SEPTEMBER RACES…
By Alison Phelan
Kerry Phelan running strong to the finsih line!
Autumn is upon us and so start those fall races we’ve been faithfully training for all summer. First up, my daughter, Kerry, who’s a sophomore @Hamilton-Wenham, participated in 2 High School Invitational XC meets these past 2 weekends. On Sept. 19 she ran at Franklin Park in the McIntyre Bay State Invitational where she competed in the JV Div. 2 and managed a 1st place finish in a time of 22.06. Then last weekend, Kerry ran in the Ocean State Invitational XC meet where she again placed 1st in a time of 21.30 and also helped her school to an overall first place finish. Jokingly, I kidded with her that maybe some of her good luck would rub off on her mother and friends as Team Touchette, Billy Shea and I made our way to Keene, NH for the Clarence DeMar Marathon. At the steering wheel, “Dan the man” (Liz’s boyfriend) kept us on schedule w/his superior driving skills esp. when it came to rotaries — right, Dan?
Team Touchette, along with Alison Phelan and Billy Shea proudly wear their medals after the Clarence DeMar Marathon.
Our luxurious stay @the Super 8 Motel was uneventful for the most part; dinner @the Olive Garden made us all realize how much we love Italian food, desserts and well maybe a glass of wine or two – right, Billy? Sunday morning we awoke to the sound of steady rain; yet the mood was light. Billy pondered Liz’s offer of a sports bra to keep him from chafing, but politely declined; Deb and Liz brought their own breakfast to the complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel and Steve, Dan and I just quietly took it all in. The rain was now a light drizzle by the time we made it to the starting line. Also, this was the first time the starting gun went off 2x – once to get the runners’ attention and the second for real to set us off on the course. Off we ran – all 240 runners –onto the long downward, winding roads of picturesque Gilsum. The course was fairly flat, fast, and very scenic in a point to point course which traveled through the towns of Gilsum, Surry, and Keene. Not many spectators were seen, but there were plenty of water stations along the way to keep us hydrated. I fell behind and lost sight of my traveling companions. But along the way, I met a guy from Iowa and then a N.J. lady physician who ran with me from Miles 7-20. Weather was not a factor, it was mid-50s with a light drizzle — perfect fall running weather.
In the end, most of the crew bettered their times, but felt short of some personal goals. Still it was a fun weekend with lots of laughs and many fun moments. We’ll need to do it again….
32nd Annual Clarence DeMar Marathon Results:
Steve Touchette 3:46:27
Alison Phelan 3:53:12*
Billy Shea 3:53:46
Liz Touchette: 3:55:39
Deb Touchette 4:12:43
*Boston qualifying time
