We spent yesterday and last night in Durham, New Hampshire at the wedding of two of our friends. The wedding was an absolutely great time and the dance floor kept luring me in (fortunately for my running the open bar didn’t do as good of a job luring me in). It was a long day but this morning it was back to the pavement for the 29th POW-MIA Race for Freedom in South Boston, which conveniently enough was on our way home.

The race started at 10AM which allowed time in New Hampshire to score a quick bagel and coffee at Breaking New Grounds for some pre-race energy.

The race takes off from the Boston Teachers Union hall in South Boston and heads out along Day Boulevard in Southie. Great views of the Boston Harbor can be had as you make your way along the 5 mile route however the flat course can sort of deceive you. Though the course is flat, you are using your legs the entire route and the sun really can start baking down upon you along the water. The support along the course is superb, with 3 water stops along the way and both Boston and Massachusetts State Police keeping the road free of cars and each and every intersection.

Having gotten just a few hours of shut-eye coupled with busting a move or two to Pitbull and Journey at the wedding, I expected to be a bit off pace this morning and could feel the legs being a wee bit tired. I finished the 5 mile race with a time of 41:27 or 8:18/miles which with all things considered was a pretty good time!

Last Thursday it was off to Hollis, NH for the Hollis Fast 5k. Billed as New England’s Fastest 5K race, I have always had this race on my to-do list but never made it up north for the run. Though the traffic getting there after work was pretty miserable for the 6:30 PM start, the race itself was worth the aggravation on the roads leading there.

The race takes place in the quaint New England town of Hollis and has a really nice downhill grade the entire route of the course. The course drops 224 feet from start to finish and you can feel your legs letting loose on the course. With 1300 runners in the race, the wide country road leading downhill makes for a good course to have a good time on. Of course the race has chip timing which allows for an accurate timing for the fast 5K. Buses took the runners to the starting line, music and announcements were provided at the starting line and there was water available before runners headed out on the course.

The Hollis 5K has been featured in Runners World, The Wall Street Journal and on Coolrunning.com and the expectations that I had going into the race were far exceeded. The race was a great course, the downhill grade allowed for a good time and the post-race refreshments and free massages were a perfect way to end the race.

The winning time for this race was an amazing 14:09 by Ruben Sanca which is a remarkable 4:35/miles. I was able to pick up the pace pretty well on the Hollis Fast 5K and finished with a time of 22:03, good for 7:07/miles.

Yesterday it was off to Hopkinton High School to take part in the Sharon Timlin 5k for ALS Research. The race brought back memories of April as the starting area was the exact same spot where the Boston Marathon lined up before walking to the starting line. The race raises money for ALS research and is named for former Boston Red Sox pitcher Mike Timlin’s mother. Mike Timlin was in the pace truck for the race along with former Red Sox teammate Tim Wakefield.

The Sharon Timlin 5k is a race that in years to come is going to be one to keep an eye open for. Timlin, Wakefield and another former Red Sox Lou Merloni all sat at a table after the race and signed baseballs, hats and in numbers for race participants. The amount of amenities at the race was a huge benefit and the kids events were perfect for our 4-year-old daughter at the race with a babysitter while we ran. Hands down, this race was one of the finest races put on that we have done in quite some time with a complete lineup of things to do and food to enjoy.

The race itself was a really nice course with a fast, downhill first mile that headed away from the school toward a residential neighborhood. After the first mile there was a bit of a climb through the side streets before leading back out to the main road and again uphill to the Mile 2 marker. After passing there, it was back into the school grounds for a rather flat final mile wrapping through the middle school and the high school grounds.

I felt really strong out there running and finished with a good time of 23:26 or 7:36/miles. Having run the day before, I was still able to shave some time off of my pace which was a great feeling when crossing the finish line.

Saturday morning it was off to Plymouth for the Run for Conservation. Sponsored by The Wildlands Trust, the 5k course raises funds for the preservation of open space across Southeastern Massachusetts. The race takes place within the scenic grounds of the Myles Standish State Forest.

The 5k has both a sneaker category for racers and a barefoot runner category for those looking to mix things up a bit. The race is pretty equally divided between pavement and trail terrain and is a pretty challenging 5k with some good rolling hills mixed into the route. The trail running was pretty loose sand which can slow your pace down a bit but strategically placing runners in the woods for a race that raises funds to help protect the limited amounts of open space we have was a nice touch.

There was a great pre- and post-race set up with some local vendors and like minded organizations similar to The Wildlands Trust and there were a good amount of raffle prizes, post race fruit and water available for runners. The race had two water stops along the course which was perfect for a 5k.

Finished the Run for Conservation 5k with a time of 23:49 good for 7:39/miles.

Join me at the 2012 Run for Conservation in Plymouth! Looks to be a great race! Here is some information about the race.

Wildlands Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to permanently protecting land in Southeastern Massachusetts. We are proud to announce our 2nd Annual Run for Conservation at 9:30 am on June 9, 2012! This 5k, ½ trail ½ road race is an opportunity for not only runners, but walkers, families, local non-profits, businesses, and everyone in between to come together and support land conservation in Southeastern Massachusetts. Last year over 170 people turned out for the special day – Thank you!

The event will be held in DCR’s Myles Standish State Forest, the state’s largest forest reserve. The first 100 registrants will receive a FREE race t-shirt! **We’ll also be featuring a special barefoot division (with barefoot and Vibram Fivefingers allowed)**

New This Year:

– Pre & post-race Eco-Fair!
– Team Registration: Gather at least 5 of your friends, family members, or colleagues to form a team! There will be a prize for the top finishing team!

Register Today

You can register online by clicking here: https://racewire.com/register.php?id=1779

All proceeds support our efforts to save land in Southeastern Massachusetts. This race is member of the Bayside Runner Racing Series.

Interested in becoming a sponsor or making an in-kind donation? Email: admin@wildlandstrust.org or call 781.934.9018.