Bob Burns Up the Trails of Connecticut

Congrats to Bobble Head Bob who successfully defended his age group title at the Bluff Point 3.5 mile trail race in Groton, CT. 

Bob says "It was a beautiful day and an easy, clearly marked trail. Wearing my NETT colors, I was even 30 seconds faster than last year!"

Congrats Bob! 

Frank Takes Top Three at Kingston Tri

Congrats to Frank KJ on yet another successful triathlon up at the Kingston Triathlon in NH. Here's his report:

This one I just could not miss out on since it has a real 5K trail. But let's start with the beginning.

Set the alarm for 5am for another beautiful summer morning with warm dry air and little wind. Arrived in Kingston NH around 6:15am and quickly bumped into my friend and triathlon nemesis Steve Levandosky. He runs a lot of trails as well (including Thomas Chamberas) so he also felt compelled to give this race a try. 

Since the swim leg is only 0.25 miles and there is only a little beach area, this race starts in a time trial fashion with two people going off into the pond every 5 seconds - self-seeded. I  agreed with Steve that we should line up as the first to hit the water. After all, how often do you get the chance to start a triathlon with only one person next to you. We swam side by side for the entire 6:45 minutes completely undisturbed except for one guy passing us at a very quick pace. 

T1 was smooth and then it was time to hit the roads. It took me about 3 miles to catch the fast swimmer and then it was me, myself and I for the next 11 miles. All the hills are in the first half which means that the second was a lot of fun with long stretches go well above 25mph. Going into T2 I had about 2 minutes to the next person.

T2 was smooth as well and then it was time to meet the much anticipated trail run. And it did not disappoint. It was a single track constantly winding and with lots of short steep up/down hill sections plus the mandatory roots, rocks and muddy sections. And plenty of horse flies for company. Around mile 2 I heard footsteps behind me and about 0.4 miles later I was passed swiftly by some fast guy. 

I ended up holding on to 3rd overall with my pal Steve in 2nd place. Turns out the person who passed was a slow swimmer but a phenomenal cyclist (25mph+) and strong trail runner (6:10 pace on a fairly technical course) so he deservedly took the top spot.

Results at http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/nh/Aug10_Kingst_set1.shtml  

Frank has "99.9% Perfect" race at Greenfield

Big congrats to Frank KJ for his strong performance at the Greenfield Triathlon.

"I came in 5th overall, first in my age group," he reports. "It was a 99.99% perfet race. And I had Tina and Emma along to cheer me on." Full Results Here

Bob Goes All American

Huge congrats to our track demon in-residence, Bobblehead Bob, who raced his way to All American status at the Bay State Games.

Get this--Bob ran the mile in 5:55. At age 61. I'm not kidding. Here are the results. Obviously, that wasn't good enough for Bob, so he ran the 800 also in a 2:43. (Those Chelmsford guys in NETT might recognize another name in the 800m results as well).

Huge congrats Bob. That kind of result takes a lot of hard work and some gutsy racing.

Mini Pony Trio Takes Top Spots at Hale Obstacle Race

Apparently, the 26x1 relay wasn't enough for three adventurous mini ponies. So after helping put the first "T" back in NETT, Crazy Dave, Big Ben and the original Ponyette Cindy took to the trail of Hale Reservation for the Hale Obstacle Course Race. And the results were....surprising.

The race involved running 5K on trails with various "obstacles" the overcome along the way. This included a hand-over-hand climb up Cat Rock, carrying logs, doing push-ups and sit-ups and a few other challenges along the way.

So, the results.....yeah....technically the results list Big Ben as the top finisher and Crazy Dave a few strides behind. Well the heterolifemates were certainly just a few ticks apart, but the actual race winner was Dave Conforto of the HFC Striders (lawschool classmate of another MiniPony all around good guy). Despite their best efforts to convince the organizers they were not, in fact, 1-2, somehow the results still showed them as the top 2 and Cindy as the second-place female finisher.

