Whenever going out on a long run the question of whether or not to listen to music always sort of creeps into the minds of runners. Having to deal with earbuds can be a challenge and bulky headphones just aren’t comfortable while out on a run. Now, thanks to RoadNoise runners no longer need to worry about having the ability to listen to music in a safe and convenient way.

The RoadNoise vest includes a USB rechargeable, Bluetooth volume control/amplifier that provides great sound while running or cycling. You control volume by pressing on the front of your vest which comes complete with two vertical pockets in front that can each carry 250 ml. SoftFlask bottle, a dog leash or any other small accessory. The great reflective nature of the RoadNoise vest serves as an added bonus providing a safety feature allowing motorists to easily see you while running in darker conditions. With fall here and winter on our doorstep, this is a great bonus feature of the vest!

If you are planning on doing one of the overnight relay races, the RoadNoise vests would be a great item for your entire team to have out on the run! Not only will the reflective qualities allow for maximum safety but the music will help keep the mind and legs moving during the overnight stretch of the run.

Since the speakers play the music through Bluetooth technology, you do not need to worry about getting cords tangled and the setup with my iPhone was an absolute piece of cake.

I’d recommend ordering one size larger than the shirt your normally wear particularly if this will be placed over a winter running jacket in the upcoming months to allow for your normal pace without feeling as though you are carrying additional pounds on your body.

To order your RoadNoise vest, please check out their website by clicking here and decide which color and model is best for you. Please also give RoadNoise a “Like” on Facebook by clicking here and “Follow” them on Twitter by clicking here.

This past Saturday morning it was over to Norton, Massachusetts for the 1st Annual Thanks to Yanks Veterans Day 5 Miler. This race featured the same course as the FOP Post #28 Frozen Five Mile route so I was familiar with the overall course map having raced here a few times before. The race kicks off from a VFW Post and a ceremony prior to the race featured the national anthem being sung in front of a new flag display featuring the American flag and the flags of each branch of the military; a nice, patriotic way to kick off a race on Veterans Day weekend!

This five mile race is a great run through residential neighborhoods of Norton and features a really great course complete with a few gradual hills mixed in but roads that are not too crowded with vehicle traffic from start to finish. A water stop is at the midway point of the race and the organizers do a really nice job marking the course turns and mileage along the way.

Post-race, the Downtown Cafe provided pizza and boneless wings that many of the runners snacked on and commented how good they were but I opted for an apple and a cup of coffee along with my post-race water.

Proceeds from this race benefit Thanks To Yanks, a non-political 501(c)(3) organization (www.thankstoyanks.org) whose mission is to support military members, veterans and their families.  In 2015, over 94% of Thanks To Yanks donations went directly back to our military and Veterans.

I finished the 1st Annual Thanks to Yanks Veterans Day 5 Miler with a time of 42:29 good for 8:29/miles. Continuing to show improvement after injuring my knee and hope to be back to pre-injury form pretty soon!

Last Sunday afternoon racetime was a later 1PM which allowed Mrs. Running Griffin and I to make our eldest daughter’s first soccer match in a doubleheader weekend before we made our way down to Falmouth, Massachusetts for the Falmouth in the Fall Road Race.

Organized by the Falmouth Track Club, Falmouth in the Fall is a no-frills race that caps its registration at 400 runners and takes those who are accepted along the same course as the much larger, prestigious New Balance Falmouth Road Race held in the summer. Unlike the summer race, the crowds are non-existent, the sea of runners is nowhere to be found and the heat of the summer this past weekend subsided for crisp autumn winds complete with some misting rain mixed in from time to time. The race keeps things old school with an on-time start, no tee-shirts or swag and a registration process inclusive of needing to mail a check in along with a self-addressed stamped envelope (the latter which seems to get a good chuckle out of most the runners). Runners park at the finish line and then hop on a bus and head to the Woods Hole section of Falmouth for the start of the race. One of the nice things about this race is the ridiculously low $20 entry fee for the race; more races should look at this as a model!

The course itself is a rather challenging 7.01 mile course through Falmouth hugging the Atlantic Ocean for a nice stretch of the race. There are some breathtaking views of the Ocean complete with lighthouses and beachfront homes that would be the pride of summer. In addition to the breathtaking views, there are a couple decent, rolling hills mixed into the race that also have a way of taking one’s breath away.

After finishing the half-marathon last weekend and still battling some knee pain due to the soccer-induced injury I sustained, I felt rather good at Falmouth in the Fall and pushed myself a bit more than the weekend before. Still not at prime racing peak, but I was able to finish the 2016 Falmouth in the Fall with a time of 1:01:54, good for an 8:51/mile pace. Slowly getting back to a better per mile pace after tweaking the knee and hoping for some good running ahead!

The Running Griffin is going to Rock Cleveland! That’s right, in May it is off to Cleveland, Ohio for the 40th Anniversary of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon and I hope you will join me there! As a city known for its rock and roll history, I’ll be rocking the pavement in Cleveland the weekend of May 20th and 21st!

The Cleveland Marathon is noted to have a relatively flat and fast course complete with great volunteer support and a scenic view of downtown Cleveland and its major landmarks. The course has been designed for athletes to enjoy views of Lake Erie and many other Cleveland highlights. All Marathon runners/walkers will receive a technical short-sleeved T-shirt, goody bag, virtual race bag and a special finishers’ medallion highlighting the 40th anniversary of this race!

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon in its 40th year of providing a running experience for all individuals who want to participate regardless of their abilities. More than 350,000 runners have participated, generating more than $15 million annually to benefit the Cleveland community.

The Cleveland Marathon began in 1978 in an effort to bring a positive and meaningful fitness event to the City of Cleveland. The original course began at Cleveland State University and traveled west to Bay Village and back. Some of the race’s most tremendous growth has occurred under the Rite Aid Pharmacy sponsorship since 2003, in which time race participation has grown 300 percent.

The Cleveland Marathon weekend features a 5k, 8k, 10k, half-marathon and marathon option therefore there is a race for runners looking for a race of any distance. There is also a kid’s run and a challenge series to mix into the running events. My plan is to tackle the full marathon race and I look forward to checking off another marathon in another state.

If you are interested in running the 40th Anniversary of the Cleveland Marathon with me, please click here to register online. It would be great to have readers join me in Cleveland for this race! You can also “Like” the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon’s Facebook page by clicking here and can follow the race on Twitter by clicking here.

Last Sunday was The Black Goose Half-Marathon which was an absolutely perfect day to hit the pavement and tackle 13.1 miles. Two weeks prior to the race I tweaked my knee pretty good playing soccer but still felt up to running the half-marathon and logging some miles on the legs.

The race kicked off in Seekonk and took runners through several towns in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The course was a very nice stretch of roads and the fall air and leaves changing colors made this race a great fall race. One section of the race took runners through streets with golf-course themed names and this loop was probably the highlight of the race for sure. Relative to elevation, the race had a couple of good hills mixed into the race and the final mile and a half had a nice climb mixed in.

Mrs. Running Griffin and I ran through the first eight miles and then I took off on my own as my knee felt a little better as each mile passed. I was able to pick up the pace in the final five miles and after the race the knee felt actually much better. Perhaps I was being too cautious but after already having had one knee surgery I don’t think there can be such a thing.

I finished the Black Goose Half-Marathon with a time of 2:25:05, good for 11:05/miles. The pace I ran this race at was to keep both legs moving and to cross the finish line and the goal was achieved. I look forward to racing the Black Goose Half-Marathon again someday and you should look to run it, too! Awesome course, reasonably priced and an all-around great time!