This Monday evening it was time for another Monday Night Fun Run sponsored by the Colonial Road Runners in Raynham, Massachusetts. Race conditions were quite good with a bit of heat in the air but overall very comfortable conditions in store for the weekly 3.25 mile road race.

Started the first mile off a bit slower than normal to try and add a little extra gas in the tank for the latter part of the run. All in all, seemed to be a pretty good strategy as I finished Monday’s run with a time of 25:00 for a pace of 7:41/mile. Felt strong sort of from start to finish and was quite pleased with the finishing time.

Just a few more weeks of the Monday Night Fun Run still in store. Check out the race next Monday at 6:30 PM and visit the Colonial’s website to learn more.

This past weekend we packed the family into the Jeep and made our way to Little Compton, Rhode Island for the 40th Anniversary running of the Little Compton Road Race. The race kicked off nice and early at 9AM and started at the idyllic New England setting of a downtown beach community complete with a church arts and crafts fair and well wishers gathered safely outside in the downtown area of Little Compton.

Having not been to Little Compton before, we were thoroughly impressed with what a great little community this is just a little bit away from one of our other favorite coastal locations of Westport, Massachusetts.

The race is a 4.8 mile course and is an absolutely gorgeous run through the residential and waterfront streets of the town. I can’t emphasize enough how awesome this course was; it was a real gem in terms of scenery and one you definitely need to add to your running list. The race advertises as being relatively flat though it certainly felt like there was a decent amount of climbing along the way particularly in the second half of the race. It was a muggy start to the morning so thankfully there were water stops along the race course and runners took a cup on their own to prevent one needing to be handed to you; it worked just fine!

The race was a bit different this year and though it was timed was not officially scored due to COVID restrictions to keep runners moving through the finish line as quickly as possible.

I finished the race with a time of 39:15, good for 8:08/miles out on the race course. Good time at this race and one I definitely want to get back to again in the future!

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The Colonial Road Runners put on a great Monday Night Fun Run Series in Raynham, Massachusetts that you certainly want to check out. Each Monday night at 6:30 PM runners head out on a 3.25 mile road course and the weekly series is a great way to stretch your legs after work and to challenge yourself each week trying to improve week over week.

The Monday Night Fun Runs are timed and results are posted to Racewire each week. Volunteers from the CRR mark the course with signs and setup the finish line chute. Water is provided at the finish line and the race is a bargain price of just $2! Yes, $2!

Last night was my first Monday Night Fun Run back since the pandemic and it was good to see some familiar faces back on the course. Temperatures were pretty mild for a July night and there was a touch of humidity in the air but nothing too bad. Felt good being back out on the course I have run a bunch and the uphill climb right around and just past the two mile mark is a good one to keep you honest. There is a nice downhill descent as you make your way to the Mile 3 marker and then a flat finish allows you to kick things in a bit as you make your way into the finish line.

I finished last night’s Monday Night Fun Run with a time of 24:57, good for 7:40/miles. Boom! Very happy with that pace and look forward to being back at the Monday Night Fun Run again soon!

Stating the obvious here but, man, has it been a long time since we have been able to participate in in-person races!

The pandemic has certainly wreaked havoc on the world and the running community has been impacted with live, in-person races being cancelled and postponed until virus cases decreased and vaccination rates increased. Slowly but surely races are starting to make a comeback and this weekend I was beyond thrilled to tackle my first post-pandemic in-person 5K. Virtual runs were fun and certainly will be more important on a go-forward basis but there is something about in-person races that makes them special and as the cliche goes, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

We arrived in Plymouth on Saturday at the Sun’s out Run Out 5K sponsored by Mayflower Brewing Company and the vibe walking from the car immediately felt amazing! The DJ was playing tunes before the race started, familiar faces were seen, fist bumps were a plenty and walking up to the registration table was something simple but so appreciated to be doing once again.

This 5K course tackles a rather challenging route through mostly and industrial/office park section of Plymouth and features a climb that is usually not found on a 5K course. It’s a good course to push yourself and challenge the legs some and knowing it was the first live-race in a while I wanted to run strong but knew it would be a little different. It felt amazing to be out there with fellow runners, felt good to say “thanks” to the police officer directing traffic, felt good to take a cup of water from a smiling volunteer and felt amazing to cross the finish line of my first in-person race since the pandemic hit. Plus, the post-race beer from Mayflower Brewing Company tasted extra special after this race! (If you haven’t had their beer before or visited their brewery, do so immediately. Good crafted stuff including some killer IPAs, sours and a porter that is better than most)

I finished the Sun’s Out Run Out with a time of 24:58, good for 8:02/miles which I am more than happy with taking into account the challenging course and first race back vibe. Can’t wait to be back out there more and more and hope to see you at a starting line soon enough!