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Feeling good in Quincy, Massachusetts this morning! Today was the June Grand Prix Race for the Thirsty Irish Runners and the Squirrel Run 5K did not disappoint. This is the 27th running of the Squirrel Run and somehow I have never done this race before but I sure am glad the TIRs picked this race for our June Grand Prix this year as the race was great!
Held just outside of Boston in nearby Quincy, the The 27th Annual Jimmy Kennedy Memorial Run for ALS, (The Squirrel Run XXVI), included a 5K run, 2.5-mile fitness walk and family fun day.
Proceeds from the Squirrel Run benefit The Angel Fund for ALS Research. Jimmy Kennedy lost his courageous battle with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in 1997 at the age of 31 and the race is held in his memory.
The race had a very nice crowd of runners and walkers and people did well to line up according to likely pace. I really enjoyed the course which took runners through some residential streets and then alongside the ocean at one point which provided some nice views. There was a pretty gradual uphill climb in the final mile that kept you honest and a sharp uphill sprint into the finish line challenged the legs. It was sneakily muggy out during the run but thankfully the clouds and some trees along the course provided some nice cover otherwise it could have gotten really tricky out on the course.
The Quincy Police Department provided both bicycle and motorcycle support along the course and it’s always cool to have the motorcycles flying up and down the course with their lights on. A bagpiper greeted runners into the final stretch of the run.
I ran pretty well this morning and thankfully there was a water stop right around the halfway point to help hydrate along the way. Finished up the Squirrel Run 5K with a time of 26:01, good for 8:24/miles.
Double race weekend this weekend with the Black Hat Brew 5K tomorrow morning!
I’ve been eyeing the Father Bullock 5K in Sharon, Massachusetts for a few years as something about a Sunday evening run just strikes me as being pretty darn cool. Though in the past we have had something that prevented us from running, this past Sunday the calendar was looking good so we registered for the race and made our way over to Sharon for a 5:45 PM race time.
First off, shout out to the race directors for still allowing paper applications to be mailed in complete with a check. Sure, call me old-fashioned but even with the price of postage also sneaking up, I’d take paper applications and a check for a race registration any day of the week over the asinine registration fees being tacked onto online race registrations these days. Rant over but well done here, Father Bullock 5K team!
The night was a really nice night for running with the temperatures very comfortable but a sneaky wind mixed into the course. The wind definitely helped you on the downhills and then pushed you to run harder on the uphills.
Loved the course for this 5K and it definitely mixed in the right balance of a challenge along the way. The first mile was a really nice downhill stretch that the tailwind certainly helped push you down. The second mile then had a good chunk of climbing, after all, what goes down must come up, right? And then in the third mile there was a healthy mix of rolling hills with a slight uphill stretch bringing you toward the finish line.
The race finished right in front of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish and a nice crowd of family, friends and neighbors cheered runners into the finish line.
The race is in held in memory of Father Bullock. Here is some information about who he was:
In 2004, we lost a magnificent person who truly made a difference during his life and service as a Catholic Priest and as a volunteer. Shortly after his passing, Facing History and Ourselves, an educational organization for which he acted as Chair of the Board of Directors and later as Chair of the Board of Scholars, noted his outstanding contributions to its cause. Widely known as a teacher and scholar, Father Bullock touched the lives of educators and students alike. According to Facing History and Ourselves, his legacy lives on through the Father Robert W. Bullock International Fellows Program. More can be learned about this vital education program, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a model program, by visiting Facing History and Ourselves.
Finished up the Father Bullock 5K feeling pretty good especially with a touch of pain in my foot having really been bothering me lately. I finished the race with a time of 27:04, good for 8:43/miles.
It’s a Memorial Day Weekend trip to New Jersey for a soccer tournament for our oldest daughter and this morning Mrs. Running Griffin and I made our way over to Summit, New Jersey for an early morning run before the day kicked into high gear. We parked right in the downtown section of Summit and ran some of the neighborhoods surrounding downtown and banged out a nice, early 5K run.
The houses along the way were absolutely amazing and even the streets have cobblestones as curbing showing a true touch of class evident throughout the town. There were are a handful of hilly sections mixed into our run and the downtown area was a place that would be easy to run through every day as there is a lot to look at and very runner friendly streets along the way. Impressive, beautiful churches included Central Presbyterian Church and St. Teresa of Avila Parish graced the area and certainly added to the charm of the town.
Historic sites abounded throughout town and on the run we passed by The Fortnightly Club of Summit. The Fortnightly Club of Summit is a women’s organization dedicated to community service and outreach. The Club offers its members volunteer opportunities, group activities, and enduring friendships. Club members meet at historic Twin Maples estate.
Post run we grabbed a coffee at one of the local coffee shops downtown, Boxwood Coffee. Not a bad way to wrap up a nice, early morning run!
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The Running Griffin 