Author: The Running Griffin

If you are hoping for miracle running tips about how to go out and win the next Boston Marathon, then this website is not for you. I am in no stretch of the imagination an elite runner but then again not many of us are or they wouldn’t be called “elite.” What I am is a runner who has realized the joy of running. Whether it be a 5k race in support of a local cause or a half-marathon or full-marathon with the finish line seeming at times to never be in sight, running allows each of us the ability to sort of leave behind the rest of the world and focus on simply getting to the finish line. We might not win a trophy and we might not make a career out of running but what we are guaranteed is a certain friendship among running friends, better health and the endorphin filled pride each time we cross a finish line. This website will allow me to highlight different races that I have done, perhaps some that I plan on doing and maybe other running stories that I hope to share with runners like myself.

Double Racing at the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the Fifty

On July 5, 2015 By The Running Griffin1 Comment

On Friday evening it was off to the home of your New England Patriots for a race at Gillette Stadium known as the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the Fifty. Last year the race night was absolutely stifling so this year temperatures in the 80’s made for ideal running conditions.

There is both a 5K and 10K option for this race with the 10K kicking off at 7PM while the 5K starts at 6PM. My running pals were tackling the 5K and I had signed up for the 10K but when one of them came down with some knee pain I decided to run both races in their honor.

The 5K takes runners on a quick loop of Gillette Stadium before heading back into the stadium to tackle the ramps all the way to the top tier of the stadium. Consider the run a sort of hill workout on steroids with a sea of running friends hitting the ramps along with you. A double edged sword of sorts runs through the mind as you make your way up one set of ramps as you know you will quickly be descending another set from the nosebleed section of the stadium onto the field. The 5K finishes right at the fifty yard line and New England Patriot star Nate Soldier was present high-fiving runners into the finish line.

I finished the 5K with a time of 24:44, good for 7:58/miles. Not too shabby for a course inclusive of climbing all those flights!

Having finished up the 5K, it was then time to make my way back to the starting line for the kickoff (see what I did there) of the 10K race. The 10K race features a much different course and leaves out the ramp ascents and descents and takes runners onto Route 1 briefly before then winding through mostly residential streets. Given the race is the Fourth of July weekend, neighbors use the course as a way to have little parties and cheer on runners and the support along the way mixed with the Americana feel really is perfect. After going through residential neighborhoods behind the stadium, runners then turn back into the stadium grounds on the Putnam Investments road and runners make a quick pass through the backside of the stadium before then finishing at the fifty yard line. Pat the Patriot is available for photos and runners can see themselves finishing the race on the Jumbotrons.

I finished the 10K with a time of 54:22, good for 8:45/miles. Knowing holiday cookouts were in the near future, running 9.3 miles the night before the 4th seemed like a good idea and I’m glad I did both races.

Post-race, a magnificent firework display took place and while we dined and refueled at CBS Scene’s patio we had a great view of the fireworks. A great night of running, food, drink, America and most importantly laughter with friends. This might become an annual tradition!

Keep Cool This Summer with MISSIONS’s Athletecare

On July 2, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

MISSION was founded in 2009 by an elite group of athletes looking to create an innovation-led brand focused on solving problems for athletes.

Pioneering a new product category dubbed Athletecare, MISSION uses science and real life insight from the world’s greatest athletes, to create disruptive sport technologies that elevate performance.

MISSION has some great microfiber towels available to help keep you cool during the summer heat. If you are hitting the pavement in either the heat or the humidity, MISSION’s Athletecare is a great way to cool down after a tough run. Their line includes regular, plain colors or NCAA branded towels to show support for your favorite team.

Right now, if you use the code 4TH at checkout you can land free shipping on your purchase; be sure to order today! Click here to visit their website and take advantage of this offer today.

Be sure to Like their Facebook page here and follow MISSION on Twitter by clicking here.

Run for Conservation in Plymouth, Massachusetts

On June 28, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Myles Standish State Forest is a beautiful and massive state park situated in America’s Hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts and offers visitors a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and instead immerse themselves in nature. Myles Standish has quickly become an area well known to runners as a place that offers challenging road and trail options thanks to several races that now take place inside the confines of the state forest.

Yesterday morning it was off to Myles Standish for the Run for Conservation 5K, a race that helps to raise funds for Wildlands Trust. Wildlands Trust is a favorite local charity of mine and is dedicated to conserving land and preserving the natural heritage of Southeastern Massachusetts. They work to permanently protect and steward important habitats and landscapes, including woodlands and fields, ponds, coastal areas, agricultural lands, and river systems. With so much natural beauty across Southeastern Massachusetts, the work that Wildlands Trust does to ensure that residential and commercial sprawl does not eat into the natural heritage is something we all should get behind and support.

