The Running Griffin would like to welcome Glimmer Gear as our newest sponsor. With the winter months upon us here in New England comes an increase in the amount of hours where it is rather dark out. While running, ensuring safety is essential and Glimmer Gear can help!

Glimmer Gear is state-of-the-art sporting apparel designed to offer you comfort and safety while you exercise, train and explore the outdoors. Every one of their products is equipped with waterproof, heat resistant flexible LED light strips, which allow you to be easily seen from over a 1/4 mile away while you exercise outdoors. Their products are made for you, the professional athlete, the aspiring athlete and those of you who just want to get out of the house and get in shape while enjoying nature. Glimmer Gear is truly the brightest in safety. Get out there, get fit and stay safe!

Be sure to use special code “Griffin” when you are checking out for a discount for all of The Running Griffin’s readers!

This morning it was off to Mansfield, Massachusetts for the Marathon Sports Frosty 5k. The race started at the Holiday Inn in Mansfield and ran through the roads of an industrial park. Though called the Frost Five, the weather was actually pretty nice with race temperature at 40 degrees so a running coat with hat and gloves and shorts did the trick.

The course was, for the most part, pancake flat and ran through Cabot Industrial Park. There were a couple of barely noticeable inclines and declines but nothing too challenging. Building up speed on the course was rather simple. Water was available twice on the course and there was a good post-race spread of water, coffee, pastries and candy canes. What made this race a real bargain was that in addition to the tech running shirt registrants received, each race participant also received a $25 gift certificate to Marathon Sports.

Perhaps it was the flat course or perhaps it was just a great running day but I finished the race with a time of 22:23 good for 7:15/miles. Let’s hope there are some more of those in the near future!

The Talking Turkey 6 Mile Cross Country Race in Holyoke, Massachusetts is an annual favorite for me and has quickly grown into one of the premier races in the region. Some might say I am biased due to being born and raised in Holyoke, but when standing around post-race you hear others mention that “This is one of my top five favorite races” perhaps I am not alone in that assessment.

The Talking Turkey takes place within the grounds of the absolutely beautiful Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke and has a great post-race reception at the Holyoke Lodge of Elks. The course is a cross-country style race where runners race across the dirt loop that circles the water within the reservoir. For yesterday’s race it was cool and a bit breezy and flurries actually were in the air at race time.

The race itself is predominantly flat with just a couple of quick inclines throughout the main loop of the course and then a rather gradual incline leading into the finish line. The finish line is packed with spectators cheering you in as is just before mile 3 where spectators line both sides of a foot bridge that leads across the water. There is a water stop at about 3.5 miles into the race. Though cool and breezy, the course was in excellent condition along the race and made for a good overall racing day.

Post-race food includes some rather amazing clam chowder, ziti, rolls and cookies. Inside, plenty of reasonably priced beers were available inside the Elks for those wishing to enjoy.

I finished the 34th Talking Turkey 6 Mile Cross Country Race with a time of 47:36 good for 7:56/miles. I encourage everyone to mark the calendars with a reminder for next year to sign up for this race!

Thanksgiving: all the fixings, pie, beer, more pie. What’s not to love about Thanksgiving?

But prior to stuffing my face it was off for a great run around Whiting Reservoir in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Whiting Reservoir is one of the many reservoirs in Holyoke and is has the peak of Mt. Tom in the background along the run. It was a great 4 mile run to burn some calories prior to putting the feedbag on. The scenery at Whiting Reservoir is simply unmatched and running there makes the miles just pass by.

If you are in the Western Massachusetts area for the weekend or if you are looking for a race to travel to, I highly recommend the Talking Turkey which will take place on Saturday at 1PM within the scenic grounds of another Holyoke reservoir, Ashely Reservoir. This race is a flashback to running cross country races and is one of the greatest fall runs around.

The legs are tired. There I said it.

This morning it was off to Norwood, Massachusetts for the 26th Annual Norwood Turkey Trot. The race takes off from right in front of and finishes at Norwood High School and is a tough little race through residential neighborhoods of Norwood. Though the mileage gives runners a good 4 mile course, the hill on Nichols Street that you climb in the last mile leaves runners with a love/hate relationship as you climb for what seems like almost the entire last mile. However, once you crest the hill you level off and run in front of the high school before making a final turn uphill toward the finish line.

The entire race is a challenge because there is a really good mixture of downhill and uphill terrain along the course and you need to focus on trying to maintain an honest pace so you don’t burn out too easily. Some of the residential side roads can be deceiving in terms of the elevation but the race really is a good challenge.

Thanks to the staff of Marathon Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine for the free, pre-race stretch which absolutely was crucial and really made a difference in loosening things up!

I finished the Norwood Turkey Trot with a time of 30:05 which is good for 7:32/miles. I guess I planned the hills well and after running a race yesterday I couldn’t be more pleased with my time today. But the legs are sore, the bed is calling. After all, there are more races in the very near future!