On Sunday, August 19th it was a quick trip south to Portsmouth, RI for the 9th Annual Common Fence Point 5 Miler. This is sort of an annual must-do race as they course is a scenic stretch through the Common Fence Point section of Portsmouth which is an idyllic, tucked-away beach community hugged by scenic water views for a good portion of the run. The race organizers do an amazing job putting together the race which aside from the good, challenging course is also complete with plenty of raffle prizes, give-aways, food and beer. This race also had the Izze Sparkling Juice truck present handing out entire cans of Izze products to thirsty runners.

The run this year was fortunately on a beautiful summer morning, temperatures were warm but nowhere near as brutally hot as last year. The Thirsty Irish Runners had a huge contingent there as it was one of the Grand Prix races for the year which always makes the run more enjoyable thanks to their presence.

During last year’s race, my wife was just getting out of the hospital and my daughter was in still in the NICU. Needless to say, my mind wasn’t really focused on running. Fortunately, I have started to get my :form back and things at home couldn’t be better. Last year I ran the race with a time of 44:52 good for 8:59/miles. I guess all things considered, getting to the finish line was good enough.

This year, I was able to shave significant time off my run and finish the Common Fence Point 5 Miler with a time of 39:39, taking more than a 1:00/mile off my time for a finish of 7:56/mile.

Registration is now open for Greg’s Run. For more information about the run and to sign up for the race online, please click here.

I always love it when you can find a running related deal on sites like Groupon or LivingSocial. When I saw the LivingSocial special for the RunBoston Running Tours, I knew it was one I had to grab immediately.

RunBoston offers guided running tours through the city of Boston and stops along the way at important cultural and historic sites. The course stretches through about 4.25 miles of Boston and the pace is a nice running pace that is perfect for novice and experienced runners alike.

The tour began at the steps of the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill and ran throughout the city past sites like the Boston Marathon Finish Line, the Old North Church in the North End of Boston, the bridge to Charlestown made famous in the movie The Town, through the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Haymarket and over to Faneuil Hall. The tour guide for our run was knowledgeable and personable and was well prepared to answer any questions that the group had. The running group for our run was about 8 runners or so therefore runners were able to stick together well and not feel lost amongst the crowds.

If you are from outside Boston and are looking for a great way to see the city, I strongly recommend RunBoston Running Tours. However, even if you are relatively local like myself, this tour is an absolutely great way to learn some added history about Boston in a fun and active way!

Registration is now open for the Allstate Life Insurance℠ Boston 13.1 Marathon® and The Running Griffin will be taking part in the event and we encourage you to register today. The Allstate Life Insurance℠ Boston 13.1 Marathon® will take place on September 16th and has an absolutely perfect 7 AM starting time at Suffolk Downs! Some of the race highlights include:

1) Gender specific tech shirts

2) Start and finish in Boston proper

3) Allstate athlete rejuvenation area

4) Michelob Ultra beer garden

5) T access to the event

6) Plenty of onsite parking at Suffolk downs

7) Benefits Autism Speaks

8) 12 aid stations on course

9) Course support provided by DMSE

10) Elite field and prize money of $3,500

Runners will run through East Boston, Winthrop and Revere and this race is sure to be one of the finest half-marathons of the season.

You can register for the race by clicking here. We look forward to seeing you on the course!