The race kicked off at 9AM and was a reverse course from when I last did the race two years ago. After making our way down a quick hill, runners then hit a sandy path for about a mile and a half. Running on beach-fine sand can be a challenge but I was able to maintain a nice pace as I made my way toward the water stop half-way through and then back out onto the pavement. Once back out onto the pavement, the final half of the course was a rolling stretch up and down some nice rolling hills and into the finish line.

I remember running this race rather well three years ago but this year I tackled the course with an even faster pace and finished the race with a time of 21:19 or 6:51/miles. Not bad for the last day of my 33rd year on earth and maybe a sign of good things to continue into 34.

For more information about Wildlands Trust, be sure to check out their Facebook page by clicking here.

Once back out on tto

Easton Children’s Museum Fathers Day 10K

On June 26, 2015 By The Running Griffin1 Comment

To celebrate Fathers Day, it was off to the Easton Children’s Museum 10K in Easton, Massachusetts. Unfortunately ominous skies that quickly turned to rain kept the kids at home with a sitter but we were able to enjoy the day after the race. This year, the race served as the June Grand Prix race for the Thirsty Irish Runners and a huge contingent of green-clad runners hit the starting line and made their way out onto the course.

The race time temperatures were on the warm side with a healthy dose of humidity mixed into the air. The race took runners through a nice, rolling 10k course that had a couple of challenges mixed in. The race directors did a nice job having volunteers on the course handing out water, a commodity that was clearly needed given the weather. At just around mile 5.5 it started to open up in terms of the rain and the rain helped the shirt cling to the body even more.

Relative to the course, the rolling hills and mixture of neighborhoods that we ran through allowed runners to change things up in terms of running pace and some of my running pals helped the legs keep on kicking throughout the course. Post-race, there was a great award ceremony including cash for top winners and Children’s Museum mugs for age group winners and a plethora of food and drink provided by the race and by sponsors.

I finished the Easton Children’s Museum 10K with a time of 50:34 or 8:08/miles.

Chasing the Bourbon Derby Half-Marathon

On June 14, 2015 By The Running Griffin1 Comment

Once a year a group of my childhood friends and I head away for a long weekend to partake in some food, craft beer, baseball game and a little bit of culture. This year we made our way to Kentucky and took in the cities of Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky and ticked the state off our bucket list of states to visit. The past several trips, my buddy Matt and I have also completed a race while on the trip ranging from a 5K in Pittsburgh to the Flying Pig Half-Marathon in Cincinnati. This year, our trip coincided with the Bourbon Derby Half-Marathon in nearby Paris, Kentucky so Matt and I made our way to the starting line yesterday morning for the race.

The race started bright and early at 7:30 AM which was a blessing in disguise given the weather and rather hot racing conditions. Matt is a local Bluegrass Runners member and was chatting with some other runners who noted the race was hilly and in the sun for a good chunk of the race; and they were not kidding.

The course was one of the most beautiful half-marathons I have tackled running past miles of farmland, huge mansions and horse barns, horses running free and some of the most idyllic American countryside you can imagine. In the 8th mile you ran past a fountain with a massive, impressive horse barn off in the distance behind it which made for one of the finest backdrops I have seen. I’m not much of a horse enthusiast, but seeing horses running free behind acres of fencing really was quite a sight and made the race aesthetically quite appealing.

The sun shone bright overhead and at race time the temperatures hovered at 80 degrees. The whole course was a challenging mix of hills that simply put didn’t seem to ever stop. Just as soon as you climbed one rolling hill and made your way down the other side you were greeted with another hill. About half-way through the run I made the decision to dial back a bit having just come off another half-marathon preceded by a marathon three weeks ago and wanted to just enjoy the race and finish. I could feel I had little in the tank and the mixture of the heat and hills took a rather tough toll on me out on the course.

The race support was absolutely dynamite with all turns well marked and volunteers handing out water and a local energy drink Swords along the way. Even though, like the runners, the volunteers were baking in the heat they handled their duties at each stop with a smile and a push to keep chugging along. The people who partook in this race also were a great group and it was nice pairing up with runners up and down each of the hills encouraging each other along.

Coming into the finish line, a great crowd of locals cheered you into the finishing chute as you made your way past one more farm complete with cows and a barn. The supporters cheered each and every runner into the finish line and a post-race setup of water, fruit, granola bars and local goetta sliders helped runners refuel to their desire.
I finished the Bourbon Derby Half-Marathon with a time of 2:09:38 or 9:54/miles. It was a much slower than normal going for me but with the heat and hills coupled with muscle fatigue from all the recent long runs, I was glad to just hoof it into the finish line and grab my finisher’s medal. I have a couple weeks off until my next long run to allow for some recovery time and will be looking to race some shorter races soon.