksgiving Day to finish 41st overall! Wow, don't we all feel like whimps now! Big Congrats Gino....You da man!

Update on Mini Pony Cup

Here's an update on the Mini Pony Cup standings. Let me know if they look accurate. MiniPonyCup-fgk

Big Ben busts it out clean in Philly

Big congrats to Big Ben Winther for uncorking a very speedy 3:02 at the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend. Here's his always amusing report:

"I went out a little fast because Crazy wasn't there to tug the back of my shirt, 6:50ish, tried to hold back a little through thefirst 8, but, you know me, kept right at the pace, and was doing 6:40s into the half, as the half approached I passed a chick that had crapped herself, and I decided right then and there, there was no way I was going to lose to a woman covered in her own fecal matter. I ran for a while next to another young woman who was pretty snotty and obnoxious so she made the list too, but at least she was not covered in her own mess. She was being paced by a guy and kept talking shit about the people around her that they all obviously went out too fast and would never hit the times they were currently on pace for....I didn't like her, swore I'd beat her too. But at least she didn't stink to high heavens of pooh.

I got swept into a pack of guys at about 16 miles, and I went with them, notching it down to 6:30ish pace for a while, then we hit a very small hill, and I fell off hard. But for the record, at no point did I lose control of my bodily functions.

I dropped back to 7 min pace at 18 and just never recovered, eventually going as slow as 8:20 a couple miles. There wasn't a piano on my back, but a very good sized Casio keyboard. I tried to pick it up a bit when I began to thinkg I could get in under three hours, but my legs didn't have it. I was passed by the mad crapper at mile 23 in a blaze of excrement, and never caught that other douche. My calves strarted to cramp up at mile 24, probably should've pumped more fluids, but I was actually cold all day, as it was around 40 when I started, 50 when I finished, but hands were cold the whole time.

Final time by my watch, 3:02.05. Not a PR, but at the end of the day, I'll take a 3:02 with no poop over a 2:59 covered in my own crap any day."

NETT men chug through the Edaville Rail Run

It was the best of times it was the wettest of times. No.

You win some, you lose some, you get soaked at some. Uh uh.

When it rains it pours. And when it pours the wind blows. And when the wind and rain are both at their worst, NETT is usually running. Yeah, that's the one.

It was a wet and wild day for a few of the hearty Mini Ponies that braved the Edaville Rail Run, held Saturday in the midst of the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Weather aside, it was a fun, well organized race, a five-miler on a pancake flat course winding its way around cranberry bogs in Carver, Mass. Pretty much all dirt paths, so the rain made it a big sloppy.

NETT men showed pretty strong regults: Crazy Dave (second) Youngstah (sixth) and Marshall (35th) all won their age groups while Marshall and Jack Burke both piled more points onto their 1-2 places in the ENTRS.

NETT pal Jim DeSisto did extremely well also running only his second-ever race in 8-minute pace in blazing rain and wind.

Turns out we're all nuts!

It turns out that Chris Smith isn't the lunatic after all. The results of the latest NETT poll show that the overwhelming majority of respondents said "you guys are all twisted. Get some help." Of course, it begs the question, who among is responding saying we're all twisted, but is not so twisted? Let he who has not run two races in one weekend cast the first stone!
And be sure to take our latest poll on the Andover XC race!

Mary cracks top 10 in women's-only Maine Coast Half-Marathon

Well it was a weekend for the NETT kids to crack top 10 in competitive races. The same day Dave Molk was turning heads at the Stone Cat Marathon, Mary Smith was up in Maine, cracking the top 10 at the Maine Coast Half-Marathon for Women (and one lucky guy!).

Mary tells the NETT Newsroom the "One Lucky Guy was chosen through a lottery and he told me that he only found out that he had won Oct 18th. I ran for about 5 minutes with the Lucky Guy and chatted with him, but then he took off & I ran the majority of the race alone (passing people here & there). I almost caught back up to the Lucky Guy at the finish - if I had another 1/2 mile I would've gotten him. I tried my best to catch him in a sprint to the finish - but he just had more left in the tank. However, it's important to note that due to "chip timing" I actually beat the One Lucky Guy, and came in 10th out of about 850 runners. More importantly I beat one of my co-workers (who's a pretty good runner). The best part is that she had no idea I was gunning for her!!"

But true to the NETT code of ethics, Mary finished the race and then backtracked for about 1.5 miles to meet up with her friend to pace her into the finishas well. "That was my secret training for the day," she says.

Mary calls it a "a false flat" course because it seemed flat, but there were a lot of gradual grades plus it ran along the Maine Coast, so the wind was always hitting you in the face.

