Had a great time this morning heading out for a 16 mile training run. Mrs. Running Griffin and I ran the 16 miles together which took us through Bridgewater and Raynham. We had some good hills mixed into today’s run particularly the hill over on King Phillip Street near the Raynham Recreation fields.

The pace this morning was nice and fortunately we got the majority of the run in before the 40-50 MPH winds started whipping through the area. We did have a couple of flurries fluttering down throughout the run but for the most part the weather was crisp, refreshing and altogether pretty nice out there.

We both felt as though we are on a pretty good pace for the Boston Marathon and today’s run was a good long run for the both of us. And of course, after running 16 miles the best way to recover is some barbecue food which we had at Blue Ribbon BBQ in Newton. Nothing like a rewarding plate of pulled pork, beans and cornbread to enjoy post-16 miler!

On Sunday, Mrs. Running Griffin and I ran the Old Fashioned Ten Miler in Foxboro, Massachusetts. I decided to use this as a casual recovery run having done a 10k the day before and still feeling some pain from the surgery a week before.

If you have never done the Old Fashioned Ten Miler, it is a race you need to put on your bucket list. It is a great course that runs through residential neighborhoods and has a moderately challenging variation in terms of running grades. At one point you get to run on the road that abuts Gillette Stadium which makes for something pretty cool to look at as you are running.

Organized by the Wampanoag Road Runners, the OFTM has a great stretch of course that runs on streets that wind through state forest land and the course is just about as good as a ten miler can get. There is great course support along the way and the post-race food and raffles are well worth sticking around for.

We finished the race at a good steady pace for Mrs. Running Griffin with a time of 1:48:59 good for 10:54/miles.

With a name like the Winter Warlock 10k, you can almost envision running in a couple of inches of snow, having the cold wind beat against your face and thinking stride after strive, “I can’t wait for this to be over.” However, the unseasonably beautiful New England winter running season stayed true to form for the Winter Warlock 10k in Plymouth, MA on Saturday.

The race was an amazingly scenic course that took runners along Old Sandwich Road, which is known to be the oldest public road in America. The course was a combination of pavement and compacted dirt and the race course was absolutely perfect. The race director announced at the start that the race would be moderately challenging and indeed there was a good deal of rolling hills throughout the course but the one thing that remained steady was the scenic course.

Running alongside protected open space preserved by Wildlands Trust at points, runners got the feel of being away from the hustle and bustle of more urban locales and really could focus on getting up and down the rolling hills that were made more enjoyable because of the scenery. There was great police support along the more heavily traveled road leading out of the start and into the finish but once off the main road, the traffic was scant which allowed for runners to own the road. The Winter Warlock 10k is one of a series of races that call Plymouth home so make sure you head to Plymouth if you see an upcoming race there as you will not be disappointed.

Great technical running shirts were given out at the race and post-race there was fruit, bagels, muffins, coffee and water available. Vita Coco, one of The Running Griffin’s sponsors, was also at the race handing out samples of their coconut water and I left with a tangerine coconut water which hit the spot on the ride home.

This was my first race back after having a minor surgery last Friday so I was still not in top running form and about 5 miles in started to feel the pain pretty good. Nonetheless, I finished the Winter Warlock 10k with a pretty respectable time of 53:32 good for 8:35/miles.

 

With the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16th, I will need a good race to get back into running after a few days off. I will be heading down to Rhode Island for the Scott Carlson Memorial 5k Road Race and encourage you to register for the race, as well. The race takes place on April 21, 2012.

All of the proceeds from the race go to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association, Rhode Island Chapter.  This local chapter intimately supports the victims, families and caregivers of ALS through their many avenues of medical, financial, family resource, and equipment donation outreach.

Scott Carlson passed away from ALS on December 2, 2003 at the age of 39. Scott was an athlete who surfed and competed in triathlons and last year the race generated a donation of $55,000 to the ALS Chapter in Rhode Island.

You can register online for this race at Race Wire by clicking here.

 

Born and raised in Holyoke, I still have a deep connection to the city. I encourage you to check out I’m Running for Holyoke as a really awesome and inspiring concept.

(From the I’m Running for Holyoke site)

Here’s a little bit of the group’s history:

• Founded in the summer of 2011 by Harry Melendez as part of Harry’s bid for eligibility in the 2012 NFL Draft

• Conceived under the mantra of “Start Small, Dream BIG,” the group runs through the streets of the city of Holyoke; the runs are both part of Harry’s NFL training and of each group member’s individual quest for self and community improvement

• Comprised of Holyoke residents who are not only supporting Harry’s dream, but their own; the number of runners has approached 30

• Runs are anywhere between 2 and 3 miles

• Participants all proudly don purple and white, the colors of Holyoke High School. Harry Melendez articulates his vision as helping “Holyoke become more physically active as I try to get in the best shape of my life to pursue an NFL career and put Holyoke on the map. I’m running for Holyoke.” Harry also believes the group possesses the ability to show citizens of Holyoke that they can make a difference in “every step, jog, and run at a time.”

• As of February 8th, 2012 the group has run 8,244.2 Miles

In a city so stigmatized by the scourge of violence and poverty, I’m Running for Holyoke emanates the positive energy and fighting spirit that has defined Holyoke for centuries. With what these people have begun, Holyoke stands a chance to reclaim its place as one of the best cities in the nation.