Striding Along - Gate City Striders

Continued from page 10
races & 2 NHGP races. She scored 31 NEGP
points & 19 NHGP points (2nd most amongst
GCS Masters). She ran great times which included
some PRs. She ran a 1:12 at the Jones 10m, a 1:35
at the New Bedford Half Marathon, a 51:25 at
Bedford 12k, a 45:25 at Bridge of Flowers 10k, a
34:44 at Bill Luti 5m (1 st in her age group). Then
this September, when she was running so well and
was on deck for a great Baystate, she was sidelined
again - this time with a stress fracture in her foot.
In the face of a second setback in as many years
she stayed positive and worked through it to run
on the First Place GCS Women’s Masters Team at
Mill Cities. She is such a dedicated runner and
whenever she is down with an injury, she gets right
back up and gets stronger and stronger.
Photo by Deb Wolfe
Dan Dugan
In September of 2009, Dan was a month away
from the Baystate Marathon and in the best shape
of his life. Then, one morning he awoke coughing
up blood while simultaneously experiencing
tenderness on the left side. He was diagnosed with
chest wall pain, otherwise known as Costicondritis.
A month later, he again experienced a dull pain in
his chest – this time on his right side. St. Joseph’s
Hospital quickly checked him in and within 15
minutes he had an x-ray, a cat scan and a very scary
diagnosis. He had suffered a pulmonary embolism.
The doctors learned that he had developed 2 blood
clots in his leg. These blood clots were dislodged
and ended up in his lung. His recovery was slow
and agonizing. He spent the next six months taking
Coumadin to thin his blood and getting screened
weekly to monitor his blood clotting factors.
Doctors told him his lung had been damaged and
that he might never get back to the fitness level he
had previously enjoyed. 2 months after his
pulmonary embolism he was allowed to start
running again. Seven months after, Dan ran the
Boston Marathon in a disappointing (for him) 4:42.
Four months after that he I competed in the
Timberman ½ Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile
bike, 13.1 run) where he finished in 5:35 minutes
beating his personal best by over 55 minutes. His
next big event was the Baystate Marathon where
he finished in 3:31 minutes beating his personal
best by 7:39.
Photo by Mike Poublon
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February - April 2011 Striding Along 11