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.

Saturday brought unseasonably warm temperatures to New England and the beautiful 62 degree temperatures were the perfect calling to run a 10K around town. However, all good things must come to an end so Sunday kicked us runners on the South Shore of Massachusetts right where it counts as Sunday graced the area with ice, snow and frigid temperatures. What. The. Heck.

Despite the snow and icy temperatures a road race was on the books so it was off to Weymouth for the Barrel House Z Pre-Game 5K. Held at the Barrel House Z brewery, the 5K is held annually on Super Bowl Sunday and takes runners on a 5K jaunt through a surrounding neighborhood near the brewery.

The course has a nice hill mixed in right around the one mile marker and then in the final mile there is another sharp incline making your way back into the finish line. The course was in rather decent shape despite the bad weather and only a few spots were icy while potholes added a nice New England feel to the race as you dodged the snow covered craters.

Post-race runners were able to enjoy one free beer from Barrel House Z as part of the registration fee and could purchase extra offerings and/or enjoy some food from a local food truck and a separate empanada vendor, as well. Not a bad way to kickoff Super Sunday for those looking for a true pre-game experience!

Even with a bit of slush, ice and snow I ran a pretty solid race and finished the race with a time of 25:03, good for 8:04/miles.

Sunday morning it was just a quick trip down the road to Raynham, Massachusetts for the Colonial Road Runners Winter Series 4 Miler run. During the summer months the Colonials put on a Monday Night 3.25 mile race series each week that during the winter months adds on a touch more distance and takes runners on a 4 mile jaunt around Raynham. The winter series is similar to the summer runs in that each week the runs are timed and cost a very reasonable $2. That’s right! Two bucks for a timed race. Not bad at all!

The first mile and a half of the race is the same for the winter version of the run but then runners stay keep straight and tackle a few different streets on the winter course. The first two miles are relatively flat while in the third mile you start climbing pretty well. From about 2.5 miles in to just past 3 miles the climbing becomes much more noticeable but I felt strong yesterday on both the flat and uphill sections of the run.

The final mile of the run features a rather nicely downhill stretch where leaning forward like an alpine ski jumper allows gravity to help pull you down the hill before leveling off in the final half-mile into the finish line.

I was quite pleased with my running yesterday and finished the race with a time of 31:45, good for 7:56/miles. For a hilly course and bundled up rather nicely due to the winter chill, happy to hit that pace on the four miler.

Later in the day while my youngest was at futsal practice, I also tacked on another 3.1 miles to the running total for the day bringing Sunday’s miles to 7.1 miles.

This morning it was off to the Cape Cod town of Bourne, Massachusetts for the Weary Traveler Road Race. This iconic January run is a great race usually followed by merriment inside the Weary Traveler lodge complete with chowder, clam fritters and cold pints but the most recent COVID surge certainly slimmed down the race field and post-run I made may way back to the car to head on back home upon finishing.

Kudos to the organizers of the race, the Cape Cod Road Runners, for taking runner safety seriously and moving registration outdoors complete with masks being worn while at the table. At the starting line many runners ran masks or gaiters while heading out on the course and all in all the race went off without a hitch despite the COVID world around us.

The race time temperatures were certainly warmer than they have been in some years past with temperatures in the mid 40’s upon toeing the starting line. There was an interesting wind to contend with throughout the run which at times felt to be at your back, at other times was right in your face and other times seemed to be just swirling around you.

The Weary Traveler Road Race takes runners past the Monument Beach section of Bourne and is a tricky, hilly 4.9 mile course. The first mile doesn’t seem as downhill as it is but later in the race the uphills can certainly be felt and noticed much more.

Felt good running on the course and tackled the hills pretty well. I finished the 2022 Weary Traveler Road Race with a finishing time of 41:26, good for 8:23/miles. Having run this race a number of times over the years, not my best finish at the Weary Traveler Road Race but not too bad of a result!