Running ventures took me to Norwood, Massachusetts today for the 9th Annual Joseph & Rose Gilio Memorial 5k. Prior to race time it was about 78 degrees and overcast but of course lining up to the start the sun broke free and post-race it was up to 84 degrees in the sun.

The course is an out and back loop that begins and ends at St. Timothy’s Church in Norwood and runs through a quiet suburban neighborhood. Between miles 1 and 2 are pretty flat but from the start to 1 and from 2 to the finish you are going up and down some pretty good rolling hills the entire time.

The race raises funds for the St. Timothy’s Social Outreach Program and today’s race had about 160 runners and walkers taking part. Nice tee-shirts and New Balance running socks were given to those pre-registered and there was plenty of post-race hydration available.

Finished the race today in 23:54 or 7:43/mile. A little slower than last week’s running but coming off a terrible headache on Friday so I will take it.

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After yesterday’s 10k in Plympton, today took me to Boston, Massachusetts for the Harpoon 5 Miler. The race starts and finishes at the Harpoon Brewery and there are few places better to finish a 5 mile race.

The course takes you through South Boston and is a pretty flat 5 mile course. There are a few small rollers mixed in between miles 2 and 3 but for the most part the course is a course you can pick up some pretty good speed on. The race makes its way past Murphy’s Law, which is a Southie landmark bar famous in part because of its role in the film Gone Baby Gone.

Coming into the finish line, the crowd grew pretty large and the enthusiasm along the course was pretty good. Two water stops were on the course and each mile was marked with a large poster complete with a Harpoon bottle noting the mile. Of course, at each mile you could hear the folks cheering you on with a “…keep running, beer is at the finish line.”

The post-race was quite expansive and each runner received a plastic pint glass and beer tickets. Just about the freshest Harpoon beers you can find were served and I opted for their Belgian Pale Ale, and though it was before 11AM, I figured with running two races in one weekend I had earned it. Though I only stuck around for one and a bite to eat, it looks like the after party was going to be blast.

I completed the Harpoon 5 Miler in 36:23 or 7:15/miles. This is one of my fastest 5 mile races ever!

This morning my racing travels took me to Plympton, MA for the 24th Annual Strawberry Shortcake Road Race. This is a 10k course through Plympton where you run past cranberry bogs, horse farms, older farmhouses and through residential neighborhoods. The race is a pretty challenging course with a couple of good hills mixed in between miles 3 and 5 coupled with another pretty decent uphill right past the mile 5 marker. The weather today was a bit humid and the mosquitoes were certainly out in full force but since we haven’t seen the sun around here in what seems to be weeks, the race weather was perfect.

The course is quite well done in terms of organization and youth clubs (Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, etc.) man the water stations along the course. There is not much in terms of any fan support out on the course but coming back into the finish some cheering crowds greeted runners.

After the race, the name of the race is abundantly clear since strawberry shortcake is the food of choice. The shortcake is done right with biscuits and not the sponge discs, added bonus!

I felt really good out on the course and the hills did not slow me down too much. I had a pretty good burst of energy left in the tank at the mile 5 marker, so I )wanted to kick it in for the last 1.2 miles. (Actually, another runner with a GPS watch said the race was really 6.32 miles but who’s counting?) I had just enough left to keep up a pretty steady pace coming into the finish and had a really strong 10k finish.

Finished the 24th Annual Strawberry Shortcake Road Race in 49:13 or 7:55/mile.

I wish more races started at 9AM!

9AM races are just about the ideal time as it is never too hot and the day is not completely over by the time the race is complete. Holding off on races until noontime is often times a necessary task, but when you are able to get a 5k in at 9AM, life is good.

Today I headed down to Hanover, MA to run in the Friends of Julie 5k. The race started out with a jam-packed starting line and for a first annual race, having close to 400 runners and walkers is success in any race director’s book. The course went out through a rather residential area and the 5k loop had some pretty good rolling hills mixed in. From the 1.5 mile mark to about the 2 mile mark you were gradually climbing up the rolling hills. The final mile or so was relatively flat and as you made your way to the finish line the crowds grew pretty large and enthusiastic.

I finished the race in 23:31 or 7:34/miles which was good enough to place 26th overall and 2nd in my age division of 20-29. A post race award ceremony took place and the 2nd place in the age division was good enough to take home a trophy today!

About Friends of Julie

Friends of Julie is a non-profit organization that strives to offer memory making experiences to families who are faced with the realities of a late stage cancer diagnosis.

The cost of treating cancer is in the billions and expected to rise even further in the coming years. Many late stage patients cannot continue to work or earn an income – financial resources are generally depleted by the cost of treatment. From diagnosis, through grueling treatments, to the large emotional and physical toll ̶ the whole family is affected.

For late stage patients, the value of the gift of quality time with those that you love, away from the world of cancer, cannot be underestimated.

Friends of Julie was started by Mark and Julie Porzio after Julie was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. They quickly realized how valuable time was with their family and wanted to give that gift to other, less fortunate cancer patients. A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives on forever.