As with all the races in the Hale Race series, the funds raised go to help inner-city kids go to camp out in the 'burbs, so all the fun was for a good cause.

And as you can see, the trio (and Doris as their cheering section) had a LOT of laughs at the race. When asked why on earth he was laughing so hard in the picture, Dave said. "Me and Ben....won!" But why's that so funny? "It's funny 'cuz we're fat."

NETT Claims 4th Place at the SRR 26x1 Mile Relay

NETT made history on Saturday, by gathering 26 club members to claim 4th place overall at the Somerville Road Runners 26x1 Mile Relay. This was (as far as any NETT member can recall) the biggest group of NETT runners ever assembled for a single race and huge thanks to team captain Eminem for gathering the troops, herding the cats, and dealing with a few last-minute curveballs with her usual calm.

Here's NETT's race by the numbers:
Overall place: 4 out of 17
Finish time: 2:34:56
Fastest split of the day: 4:33
Youngest member of the NETT team: 15
Oldest member: 62
"Top 3" finishes in the age groups: 6
Countries represented on the NETT team: 8

• Haiti
• Taiwan
• Denmark
• Turkey
• England 
• Russia
• Canada
• US

But perhaps the most fun part was the mix of members that came out for the day. The NETT roster represented a great mix of longtime members and new faces (some very new) and all mixed together well. The "old guard" was well represented. Two of the club's founders Crazy Dave and Paul actually finished within two seconds of each other and were 9th and 10th masters overall--how's that for consistency over the years? "First generation" NETTers who have been members for more than a decade came out including the Winthers, Jean Dany, and Jerry D. Club stalwarts like Bob, Eminem and the KJ-Wangs were there all day. And a host of new faces all seemed to really enjoy the event.

The team's performance was best summed up by the comments of an SRR runner who approached the NETT table at the post-race party and asked "So Track and Trail? What are you guys all about?" (And just to show she respected our club she dumped a pitcher of beer on our table and laps!)

Big thanks to the SRR folks who organized this fun event. What a nightmare the results for this thing must be! Nice work. (I was impressed at the "green" commitment when a guy who ran a 4:45 mile is picking recyclables out of the trash 20 minutes later).

We'll be back next year.

Busy Weekend for NETT Racers at Multiple Event Events

It was a busy weekend for NETT members racing on the roads and trails this weekend.

For starters, Frank KJ took third overall at the Rye by the Sea Duathlon. He ranked fourth in the first run, 8th on the bike, and fourth on the second run. How that gets him third overall is beyond us here at the NETT news room but that's what the results say. Not bad for a 47-year-old!

 Not to be outdone by Frank's run/bike/run Amanda took to the roads of Newton Saturday for a run-run-don't run at the Heartbreak Hill Festival. She completed the 5K in 23:53 and only a couple hours later banged out a 10K in 48:42. Take THAT boys!

Mini Ponies Chris, Allison, and Bob headed north to the Kupenda 5 Mile XC race in Wenham in continuing pursuit of their age-group titles in the North Shore Trail Series. Chris was 7th overall, second master in 31:11. Bob got a raw deal by having to score in the 50+ age group, but still managed 10th. Allison skipped and weaved to 38th overall in 40:45

On Sunday, NETT runners didn't get much saner with a couple hearty souls braving the mid-day heat of 80+ degrees at the Great Lincoln Steeplechase. Crazy Dave managed third overall in 43:45. Katy/Kathryn ran hard early on and won her age group in 58:28. If Dave had remembered her NETT shirt, we're sure she could have shaved a few mins off that time!

The best part of the race was winning a Marshall-made Medal with a great picture of St. Anne's church on it. Nothing like it anywhere. Thanks Marshall!
Congrats to all the Mini Ponies out there this weekend.

