Mattapoisett Road Race

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Happy 4th of July!

If you plan to run a race on the 4th of July you should expect it to be hot. But this morning was next level hot with temperatures hitting 90 degrees at 9AM just as we toed the starting line for the Mattapoisett Road Race. This four miler through the coastal Massachusetts town of Mattapoisett has to be one of the most idyllic courses you will find in the area as runners traverse the four mile route through the absolutely perfect coastal neighborhoods.

We ran this race once previously and the area that the race takes place in is the kind of location that immediately has you checking local real estate listings once you get home from the race. It’s an incredibly beautiful area and the course takes you through the local streets that have a lot of the locals out supporting you as you tackle the race. Because today’s heat is next level hot, an extra big shoutout to all of the local residents who setup their own water stops, had sprinklers and hoses out to cool off runners and cheered runners along each step of the way.

After picking up our numbers and tossing the race shirt back in the car, we found a nice spot of grass near the starting line that was in the shade as conserving energy was going to be the key for the day.

Mrs. Running Griffin and I decided we would run together today to help pace each other in the heat and we made our way out onto the course with the goal of finishing the race safely being the priority. Mission accomplished! It was hot out there and thankfully there were some nice stretches of the race that were in the shade but when you were out in the sun you could certainly feel it. The water on the course was imperative at each station and hitting the hoses and sprinklers helped to regulate the body temperature relatively well.

We finished up the Mattapoisett Road Race with a time of 47:32, good for 11:53/miles. Happy to cross the finish line together where we then took in some water, the cool face cloths being handed out and fresh cut watermelon which helped to bring the body temperature down some. Nice to be able to run together today and kick off our 4th of July with a beautiful race. As we joked on the way walking back to the car, definitely better than running in the snow!

Mattapoisett 4 Miler on July 4th

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Looking for a road race on the 4th of July? Join me in Mattapoisett for the Mattapoisett Road Race, a four miler through the scenic coastal town on the South Coast of Massachusetts.

The race kicks off at 9AM so get your run in before it gets too hot on the 4th of July and before you consume copious amounts of potato and pasta salad. (By the way, let’s keep the onions out of the salads, people. They’re disgusting and no one wants hot onion breath at their Independence Day cookout.)

You can register for the Mattapoisett Road Race by clicking here.

Discount Code: 31st Annual Schofield 5K 

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All readers of The Running Griffin are being offered an exclusive discount for the 31st Annual Schofield 5K which will be held in Wellesley, Massachusetts on June 7th!

This is a fun community event, but it is also a real race: a certified 5K course, professional timing and three starting corrals:

Corral 1: Runners who have completed a 5K or longer at a pace of 7:30 or faster
Corral 2: Joggers and students
Corral 3: Walkers and strollers

There are awards across many age categories, plus the Kids Fun Run has medals for participants. After the races, everyone is invited to stay for the Fun Fair.

For the fast runners: Can you beat the course record? Colin Peddie, former owner of Marathon Sports, set the men’s record in 1998 with a time of 15:05. Kathy Fleming set the women’s record in 2007 with a time of 17:48.

To register for the race, please click here and use the code Griff to save 10% off your registration fee!

Add Wrightsock to Your Running Gear!

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The CoolMesh II Cushion – Tab Length – Anti Blister System socks from Wrightsock are now some of my favorite running socks!

These socks are super soft and fit the foot perfectly and the length is just how I like my running socks. The socks are stylish in nature and the cool, steel grey color is a nice pop to a world where running socks can sometimes be boring. These socks are definitely a nice fit for runners looking for socks that hold up well while pounding the pavement or running a trail and provide optimal comfort while out on the run.

Wrightsock is determined to bring their customers the best blister prevention products they can find. No matter if you run, hike or simply walk no one preforms their best with blisters that’s why they strive to bring you the ideal double layer, anti-blister socks you’ll ever wear. Their CoolMesh II is our original double layer design and has been a staple of Wrightsock since 1990 and is proven to help prevent blister formation.

Wrightsock offers free shipping on all orders in excess of $50 so stop wearing garbage socks while out running and switch to Wrightsock today!

Highly recommend!

Race Recap: Horseneck Half-Marathon

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This Sunday it was off to the coastal community of Westport, Massachusetts for the Horseneck Half-Marathon. Westport is an absolute gem of a town on the South Coast and is one of my favorite spots around so having heard good things about this race from previous runners definitely pushed me to registering for the race.

The race started and finished at Horseneck Beach and took runners through the streets of the coastal community. In terms of scenery, this race definitely was amongst some of the most beautiful half-marathons that I have done rivaling races such as the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon up in Vermont, for example.

Race morning temperatures proved to be quite warm and were amongst some of the warmer temperatures we have seen so far this spring. Though there was a cool breeze while standing adjacent to the beach at the starting line, out on the course finding spots of shade whenever possible was a must as the heat started to hit pretty nicely.

The course was a beautiful run and was mostly flat with a couple of hills mixed in for good measure. Runners passed by spots like Buzzards Bay Brewing and Westport River Winery and through residential roads going along the coast, along cattle farms, protected open space land and more. Honestly, some of the roads that runners ran along gave you more than enough to revel in and made the running all that much more enjoyable.

There was good support on the course when it came to volunteers along the way and different sections featured small contingents of fans cheering runners along the way. If I lived in the area I would for sure be hosting a little viewing part of sorts to add to the vibe along the way!

The heat definitely gave me something to contend with and the second half of the race it hit me more than in the first half of the race. Additionally, I have been dealing with some plantar fasciitis pain and that definitely was hitting me harder than normal out on the course but I kept on trucking determined to finish the race. (Side note: I’ve tried ice, compression, shock wave therapy and massage so if you have a magic trick, hit me up!)

My only real gripe with the race was that for a half-marathon a few extra aid stations with water and electrolytes would have been useful as a couple of them were spaced out a bit too much. Certainly with the heat it would have been useful as there were a number of runners being tended to by paramedics out on the course due to the heat but even on a normal temperature day, one or two extra hydration stations could have gone a long way.

I finished up the Horseneck Half-Marathon with a time of 2:22:09, good for 10:51/miles. Certainly not my best running out there but chalking up a half-marathon is never a bad thing so happy to mark this one complete!