Tag: 10k

2nd Annual Frozen Pilgrim 10K

On By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

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I am a New Englander, born and raised. But enough is enough with the winter weather already. This winter has been cold, snowy, icy, windy, cold, colder and cold.

Sunday morning we woke up to about 10 inches of snow dumped on the South Shore of Massachusetts and a 9AM start time for the 2nd Annual Frozen Pilgrim 10k meant the driveway needed to be shoveled bright and early to make the trip down to Plymouth, Massachusetts to line up at the starting line. The roads weren’t too bad getting down to Plymouth and race time temperatures were in the mid 20’s with the sun shining on the freshly fallen snow. Once the parking lot to the Plymouth Boys & Girls Club was fully plowed runners were allowed to enter the club for registration.

Runners lined up at the starting line and were warned of the road conditions. The race took place in an industrial/office park so the roads were rather free of traffic however the freshly fallen snow left several stretches of the race with a good couple of inches of packed snow underfoot. Couple that with some icy corners, significant puddles and overall less than ideal running conditions, it was abundantly clear that any PR for runners was quickly out of the question. Several runners had Yaktrax on, but for me the normal running sneakers with a healthy helping of caution was my strategy for the day.

Having not run this course before, I was warned prior to the race of the significant hill along the way that for this race needed to be conquered twice. Making the right hand turn and having the hill in front of me just shy of the 1 mile and 3.5 mile mark it was soon realized that the hill was more along the lines of a small mountain rather than a hill.

I finished the 2nd Annual Frozen Pilgrim 10k with a time of 56:03 which equates to a 9:02/mile. Though this is off pace for a normal run, given the treacherous conditions yesterday’s run was not about time, it was just about getting to the finish line in one piece.

Lone Gull 10K in Gloucester, MA

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This morning it was about an hour and a half up to the North Shore of Massachusetts for the Lone Gull 10k. Held in Gloucester, Massachusetts this race was part of the USTAF Grand Prix as well as part of the Thirsty Irish Runners Grand Prix. Pulling into the parking lot, a sea of cars led us quickly to the realization that this was going to be a pretty big race.

Two early flaws with the race important to note. First is that even though my race envelope noted a large tee-shirt should have been given to me, inside was a medium. I asked to exchange given the error but they declined. Looks like this race shirt will either be a dust rag or used if I ever decide to go clubbing. Second, several runners went to the city of Beverly, Massachusetts as the race website had the wrong address listed. This was a pretty widespread issue that fortunately we did not have to deal with but was a bummer for several racers, nonetheless.

The race course for this 10k was absolutely beautiful. Last time I did a race in Gloucester I ended up having an arthroscope on my left knee so I sort of have some bad memories of Gloucester that quickly faded along the race course. The first mile and a half or so hugged the Atlantic Ocean and made for some amazing scenery to run past. The sun was glistening off the water and the homes along the water gave you something to look at and dream you owned.

After turning away from the water for a bit it was into a residential neighborhood for a little ways and the neighborhood residents cheered us along the way. As we exited that neighborhood it was down a little hill toward a different section of water where people were rowing and sailing and the Boston skyline could be seen just over the ocean’s horizon.

It was then into a gated sort of community which featured homes whose front door likely cost more than my house. Some really nice running terrain with some rolling hills carried runners up to the five mile marker as we made our way back along the Atlantic Ocean. There was a rather decent uphill at the 6 mile mark and the final .2 miles were a fast downhill into the finish line.

I finished the Lone Gull 10k with a time of 49:06 which was good for 7:55/miles. After a nice race pace yesterday, it was an awesome weekend of running!

Evan’s Run 10k

On By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

ImageAs part of the Grand Prix Series for the Thirsty Irish Runners, yesterday it was off to Norwell, Massachusetts for the 13th Annual Evan’s Run. The race features both a 5K run and walk and a 10K run through some beautiful, scenic residential neighborhoods of Norwell. Runners pass by some rather impressive estates and the course is a remarkable terrain of some challenging hills that both allow for some tough climbing but also some downhills where the legs can let loose.

The course is a really well supported 6.2 miles with volunteers at turns, water stops along the way and even a DJ playing some music as you climbed the last hill of the course.

Even though I race the day before and am in the winding down stage of marathon training, I felt relatively good for Evan’s Run and finished with a time of 49:58 which is good for 8:03/miles. My time for last year’s Evan’s Run was 50:38 so it was nice to see some improvement over last year!

About Evan Henry Foundation

The Evan Henry Foundation for Autism is a nonprofit organization that has been established in memory of Evan Henry. Evan was an 11 year old child from Norwell Massachusetts who was diagnosed with autism and who accidentally drowned in July, 2000. Evan’s family and friends would like him to be remembered as a happy and loving child who taught others the true meaning of patience and compassion. Autism occurs in as many as 1 in 500 individuals and interferes with the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Autism is the third most common developmental disability. Through this foundation we intend to accomplish the following goals.

 1. To fund programs and/or projects which will benefit individuals with autism and their families.

2. To promote awareness and education by funding educational programs and research related to autism.

3. To promote financial assistance to those who are caring for an autistic child / family member to improve their level of functioning.

The funds from this foundation will be awarded to nonprofit organizations that provide services to children and families affected by autism or individuals on a case by case basis.

Guest post: Upcoming Events from Reno Race Promotion

On By MattLeave a comment

RRP_headerRGBA new feature on The Running Griffin, we’ll be including periodic guest posts by Matt Reno from Reno Race Promotion. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, RRP offers a range of promotional services to help races and other athletic events reach a larger audience.

First off, I want to give a huge thanks to Kevin for letting me provide guest posts on The Running Griffin. Running is a sport that can bring together people from absolutely anywhere in the world. I’m glad to have the opportunity to let more runners know about races in the southern part of the country. Though located in Kentucky, RRP can work with race directors anywhere to get more participants at their starting lines. In fact, as a Massachusetts native and former Vermont resident myself, I’m looking forward to helping some New England races gain more participants.

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The logo for the Susan G. Komen Lexington Race for the Cure, designed by RRP.

Here are upcoming races RRP is working on right now:

It’s been a lot of fun working with these and other races. In the short time since starting this business, I’ve already learned a lot and met some great people. Best of all, I’ve been able to help more runners find out about races and obstacle course runs in their local areas and support some excellent charities. If you have an event that could use promotion, or if you want to learn more about Reno Race Promotion, please visit the website and send a message. See you out on the course!