"It was a great day to run...perfect temperature, sunshine and ocean view."

Here's the link to the race website:
http://www.locorunning.com/mainecoasthalf.html

Molk top 10 in debut marathon at Stone Cat

Big congrats to Dave Molk who finished 10th place at Stone Cat Trail Marathon, his first marathon ever! Dave had his sites on this race for a long time and definitely did his homework. At least once he did double-secret training on a long run (means he showed up to secret training having already run!) and it clearly paid off in his 3:44.

Dave says, "Yes, I rocked the Mini Ponies race top at Stone Cat. Unfortunately, it was pretty cold, so it remained under my jacket, but it was there. I had a blast and am stoked with my 10th place finish, as I didn't really know what I was doing (other than my predominant race strategy of 'don't twist or break anything'). Karen and Dima were both looking good when I left."

Karen Ringheiser dropped down to the marathon and did her third (I think--I have lost track) marathon this fall!.

Dima Feinhaus completed the 50 mile and says "not much to report."I felt pretty beaten up after 3-4 miles. Just to much heavy duty stuff in the last month I guess. 15 min behind last year schedule after 25 miles, but quickly deteriorating. Regrouped, stopped competing and turned it into an endurance training. Second 25 run evenly but slow. Everyone and their grandmother passed me. I finished 40th in 9:20. This is always a great event though. Very well organized. There were a bunch of mountain bikers insisted on using same trails. Scary. The most amazing part of my race was when I came across a girl I was trading places with from 33 to 44. She got a vision problem during the race but wanted to finish any way. She was stumbling. Loosing the trail. Checking the path with her hands And falling down. "

Women take 2nd place team at Genesis Battlegreen race

Three women run the Genesis Battle Green race and all three PRed at the 12K distance. Of course none of them KNEW they'd be running 12K.

Apparently it was a weekend for course mishaps, as the NETT team of Tina Wang, Deb Robertson and Chrissy Bures (yes, Bures) got a little "secret racing" distance in on their way to the second place team overall.

Congrats!

Drama, intrigue at the Busa Bushwhack

Well, for the NETTers looking to experience the true drama and intrigue that trail running has to offer, they found it at this year's Busa Bushwhack in Framingham on Sunday. This is always a special race, because it honors a true running legend, Rich Busa. But this year was particularly special because it came only a day after Rich's 80th birthday. As always, he was the consumate host, greeting runners with a smile, a pat on the back and encouraging words.

Right from the start, there was drama at this year's Bushwhack. While we all stood and chatted at the starting line until well past 9 a.m., someone pointed out--Did it still start at the same spot? Did we miss the start? No, we were early it turns out. The footing on the course was particularly challenging with so many leaves and acorns this year. There were definitely more spills than normal for a course of this difficulty.

But there was even more drama! Due to a couple slight miscues by some overwhelmed course marshals, a good number of runners were sent off-course in this race, including many of the NETT congingent. Nonethless, the Ponies persevered and showed up all over the results in both the 10 and 5 mile races.

Here's a rundown:

In the 10 miler:
6 153 Hannon Dave West Roxbury 38 1:06:35 6:40:00 M30-39 5
12 67 Smith Christopher Woburn 43 1:11:22 7:08:00 M40-49 1
31 163 Feinhaus Dima Newton 46 1:15:44 7:34:00 M40-49 10
33 88 Verter Erol Somerville 24 1:15:56 7:36:00 M20-29 7
37 69 Randolph Marshall Wellesley 61 1:17:16 7:44:00 M60-69 1
45 189 Cyrulik Adrienne Belmont 35 1:19:36 7:58:00 F30-39 3
86 111 Burke John Cambridge 43 1:31:53 9:11:00 M40-49 25

And in the 5.3 miler:
17 356 DeZutter Katherine Shrewsbury 14 0:43:10 8:09:00 F0-19 1
71 353 DeZutter Jim Shrewsbury 47 0:57:25 10:50:00 M40-49 7

Of particular note at the Bushwhack:
-In his first long trail race, Eri Verter continued to prove he can pretty much handle whatever we can throw at him with a cool head.
-Kathereine De Zutter continues to shoot up the results page (she was 35th at this race a year ago, 17th this year in a more competitive field!) And her experience is growing as well, saying she knew when a course marshall tried to direct her to the 10-miler. This kid's trophy closest is growing faster than Crazy Dave's list of PWs!
-Marshall's daughter, Hannah, and her friend also brought the exuberence of youth to the race, dealing with unique race conditions easily, finishing in 47:38. All the while expressing deep concerns about the race's impact on the area's insect population (where's George??)