NETT Travelogue: Taiwan (subtitle: Of mountains, magpies, and earthquakes)

Frank and family just got back from an exciting trip and was able to file this extended report to the NETT news room:

"We just got back from Taiwan. This time I was lucky enough to rent a bike and do two rides in the Yangmingshan Mountains. And two mountain runs as well. The added bonus this time was that Nicholas joined me for one of the rides, and Tina for one of the runs. I have added links to the recorded GPS and photos so you can get a sense of the workouts.

By the numbers:

• 35 lb. tour bike with triple cassette rented from the friendly people at http://www.show-taiwan.com/
• Two rides covering 66.5 miles with 11,040 ft. of climbing. Average speed not even 11mph.
• Two runs covering 17.2 miles with 3,985 ft. of climbing. Average pace around 8:40
• Number of 7-11 stores in Taiwan: 4,910

Ride 1 - http://www.strava.com/activities/144279184

Nicholas at mile 0.6

At mile 3 (can you find Nicholas?)

I asked Nicholas on the flight if he was interested in joining me for the 1st ride and he said yes. I told him about the climbs, heat and humidity and he still said yes. So off we went early in the morning. It was a warm sunny day with fairly low humidity so pretty ideal for a ride. The first 2 miles have 2 extremely steep sections with grades over 20% so Nicholas quickly took to walking instead of biking. It took 25 minutes or so to cover those two miles. The next 1.8 miles follow a beautiful winding road with bamboos lining the road, waterfalls and great views over part of Taipei. At one point I was even lucky enough to see two monkeys (formosan rock macque) cross the road in front of me. There are constantly sounds coming from the lush green around you – birds singing, amphibians croaking, or monkeys chattering. There is a small town here which marks the entrance to the Yangmingshan National Park - http://english.ymsnp.gov.tw/ - and the remaining 4 miles to the gap. Some of the things you need to get used to in Taiwan are: stray dogs that luckily are too lazy or hot to bother chasing you, cars and scooters driving fast and close to you and likely paying more attention to their phone than their surroundings. On the flip side most the roads are in excellent condition and there is typical a shoulder. And there are actually a good amount of cyclists on the roads. With lots of stops, walking and pep-talking we finally make it to the Xiayoukeng fumaroles. It took us 2.5hrs to cover the 8 miles! After a few photos, we carry on. While Nicholas rests at Lengshuikeng with its volcanic landscape, I continue down the other side the mountain for a few miles before returning back to Nicholas. I have great views over the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. From here on it is pretty much downhill the entire way back. Sounds easy right. Well not when you have very steep descents with lots of hairpin turns and poor brakes. Let’s just say our fingers were numb when we returned the bikes. Great ride and kudos to Nick for doing it with me.

Didn't get a photo of the monkeys but this is what it looks like

Taiwanese blue Magpie

The road up Mt. Cising with the fumaroles in the background

At the sulfur pits aka fumaroles

Resting near creek colored by sulfur

All smiles at the end of the ride

Ride 2 - http://www.strava.com/activities/144274738

For this ride I went solo. It had been raining the day before so the days were a bit went. And it was a bit overcast which is actually not a bad thing in Taiwan. It was about 78F at the start of the ride and at the end it

My companion for the day

7-11 Pitstop

was 84F with humidity of 66%. Pretty much right of the gate there is a 2M climb with an average grade of 4%. Then it is 3 miles downhill to Beitou known for its hot springs. Next, followed the first real test of the day – the 1.7 miles up Xiaopingding with an average grade of 9% and some parts well above 20%. Sweating from punching the pedals was quickly replaced by sweating from fear of skidding out on the steep slippery downhill with multiple hairpin turns that took me down to the main road. For the next 9 miles I followed a busy two-lane highway; nothing like being at a red light surrounded by countless cars and scooters filling your lungs with CO2. I saw a girl on a triathlon bike with deep rims wheels in long pants, long sleeves and face mask – guess that’s the way to stay healthy and avoid sunburn. Luckily the air quality and scenery changed as soon as I turned back up into the mountains. Over the next 13 miles I would climb 2800 ft. along small roads lined with rice paddies, banana trees, and bamboos. The grade was not too bad and pretty consistent so I could pedal smoothly up. I even passed a number of people on road bikes so that felt good. After that it was all downhill to Taipei.

