10 Miles on the Lexington Battle Road

On August 9, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Thanks to my buddy Fitzy for meeting me on the Lexington Battle Road for a 10 miler yesterday morning. The Lexington Battle Road is a historic site situated within the Minute Man National Historic Park which is a beautiful expanse of paths winding along and makes for some dynamite running.

We met up at the Hartwell Tavern parking lot in Lincoln and started off on the Battle Road for 10 miles. Fortunately we started at 8 AM and there is nice shade cover for a good chunk of the run which helped keep the way moderately cool. Hartwell Tavern is a restored 18th century home and tavern. It sits on a beautifully restored section of the actual “Battle Road.” It was here at the time of the battle on April 19, 1775 and is what we call a witness house.

As you run through the Battle Trail, remnants of the American Revolution inclusive of properties, grave markers and more keep you interested as you make your ten mile journey along the Battle Road.

RHS Dog Dash 2015

On July 29, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Registration is now open for the RHS Dog Dash 2015, a 5K race to support the Rockland High School Hockey Team in Rockland, Massachusetts. The race takes place on August 22nd at 9AM and is a great way to get an early morning summer run in and beat the midday heat all while supporting a great cause.

High school athletics is always a great mission to support as the importance of balancing education with extra-curricular activities is something that every student should have the opportunity to participate in. Though my hockey career was always of the street hockey variety, building the foundations of teamwork, discipline and cooperation on the ice are something we all can support.

T-Shirts are guaranteed for all participants that register onine. Awards for overall winners will be provided and there will be raffles to partake in race day, as well!

Top register for the RHS Dog Dash 2015, please click here. Hope to see a lot of runners at the RHS Dog Dash 5K supporting Rockland Hockey!

Register Today for the Roller Coaster Race at Six Flags New England

On July 24, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Join The Running Griffin at the Roller Coaster Race to be held at Six Flags New England just outside of Springfield, Massachusetts on Sunday, September 6th. For less than the cost of a theme park ticket, you can run either the 10k or 5k race and spend the day at Six Flags New England after the race!

The Roller Coaster race registration includes a park ticket and parking along with the race entry and all runners will receive a tech shirt and a finisher medal at the end of the race. The races kick off nice and early at 7:30 AM so you can make a nice day out of running and enjoying an amazing theme park. Runners will tackle a USATF-sanctioned scenic course through Six Flags New England and around and under some of their world famous coasters. Post-race refreshments and award ceremony follow the races.

To register for the race, please click here and be sure to note during the registration process when asked how you heard about the race that you saw it on The Running Griffin!

Please be sure to also check out the Roller Coaster Race’s Facebook page by clicking here and follow them on Twitter by clicking here.

Narragansett Summer Running Festival Half-Marathon

On July 17, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Is there anything better than cracking open a nice cold beer on a hot summer day? I submit not. But how does a beer taste on a hot summer day after having just run a half-marathon? Well, let me tell you.

On Sunday it as just a skip away to Easton, Massachusetts for the Narragansett Summer Running Festival Half-Marathon. The festival took place on the grounds of Stonehill College and featured a 5K and 10K race offering on Saturday with the half-marathon reserved for Sunday. In the past, all three races took place on the same day therefore splitting up the events was a great way to bring more people to the run and have better logistics around the weekend.

Though the half-marathon kicked off nice and early, last weekend was the hottest weekend of the summer and the heat did not disappoint. The course took runners through residential roads of Easton for the most part and part of the course was through trails of the Natural Resource Trust’s Sheep Pasture. The heat was certainly noticeable on the course but the race directors did a nice job ensuring that there was plenty of water and Gatorade on the course for runners. Right around Mile 9 I passed a snake in the middle of the road who met his maker likely due to some heat related issue and for a brief moment I thought, “Why couldn’t I be that snake, at least the race would be over for me.” But I continued on knowing that the finish line was in the near future.

At the end of the race, runners make their way back onto the absolutely beautiful Stonehill College campus through the roads of the college and a brief half-lap on the track around the football field.

The final stretch of the half-marathon takes runners up a hill that is quite steep and particularly painful given its placement around 12.9 miles into the half. But the booming voice of the announcer coupled with fans cheering, a band playing and the wafts of Narragansett beer floating through the air make pushing it into the finish line all the better.

Certainly not my best half-marathon time but due to the weather this was more of a survival sort of run with getting to the finish line being the main goal. I finished with a time of 2:10:58 or 9:56/miles. The past few years this race has featured some hot conditions but that’s part of the challenge. Let’s see what next year brings.

Double Racing at the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the Fifty

On July 5, 2015 By The Running Griffin1 Comment

On Friday evening it was off to the home of your New England Patriots for a race at Gillette Stadium known as the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the Fifty. Last year the race night was absolutely stifling so this year temperatures in the 80’s made for ideal running conditions.

There is both a 5K and 10K option for this race with the 10K kicking off at 7PM while the 5K starts at 6PM. My running pals were tackling the 5K and I had signed up for the 10K but when one of them came down with some knee pain I decided to run both races in their honor.

The 5K takes runners on a quick loop of Gillette Stadium before heading back into the stadium to tackle the ramps all the way to the top tier of the stadium. Consider the run a sort of hill workout on steroids with a sea of running friends hitting the ramps along with you. A double edged sword of sorts runs through the mind as you make your way up one set of ramps as you know you will quickly be descending another set from the nosebleed section of the stadium onto the field. The 5K finishes right at the fifty yard line and New England Patriot star Nate Soldier was present high-fiving runners into the finish line.

I finished the 5K with a time of 24:44, good for 7:58/miles. Not too shabby for a course inclusive of climbing all those flights!

Having finished up the 5K, it was then time to make my way back to the starting line for the kickoff (see what I did there) of the 10K race. The 10K race features a much different course and leaves out the ramp ascents and descents and takes runners onto Route 1 briefly before then winding through mostly residential streets. Given the race is the Fourth of July weekend, neighbors use the course as a way to have little parties and cheer on runners and the support along the way mixed with the Americana feel really is perfect. After going through residential neighborhoods behind the stadium, runners then turn back into the stadium grounds on the Putnam Investments road and runners make a quick pass through the backside of the stadium before then finishing at the fifty yard line. Pat the Patriot is available for photos and runners can see themselves finishing the race on the Jumbotrons.

I finished the 10K with a time of 54:22, good for 8:45/miles. Knowing holiday cookouts were in the near future, running 9.3 miles the night before the 4th seemed like a good idea and I’m glad I did both races.

Post-race, a magnificent firework display took place and while we dined and refueled at CBS Scene’s patio we had a great view of the fireworks. A great night of running, food, drink, America and most importantly laughter with friends. This might become an annual tradition!