North Wraps Up BSC Season with Wins Over Framingham

The Newton North girls upped their dual meet record to 10-1, and the boys went to 9-2, as both teams defeated Framingham in a make-up meet Tuesday at Cold Springs Park.

The girls ran as needed, as Framingham's Camille Murphy won the race, but North nabbed the next four places with Nora Barnicle (20:30), Adina Hemley-Bronstein (20:32), Franca Godenzi (21:08), and Carolyn Ranti (21:08) doing the honors. Final score: 21-38, North.

The boys produced several impressive PR's. Seb Putzeys won the race in 16:55, but right behind was Ben Chebot in 16:59, as the senior captain broke 17:00 for the first time in his career. Dan Hamilton was third in 17:09, followed by Jarad Forman, who ran 17:14 -- over a minute faster than his PR! Charlie Krasnow was 5th man for the Tigers, running 17:31. Final score: 16-43, North.



Senior captains Seb Putzeys and Ben Chebot competing in their final home meet (photo: Milton Amador)

We're All Runners on This Bus

Tonight at 8 p.m. EST, PBS broadcasts "Marathon Challenge," a one-hour NOVA documentary that looks at what it takes to turn 13 sedentary adults into long-distance runners capable of finishing the Boston Marathon.

I'm expecting the program to shed light on the physiological processes involved in marathon training, but leave shrouded the mysterious psychological process that make someone want to actually run so far.

Here's a link to the info on the PBS site:

NOVA: Marathon Challenge

And here's a preview on YouTube:

More Weekend Race Results

After finishing third at the Bay State league meet, Seb Putzeys finished third in the second annual Bill's 5K in Newton yesterday, running 16:43. Newton South alum and friend of NSRP Ben Leipzig finished ahead of Seb, taking second in 16:31. Needham assistant coach Chris Van Cott was sixth in 17:22.

And speaking of assistant coaches, Newton North assistant coach Shawn Wallace took the the streets of his hometown and blazed a 16:20 5K at the "Run for All Ages: race in Wakefield.



Shawn Wallace battling Dave Dechellis in Wakefield (Photo Ted Tyler)

Also on Sunday, Franklin Park hosted the Mayor's Cup XC races. The men's championship race included many former Mass. HS stars, including Sean Quigley (3rd, 23:24!), Tristan Colangelo (7th), Jarrod Shoemaker (9th), Andrew Pitts (20th), and former Dedham star and friend of NSRP, Rex Radloff (39th in 25:38).

Race Report: Cape Cod Marathon

So... I ran the Cape Cod Marathon yesterday.

I wasn't planning to run a marathon, it just happened. I mean, it was the final race of the New England Championship Series, and my club needed runners, and about three weeks ago it looked like maybe we wouldn't have enough for a team, and I started thinking, how bad would it be REALLY to just run at a leisurely pace for, oh I don't know, about twice as long as my typical long run?

All that marathon training advice -- build up for six months, do long runs every other week up to 20-22 miles, run high mileage and then taper -- I didn't do any of that. My mileage was pathetically sparse. My longest long run was 16 miles, which I did last weekend, just to see whether I could run for two hours straight. Of course, the marathon would take 3 hours or more, but hey, what's an extra hour of running?

I did eat spaghetti Saturday night, but that was about the extent of my marathon preparation. On the other hand, I did have a healthy fear of the distance, which would stand me in good stead on race day.

Fearing the dreaded wall, I started slowly. I started so slowly that the guy I was running with, who also wanted to start slowly, got impatient and left me behind after a mile. But I stuck to my tortoise 7:15 pace. I didn't feel that good. My shins hurt a little bit, and I was worried about a mysterious pain in my right knee that had popped up during the week. So I chilled, and stuck to my plan, ignoring the many grandmothers sprinting by me in the early miles.

If you ever run a marathon, let me tell you, they're weird. You go through so many good and bad patches in a marathon that when it's over you feel like you've watched a whole season of episodes from some bizarre reality show series. I felt bad at the start, but I knew that I could run 16 miles, and I figured I might start feeling better at some point. And I did! Amazingly, at about 7-8 miles, without anything obvious happening, I realized that the miles were just kind of clicking by, and I was in a much better mood. I was still running my 7:15 miles, but now I felt like it was easy... and no one was passing me.

My shins felt just the same as they had when I started. And now I was beginning to enter some strange mental state where I was keenly aware of everything around me but completely detached. I was observing the runners around me, but felt serenely unaffected by their presence. At 11 miles, there was a big hill. I passed a couple of people without really trying to, and felt like going uphill was actually slightly easier on my legs than running on the flat. For some reason, this gave me a lot of confidence.

I reached 13.1 miles, and started doing odd mental calculations. I started trying to figure out what my finishing time was if I stopped and walked the rest of the way. I didn't feel like walking, but I just wondered. Would I walk at 4 miles an hour? 5 miles an hour? And then I thought that if I walked, I would be out on the roads for a really long time!

At 16 miles, I thought, "well, here I am at the distance of my longest long run. I'll probably have to stop any moment now." So I said to myself I would just run one more mile. At 17 miles, I said I would run to 18. At 18 I said I would just run to 19. At 19, I saw a friend of mine ahead of me, and he didn't look good at all. I decided I would run until I hit 20 miles. At 20 miles, with my friend now receding behind me, I didn't feel much different than I had at 16. I decided to run to Mile 21.

At Mile 22, I caught up to a fairly young guy who was running as part of a marathon relay team. He was kind of goofy, waving to the spectators a little bit and just generally having a good time. I decided I would run behind him for a while and that helped lighten the otherwise grim mood I had developed as I thought about how much pain I was going to be in on Monday.

The pain my shins had never gotten worse, but a lot of other parts of my body were aching pretty badly by this point. That's another strange thing about marathons. If you go into them with some sort of physical problem, it's always some OTHER part of your body that fails. Go in with a sore calf, and your hamstrings cramp up. Anyway, my hamstrings were pretty sore, and my hip flexors were complaining loudly, and I was suffering every time I had to run downhill.

At 24 miles, it occurred to me that I was probably going to finish. It surprised me.

The last mile, I still had energy in my body. I had been drinking some foul-tasting sports drink that had been provided at the aid stations, and although I was hurting, I was not bonking. So it seemed like the best way to make the hurting stop sooner was to speed up. So I did that and from mile 25 to 26 ran a 6:49 mile. It felt blazingly fast.

As I saw the finish line banner in front of me, I felt a spasm of joy that was so pure and simple that it almost made me laugh. I had been running for 3 hours and 7 minutes, and I was going to be able to stop now. How great was that?

At the Bay State League Meet

Random observations from the Bay State league championship meet:

All things considered, the weather seemed pretty good, with periods of rain but generally warm temperatures and decent footing. At least that's the way it seemed to me, but I wasn't running!