A few low-hanging clouds over Mt Cising

Roads are good and all is green 

  Flower Clock in Yangmingshan Park

Run 1 http://www.strava.com/activities/144276542
Somehow, I managed to persuade Tina to do this run with me. Probably, because she really likes to run uphill. It was a nice sunny day without too much humidity so we were lucky. We started by going up the same 2 miles that Nicholas and I biked earlier. We ran it faster than we rode it. In total we ran up 1,800 ft. in just over 5.7 miles but with the downhill sections here and there it was closer to 2,500 ft. of total climbing.

  End destination is the building up on the hill

Run 2: http://www.strava.com/activities/144272485
My last run is a run I have done before when visiting Taipei. Maybe not quite Mt. Washington but it is brutal. Just 0.6 miles from the apartment is a road that goes 2.6 miles up, up and more up – 1,221ft or 9% grade to be exact. Add to that 1) cars and scooters driving fast up/down the mountain will little attention to runners, 2) torrential rain and thunder creating ankle-deep streams of water in several places and 3) toast legs from hiking and carrying Emma a lot in the last 3 days. It wasn’t pretty but with several stops and jumps to the curb I made it safely up and down again. After the run, Tina told there had been a small earthquake while I was out there.

Soaked after 60 minutes in torrential but warm rain

NETT Around the World

NETT members popped up in two different countries this week -- Canada and Taiwan.

Frank and family were over in Asia and he and Nicholas decided to take a bike ride. Of course, since it's Frank, it's not just any bike ride. "We planned a ride in 80F and 85% humidity  with a total of 5,000ft over two Cat 1 climbs," he tells the NETT newsroom. "Well he made it up the 1st one. 2400ft elevation and it took a long time."

Not bad! 

Meanwhile, up in Canada Karyn MM took a much more flavorful approach to her athletic vacation. Here's her report:

If you ever want a race that you will love, consider the one my friend Elysa and I did this weekend. It’s called The Chocolate Race. There are 5k, 10k and 10-mile options. And runners of all levels. You get  skewers of chocolate-covered marshmallows and strawberries at the 1k and 6k  water stops (on the 10k course.  I think you only get one chocolate stop on the  5k but several more on the 10-mile course! Then, at the finish line, you get: 
chocolate truffles, chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream, chocolate croissants, chocolate fudge, chocolate-covered apples…and then, next door, you get chocolate martinis. It’s a blast! The course is along Lake Ontario, so it’s gorgeous. (We stayed at Niagara Falls for the weekend, but the race is in St. Catharines about 25 minutes away).

Elysa and I ran the 10k race — though I wouldn’t say we raced it : ) The perfect re-entry to racing after the Boston Marathon."

Congrats Karyn!

(Note how both Frank and Karyn make their partners in crime don the NETT shirt for their events. Love it! 

NETT Hosts a Successful Wellesley One for Hannah's Fund

Congrats to NETT for successfully organizing and hosting the Wellesley One Mile Run for the Hannah Randolph Fund at Elm Bank Reservation on May 11. We had more than 400 registrants in three waves and NETT provided the volunteers, some generous donations, and a LOT of heart in this event.

It was a great day to see hundreds of kids and adults running around the park with big smiles on their faces. We had free ice cream, arts and crafts activities for the kids and a lot of food. Awards included sponsor donations and Marshall-made medals for all finishers and age group winners.

The day was capped off with a very special visit to Hannah's Bench on top of the sledding hill at Elm Bank Reservation.

For more photos check out the race's Facebook page here.

