Monday, o2 March 2009:

Fellow GLRR Racers ("Greater Lowell Road Runner Racers" - now ain't that a tad redundant?) --

While no doubt everyone who ran the Jones 10-Miler on Feb 22 complained all week (with total justification, we might add) about weather, wind, and course, by now you have had plenty of chance to reflect on this: What if it had been a week later? You don't even want to think about that. (You CAN think about the fact that Stu's 30K, another tradition-rich New England race, was held yesterday as scheduled.)

A slew of stellar results from L'Affaire Amherst last week, however, starting with a squeaker team win by the Senior men. Led by Dave Oliver's outstanding division win, Dave was backed up by Tom Offenbacher in his Greater Lowell debut and Veterans' division hands-down champeen Bill Dixon. The total margin was les than a minute over Whirlaway (now with Reno Stirrat in its stable), 3:05:37 to 3:06:33. Given the close finish, and that Tom represents that new FODO ('Friend Of Dave Oliver' -- thanks for the remninder, Tom Foltz, I'd forgotten I came up with that) breed, we can safely say that this was a FODO-finish.

Turning heads on the women's side, however, was long-time GLRR-er Liane Pancoast with a fine 1:13:03 for third, just half a minute out of second. Hip problems behind her at last, Liane must be getting tired of daughter Stephanie, a Cornell track standout, hogging all the family athletic headlines. We can't wait for the challenge race; the only question: What distance will it be?

"Dixon and Foltz and pray for rain." Okay, it doesn'r rhyme like Spahn and Sain but the effect is the same. With Patty and Bill on the starting line, Las Vegas stops taking bets. It's over. They're the Veterans division champions, end of story. Of course it's never that easy as they'll be the first to tell you (Bill, in fact, rose bravely from the chiropractor's couch at the last moment), but . . . . wow. How about something like: "Foltz and Dixon and you're gettin' a lickin'?" "Dixon and Foltz, we're nags, they're colts." (Or in deference to Patty, perhaps, "Patty and Willie's like racing two fillies."

It bears noting as well that the GLRR masters women (Liane, Patty, and Melanie Hire) finished in 7th position -- with an average age of 52.

In case you missed the other extraordinary GLRR result from that day, Mark Reeder, age 49, blasted 15:56.60 for 5000 meters at the USATF-NE indoor meet at Harvard, placing 11th in a field of 21 against open (i.e. all-age) competition. We are duly humbled.

New Bedford is just around the corner, two weeks from yesterday, March 15th . . . Please contact myselves and/or President Glenn (and/or Tom F. if you're over 50) if you are in the hopper for this one. My list, which is perennially behind it seems, show the following:

Women -- Pancoast
Men -- Barbour, Jacobson, Offenbacher, Reeder, Stewart.

I look forward to receiving many many many corrections & updates,
John B.