No I didn’t run into the white Canadian reggae music phenomenon of the 90’s best known for his song Informer. Rather, this Easter weekend it actually was snowing in Greenfield, MA.

This Saturday was the NELCWIT 5K Race Against Violence and the weather was a bit out of the ordinary for a late April race. Heavy rain mixed with snow and hail was the weather in store for this chilly Saturday race and the weather did not let up for the entire race. The race started at the YMCA in Greenfield and took you out of the downtown Greenfield area through a relatively residential neighborhood. Some tough terrain through a dirt access road near a pond made for some pretty interesting Easter hops over some puddles but once through this stretch the race finished on a predominantly downhill terrain heading back toward the YMCA. After a quick little up-hill in front of the courthouse and then onto the sidewalk at mile 3, a quick sprint to the finish ended of the race.

Final time was 24:23 which is 7:50/miles.

After such a cold and rainy race, coffee was much needed. Thanks to Greenfield Coffee for doing the trick!

About NELCWIT:

Since 1976, NELCWIT has been working to build safety, justice, and dignity for all.  Serving Franklin County and the North Quabbin region of western Massachusetts, we offer safety planning, advocacy, and support to anyone who has survived domestic or sexual abuse, and prevention education for our community, especially area youth. We are now 35 years old! Since 1976, our programs have helped over 14,000 women, children, and men.

Here is a message I received from the Parkway Running Club about the Walter Burgess Scholarship to the American Running Camp:

Walter Burgess Scholarship – Apply Now!Deadline May 19, 2011

The Parkway Running Club sponsors young runners every year by offering scholarships to the American Running Camp(ARC). All past recipients have raved about the experience!If you or anyone you know might be interested, please go to our website to apply for a Walter Burgess Scholarship to attend ARC this summer, August 1-6. We really like to support local runners. Please feel free to forward this to friends, family, schools or organizations with high school or college runners who may be interested. PRC looks forward to supporting another group of enthusiastic runners this year! Thanks! The Parkway Running Club

Though I have not given the whole barefoot running craze a try as of this time, it is pretty clear that the entire notion is really sweeping the running circuit in storm. What started out as the crazy guy running the race with absolutely no shoes on and ending the race with a medal and a bloody foot has turned into a whole new racing style complete with the “barefoot” sneakers and all.

My friend Matt, who is a member of the BLUEgrass Runners out of Lexington, Kentucky, has started up his own running blog documenting his experience with the Fila Skele-toe and his running adventures giving the barefoot running a go. Make sure you sign up for his email updates on the right side of the page so you can stay up to date. Here’s the link to his website:

Bare Feet Forward: Adventures in Barefoot Running

One of the keys to running is making sure that in addition to the running that you are doing you are also keeping up on preventative care on your muscles that take a beating race after race. One of the best ways to relax on a running off day and day out of the office is to treat yourself to a massage. This Saturday, I headed to Assonet to Restoration Massage for an hour long massage. Restoration Massage is currently running a first-time member special for an hour massage for $35. Especially after last weekend’s tough trail run a massage was the perfect way to unwind and the folks at Restoration did an amazing job!

This morning I headed out to Hopkinton which is the hometown of the famous Boston Marathon’s starting line. With the marathon ready to kick off tomorrow, the town common was a great spot to visit today and the weather of 65 and sunny was ideal. Marathon runners were snapping photos around town and myself and some of the Thirsty Irish Runners took a 4.5 mile fun run. The run was on some residential roads through the town of Hopkinton and we finished back at the town common.

Have you ever completed a race and swore you would never do that race ever again? Usually it is not because they didn’t have your favorite cinnamon-raisin bagel at the finish line ready for you. Rather, it is typically because the race took its toll on you in some way that most other races could not even imagine.

I did the Blue Hills Trail Race 10 miler a couple years back and did just that. I uttered on the ride home, never again! Probably due largely in part to the fact that this kind is the kind of race that beats you up, kicks you to the ground then steals your wallet and takes the final $2 to your name that you intended to buy a post-race Gatorade with.  But this race is pretty amazing!

You have to sort of go into the race expecting that your time is going to be off but the challenge of the race is worth being off pace for. The Blue Hills overlook the Boston skyline and is run by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation.

The course is  by far one of the most challenging trail races I have ever done. There are some hills that unless your family lineage has a billy goat kicking around in it are nearly unable to run due to their straight up nature and the course is complete with rocks, bigger rocks and downright boulders coupled with logs crossing the course. By the end of the race my entire body hurt, blisters on the feet, sore shoulders, back feeling heavy.

The Colonial Road Runners organize this race and for $8 the race is a pure bargain. It’s a no frills kind of race but there are bananas, cookies, Gatorade and water and the finish line.

I completed the race today in 1:54. As stated, the race is a good one just to say you got a 10 mile race in today. I’ll work on getting the pace back on a normal road race next weekend.