As the boys varsity race roared by with Kyle Higgins in the lead, something didn't look quite right. Where was Gibson? I asked Brookline coach Mike Glennon, who told me Gibby had missed the bus that morning. In Gibson's absence, Mike Burnstein won the race, with teammate David Wilson in second. Seb Putzeys ran an outstanding race for third, ahead of Elliot Lehane and Sam Miller. I believe Seb's time of 15:22 is the fastest ever run by a NNHS athlete at Houghton's Pond. Dan Hamilton also ran an outstanding race to place 10th in 16:02.



In addition to Burnstein, Wilson, and Lehane, Brookline placed three other runners in the top 12, giving them six automatic all-stars. It certainly seems possible that the coaches would vote in Gibson as an all-star, too. Anyway, Brookline won the team title easily, and Needham just barely edged Newton North for second, 69 points to 71 for the Tigers.

Complete Boys Results

In the girls varsity race, Becca White just hammered the course and the rest of the field, winning in 17:33. I believe that is a BSL championship record at this course, besting the old standard (17:42?) held by Weymouth's Catie Markesich. I'm going by memory, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong here...



Newton's Carolyn Ranti ran a strong race for second, running 18:08, 13 seconds ahead of ahead of Natick's Anya Price and 19 ahead of Needham's Emily Lipman. Franca Godenzi earned league all-star status by finishing 11th in 19:13.8. Newton North's other scorers were Adina Hemley-Bronstein (14th, 19:33), Nora Barnicle (28th, 20:24), and Becca Park (32, 20:32). Wellesley won the team title, and Newton North finished second.

Complete Girls Results

The Boys JV race looked like a Brookline-Newton North dual meet for a while. Brookline's Robert Benjamin won (for the second year in a row) in 14:32. Devin Perry was North's top finisher in 4th at 14:45, followed by Mike Dorfman (6th, 14:56) and Jake Gleason (7th, 14:59).

Wellesley took five of the top six in girls JV. Shoshana Kruskal led Newton North, running 19:15.

NNHS Alumni Results - Oct 27, 2007

Arkansas junior Chris Barnicle continued what is already a very solid and consistent fall XC season, as he finished eighth overall in the SEC Championships on Saturday, running a PR 24:19 over a wet and rolling 8K course at Panorama Park in Kentucky. Barnicle was third for the Razorbacks, who won their gazillionth straight SEC title, amassing just 34 points.

Rochester competed at the UAA Conference meet, held at Franklin Park, and Dan Chebot finished 60th in 27:13. Dan wasn't the only Bay Stater there; U. of Chicago sophomore and Brookline alum Adam Kaye ran 26:32, and Brandeis senior and Weymouth alum Tim Condon ran 26:52. I also see the name Charles Meade, competing for Emory. Is that Wellesley's Charlie Meade?

Friend of NSRP and LaSalle freshman Nicole Pearce (Weymouth '07), ran 22:04 in heavy rain and wet conditions at the Atlantic 10 Championships, as her LaSalle team won the meet. I think that's Nicole on the right side of the picture gracing the Atlantic 10 web site.



Several NNHS alumni and other Bay Staters competed at the NESCAC Championships in Williamstown on Saturday: In the women's 6K race, Williams senior Liz Gleason ran 23:59 for 38th place. Wesleyan junior Anna Schindler ran 25:49 for 103rd, seventh for her team. Another Bay State alumna, Middlebury junior Alexandra Krieg, finished 5th overall in 22:26. In the men's 8K, Bates sophomore Doug Brecher ran a strong race through the rain and mud to finish 39th in 27:37, placing second for his team. NSRP friend and Brookline alum (and Tufts freshman) Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot ran 28:33 to finish 81st.

2007 League Meet Predictions

I always get a lot of feedback when I go out on a limb and rank the Bay State teams, or predict the results of an upcoming meet. And what meet is bigger than the league meet? So without further ado, I'm going to stir up the hornet's nest of controversy and go out on a limb with the following predictions. I know these will seem crazy, but here goes...

1. I predict that the fall colors will be beautiful at Houghton's Pond in Milton.

2. I predict that Brookline's Robert Gibson will win the boys varsity race and Natick's Becca White will win the girls varsity race.

3. I predict that Brookline will win the boys team title and Wellesley will win the girls team title.

4. I predict that at least one JV runner will miss the start of the race.

5. I predict that at least one varsity runner will go out too fast and run slower than their potential.

6. I predict that the loudest people there will be Weymouth coach Mike Miller and Brookline coach Mike Glennon.

7. I predict that at least six adults will ask me which way the course goes, or how far it is to the finish, or how long the course is.

8. I predict that at the coaches meeting, more than one coach will lobby to include additional runners as league all-stars -- outside the top twelve finishers. Eventually, there will be 13 boys all-stars and 14 girls all-stars.

9. Remember how in 2004 lots of runner missed the meet to attend the Red Sox World Series Championship parade... ah, good times, good times... I predict that the Sox will not have won the World Series by Saturday morning.

10. I predict that at least one of these predictions will be wrong.

This Ain't Easy

I've often wondered why it is so hard to depict the heartbreaking effort of long-distance training in moving pictures. One problem, is that not much happens -- except inside the mind of the runner undergoing the suffering. Except for a certain blankness in the face, a brief grimace, there's not much to watch.

So I was really interested to see this video from "Chasing Kimbia" that tries to get across the point that training isn't easy, and that the Kenyan runners we see winning races work really, really hard to be able to do that.

It takes a long time to load, but it's worth it.

This ain't easy - the video

BSC Roundup: October 23, 2007

Newton vs Brookline

The Newton North girls defeated Brookline 20-35 on Tuesday, upping their season record to 9-1. Carolyn Ranti ran 19:17 for the win. Franca Godenzi (20:15) finished 2nd, well ahead of Brookline's top runner, sophomore Mariana Leibman-Palaez (20:40).

1. Ranti, NN 19:17
2. Godenzi, NN 20:15
3. Leibman-Palaez, B 20:40
4. Barnicle, NN 20:45
5. Hemley-Bronstein, NN 21:14
6. Kats, B 21:46
7. Warren, B 21:48
8. Park, NN 21:54
9. Alexander, B 21:11
10. Brochman, B 21:12

As expected, the Brookline boys wrapped up their undefeated dual meet season, with a 24-31 win over North. The Tigers made it close, with Seb Putzeys running a PR 16:24 for fourth, and solid contributions from Dan Hamilton, Ben Chebot, Ezra Lichtmann (PR 17:43), and Charlie Krasnow (18:00). Results (from Jim Blackburn):

1. Gibson B 15.59
2. Burnstein B 16.15
3. Wilson B 16.16
4. Putzeys NN 16.24
5. Hamilton NN 17.09
6. Chebot NN 17.35
7. Lichtman NN 17.43
8. Pratt-Otto B 17.54
9. Krasnow NN 18.00
10. Sege B 18.09
11. Perry B 18.15
12. Sampson B 18.20
13. Forman NN 18.25
14. Ranti NN 18.26
15. Benjamin B 18.34
16. Dorfman NN 18.36
17. Mainguy B 19.00
18. Weinfeld NN 19.09


Norwood Sweeps Dedham

Norwood's boys and girls finished with identical 3-8 records after sweeping Dedham at Dedham's home course on Tuesday.

