On Sunday morning it was off to the coastal community of Marion, Massachusetts for the 2016 Guard Oil Turkey Trot 5K. Located with a start and finish on the grounds of the prestigious Tabor Academy overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the race time temperatures were cool and overcast and the chill of the air could certainly be felt prior to heading out onto the course.

Sponsored by the Marion Recreation Department, the race features a relatively flat course that takes runners around the neighborhood circling Tabor Academy on residential roads and through the quaint downtown Marion section of town complete with historic churches, a general store, a small restaurant and houses that overlook the ocean. Running past a croquet field and tennis courts added to the idyllic charm of the neighborhood and certainly this spot must be prime real estate in the summer months.

Fortunately, my knee issue seems to be much better as it didn’t hurt too bad during this race but instead I seemed to be slowed a bit due to having given blood the day before the race. I couldn’t get much energy flowing but maintained a nice, paced run throughout the race. If it’s not one thing it’s another it seems. I finished the 2016 Guard Oil Turkey Trot 5K with a time of 26:52, good for 8:38/miles. Not a bad overall result, just not my best.

Anyone running a turkey trot Thanksgiving morning? Which one are you doing?

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!