Tackling the Hills Quickly at the Potter Elementary School 5K

On May 4, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

With Mrs. Running Griffin away on a girls weekend in Florida, yesterday I loaded up the SUV with the two kids and a babysitter and we made our way down to Dartmouth, Massachusetts for the Potter Elementary School 5K. Knowing that the race started and finished at an elementary school I made an educated guess that there would be some kids events there to help occupy the kids as I tackled the 5K course. Fortunately, my hypothesis paid off as there was a playground, soccer field, bounce house, DJ and donuts all available. What more could a kid ask for?

The race was a fundraiser for the Potter Elementary School PTO and was organized with efficiency and the professionalism one would expect from a much larger race. There was a nice crowd of runners and some walkers that made their way out onto the 5K course and the school camaraderie was good to see.

The starting line was directly in front of the Dartmouth Fire Station just down the road a few hundred yards and after a stunning rendition of the Star Spangled Banner underneath an American flag draped off of a fire truck and hanging over the road we made our way out onto the course.

The first stretch of the race was downhill and fast and just past the one mile mark and water stop the course then began to climb some. After making a right hand turn into a more residential side street, runners tackled a few more rolling hills before leveling off into the two mile mark and water stop. As runners past two miles, a left turn was made to head back onto the main road that offered the gracious downhill start which then meant for the last mile or so you were climbing back toward the finish line. As I made my way back into the finish, a nice crowd of supporters cheered runners into the finish line chute and the DJ rocked some good running anthems to keep the extra kick in your legs going.

Even with the rather hilly and challenging course present, I felt strong out on the race course and knew that I had a good race. I finished the race with a time of 22:34, good for 7:17/miles. Given the success of the race, the Potter Elementary School 5K is definitely a race I will look to head back to next year.

Blackstone Valley Half Marathon

On April 27, 2015April 27, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Yesterday morning it was off to Pawtucket, Rhode Island to compete in the Blackstone Valley Half Marathon. The race kicked off bright and early at 8AM in downtown Pawtucket and this was my first time competing in this half marathon event. The race also features a 5K option that started after the half marathoners made their way out onto the course.

The race was reasonably priced and featured a nice technical running shirt, a pair of Asics socks and a rather flashy finisher medal. Couple those amenities with a course that was a scenic and challenging course complete with plenty of on-course support and this half-marathon is certainly one that I would gladly recommend runners look into racing next year. The half marathon course had 11 aide stations on the course featuring water, Gatorade and Gu (Mile 6) and the race volunteers and members of the Pawtucket, Central Falls and Lincoln Police Departments did a great job supporting the race course.

As runners made their way out of downtown Pawtucket a series of small rolling hills were mixed into the first half of the race. Most of this section of the race was competed in residential and business roads but the best stretch of the race was as runners made their way into the Blackstone Valley Bikeway, which is an absolutely beautiful stretch of paved paths alongside the Blackstone River. This path is some of the best running scenery around and the natural beauty made the run all the more enjoyable.

After leaving the Bikeway section of the race, runners made the final 5k course back along the roads and headed back toward downtown Pawtucket for the finish line. The finish line had a healthy amount of fans cheering you into the finish line and a DJ who was playing all the most catchy running-themed finish line tunes.

I finished the Blackstone Valley Half Marathon with a time of 1:51:49 which was good for 8:32/miles. This was almost five minutes faster than my last half marathon in Washington, DC. and shows some nice improvement over the running year already!

4th Place Overall at the Fall River Salvation Army 5K

On April 26, 2015 By The Running Griffin1 Comment

Yesterday morning it was a last minute decision to head down to Fall River, Massachusetts for the Fall River Salvation Army 5K. The race was a bargain price of $20 inclusive of a tee-shirt and the race kicked off at 10AM in an industrial park in Fall River. The race kicked off right on time and runners made their way out onto the course. Rather early into the race I recognized I was running pretty strong and was toward the head of the pack so it was all about maintaining a good pace through the rest of the race.

The course was nicely marked and patrolled by members of the Fall River Auxiliary Police Department and the Fall River Fire Department. Volunteers were at the miles markers and a water stop was perfectly placed midway through the race.

For a course in an industrial park there were a nice amount of hills mixed into the race and the course was certainly not of the flat variety. On the final stretch of the race it was clear that I was in fourth place and I needed to kick it in to ensure a solid finish. Fortunately, I was able to maintain a nice finishing pace and did indeed come in fourth overall with a time of 23:26, good for 7:34/miles.

Raynham Knights of Columbus 5 Miler

On April 20, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Yesterday morning it was just a skip to the town next door for the Raynham Knights of Columbus 5 Miler in Raynham, Massachusetts. The race was postponed a couple of weeks due to the rough winter snow we faced in New England in February into March but the snow was just a mere memory on what was an absolutely beautiful running morning with temperatures very comfortable and a rather good head wind to content with on each turn.

The course is a 5 mile loop and was changed a bit from previous years as the starting line was moved to a different spot on the course which meant the King Phillip hill was at the start of the course rather than toward the finish line. I ran the course really well and felt good heading up the big hill and throughout the streets of Raynham. The course had a couple rolling hills mixed in and a healthy amount of rather flat running to allow for some speed maintenance throughout the race.

I finished the Raynham Knights of Columbus Five Miler with a time of 37:53, good for a nice pace of 7:34/mile. After the race I was also awarded second place in my age bracket so not a bad morning of running!

Falmouth Flag Day 5K Registration Now Open!

On April 17, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Falmouth, Massachusetts is one of the top racing spots on Cape Cod and is home to some absolutely great races. On Flag Day, Falmouth will be home to another great race this year as the Falmouth Flag Day 5K will kick off at 10AM on June 14th in Falmouth.

The Falmouth Flag Day 5K benefits the Falmouth Educational Foundation whose foundation is to support and enhance educational excellence in the Falmouth, Massachusetts, public schools by awarding annual grants for innovative programs that are outside the district’s operating budget. The race is organized by Race Director Richard Sherman and the organizers have done a remarkable job lining up some top sponsors that will help ensure the success of the race.

The race course is an out-and-back course along the waterfront and what better way is there to celebrate flag day than to run alongside America’s most scenic shoreline. For a course map, please click here.

To register for the race, you can register online by clicking here. Please also be sure to “Like” the race page on Facebook.