Rob Stanton won the boys race for the Mustangs, finishing in 17:20, followed by teammates Mike Notarangelo (2nd, 17:30), Steve Curley (4th, 18:06), Rob Skuncik (5th, 19:20), and Bill Glynn (6th, 19:25). Dedham's top finisher was Danny Hernon, whoi placed third in 17:57. Final score: Norwood 18 - Dedham 45.

For the girls, junior Kat Wood took first for the Mustangs in 21:02, with Jayne Galvin (21:04), Caitlyn Schultz (21:25) and Katie Welter in the 2-3-4 spots.
For the Dedham girls, junior Melissa Conklin had her best race of the year, placing fifth overall in 21:37. Final score: Norwood 16 - Dedham 42.

Walpole Boys Edge Framingham; Walpole Girls Win Easily

In a surprisingly close race, Walpole's boys team just edged Framingham 27-28 in their dual meet on Tuesday at Framingham. Walpole sophomore Ryan Doherty (remember the name) finished first in 16:16, with teammate Eric Flaman second in 16:25. Dan Horgan was 5th for the Rebels, as Framingham took 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. Walpole took 9th and 10th to clinch the win, and run their record to 7-4.

Teh Walpole girls had no difficulties, as they took seven of the top nine spots against the Flyers to win 20-41. Olivia Perry won the race for the Rebels in a time of 18:44. Framingham's Camille Murphy was a close second in 18:50. The Walpole girls' record now also stands at 7-4.

Natick Girls Topple Weymouth; Weymouth Boys Win

Natick's Becca White and Anya Price tied for first in 17:06, and Dorothea Letner (18:46) nabbed a crucial 5th place as the Redmen defeated Weymouth 26-31 at Wompatuck State Park. Natick closes out the season with a 9-2 record.

The Natick boys couldn't duplicate the result, as Weymouth took 1-2-4-8-9 for a 24-31 win.

Wellesley Girls Wrap Up Undefeated Season; Needham Boys Cruise Past Wellesley JV

Wellesley rested its three top freshmen, but still defeated Needham 20-44 to complete their 11-0 undefeated season. Needham's Emily Lipman won the race, held at Wellesley's 2.7 mile course, but the Raiders took the next five places as Faith Richardson, Anna Lukas, Elaina Verner, Ali Griswold and Audrey Eifenmenger finished second through sixth overall.

In the boys race, this resting business got a little ridiculous, as Wellesley rested its top seven in preparation for the league meet on Saturday. Rested? Well, I hope they were out doing a workout or something. At least Needham showed up, taking the top five places and winning 15-48. Sam Miller won the race in 14:12. The Rockets' record now stands at 10-1, while Wellesley fell to 8-3.

Milton Girls Edge Braintree; Boys Defeat Milton

All I have are the scores from the paper. The Milton girls earned a narrow win over Braintree 27-29. The Braintree boys won easily, 17-38.

Rivalry... What Rivalry?

The undefeated Brookline boys race the once-defeated Newton North boys today, but the meet holds little suspense. Newton will run hard. Seb and Dan will run great races, probably well under 17 minutes. Newton's pack will race bravely, and their young runners will show great promise...

...and, unless perverse chance intervenes or they have decided not to, Brookline will still win with relative ease. Brookline's top three will finish 1-2-3 and the meet will be over before the first North runner rounds the old backstop, and sprints along the side of the soccer field toward the finish. And Brookline's 4 and 5 might also be up there, depending on how hard they are running.

The Newton North-Brookline dual meet SHOULD be an annual drama between two of the top programs in the league, and, in recent years, the state. But the meet has not provided that much drama, at least since 2001, when North eked out a 27-32 win at Larz Anderson. That was a close, fun meet, with Brookline taking 1-3-5, but North prevailing with great pack running. (Brookline got revenge later that season by narrowly winning the league meet.)

From 2002-2004, North dominated the rivalry, as they dominated the league. In 2005, Brookline's super sophomore class turned the tables and started their own run of dominance, which has continued to this day. None of the meets in those five years have been really close, although some of the individual battles have been memorable (Polgar-Gibson at Larz in 2005 was a dandy race).

There hasn't even been the drama of having the ascending team end the streak of their rivals. In 2001, Brookline lost its first dual meet in five years to... Braintree! And that was long before they raced Newton at the end of the season. In 2005, Newton North lost its first dual meet in five years to... Wellesley! By the time Brookline came around, the Tigers had been proven mortal, after all.

And the final indignity to the rivalry is that the dual meet usually happens right before the league meet, which means that the meet is immediately followed by another meet, perhaps seen as more important. (This was NOT the case in 2001, which might have contributed to making the meet more interesting.)

Well, I'm just whining here, because I see no way around it. But wouldn't it be great to see one of these meets where the two teams are evenly matched, are both undefeated, and where non one knows the outcome until the 10th (or 11th or 12th) runner crosses the line?

Maybe next year.

---

The rivalry since 2001:

2001 NN 27 - Brookline 32
2002 NN 15 - Brookline 48
2003 NN 22 - Brookline 33
2004 NN 18 - Brookline 41
2005 Brookline 24 - NN 35
2006 Brookline 18 - NN 42
2007 ?

Weekend Results - 10/20/2007

High School

Brookline, Braintree, and Wellesley competed on Saturday, October 20th.

Brookline's varsity boys traveled to the Brown Invitational in East Warwick, RI, and submitted another dominant performance, as they won the Championship Boys race. Their top five averaged under 16 minutes. Here are the individual results:

1 Robert Gibson SR 15:13.7
7 David Wilson JR 15:31.5
8 Michael Burnstein SR 15:38.6
15 Elliot Lehane SR 16:06.8
26 Brendan Grove SO 16:35.0
27 Ryan Hardiman JR 16:37.3

Brookline's next pack (seems odd to call them JV) ran at the Catholic Memorial Invitational at Franklin Park and placed 14th overall, averaging 17:56. Chris Mercurio led the Warriors, running 17:02.

Braintree's Kyle Higgins finished second overall at CMI, running 16:12, just 7 seconds behind Whitman-Hanson's Peter Gilmore.

In Division II, the Wellesley boys and girls team made their much-anticipated debut in invitational action. The boys placed a strong third behind Bishop Guertin of NH, and Hingham, MA. Nick Carroll led the Raiders, running 16:57 for 8th overall.