Mini Ponies Go 3,4,6 at Hale 5K Trail Race

NETT had a strong showing at the weekend's Hale 5K Trail Race in Westwood. In fact, NETT went 3,4,6 in the race, winning three age goups. And what's more impressive is the fact that it was a master, a woman, and a 60+ taking those spots! 

Big congrats to Amanda for winning the overall women's title in 26:10. Bob won his age group in 27:02. And Crazy Dave took third overall first in his age group. And NETT pal Stephen P took the 50-59 age group as well. 

Special thanks to our cheering section as well! 

The race raised funds to provide scholarships to let kids attend camp at Hale. 

And if you haven't run out at Hale yet, stay tuned for an NETT run there this weekend! 

Frank Opens the Multisport Season with a Top 3 Finish

Big congrats to Frank for starting off the multisport season well with a third-place overall finish at the Spring Duathlon at Smolak Farms in North Andover

. "I was behind Jake Shoemaker and Marcus Alexander, who are both very fast cyclists," says Frank. "The second run was 1.6 miles up/down the rows of the Smolak Farms orchard - quite tough.!

Bob Runs For Cookies at Blue Hills Trail Race

We got a great report from Bob Segal after his busy April, including defending his title at the Blue Hills Foxtrot. Here's his report:

"On April 19, I took a quick break while visiting family in CT to run a 10K road race near the Hartford-area airport about 20 minutes from my sister's home:\It started at 8 a.m. and was a flat, fast course that I ran in 45:41. I was back home with my first place medal before most of the household had even got out of bed! I haven't run that many 10K road races so that was a PR for me, but it also qualified me for the All American standard, which is not a huge deal but kinda fun anyway (http://www.nationalmastersnews.com/aa_rr_m.htm).

On April 27, I returned to Blue Hills for the second year to "defend my title" at the 10-mile Foxtrot trail race on a cold, wet morning on trails full of jagged slippery rocks. But I ran 6 minutes faster than last year in 1:29.17 to win my age group again against some pretty good competition. I had quite a battle with the second place guy in particular.The photo shows me with my first place prize: homemade chocolate chip cookies made by the race director's wife!"

Congrats Bob!

Finding Perfect Vermont for Trail Runners

The NETT news room recently got this report in from Crazy Dave about his recent trip to Vermont. It sounds like the kind of trip a pile of Mini Ponies will enjoy!

For years I've had a torrid love affair. It started in college, continued through my bachelor years, and yes, it even continues now even though I am very happily married. In fact, my lovely wife not only supports, but participates in this affair. 

I am in love with Vermont. And for years, I have been traveling and staying in various parts of the state looking for the perfect spot. I have run long stretches of the Long Trail solo and with friends. I've run and hiked to the state's highest peaks -- Stratton, Killington, Camel's Hump, and Mansfield. I've run the Kingdom Trails and even skied at Trapps. 

But this weekend, I think I may have found the perfect spot and here's why. 

• A small town (population 400)
• Plenty of lodging (a number of inns, which we'll get to later)
• Good food available. In a spot you might not expect (don't we all love surprises)
• Miles of hilly dirt roads leading into the Green Mountain National Forest
• Trails. Miles of trails. For running. Biking. Hiking. 
• A very good yoga studio 
• A local appreciation for running and fitness. 

I'm talking about Pittfsfield, Vermont and if you're a runner, mountain biker, hiker, yoga enthusiast, or just seeking the perfect spot in Vermont to bring a group of friends, this is the spot. 

We were invited to spend the weekend in Pittsfield by the nice folks at Perfect Vermont and we packed about 60 hours' worth of activity into 24. Perfect Vermont is a unique organization -- while their goal is to attract groups to Pittsfield to visit, they're not your typical tourism office. One of the co-founders, Tom, is an experience trail and ultra runner and happily leads visitors on trail runs and hikes on the miles of trails accessible from the town. And the other co-founder Erlin is a yoga instructor who teaches classes as the studio in town. 

