It was great to once again participate in the virtual option of the Dan Cavanagh Memorial Running Over MSA and help raise funds for The Multiple System Atrophy Coalition. As many of you know, my father has been diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy, a rare disease that I knew nothing about until it affected our own family, so helping out another family in their quest to raise money and find a cure for MSA is the least that I can do!

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that can cause a multitude of symptoms in any combination including impairments to balance, difficulty with movement, poor coordination, bladder dysfunction, sleep disturbances and poor blood pressure control. 

Please be sure to give a “Like” to the race’s Facebook page by clicking here. Help them spread awareness about Multiple System Atrophy!

The live race is held in Chatsworth, Illinois and perhaps one year I will be able to make my way there for the in-person race but for the past few years I have participated in the virtual race option which still comes complete with a race shirt and other goodies, as well! The in-person festivities also include live music and a poker rally and looks to be a great time!

I ran the virtual run on the same day as the in-person race and separately timed a 5K while running the Little Compton Road Race. I ran the 2022 Running Over MSA 5K with a time of 24:36, good for 7:57/miles.

This past Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous morning for a road race and it was off to Little Compton, Rhode Island for the 41st Annual Little Compton Road Race.

I ran this race last year and loved the course and the overall race vibe so when registration opened up for this year’s run it was a no-brainer to sign up. The race is hosted in the idyllic, New England town of Little Compton and comes complete with a church fair on the town green hosting local artisans, some food options, music and all all around perfect atmosphere. We brought the kids with us to the run and they walked around while we ran and then we checked out the fair post-run and made a great morning out of it.

The course is a 4.8 mile loop through rural roads of Little Compton with no traffic, plenty of farmside running and glimpses of the ocean along stretches. Locals are out on the course cheering runners along and there are plenty of water stops throughout the 4.8 miles including one hosted close to the finish line by a local business with an appropriate sign noting, “Last Sip Before the Sprint.”

Overall, the course has some rolling hills mixed in and between the Mile 3 and Mile 4 marker you are climbing at a relatively decent clip. In the last mile there is a bit of a downhill stretch only to be met by a quick but sharp little left hand turn uphill before turning right into the finish line. Runners names are called out making their way into the chute and water, bananas and bagels meet runners at a tent just to the side of the finish line.

The race is one that is easy to understand why people head back to it year after year and is definitely one that I will run again, as well. I finished this year’s Little Compton Road Race with a time of 39:46, good for 8:16/miles.

It’s been a bit since I have raced but last night it felt good to be back out there racing at the Abington Founders Day 5K. The race kicked off at 6PM and was held as part of the celebration commemorating the 310th anniversary of the founding of Abington, Massachusetts.

Earlier in the day I ran a 10K training run but then had adequate time to relax around the house until it was time to make our way to Abington. The race kicked off at a school where a festival was taking place and where fireworks would take place later in the evening.

The course was familiar as it had parts of the Sgt. Daniel Vasselian Memorial Road Race and the Abington Police Community Partners 5K courses mixed it into but was unique in and of itself. The race headed into the grounds of a cemetery first before making your way out onto the road past the Abington Police Department. As you made your way up a slight hill about halfway into the run, a right hand turn took us down a road I have not run previously. We then crossed a bridge over a pond and ran up stairs into a park where as part of the celebration a Civil War re-enactment was taking place. This part of the course was on dirt and running up the stairs was an interesting challenge mixed in before making our way back out on the road to head back in to the grounds of the cemetery. There was about a half-mile through the cemetery before heading on a quick path back out to the grounds of the school and into the finish line.

Even having run a 10K earlier in the day, I felt pretty good out there running and finished in 9th place overall with a time of 25:52, good for 8:19/miles.

Bottles of water and watermelon were available post-run and hit the spot. All in all, a nice night of running and felt good to be back out there racing once again!

One day it is 65. The next day there is snow and wind. Just another March in New England!

Last night we had some snow, ice and wind greet the area after some absolutely perfect running days earlier this week. There was only a relative dusting of snow but the roads became slick enough to need to salt overnight but by 10AM the roads were clear and in good shape. However, it was cold and it was windy as I hit the starting line of the Raynham Knights of Columbus Five Miler.

The race course is a friendly, familiar course as the five miler is on some of the same roads as the Monday Night runs the Colonial Road Runners host during the summer months but run in reverse.

A great climb takes place in the first mile of the course which immediately challenged the lungs to take in the cold air and remain strong heading up the hill. The rest of the run has a few rolling hills here and there but generally is a flat course on residential roads of Raynham. Volunteers patrolled the turns on the course and the race course was expertly marked and a water stop at the halfway point was appreciated despite the cold and windy weather. In the fourth mile the headwind became and extra challenge to push through but overall I felt strong running during today’s run.

I finished today’s five miler with a time of 41:55, good for 8:23/miles. I don’t know about you, but I am sick of being teased with a glimmer of nicer weather here and there and am absolutely ready for warm weather running to be back!

A recent ice storm delayed the running of the Paddy Kelly 5 Miler so today it was off to Brockton, Massachusetts for the rescheduled running of a winter time favorite sponsored by the Colonial Road Runners. The Paddy Kelly is the February Grand Prix race for my running club, Thirsty Irish Runners, and it was good to see a strong contingent of TIRs out on the course today.

Due to some residual icy spots thanks to some snow squalls and cold temperatures overnight the course had to be altered a bit but runners were still able to climb up Tower Hill within D.W. Field Park but also had a downhill sprint back down the run that typically is not included thanks to the altered course. Race time temperatures were chilly in the 20’s but when you found the sunny spot running through D.W. Field it felt like a really good winter day of running. The course is a great run through a park that spans Brockton and neighboring Avon and is a great stretch of running.

I ran a decent run today, not my best recent running but certainly not the worst. I have been doing physical therapy due to some nagging soreness in my legs and back and today felt decent while tackling the five mile course. I finished with a time of 43:18, good for 8:39/miles.