Once in the Agganis Arena and checked in, I found a couple of lightweights near the weigh-in area. Roy Brook and Mike Van Beuren were subtly trying to psych each other out while ostensibly being polite to each other. We all went in and were told that weigh-in couldn't be until 2 hours before the our race, not a minute sooner. I was going to be allowed first since my race was to go off at 9:40am, but still had 5 minutes to go. So why not a little fun? If I can't beat these guys I can at least aggravate them. Fully dressed, including coat, and with the gym bag slung over my shoulder, including the three full bottles, I walked to the practice scale. "You better put down the bag," Roy suggested. "Well, let's see," said I. After stepping on I told them "Read it and weep guys." 164.8 lbs.
The British section seemed to be the best place to settle in for the wait, and to watch the action later. I tried to act like I belonged there but one of the ladies let me know that the accent gave me away. They were nice enough to let me stay anyway. When racing began at 9:00am I headed to the warmup ergs. While going through my usual routine I could hear the action over the loudspeakers as some perennial favorites such a Joan Van Blom (6th straight hammer!), Luane Mills and Mary Perrot won, and other perennial favorites such as Carie Graves, Anna Bailey, and Dean Smith got upset by new sheriffs in town, with Bailey and Smith falling to new world record efforts.
At last the moment of truth arrived and I took my place on erg #14 amid an international field including a Canadian, a Dane, a Brit, a German, and a Norwegian. Off the start I had planned on 1:47s through the first 400-500m and then hopefully picking it up. As usual I was slow off the ROW command but got the average pace down to 1:47.4 after a couple of hundred meters with a few 1:46s amongst the 1:47s. I was solidly in 6th place as soon as the places appeared and couldn't seem to make any progress. With 500m gone I was not only unable to pick it up to 1:46s, but began to see occasional 1:48s, which although worrisome didn't seem to affect the 1:47.4 average. The new plan became 'hold the 1:47.4 average.'
On it went and eventually 5th place began coming back to me. At that point it was Peter Francis of Colorado, seated to my left. Oddly enough, my son's name is Peter Francis Bayko, being named for two of my longtime best friends. Must be karma of some sort there. The pace didn't feel good, but it didn't lag either, and the average of 1:47.4 held. That was quite a bit better than the 1:49 pace that I did through 1500m of my last time trial that ended with a 7:11.8, so I was pretty sure that I'd be getting my best time in a while. Somewhere along the way 4th started coming back to me too as the German (2007 European Champion Gernot Einoder) faded. That was worth a bit of adrenaline as a medal began to loom as a possibility. If I recall correctly with 300m to go the Canadian Hugh Pite was 8m ahead. "One minute to go," I told myself. "You can do anything for a minute." And I attacked it savagely with the ugliest stoke in the arena. At 200m to go he still had 6m, but I had wound it down to 1:42s and even some 1:41s, telling myself that all the training over the past year can't be wasted by failing to give every last drop of energy here. I think that it was at about 100m to go that I saw he still had 3m and just kept cranking, not really able to see the monitor anymore, probably because my eyes were closed. When I thought there were only about 3 strokes left the monitor came into view again and I seemed to be 3m ahead! Happiness, but still 3 hard strokes to be sure. Done!.....Yes indeed, 3rd place, 7:06.5, a bronze medal, and my best race in two years, since doing 6:59.7 here as a 58-year-old. Totally wasted, but well chuffed.
As Carla Stein (seat5) had written in the 'Road to Boston' thread, "I don't like to race, but I like to have raced." Having raced, and especially having raced satisfactorily well, I was looking forward to the rest of the day. The Roy Brook/Mike Van Beuren 55-59 lwt match happened next and I hung around long enough to watch the start and first bit before letting myself get kicked out of the racing area. Passed by Ernie Parizeau on the way out and gave him an encouraging yell as well. Did an 1100m cooldown to try to keep from tightening and curling up like a fried Junebug, then wandered about observing the action.
Heat 5 had Jon Bone (Navigation Hazard) and Stan Vegar side-by-side in the 50-54 Hwts, although Bone was having blood pressure problems. Vegar, the former National-caliber Decathlete looking like he stepped off a pedestal where he had been posing as a Spartan Champion of renown, kicked in with a strong win while Bone struggled, successfully, to a bronze. Further down the line my gym mate from the Hard Nock's Gym in Amesbury, MA, Gary Passler was just missing his first sub-7 for the second year in a row with a 7:00.9 after a 7:00.8 last year. This year though was the consolation of a bronze medal for third in the 50-54 lightweights.