All in all, a fun day at a great race with good company. And of course, the chance to honor the "Johnny Kelley of Trail Running" as one person put it yesterday.

Happy Birthday Richie!

Breaking News: Adrienne wins Groton Town Forrest Trail Race

While official results aren't posted yet, the NETT newsroom is abuzz today with the news that Adrienne Cyrulik won the women's division at the Groton Town Forest Trail Race.

In an exclusive interview, Adrienne told NETT news: "Because all the good runners were elsewhere, I won the woman's race today! I didn't even feel that great which makes it even more surprising. I was tripping a lot and went flying once. The good thing is that compared to my 2007 race, I ran 2 min, 15 sec faster overall for a time of 1:16:15."

Of course Marhsall Randolph and Jack Burke were there racking up points in the ENTRS. Getting down to crunch time and looks like they're both afraid to give up any potential points!

Stone Tower 15K: The Battle of the Running Lunatics

What happens when a guy who recently ran two marathons in a week race against another guy who recently pulled a hamstring, ran a marathon (BONKS) and runs a XC in a week? Well they go 1-2 in the Stone Tower 15K Trail Race this weekend, that's what.

NETTers Chris Smith and Paul Young--who we're all agreed should both be committed for their running pursuits of late--matched up for one last hurrah at Lynn Woods this weekend and here's how it played out.

"We started out at a comfortable pace," Chris says (most of us know Chris has never started at a "comfortable pace" in his life, right?) "Paul and I were swapping off the lead. I pushed on a couple of the climbs but there was no loosing that pesky Paul. I was first to the Under Cliff single track and Paul was stuck behind me as my pace slowed. Once out of the single track and back on the carriage road Paul was off like a scalded rabbit. The gap opened so fast I thought he may have taken a wrong turn. I came across the parking lot to the finish and there he was, drat. I paid those course marshals good money! grrr."

Paul reports that "Chris's account of the race is accurate. We both took turns at the front in the early miles. At around 37-40mins Chris had opened up a good gap on me. Thankfully there is more technical single track in during the second half and I was able to reel him in. The two sections of downhill running at the end played into my strength but I was seriously in the hurt zone for the last 3-4 minutes of running and never would have run as fast without Chirs out there pushing me. Great race put on by a group of very nice people."

This was the umpteenth time these two master blasters matched up in Lynn Woods this year, with pretty mixed results. Nice to know two guys can compete that often against each other and still fling more compliments around than mud! Class acts, both for sure.

But we still think they should both be put in a state institution.

NETT finishes the multisport year in style at Wrentham Duathlon

It was a great way to cap off the multisport season today at Wrentham Duathlon. More pics and stories to come, but FULL RESULTS are as follows:
Jerry 4th overall in 58:50
Frank KJ 8th in 1:00:39
Crazy Dave 14th in 1:03:12
Phil De Z in 1:20
And in the relay, father-daughter duo of Jim and Katherine finished 3rd in 1:07!

After the race, in a small private ceremony, NETT was awarded its winnings for its third place finish in the FIRM race series, which will be shared at an upcoming social event (see the Meetup page for details). Special congrats to those that won or ranked in their age-groups in the series. We really did well.(Insert lyrics to Danish national anthem here.)

Congrats!

Video interview with Rich Busa

Some real gems here from Richie. Inspiration for both experienced runners and newbies alike. Courtesy of Greater Framingham Running Club.

BUSA even has his own WIKIPEDIA ENTRY!

NETT women rise over adversity at Baystate Marathon

Huge congrats to the NETT women's team for becoming the first NETT team to score in a USATF-NE Championship road race this weekend at the Baystate Marathon in Lowell. And they did in perhaps the worst conditions imaginable for an October marathon.

Karyn Miller-Medzon led the charge with a PR performace of 3:54, followed closely by Deb Robertson in 3:57 and Chrissy Durden running a very strong 4:02.

And in the "NETTers scoring for other teams" category, the results were just as impressive: Dima Feinhaus (scoring for CSU) ran out of his mind in 2:54 (PR I believe?) with CSU teammate Marhall Randolph clocking a 3:28 (wins the 60-plus age group--yawn). And Karen Ringheiser in her always solid manner clocked a 3:37 for the BAA women's team.

Keep in mind this was in a rainy, windy cold day. To give you a sense of it, here's Karyn MM's report, which includes a description of her now usual mid-race migraine:

"Well...the weather was every bit as bad as predicted.

