Harpoon 5-Miler to Benefit The Angel Fund

On March 26, 2013March 26, 2013 By The Running Griffin2 Comments

The lottery is now OPEN for the Harpoon 5-Miler to benefit The Angel Fund! Register Today.

Remember: You have until Monday, April 1st at 1:00 PM EST to enter. Take your time! On the opening page of the registration form, you will be asked to enter the Individual Lottery OR the 6-Pack Lottery. You must choose one or the other! Runners cannot enter both lotteries. Please read the Registration FAQ’s.

The 6-Pack Registration will require a Group Leader. So choose your leader now. The leader will register first and will need to create a Group Name and a Password. Once this is completed the Group Leader will inform his/her Group of the Group Name and Password. Each group member must register before April 1st at 1:00pm EST.

NOTE: Your confirmation email will come from confirmation@gorun.org. Please look for this in your junk folder if you do not receive it in your inbox. You will receive an email on Wednesday, April 3rd informing you of your status.

If you are selected in the lottery to run, a confirmation that your card has been charged will come from confirmation@gorun.org. Runners who are not selected will receive an email from 5miler@harpoonbrewery.com. Read more about the lottery process here.

The Angel Fund is an independent 501 (c) (3) charity that benefits ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) research at the Cecil B Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, MA. The lab is under the direction of world renowned ALS researcher Dr. Robert H. Brown, Jr.

www.theangelfund.org

20 Mile Training Run

On March 24, 2013 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Marathon training, particularly when done in a two-runner home, can certainly be a time consuming exercise when trying to coordinate running schedules, babysitters, sleeping and more. Yesterday, my wife Beth Ann and I were able to hit the pavement together along with our friend Jillian for a 20 mile training run thanks to a great babysitter, good weather and nothing else going on for us.

Though the 20 miler was in-line with Beth Ann and Jillian’s training calendar for the Boston Marathon, with the Buffalo Marathon quickly approaching for myself it was good to get some miles on the legs and there could certainly be far worse things than running 20 miles with a couple of cougars.

We ran a nice pace and even when the wind was blowing at our faces maintained an active stride through Bridgewater, Raynham and Taunton. A couple of water stops were taken along with the need to chow down on some gummy bears to get some calories back into the body. Though they cursed at me on a couple of the hills, we mixed in a good terrain of flats and hills which they will thank me for while running the Boston Marathon.

Refueling is always an important part of training so BBQ it was for me last night with a great meal at Smokestack Urban Barbecue in Worcester. Nothing like a good plate of pulled pork and beans to make the 20 miles not seem all that bad!

If you have yet to support Beth Ann and Jillian in their quest to raise money for the Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation, be sure to do so by clicking here. After all, they ran 20 miles yesterday and have 26.2 in their near future. Doesn’t donating $20 seem a whole lot easier right now?

It’s a Great Day for the Irish in Holyoke

On March 17, 2013 By The Running Griffin1 Comment

When you grow up in a city that was once called Ireland Parish it is sort of a given that each and every St. Patrick’s Day weekend you need to get your way back home to an old-mill city called Holyoke, Massachusetts to take part in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Road Race.

The 10K (6.2 mile) course races throughout a city that once housed Irish immigrants who made the paper mills of Holyoke the center of their lives. Runners head out of the downtown area of Holyoke, a section of town slowly going through an urban revitalization, and head up toward the Ward 5 section of town which is home to Holyoke Community College. After climbing hills for the first 4 miles, some quite difficult in nature, runners are graced with a huge downhill 4th mile as they make their way down past Holyoke Soldiers Home and toward Holyoke High School. The last mile mile has a quick little uphill past the newly constructed Senior Center and then heads downhill again toward the 6 mile marker. The last .2 of the race is a mad dash to the finish line as literally thousands of people are along the road standing rows deep cheering you into the finish line.

This year’s race was incredibly well-organized and seemed to go off without a hitch. The only part missing was a flyover from either a fighter jet or Mass. State Police helicopter which has taken place in the past.

Kudos to the crowds for coming out in force yesterday, as well. There were fans all along the race course but some key spots were packed with supporters which always makes putting one foot in front of the other a bit easier. A brass band at mile 3 was a nice touch to the race and a bagpiper just shy of the 4 mile marker never disappoints. There was a ton of groups handing out water and Gatorade along the course, and of course if you needed some extra carbs, a beer could also be easily handed to a runner.

The elite runners were back out in force this year amongst the 7000 runners and Olympians Alistair Craig and Amy Hastings took home first place in the men’s and women’s category respectively.

For me, I was able to shave about 20 seconds off my time from last year, always a good thing, and finished the race with a time of 50:17 which is good for 8:06/miles.

Be sure to mark your calendar for next year’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend and I will plan on seeing you in Holyoke!

Katie’s 5K Road Race

On March 12, 2013 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Registration is now open for Katie’s 5K Road Race which is held in memory of Katie Chalifoux. Funds from the race benefit the Katie Chalifoux Memorial Fund which was formed by Katie’s family in her honor.

The race takes place in the beautiful New England town of Boylston and is a challenging course that is a great run! The race from start to finish is organized with absolute precision and last year the race was one of my favorites.

For more information on the race and details on registration, please visit the website for Katie’s 5K Road Race by clicking here.

RUN4COLE 26.2 to Celebrate Down Syndrome

On March 11, 2013 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Registration is now open for the Run 4 Cole 5K Road Race. The Run 4 Cole will take place on April 7, 2013 in Clinton, Massachusetts. Information about the race can be found by clicking here.

The Run 4 Cole benefits the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress. To find out more about the run and the charity, please the Run 4 Cole website by clicking here. You can also like Run 4 Cole on Facebook by clicking here.