We started our visit by visiting the Original General Store right on Route 100 in the center of town. It has a variety of Vermont gifts you'd expect, but it also has unbelievably good food. I don't mean just the usual ham sandwiches. I mean stuffed french toast, fresh fruit smoothies, and reuben sandwiches. 

Despite the rainy weather, I decided to hit the road for a run and put in more than an hour on a soft and scenic dirt road leading me deep into the Green Mountain National Forest (Pittsfield borders the forest). The road I was on gradually turned into more of a jeep road but was easy to follow and a bit less sloppy than the trails for the day. 

We then checked into our inn, the Amee Farm Lodge, which we found to be a great mix of old and new. With about 15 rooms and some welcoming common spaces, the inn was a great place to relax, chat with the other guests, and meet up with our hosts for the weekend, Tom and Erlin. 

Our next activity (I told you we packed a LOT into this weekend) was a tour of the town, courtesy of Perfect Vermont. Pittsfield has several inns, cabins, barns and other function spaces available for retreats (like...oh..I dunno...a trail running club retreat??? Hint hint). We took a look at a few of them and I could definitely see a crew of Mini Ponies spending a few days up here doing what Mini Ponies do...run, eat, and laugh. A lot. 

After our village tour, a few of us decided to muck it up on the trails. Tom and Erlin took us on a hike up the back of a small mountain to visit "Shrek's Cabin." And while it was a rainy day, the view from the top was...mystical...I guess would be the term. It was really cool.

At this point, I should probably mention that Pittsfield is also the birthplace of the Spartan Race and hosts the annual granddaddy of them all, the Death Race. In fact, Shrek's Cabin, a stone structure on top of a mountain only reachable by jeep trail, was built by people competing in or training for the death race. And the stone steps leading up the mountain were also hand delivered by competitors in the events. I know....crazy. Pittsfield also plays hosts to the Peak ultra, snowshoe and trail races.

After our hike we were treated to a fabulous dinner cooked by the new executive chef at the Original General Store and let me tell you...it was goooooood. He and his wife recently moved up to Vermont from New York City to manage the store and cater events and they really put out a good spread. A hearty plate of food that's unique but not pretentious. (BTW, any executive chef that stops by the table and replaces your empty Long Trail beer with a fresh one before you've even asked has won me over!)

On Sunday morning, I decided to climb those illustrious stairs everyone talks about. And they certainly lived up to their reputation. It was a solid 15 minutes or so bottom to top without a letup, but the view from the top was worth the effort. And from that peak you can access miles and miles of the Green Mountain Trails in a variety of directions. Our host Tom said he's been running the trails for nearly a year now and still finds new ones here and there. 

While I was out burning my legs on the stairs, Erlin was hosting  a vinyasa flow yoga class (I decided to spare the nice folks the painful image of me trying to do yoga...I know I know, I should do it, but when given the choice of miles of sloppy trails or a painful yoga class, you know which I'll pick). However, the wife reports that the yoga class was very approachable for both beginners or experienced yoga enthusiasts (yogis? yogaites?) 

After we showered off from our morning's pursuits and enjoyed a breakfast at the Amee Farm Lodge (these nice innkeepers definitely don't rush you out in the morning), we met up with Becca and Joe, the nice couple that runs Sweet Georgia P's Organic Farm. While you might not think a guy from Boston would have much in common with a Vermont goat farmers, turns out I do. These folks started their farm in Scituate, Mass. and only recently moved up to Vermont to get a little more space. They grow a variety of  vegetables for their CSA, which actually has dropoff locations in the Boston area. They told us about how they grow even in the winter in Vermont, described the farm-to-table dinners they host, and answered questions from cityfolk who know nothing about farming (yea, me). 

And then we got to meet the gang. They took us out to mix and mingle with their goats and this...well this was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I honestly don't know if I've ever pet a goat before, but these guys and gals were so welcoming, we left there thinking we should get one for a pet (goodbye lawn mower!). 