Wellesley's girls placed all seven of their varsity runners in the top 13, scored a miniscule 29 points, and easily defeated Dennis-Yarmouth, among others, to win the Div II Girls Varsity race.


College

At the Little Three Championshiups at Williamstown, Williams senior Liz Gleason ran 19:36, placing 16th in the women's 5K. Wesleyan junior Anna Schindler ran 20:45. In the men's 8K race, Scott Cole ran 31:32.

Globe Articles on Simulated Altitude Training

I'm not sure what prompted it, but today's Boston Globe has two articles about simulated altitude training. One of the articles describes how traditional team sports -- such as basketball and soccer -- are experimenting with having athletes do some of their conditioning work in hypobaric (low atmospheric pressure) chambers. The other article, by Globe basketball writer Shira Springer, describes her experience with a borrowed hypobaric sleeping chamber.

Up and Coming Method (registration required)

Tent provides an elevating experience (registration required)

High-altitude training has always had fascination for endurance athletes since some of the positive physical adaptations to altitude - an increase in the number of red blood cells and the oxygen-carrying capacity of those cells -- are also beneficial to running, cycling, and other endurance sports. Unfortunately, training at altitude can also compromise the quality of workouts. In attempting to balance the benefits of training at low altitude intensity while getting high-altitude adaptation, exercise physiologists developed the "train low, live high" approach. This calls for doing one's training at near sea level atmospheric pressure, but sleeping at high altitude atmospheric pressure.

One problem with that approach, mentioned very briefly in one of the Globe articles, is that high-altitude sleeping can compromise recovery during the body's time to repair the stresses of training. Essentially, one is training even while sleeping.

So if you want to shave half a minute off your 5K time should you save your money from that summer job to buy a $7000 altitude tent? Well, in a word, no. Improvements in fitness are still a result of training hard. The tent is just another variation of the exercise machine that seems to offer a shortcut to fitness but really is only another way of packaging the hard work required of the athlete. In other words, if it gets you to work harder, it would be worth it. But its the work, not the machine, that produces the improvement.

After several weeks of experimenting with the altitude tent and seeing her fitness improve, Springer writes:

"Does all the credit go to the tent? Probably not. Part of the drop in times and decrease in fatigue was a natural byproduct of training hard. The tent does not do the work for you. Part was because of cooler weather. Part was probably also psychological, considering the more I believed in the positive effects of tent living, the better I ran."

Newton North Girls Edge Natick 27-28, Boys Roll

In a thrilling meet at Elm Bank Park Wednesday, the Newton North girls XC team defeated Natick in a race that was closer than the score -- and the score was 27-28!

As expected, Natick's Becca White won the race, setting another course record (14:21 on Elm Bank's 2.5-mile course). But Natick was denied its usual 1-2 finish, as North's Carolyn Ranti took second ahead of Anya Price (3rd in 15:03). Franca Godenzi finished fourth for the Tigers.

But the race was decided by the next wave of finishers. After battling the entire race, North's Adina Hemley-Bronstein pulled away from Natick's third runner in the last 400 meters to take fifth. That still wouldn't have been enough to win, but Nora Barnicle (16:03) used a terrific kick to overtake Natick's third runner in the final meters to reverse the advantage onthe course that Natick had enjoyed throughout the race.

Although Nora Seymour (7th, 16:04), Dorothea Letner (8th, 16:25), and Kim McGill (9th, 16:34) ran well, when Newton took 10th, the Tigers had won their closest meet of the year.

The Tigers ran their record to 9-1, as they also defeated Milton 15-40.

The Newton North boys had no trouble sweeping Natick (15-48) and Milton (15-50), and also stand at 9-1 with only their meet against Brookline remaining.

Boys Results (from Jim Blackburn):

1. Putzeys (NN) 13.19
2. Hamilton (NN) 13.35
3. Krasnow (NN) 13.48
4. Forman (NN) 13.52
5. Chebot (NN) 13.55
6. Lichtman (NN) 13.56
7 Vitale (Nat) 13.57
8. Zanchi (Nat) 14.07
9. Perry (NN) 14.32
10. Ranti (NN) 14.33
11. Dorfman (NN) 14.34
12. Weinfeld (NN) 14.39
13. Perry (Nat) 14.42
14. Gleason (NN) 14.43
15. Harris (NN) 14.47
16. Blute (Nat) 14.49
17. Goldenberg (NN) 14.59
18. Corley (M) 15.03
19. Keefe (NN) 15.06
20. Cohen (NN) 15.09

BSC Roundup: October 16, 2007

Boys Results

Wellesley 23 - Weymouth 32
Wellesley 17 - Framingham 38
Weymouth 19 - Framingham 39

Nick Carroll led all finishers, running 13:53, which ties the course record for the 2.7-mile Elm Bank course. Billy Littlefield was second in 14:05. Weymouth's Rob Keegan was third in 14:10. Wellesley's record in now 8-2. Framingham's top finisher was Stuart McKenzie (5th overall in 14:35).

Brookline 15 Norwood 50
Brookline 15 Walpole 50
Walpole 18 - Norwood 43

Missing three of its top seven (including top runner Ryan Doherty), Walpole still managed a victory over Norwood, as Eric Flaman led the Rebels, Chris Lotsbom ran through a hip injury to finish strong, and Dan Horgan improved his personal best by 26 seconds to give Walpole first, second, and fourth against the Mustangs and all but clinch the win. The Rebels are now 6-4 on the season, while Norwood drops to 3-7.

Neither team challenged Brookline, which ran its season record to 10-0. Robert Gibson led all finishers, running 15:39 on the 2.93-mile course. Brookline's Lang Pratt-Otto won the JV race, as Warriors took the top 11 places.

Needham 20 - Braintree ??
Needham 15 - Dedham ??
Braintree ?? - Dedham ??

Braintree's Kyle Higgins led all finishers, but Needham's pack picked up places 2-3-4-5-6 to secure an easy sweep.

Wednesday: Natick hosts Newton North and Milton at Elm Bank Park. The Tigers should have no trouble sweeping, with Natick splitting the meet.

---

Girls Results

Wellesley 15 - Weymouth 50
Wellesley 15 - Framingham 50
Weymouth 19 - Framingham 40

Wellesley's coronation march through the Bay State schedule is almost complete, as the Raiders swept Weymouth and Framingham at Elm Bank Park on Tuesday. Blake Dietrick won the 2.7-mile race in 16:04 and was followed by Anna Lukes (16:08), Faith Richardson (16:15), Eva Lauer (16:15), and Jessie Kaliski (16:24).

Walpole 25 - Brookline 31
Walpole 15 - Norwood 49
Brookline 15 - Norwood 47

Walpole's Diana Weisman and Liv Perry tied for first in 19:11, and Hillary Griffin and Amanda Murphy took 5th and 6th, as the Rebels defeated Brookline and Norwood yesterday to hike their record to 6-4 for the season. The Warriors were led by Mariana Leibman-Palaez (3rd, 20:06) and Emily Alexander (4th, 20:19), as they easily defeated Norwood.