That said, I actually had a great race--my best marathon yet. For the first five miles, it was cloudy and a little drizzly and only slightly cold. After 5 miles, that changed--the wind and rain picked up and it was fairly miserable. Very hard to stay dry...and later...impossible. Still...things seemed to be going fine, and then at mile 8 I realized that I was having a migraine. Started seeing flashing lights, and my vision narrowed to a small tunnel. I figured I would just stay in until I was completely blind, or in such bad pain that I couldn't go on. I popped 3 motrin and hoped for the best. By mile 11 my sight was clearing and instead of crushing pain, I felt only slight pressure...so I continued. I soon forgot about it altogether. I got to the half where I was expecting to find Mary...but alas, she wasn't there. I pondered that for a few miles, and then, by mile 17, I realized that I felt GREAT. I just wasn't tired! So I sped up a little and just ticked off the miles. Around that time a friendly Vietnamese guy who could barely speak English was running with me, and he was a riot. i didn't have the energy to entertain him, so he simply entertained me, and stayed with me until the end.

Paul Young was wonderful, handing me a much-appreciated banana at mile 20. Saw him twice actually. So nice to see a familiar face through the downpour. For the last 5 miles, when the rain was really coming down, my new friend and I were able to speed up and passed about 40 runners. Just a great feeling. I ran into the stadium feeling strong, and finished in 3:53. I needed a 4:00 to qualify for Boston, so I had minutes to spare! Couldn't wait to get out of my wet clothes which by that time weighed about 20 pounds. Deb finished only 3 minutes later in 3:56 and Chrissy wasn't far behind in 4:01, which was also her marathon PR. Finally, I found Mary....who, with Martin, had miscalculated where the half was going to be...and ended up running much of the course looking for us. Thanks Mary and Martin! Ron and Justine and Paul were a great (and soggy) support team on the sidelines."

The night before the race, NETT had a team dinner at the Chateau in Waltham, and not only prepped for the race, but celebrated Chrissy and Martin's great news (they got hitched on the sly a couple weeks back!!).

Congrats to all!

The last of my running idols...

We have all had our idols when it comes to sports. Heck, that's part of the fun. When I was a youngster, I idolized hockey players like Terry O'Reilly, Stan Jonathan and..the great...Robert Gordon Orr. Great players, but more importantly, tough players who clearly loved the game more than air and set a good example.

As I got older and into running my idols ran along the same lines--it was guys like Alberto Salazar for his mighty heroics on the Boston course and Bob Kennedy for his refusal to use the excuse that the Kenyans were simply too good.

But as you get older you tend to rely less on idols and more on your own abilities and training. But when it comes to running, I still have one idol that stands head and shoulders above the rest. For his attitude as much as his ability. For being there with a handshake and a smile every time I see him. For turning 80 years young this month and maintaining a racing schedule that would make most of us shudder.

My running idol is.....CLICK HERE to find out who Dave's idol is

NETT teams 3rd at Wayland XC Race

It was a solid showing for the NETT Mini-Ponies at the Wayland XC Race this weekend, with both the men's and women's teams taking 3rd place in their divisions.

See the results here

The women's team was a study in contrats with three masters' one sub-master and a very speedy 14-year old making the team of five. Kristin Hall led the way for the Ponyettes running a very solid 20:44 for the rugged 5K course, good for second master. Wendy Johnecheck was next for NETT in 21:57, followed by Karen Ringheiser on a tuneup for Baystate in 22:10. Katherine De Zutter had a week off from high school racing and skated right along to a 22:27 clocking (good for 2nd in her age group)and Karyn MM finished the scoring with a sub-24 effort. Great work ladies!

On the men's side, Chris Smith gets the Medal of Honor for coming out and scoring as our fourth runner only 24 hours after finishing the Hartford Marathon! Owwwwch...But in a addition to Chris' gutsy run, NETT newcomer Barry Phelps did a fantastic job and was our second man in 17:46. Martin Bures was just a few ticks behind Barry, while Andy Hall put in a very strong effort to finish as fifth scorer in 19:35. And we even had a great saftey net (or is it "NETT"?) in the form of Janos Mako (19:42), Eri Verter (20:20) and Jim De Zuttter out on the course. And even though he runs for CSU, we all have a soft spot for Marshall Randolph, who continues to defy the laws of physics winning the 60+ age group handily.

And in the "NETT stars of the future" category, Noah Miller-Medzon kicked butt in the 3K, cranking out a 12:03, good for 7th place in his division. For the mathematically challenged, that's a 6:27 pace, which would put him in the top 50 of the adult race! Clock is ticking--we only have so much time before this kid just starts thrashing us all in open races. Also along those lines, Dima F's two sons did a great job out on the course as well.