By the time the farm tour was done, it was time for lunch (or in my case, brunch), so we headed over to the Original General Store to dig into some french toast, eggs, and (I highly recommend) the Vermonter smoothie. After some friendly chat with the folks that run the store and our weekend hosts from Perfect Vermont, we realized it was time to get on the road. 

On our way home, we took Route 4 to check out Killington (about 15 minutes from Pittsfield) where we were surprised to find the ski lifts still running strong. And we couldn't not stop and visit the Long Trail Brewery to pick up some of their good stuff. 

Overall it was a great weekend of fun and activity. I am sure it won't be long before we head up there again to explore those trails and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to convince a few fellow Mini Ponies to head up with me. 

Boston Marathon One Week Later: Karyn's Take

Now with the race a week past, the NETT news team reached out to one of the excited Mini Ponies to get their take on the race. Here's Eminem's report:

"As for my race, well...I learned that my slowest marathon could also be my best. For the first half it seemed like the planets had aligned in my favor (okay...I had visions of the Mayor placing that laurel crown on my head...). But around mile 16 I started feeling nauseous and at mile 22 my calves unexpectedly seized and cramped and I took a little tumble. In the spirit of the Boston Marathon a total stranger helped me up. He then ran on, but a few minutes later he turned around and came back to tell me he thought I needed salt (which he conveniently happened to be carrying in his belt!). It took 10 -12 minutes of walking (and attempted jogging) before my calves calmed enough to resume running...and run I did. Past BC, down Beacon, right on Hereford, left on Boylston and into the throngs of well-wishers whose signs, cheers and enthusiasm powered me through the finish. Well...I didn't get the crown (turns out it was taken a few hours earlier), but I did get a finisher's medal, an awesome mylar blanket, and a few bags of IV fluid.

How to summarize it? Best. Day. Ever.

Thank you to all those folks who helped make it meaningful for me.

P.S. For those who like numbers, I finished in 4:26:36, which gave me half an hour longer than anticipated to take in what has to be one of the most emotional and dramatic marathons since Phiddipides collapsed in Athens : )

PPS: Best post race discovery: my iPhone was zipped into a mesh pocket on the back of my shorts and unbeknownst to me, my bum was taking photos and videos of runners behind me for miles. I have the coolest avant-garde collection of photos and videos ever. See below for one of my favorites!

Congrats to NETT's Boston Marathoners!!

Big congrats to NETT's contingent in this year's Boston Marathon. Four of the most steadfast Mini Ponyettes trained hard all winter through rain, ice, cold, and injuries to successfully get to the Boylston Street finish line this year.

Mary and Amanda ran together on all of their training runs and continued that partnership stride-for-stride during the race, pacing each other to a  3:38 finish time, looking like it was a walk in the park the whole time.

Tina and Karyn both ran for the Boston Medical Center charity team, raising money for a very worth cause. Here's Tina's take on her 3:41 finish.

"The first half went quite well. However, I started feeling a cramp on the right calf around the halfway mark.  I was literally talking to my calf, yelling 'not now! I still have another half to go.'  Thus, for the next few miles, I concentrated on getting Gatorade. If you saw me try to wave yes, I was trying to wave :)  I think because I drank so much Gatorade and water, I got side stitches for the last 10K.  I had to dig in really deep to finish and when I got to the BMC meeting area, I had to deal with three blisters while changing in the bathroom.  I spent so much time taking care of the blisters, the BMC volunteers actually asked me whether I was ok, probably thinking I passed out. Big thank you to everyone for being out there cheering for us all. Especially waiting for someone like me who's at the last wave."

Despite dealing with some dehydration issues along the way, Karyn refused to quit or be brought to the medical tent on the course and finished in 4:26 getting some free table salt for her trouble from a complete stranger!

NETT had a good cheering crew out on the course, with Crazy Dave, Big Ben, Fluffy, AC, and Dr. Ron setting up shop on Comm Ave.