Needham ?? - Braintree ??
Needham ?? - Dedham ??
Braintree ?? - Dedham ??

Am I wrong to assume Needham swept their tri-meet with Braintree and Dedham? Am I wrong to to be annoyed that neither coach called in the results to the Globe?

Wednesday: Natick hosts Newton North and Milton at Elm Bank Park. Natick has the best 1-2 combination in the league in Becca White and Anya Price, but Newton has a solid 1-4, led by Carolyn Ranti.

Youthful Exuberance and Pine Hill

Well, when you try to teach, you keep learning, that's for sure.

I thought that Mondays were the most well-established, predictable days of our training week. All season, the team has been doing over-distance on Mondays. We began modestly, with runs that everyone could handle, and increased the duration of the run gradually over several weeks until more than half the team was able to run for more than an hour and still recover for the races/workouts in the upcoming week. Now, we're cutting back our over-distance runs in preparation for the final three weeks of the season. I thought the theory and practice of Mondays were well understood.

So when three of my runners asked if they could run on the hilly trails at Walden Pond on Monday, instead of the flatter run the rest of the team was doing, I said "sure, as long as you stay together and don't run for more than an hour." Big mistake.

It turns out that these guys had more in mind than putting in their boring hour of aerobic running. No, they wanted to test themselves on Pine Hill, the steep, steep grade that rises from Rt 126 across from Walden pond straight up to a reservoir at the top of the hill. From bottom to top, the hill is probably about 400 meters, and it is very challenging. Last year's team ran one workout there, doing a few repeats of the hill. I had decided this year that even though hill workouts are great, our short season and overall lack of preparation didn't warrant a lot of emphasis on hills, except the garden variety hills we encountered on our runs around town. Maybe I was right, maybe I was wrong, but as a result of that decision, the boys hadn't had their courage tested on Pine Hill yet.

I shouldn't have known something was up. Two of the three runners were coming off real breakthrough races a week ago and their enthusiasm over the past few days had been the highest it had been all year. They had tasted success and they wanted more. And they figured that the way to have more success was to work harder (admirable!) and improvise a really hard, new workout on a day normally reserved for a long, moderate run (somewhat less admirable).

After an hour, they weren't back yet.

After an hour and a half, they weren't back yet.

After an hour and forty-five minutes and the dispatch of the team van to begin the manhunt, the three of them walked back on to campus. "We did what you told us," they explained. "We didn't run for more than an hour." Well, so they had been listening. "We did repeats of Pine Hill - seven of them, all the way to the top." Ok, so it was selective listening. Somehow I had failed to communicate the purpose of Monday runs, and the need for progressive adaptation to training stresses.

At the very least, this is a teaching opportunity. I am not angry with them for wanting to improve. I am a little bit angry that they were out for 1:45 and that they improvised a workout that will, I suspect, leave them somewhat lame for tomorrow's meet. But even so, there's a chance to learn something here. For one thing, training is not a matter of throwing down one great workout and then spending the next week recovering. It isn't something you do just when you feel like it, when you feel youthful exuberance and a sudden impulse to test yourself on the toughest hill around. Training is the hard work AND consistency.

It's hard to have that perspective sometimes when you are young and fast and feeling good.

Marathon Dreams

When the days grow short and the leaves on the trees turn yellow, red, and brown, then runners can't help themselves -- they dream of running a Fall marathon.

Not that it suddenly occurs to the average runner to compete at a such a distance. No, these marathon dreams have been in the works for months. Mileage has been upped. Long runs have been recorded in the log. Injuries have been avoided (we hope), and carbos have been loaded. So the journey of hope and high expectations begins.

Yesterday, Lowell hosted the Bay State Marathon, and two runners from my club competed. In two weeks, several more of the team will compete in the Cape Cod Marathon (in and around Falmouth), which also serves as the New England Championship. But others have bigger dreams, and are getting ready to tackle the NYC marathon, which takes place Sunday, November 4th.

(New York is a world-class marathon, of course, but this year it's an even bigger deal because on Saturday Nov. 3rd, the day before the "real" NYC marathon, New York is hosting the U.S. Men's marathon trials for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.)

As everyone probably knows by now, Lance Armstrong will be returning to the NYC marathon, after his famously painful (and successful) run last year. Lance runs to promote his Livestrong foundation, and gutted out a sub 3:00 last year, despite enduring excruciating shin pain.

Also running to support Livestrong will be Tom Burkly (NNHS Class of 2002), a member of the Tigers XC team, who went on to win an NCAA Championship in Ultimate Frisbee with Wisconsin.

While Tom is probably not aiming for a sub 3:00 marathon at New York, my co-coach at Concord Academy, Karina Johnson, has a realistic shot to be racing Lance in Central Park. Johnson, a graduate of Colby and former assistant coach at Williams College, is fresh off an admirable 36:25 at the Tufts Health Plan 10K in Boston, and is hoping to run under three hours for the first time.

Bay State Invitational Pics and Results

Boys D1: Brookline Wins With Unprecedented Sweep

Brookline's Robert Gibson (15:49), David Wilson (15:55), and Mike Burnstein (15:58)swept the top three places in the Boys D1 Varsity Race at the McIntyre Invitational at Franklin Park on Saturday in ideal conditions. The Warriors captured the team title, as Elliot Lehane finished 15th (16:29), and Brendan Grove finished 53rd (17:01). No other H.S. team has ever had three runners under 16:00 at Franklin Park in the same race. furthermore, with his 15:47, Gibson became the second fastest Brookline H.S. runner all-time at Franklin Park (behind Olympian Jonathon Riley), and ahead of George and Tom McArdle.

Braintree's Kyle Higgins finished 11th overall in 16:25.

Needham's Sam Miller placed 22nd with an outstanding time of 16:37, leading Needham to a seventh-place team finish, a spot ahead of highly regarded New Bedford.

Led by senior Seb Putzeys (44th, 16:56) and junior Dan Hamilton (47th, 16:57), Newton North placed 17th out of 47 schools.