As always, race director Eric Bucher puts on a great event for kids and adults alike--open to all, it's a great way for folks to get introduced to cross country running. Thanks to our cheering section of Doris, Anthony and Thomas out on the course.

Two MiniPonies top the ENTRS standings

Very quietly, two members of the NETT "family" have climbed their way to the top of the Eastern New England Trail Race series. Marshall Randolph, the youngest 60-year old any of us will ever know, is currently the points leader in the series. And Jack Burke is just below Marshall sitting solidly in second place.

Both did the Houghton's Pond trail race last weekend, with Marshall finishing 12th overall and Jack notching a 31st place. The grueling schedule of the series has two races this weekend, one up in New London, NH and the other is Wayland XC race.

Check the standings in the Eastern New England Trail Race Series here.

Let's do our best to help these two guys finish the series in 1-2!!

MiniPonies get whipped at Topsfield

Well, at least we have our sense of humor.

It was a rough day on the race course for the NETT crew at the Topsfield XC Race, but at the end of it all, we stood by what we do best--had a good time running with good company and did our best.


The women's team was one short due to a faulty alarm clock, and despite the race director assuring us we could use a ghost runner to round out the five scorers, it turned out not to be the case. But big kudos the Ponyettes for putting in some gutsy runs. Adrienne led the charge and cracked the top 20 in 21:45 (equal as last year's time in sloppier conditions!). Mary was just a bit back in 22:12, newcomer Jess Walden ran strong in 23:40 and Tina clocked a solid 24:01 (beating last year's time!).

On the men's side, the NETT squad finished 6th place with Crazy Dave (26th in 29:17), Ben Gray (33rd in 30:17), Frank KJ (43rd in 32:20), Big Ben (44th in 32:33), newbie John Grainge (48th in 33:05). Unfortunately, Chris Smith got injured, but still managed to stagger into the finish in a gutsy run.

While most of us were suffering away in the back of the pack, it was really great to hear the other NETTers cheering us on and shouting encouragement.

After the race, we headed off to drown the sorrows in fried clams and beer at Woodmans, where we had a lot of laughs and planned our Topsfield strategy for next year (we all sleep in!).

Extra special thanks to our pep squad Youngstah, Dustin, Cindy and Elsa-Bean.

Dave Mingori anchors winning team at Greenway Challenge

Dave Mingori sent in a great report from the Greenway Challenge, a multisport relay event. Dave's team. Great Canadian, has won it several times and this year was put to the test. Here's his report:

This year's race started well (my friend Chris put down 5:18's for the opening 4.25 mile leg) and we were in 2nd. The first place team had a great runner but other than that wasn't a concern. Then it all fell apart as on the 1st bike leg, which was 1/2 on, 1/2 off road, our biker flatted and crashed on a rocky section. Luckily he finished but not only lost our lead but came in almost 10 minutes out of 1st (and I think only 12th overall)

From there it was just pick off as many as possible. Made up 4 places and about a minute on the 1st paddle section. Next was a road bike section and when our biker came in 3rd, now less than 6 minutes back I began to think it just might be possible if I can pull one out of my a** on the middle run (Chris was planning on doubling back for the anchor). So I hammered it, somehow managing very close to 5:40's for the 4.7 mile leg, making up another 1:10.

Then it got interesting again. Mark took off for the 2nd paddle and Chris and I headed for the last run start. We got stuck in traffic and show up with probably only 10-12 minutes to spare. Chris starts warming up and 5 minutes later comes back to the car and tells me he can't run, that his HR is staying really elevated and he's feeling very light headed. Of course my first concern is if he needs medical attention. Luckily Deb was driving around with us for the day and she agreed to watch over Chris. Now I'm running again, on short rest and probably have less than 5 minutes. First place team takes off and the runner looks okay, but nothing great. By the way he looked, I didn't think he'd manage much under 6:15's. Suddenly Mark shows up and he took back another 3 minutes and I'm only 1:30 back. Damn, if I can put sub 6's we've got a chance!

Luckily I'd run the course the prior weekend so knew where to push it and that there was a BIG 1/2 mile hill just after 2 miles. I turned the corner to start the hill and could just see the 1st place guy about 2/3 up the hill. I really pushed the hill, then let up a bit and used a short downhill to recover. With just under a mile to go (it was 4.2 miles) I made another big move on a sustained downhill, passing the guy and just going flat out. If he wanted to go with me, he was gonna hurt just as much as I was! He didn't respond, then I found yet another gear for the final 1/4 mile and we won by 38 seconds and I managed 5:52's (which felt like 5:30's!)

Great job Dave! Final results are posted here.