Quickly then it was off to the shower to clean off so that people wouldn't avoid me due to the stink (they would have to avoid me for other reasons), and headed off to the awards area for only the second time ever at CRASH-B's. Met up with Neil Harrigan there as well as dozens of old friends. Dave Nock came by, having done an 8:14 (only 2 seconds off a PB ) in the 60-69 Hwt division only 23 days after an operation to have a tumor in the groin area removed. While he didn't vie for a medal himself he seemed as proud as a father that Gary and I had made the podium. By the time the day was over three of his 6 gym rats that raced went home with PBs and two more of us with bronze medals. A good day for the Hard Nock's Gym.
The 40-49 lwt race featured Paul Siebach at age 49 smoking the field with his third straight 6:24+ here. If he can maintain for one more year he can take a shot at Graham Watt's 50+ record! Some locals did well behind him. Neil Harrigan stroked steady 1:38s and 1:37s and eventually edged ahead of regular medallist Per Hanson of Denmark for the silver medal with a fine 6:32.2. Neil has a wonky handle movement almost as bad as my own, but he has much more speed. Three seats away Adam Balogh was placing 5th with a 6:45.8.
With my legs feeling totally wasted I headed back to the luxury seats to watch the action with some of the others. Tom Rawls was there, having done a nifty 7:18 to beat his goal of 7:20. So was Rocket Roy and Navigation Hazard, and I had to assume the role of sensitive and supportive caregiver to try to convince them that silver and bronze medals were actually good under the circumstances. Maybe with a couple of days rest they will appreciate them more. The best thing though was that I got to chat with the world record holder in my event, Brian Bailey of the UK. There we were, two ex-runners, reminiscing about the good old days when we could run like the wind and strike fear into the hearts of our opponents. Sigh, those were the days. I got to figure out a way to get stronger so that I can be more competitive with Bailey on the erg.
When the Men's Open Lightweight came up it was announced that a world record attempt would be on. The Great Dane Henrik Stephansen had recently broken the great Eskild Ebbesen's Danish record and was looking to step it up another notch. He didn't disappoint. The young lad blasted out and held 1:30s and 1:31s, leading many of us to hope that we might witness the breaking of the 6 minute barrier by a lightweight. Alas, a few 1:32s late put the kibosh on that pipedream, but the record was his by a few tenths at 6:02.2! Since he is a mere 19 years old we can reasonably hope for better to come if he can keep his interest and stay uninjured.
The Men's 30-39 Heavies was nearly as good with Nik Fleming, the Big Bird, smoking a new PB at age 39 (!) to record the best time yet of the day at 5:53.4. It would end up being the second best time of the entire event, beating all but one of the open times! Stand him up at the Gates of Hell and he won't...back...down. Unfortunately I wasn't able to witness it myself because I was off in the C bank coxing fellow Hard Nocker Gene Burnham to a new PB of his own, lowering his 7:34 to a 7:26.0. Chuffed about that too.
From there Gene and I dashed over to the front row to watch Trevor de Koekkoek take on Ralph Eckhart and the other 40+ heavies. That was no mean feat for Gene, having not only just raced but lugging 320 pounds up the long flight of stairs. Eckhart, with the ladies swooning about his broad shoulders, was smooth as could be reeling off 1:30s as he successfully defended his title. Not only that but a late extra effort nabbed him a new world record as well at 5:57.8, breaking his own mark. Trevor got a new PB at 6:29.1.
Back up the stairs (we'll get Gene under 300lbs in no time!) and over to bank B to watch Carla Stein in the Women's 40+. Why she wasn't on the front line is anybody's guess, but she went after a new PB from erg #41, coxed by husband Dave. She kept up a nice steady pace, and it was clear that she was not only crushing everyone in the B section but rowing competitively with the front row. With a big finish she broke her PB by almost 2 seconds with a fine 7:25.5, a half-second faster than Gene (a new target for him) and a tenth of a second behind Deborah Luby with whom she had been keeping a steady dialog via the forum in the 'Road to Boston' thread. They were 6th & 7th. We spoke briefly to Carla & Dave afterward, and she was assuredly happy to 'Have Raced.'
Gene braved one more climb up the long flight of stairs (Powwow Hill with the wheelbarrow should seem easier next time) and headed straight out the door to go home. I settled in to watch the three heats of the Mens' Open. In the stands I met the lovely Kerry Loan of the UK forum, and the attractive Arlene (Fish) and her husband Greg (not that I like attractive, fit women or anything
). The Italian Paolo Loriato was impressive enough in getting the fastest time of the day at 5:52.4, as was young Roman Shor with his 5:54.6, although we were all more impressed that Nik Fleming's time stood up to the assaults of all by Loriato. The day was done. The Brits made plans to meet up at Applebee's at 8:00pm, and I said my goodbyes for another season. On the way home I had to pass within two blocks of the Allston apartment that my son shares with 4 other college dudes, so I thought I'd drop in unannounced. He was a bit surprised ("What are you doing here?"), but tolerated it well enough and even gave me an unsolicited 'I love you" when I headed back out. It was a good day.
/
, Rich.
and the pictures didn't happen.