Other Bay State teams competing in the D1 race included:

Natick - 40th
Braintree - 41st
Framingham - 42nd
Norwood - 44th
Weymouth - 45th

Individuals from the Bay State:

1 Gibson, Robert Brookline 15:49 1
2 Wilson, David Brookline 15:55 2
3 Burnstein, Michael Brookline 15:58 3
11 Higgins, Kyle Braintree 16:25 11
15 Lehane, Elliot Brookline 16:29 15
22 Miller, Sam Needham 16:37 21
44 Puyzeys, Seb Newton North 16:56 42
47 Hamilton, Daniel Newton North 16:57 45
53 Grove, Brendan Brookline 17:01 51
69 Potterton, Kevin Needham 17:11 67
70 Hardiman, Ryan Brookline 17:12 68
75 Gluck, Liam Needham 17:19 73
76 Riley, Brett Needham 17:20 74
99 Newfield, Jake Needham 17:35 96
118 Shields, Dan Needham 17:50 113
123 Foreman, Jared Newton North 17:55 118
140 Vitale, Jonathan Natick 18:04 134
141 McKenzie, Stewart Framingham 18:04 135
142 Zanchi, Nick Natick 18:05 136
148 Julian, Brett Weymouth 18:11 142
165 Chebot, Ben Newton North 18:22 159
190 Perry, Nate Natick 18:36 181
193 Perry, Nick Brookline 18:37 184
202 Krasnow, Charles Newton North 18:42 192
210 Dorfman, Michael Newton North 18:46 199
228 Harris, Lucas Newton North 18:54 215
234 Ross, Nathan Framingham 18:58 221
242 Kola, Ian Braintree 19:06 228
243 McGovern, Phineas Framingham 19:07 229
244 Steve, Curley Norwood 19:07 230
248 Tousignant, Rob Braintree 19:14 233
253 Bobby, Skuncik Norwood 19:18 238
257 Billy, Glynn Norwood 19:21 240
272 Blute, Andrew Natick 19:33 254
277 Herring, Ethan Weymouth 19:35 259
288 Chasen, Ben Weymouth 19:46 270
292 Kubicki, Rob Braintree 19:49 273
293 Black, Rob Braintree 19:52 274
297 Coukos, John Framingham 19:55 278
309 Dooley, Brian Weymouth 20:11 290
310 Hermitage, Cory Weymouth 20:11 291
317 Frakelton, Josh Framingham 20:35 297
326 Samuelson, James Braintree 21:05 305
327 Harding, Nathan Braintree 21:16 306
328 Beling, Jeff Framingham 21:20 307
333 Ebb, Joseph Natick 21:49 310

Girls D1: PRs for Natick's White, Price; Newton North is 7th

Natick's Becca White was a step behind Newton South's Madeleine Reed, placing 3rd in the D1 Girls Varsity race in 18:31. Teammate Anya Price place 8th in 19:07. Carolyn Ranti placed 10th in 19:30, leading Newton North to a 7th place team finish, one spot ahead of Natick.



Carolyn Ranti battles Anya Price on Bear Cage Hill

Franca Godenzi (36th, 20:21), Nora Barnicle (41st, 20:27), and Adina Hemley-Bronstein (44th, 20:31) all set Franklin Park PR's. Becca Park (22:00) and Susannah Gleason (22:02) also ran well for the Tigers.

Needham's Emily Lipman ran very well, placing 12th in 19:35.

Weymouth's Carolyn Connolly was 35th in 20:09 to lead the Wildcats.

Bay State League teams competing in the D1 race:

Newton North - 7th
Natick - 8th
Weymouth - 12th
Brookline - 19th
Needham - 23rd
Framingham - 27th
Norwood - 35th



Mike Miller and Peter Martin enjoy the ideal race day


Boys D2: Ryan Doherty Leads Walpole (Results Incomplete)

Ryan Doherty placed 19th (17:24) in the D2 Boys Varsity Race for Walpole, followed closely by Eric Flaman (25th, 17:30.

Results are currently incomplete on coolrunning.com, but here's what we have:

19 Doherty, Ryan Walpole 17:24
25 Flaman, Eric Walpole 17:30
75 Lotsbom, Chris Walpole 18:18
81 Horgan, Dan Walpole 18:26

Girls D2: Wiseman, Perry Lead Rebels to 8th-Place Finish

Diana Wiseman ran 20:12 to finish 17th in the Girls D2 Varsity Race, with Liv Perry three seconds back for Walpole.

Bay State Leaguye finishers in the D2 race:

17 Wiseman, Diana Walpole 20:12 17
19 Perry, Olivia Walpole 20:15 19
57 Griffin, Hillary Walpole 21:30 54
81 Murphy, Amanda Walpole 22:04 73
103 Hawley, Erica Walpole 22:35 93
109 Desmond, Annie Walpole 22:37 99
123 Donnelly, Brenna Walpole 22:51 112
138 Horowitz, Rachel Milton 23:16 125
160 Mitchell, Chelsea Milton 23:52 144
161 Lannon, Maria Milton 23:53 145
202 Skusevich, Katie Milton 25:00 179
203 Walsh, Katie Milton 25:08 180

Teams:

Walpole - 8th
Milton - 30th

Boys D1 Freshmen: Sampson 2nd, Lichtmann 4th

Brookline's Christian Sampson (10:26) finished two seconds behind Mansfield's Shayne Collins (Shayne looks just like Ryan did at that age, only he's faster!) in the Boys D1 freshman race. Ezra Lichtmann finished fourth in an outstanding time of 10:40. Weymouth's Steven Connolly finished 12th in 11:08. Dan Ranti finished 14th in 11:11. Other Newton North finishers included:

52 3590 Weitzman, Ed Newton North 12:03
150 3578 Petitti, Alex Newton North 13:19
162 3574 Markson, Jeremy Newton North 13:28



Ezra Lichtmann - fourth in the D1 freshman race

NNHS/BSC Alumni Results - 10/13/2007

It was a busy weekend for college XC athletes, including many far-flung NNHS and BSC alumni. If you know of other results, please leave a comment.

Chris Barnicle finished 13th overall at the Arkansas Chile Pepper Invitational, running 30:20 for 10K (4:54 per mile!). Chris was 5th man for Arkansas, which won the team title. Tom Davis (Richmond) also competed at Chile Pepper, running 32:13.

At the Univ. of Rochester Invitational, Dan Chebot ran 26:44 to place 25th overall, and sixth for the host Yellowjackets.

Wake Forest freshman Jess Barton placed 59th at the Penn State National Invite with a time of 22:22 for 6K, as the Deamon Deacons finished fifth as a team.

At the Albany Invitational, Alexandra Krieg (ex Wellesley, now Middlebury) ran 17:44 to place sixth overall in the women's 5K championship race. Sam Sacchetti (ex Weymouth, now UMass Amherst) ran a PR 19:34 to place 84th. In the men's 8K, Weymouth grad Tim Condon (now at Brandeis) ran 26:32.

Brielle Chabot (ex Wellesley, now Boston College) ran well at the NCAA Div I Pre-National Meet held at Indiana State. Chabot ran 21:08 for 6K to finish 42nd overall in the women's "Blue" race.

Liz Gleason participated in the Craig Cup Run for Life in Cumberland Maine, a race organized in memory of Katie Craig, a member of the Williams College Class of '08, who passed away this spring.