Big congrats to all!

NETT Braves the Mud, Hills, and...Snow? At the Rivah

Five hearty Mini Ponies made the trip to Andover this weekend to run the Merrimack River Trail Race (aka the Rivvvah) with some impressive results.

The first mile of the race featured a couple major snowpiles (from where the snow gets dumped off route 93) which made that section a unique challenge. There was some good mud and of course, the hills don't get any smaller on this course.

But it didn't deter our hearty crew. We'll start with Adrienne, who finished fifth woman overall and second in her (new) age group with a very strong run finishing the course in 1:22. "It really was a picture perfect day," she said. "We had to scale an iceberg or be careful not to fall into the river. I did manage to beat the gaggle of high school girls who were running."

Bob also managed to capture second place in his age group in the very competitive race field, finishing in 1:31. "Adrienne breezed by me about mile 2 and I never saw her again until she was coming back in," he said. "I love how the race director, Stephen, entertains us before during (he even pops up in the middle of the course), and after the race, and how he talks about how much his late friend Tom loved running so much."

Chris managed to grab fourth in the very competitive 40-49 age group cranking through the course in a very speedy 1:08.

And lastly heterolifemates Crazy Dave and Big Ben ran the first half of the race together and then picked it up in the second half to finish 1:15 and 1:17 respectively. For Crazy Dave, it was 19 years since he first ran the Rivah. "My log book shows I ran a 'tempo run' at 1:05 that year....Father Time is no friend of mine!"

As always, it was a well organized event that raised a lot of money for the Thomas Chamberas Scholarship Fund. Petey was everywhere on the course, making Monty Python references on the top of the biggest hill and turning the post-race awards into some kind of runners' game show. He puts everything he has into this race, with his trusty cohort Dave Dunham, NETT pal Tom Hildreth and many others working behind the scenes on this race.

Congrats to these folks for successfully putting this race into its third decade.

Patrick and Bob put the "T" back in NETT

When NETT was founded more than 10 years ago, we the four founders were still active in track racing. So we included "track" in the club name (post-Banana, of course).

Fast forward a decade or so and very few of us step foot on the track. But two Mini Ponies recently not only took to the track, but did so at the national level.

Patrick and Bob both ran in the USATF National Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships. Bob busted out a 12:31 in the 3000.

Not only did Patrick win his heat in the mile in 5:41, he set a new NETT benchmark and became the first member ever to get drug tested (at least in an athletic setting, heh heh). And he ran an 11:16 in the 3000 meters to boot.

Congrats to both! Nothing like setting a good example.

NETT's Second Annual Hannah Randolph Volunteer Day at Cradles to Crayons

For the second year in a row, NETT honored Hannah's spirit by spending a day volunteering at a local charity. Last year we painted some rooms at the Home for Little Wanderers. This year, we spent the day at Cradles to Crayons in Brighton. And what a great organization. We sorted donations, made outfits for needy kids in the Boston area and got a feel for what great work these folks are doing every day.

Special thanks to Amanda for organizing the event this year and for all those Mini  Ponies who came out for the day. To see more photos from the day and a special thank you from Hannah's mom, visit our Facebook page.

Congrats to Bob who started the new year right in a local 5K. Here's his report:

"Spur of the moment I decided to run a 5K race New Year's Day in my new Newton running shoes that I had tested on the treadmill and indoor track and loved right away. It was called the First Day 5K and was in the little town of Whitinsville, MA, which is south of Worcester. The reason I chose that race is because my old college roommate lives there and he was running the race too.

The course was either downhill or flat the whole way so was very fast. I ran 22:04, which was just off a PR for me, and was good for first. I bet many of my NETT teammates would have all run PRs on this course.

The only downside was that my appearance bumped by friend down to 4th and out of medal consideration. Although he bought me a beer afterward, I may not be invited back.:)"

Congrats Bob and Happy New Year Everyone!