Video of Finishes at Chicago

LetsRun.com calls the men's and women's finishes at the Chicago Marathon "the two greatest marathon finishes ever on one day." I finally got around to watching the videos of the finishes. Amazing.

Here are the links:

Finish of men's race at Chicago Marathon

- The announcers can't tell who won

Finish of women's race at Chicago Marathon

- Berhane Adere makes up a 15-second deficit in less than 400 meters (the commentary is priceless)

BSC Roundup: October 10, 2007

NN sweeps at Weymouth

Newton North swept its meets with Weymouth at Wampatuck State Park on Wednesday. The NN girls won 26-29, with outstanding performances from Franca Godenzi (2nd) and Adina Hemley-Bronstein (3rd).

Results (from Mike miller):

1) Connolly W 17:36
2) Godenzi N 17:43
3) Hemley-Bronstein N 17:47
4) Mahoney W 17:59
5) Ranti N 18:15
6) Barnicle N 18:36
7) Bianco W 18:50
8) McCarthy W 18:52
9) O'Rourke W 19:00
10) Park N 19:09
11) Gleason N 19:19

The NN boys won 18-42, with Seb Putzys and Dan Hamilton going 1-2, and strong returns from Charlie Krasnow and Ben Chebot. Also an outstanding performance from freshman Ezra Lichtmann (7th overall in 15:48).

Results (from Jim Blackburn):

1. Putzeys N 15:04
2. Hamilton N 15:13
3. Keegan W 15:28
4. Krasnow N 15:35
5. Chebot N 15:45
6. Forman N 15:47
7. Lichtman N 15:48
8. Julian W 16:06
9. Hadar W 16:10
10. Connolly W 16:24

Gibson Sets CR at Larz, as Brookline sweeps Braintree

Robert Gibson ran an otherworldly 14:36 at Larz Anderson Park, breaking his own course record by 34 seconds, as Brookline boys beat Braintree 19-41. Brookline girls won 20-38. Full results for Brookline runners can be found at athletic.net.
(by the way, watch out for Christian Sampson!)

Here's a link to the Boston Herald feature on Robert Gibson:

Gibson making B-line toward state crown

Wellesley Sweeps Norwood

The Wellesley girls had no difficulty shutting out Norwood, winning their meet at Norwood 15-50. The Wellesley boys had a tougher challenge, but prevailed 16-41. Nick Carroll won by half a minute in 17:23. According to Dyestat sources, Will Volkmann sprained his ankle and had to drop out. We hope it's a minor injury and he is back soon.

Natick-Walpole Split

The Walpole boys notched their 5th win of the season over the redmen, 24-32, despite having two varsity runners out of the meet with injuries. The Natick girls defeated the rebels 22-33, as rebecca white and Anya Price tied for first for Natick.

Milton Sweeps Dedham

Dedham's Danny Hernon won his first ever varsity XC race, running 18:20 at Milton's Houghton's Pond, but it wasn't enough for the Maurauders to overcome the Wildcats, as Milton won 25-33. Milton also won the girls race 22-34.

Needham Sweeps Framingham

No details from Needham's meet with Framingham at Cutler Park.

More Heat than Light

In the early days of the Boston Marathon, people "knew" all sorts of reasons why running marathons would kill you. It would destroy your heart. It would lead to pre-mature death. It would break you down as surely as ten years of hard labor.

Participants used to be examined by a doctor on race day, and many were told not to run because of heart murmurs. Many of those ran anyway. Such is the personality of the marathon runner.

Several years ago, after many years of debate, it was finally recognized that our notions about how much liquid to ingest during endurance exercise were based more on intuition than science. The science showed that it was entirely possible to over-hydrate during long events, and that old guidelines for drinking during a race were wrong: they over-estimated the amount of fluid intake needed.

There continues to be a lot of information and mis-information about the Chicago Marathon, and the wisdom of running in hot weather. More heat than light, it seems to me. That's why I was very happy to read the following articles on the science of heat stroke and other heat-related ailments.

Here's a representative quote:

"...running [in hot weather] requires the right level of adaptation. And failure to adapt WILL NOT result in heatstroke - it will result in an athlete who feels absolutely dreadful and is unable to continue, but this is not the same as overheating and developing a fatal condition. So while Chicago yesterday proved a tough challenge for many, it should not become a symbol for the impossible nature of exercise in the heat."

Investigating heatstroke: How fast do you actually have to run?

Death at the Chicago Marathon: Report and View on Heat Stroke

Heat and the Chicago Marathon

The Midwest was suffering through unseasonably warm temperatures on Sunday, and come of the most prominent sufferers were the runners entered in the 30th Chicago Marathon.

Since the race, there has been a flood of media coverage, almost all of it negative. Stories have focused on the heat itself, the race director's decision to shut down the course and not allows runners who had entered to finish, and -- most unhappily -- the death of a runner, Chad Schieber, on the course.

At first, heat was suspected in Schieber's death, but an autopsy revealed that he died as a result of a pre-existing heart condition known as mitral valve prolapse. Nevertheless, the two stories -- extreme heat and a runner's death were linked in many news reports. Another story focused on reports from runners, unconfirmed so far, that the race ran out of water and gatorade at the early aid stations.

While I believe that major marathons should be held to very high standards as far as organization and preparedness, I'm having a hard time finding any fault with the race organizers or race director. I can't help but think that one of the problems is that too many people are running marathons, and that many of them are not prepared for it.

According to press reports, there were 45,000 entrants to the Chicago Marathon, Almost ten thousand stayed home when they heard weather reports that predicted temperatures in the high 80's. In all, 35,867 runners showed up for the start of the race. Many of these were first-time marathon runners.

Over 24,000 runners finished the race. They did this in spite of the heat, and in spite of all the other things that can go wrong when you run so far -- the blisters, the cramps, the wall, the injuries. It's impressive to me that 24,000 people finished a marathon in 88-degree heat. I am going to go out on a limb and say that with a few exceptions, the finishers had prepared for the event, and probably knew enough to know how to adjust their pace, clothing, and fluid intake strategies to deal with the extreme temperatures.

I was amazed to read that there was controversy when the organizers turned back runners who had not reached the halfway mark before 11:35 (three and a half hours after the start). The race organizers made the decision because they could no longer guarantee that medical personnel would be available to those runners. While I understand there are some runners who run a marathon in seven hours, I question whether those who planned to complete the marathon at 12-minute mile pace were prepared for the rigors of the race.

Should marathons limit the number of runners? Should they limit the field to runners who have already proven that they can complete a marathon in a specified time? Boston does this, but most major marathons do not. What responsibility do they have to make sure that people are properly trained for the race?

It never ceases to amaze me that marathons have become so popular. I think the marathon as an event has passed into the realm of metaphor, like climbing Everest, and that many people want to be able to say they've done one. Hundreds of thousands of people run in marathons every year in the U.S. By contrast, only a handful of adults ever compete in a cross-country race. It's just strange to me.

But I should probably not be surprised that newspapers, TV, and even NPR ran stories about the "brutal" heat in Chicago. In a way, extreme weather makes the event more compelling -- we might not like to admit it, but human suffering makes for thrilling drama. Having well-trained runners -- 24,000 of them -- lower their expectations and complete the race in well under seven hours, barely registers.

Dust Bowl

The cross-country course at Franklin Park was bone dry yesterday, and races were like buffalo stampedes, with the hundreds of runners nearly lost in the billowing clouds of dust. With temperatures reaching 80 degrees, times were not fast, and in the crowded chutes, sweat and dust mingled on the runners' bodies in rivers of grime and mud.

Many NNHS and Bay State alumni competed in varsity and sub-varsity races.

Running her first race of the season, Wesleyan freshman Haleigh Smith placed 24th in the sub-varsity race, running 20:18.

In the women's varsity race, Wellesley grad Alexandra Krieg (Middlebury) placed 8th in 18:33. NNHS alum and Williams senior Liz Gleason ran 19:27. Weymouth alum and UMASS-Amherst freshman Sam Sacchetti ran 21:43. NNHS alum and Wesleyan junior Anna Schindler ran 22:07.

In the men's varsity race, David Polgar ran 28:03. Although David experienced some breathing problems after the race, he told me it was nothing as bad as his last race in which he blacked out on the course and received treatment form EMTs.

In the men's sub-varsity race, Brookline alum and UMass-Lowell sophomore Matias Carrasco ran with the lead pack for the first 2M, but settled for 15th in 26:40. His former teammate at Brookline, Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, now a freshman at Tufts, started the race, but his name doesn't appear in the results. We hope he's ok. NNHS alum Scott Cole, running his first season for Wesleyan, ran 31:00. Weymouth alum and Bentley freshman Mark Jordan ran 31:27.

Open New Englands Today

This Saturday, Oct 6, is a great chance to see local collegiate runners in action at the Open New England Cross-Country Championships at Franklin Park.

The meet combines DI, DII, and DIII schools, so the field is deep. Williams will be there (Liz Gleason), as will Bates (Doug Brecher), BU (David Polgar??), Brandeis (Sam Donovan), Wesleyan (Anna Schindler, Scott Coles), UMass Lowell (Matias Carrasco), and others.

The races begin at noon with the Women's sub-varsity race, followed by the Women's varsity, Men's varsity, and Men's sub-varsity.

In Memoriam: Al Oerter

On Monday Al Oerter, four-time Olympic gold medalist in the discus, stepped out of the terrestrial throwing circle for the final time. He was 71 years old.

According to the obituary in the New York Times, Oerter was a high school sprinter turned distance runner (a miler!) when he first picked up a discus that had been thrown by one of his teammates and had landed near him. He tossed it back -- farther than it had been thrown originally -- and his coach immediately made him a discus thrower.

He first won an Olympic gold medal in 1956 at Melbourne, throwing 184-11, an Olympic record. Four years later in Rome, he threw 194-2, another record.

But what he did in Tokyo was something else again. Six days before the competition, Oerter tore his rib cartilage on his throwing side, causing internal bleeding and severe pain. Team doctors told him to forget the Olympics and not throw for six weeks. According to the Times, he responded "These are the Olympics... You die before you quit." He threw 200-1, set another Olympic record and won his third gold medal.

I was ten years old in 1968 when Oerter won his fourth gold medal. He was not considered the favorite, was not the world record holder, but threw 212-6 in the thin air of Mexico City to win his fourth gold medal and set his fourth consecutive Olympic record. I remember thinking that it was amazing how an old guy (he was 32 at the time) could perform so well.

It was 12 years later at age 43 that Oerter, coming out of retirement to set his personal best of 227-11 at the 1980 Olympic Trials. He finished fourth, but it didn't matter. The U.S. team boycotted, so none of the throwers would compete in Moscow. He competed again in 1984, making the finals of the Olympic Trials at the age of 47, but tore a calf muscle before he could take his final three throws. He retired from elite competition after that, but continued to compete in age group meets, and at age 61 was still throwing over 200 feet with a lighter discus ("It feels like a potato chip," he said).

Oerter was an old school thrower. He believed in taking 60-70 throws in practice, all of them for distance. He was not a great technical innovator, and his technique was perhaps not the best. But he had an incredible work ethic, and his competitive instincts were incomparable.

He also had a full life outside of athletics, as an engineer for Grumman Aircraft and in his later years, improbably, as an abstract artist. He never considered himself a professional athlete, and said, "I’m happy that I had a normal life, with a career and family. That makes a person whole."

Al Oerter: September 19, 1936 - October 1, 2007

BSC Roundup: October 2. 2007

Newton North over Dedham

As expected, the Newton North boys and girls XC teams had little trouble with Dedham yesterday, as the Tiger girls won 15-50 and the boys won 15-45. It was supposed to be a tri-meet with Framingham, but the Flyers did not show up, reportedly because of a scheduling mistake.

In the girls race, Carolyn Ranti ran easily to the victory in 20:33, but right behind her was [EDIT: Nora Barnicle (thanks, Adina!)] (20:38). Adina Hemley-Bronstein was third in 20:54, Franca Godenzi was fourth, with Susannah Gleason fifth.

In the boys race, all I know is that Newton took the first five [EDIT: 11?] places in front of Dedham's Danny hernon (19:18).

Walpole Boys, Weymouth Girls Sweep at Weymouth

According to the Daily News transcript, "Walpole defeated Weymouth, 24-33, for its first win over the Wildcats in 10 years. The Rebels also defeated host Braintree, 20-42, to improve to 4-3 on the season."

Braintree's Kyle Higgins won the race in 14:43, nearly 40 seconds ahead of Weymouth's Rob Keegan (15:20). Walpole took places 3-5, 8, and 9 for the win. Top finisher for the Rebels was senior Eric Flaman (15:22).

In the girls race, Weymouth squeaked by Walpole 27-28.

Brookline Boys, Wellesley Girls Sweep at Milton

Brookline's Mike Burnstein (15:39) and David Wilson (15:45) went 1-2 at Houghton's Pond, as the Warriors defeated Wellesley, and swept Milton.

Wellesley's undefeated girls team took the top eight places to sweep away Brookline and Milton and run their record to 7-0.

Needham Boys Crush Natick, Norwood. Natick Girls Take Two

Sam Miller set a course record at Cutler Park, running 16:40 for the flat 5K loop, and his teammates had no trouble finishing off Natick and Norwood as the rockets ran their season record to 6-1 (the only loss to Brookline).

In the girls race, Becca White matched Miller, recording a course record 18:28 for another impressive win. Teammate Anya Price was second in 19:04, leading Natick to victories over Needham and Norwood.