Great Time Running the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon

On June 8, 2015 By The Running Griffin2 Comments

Yesterday morning was an absolutely great day to tackle the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon in the Woodstock/Quechee area of Vermont and the ideal race conditions made for some really good running. I have run the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon twice previously and shaved 12 minutes off my PR there finishing with a time of 1:47:42 good for 8:13/miles.

The Covered Bridges Half-Marathon is consistently ranked one of the top most-scenic runs and the fact that the race sells out in record time is a true testament to the desire of many runners to get into this race. The course takes runners through some idyllic New England streets, along a brook, through the woods and even over a covered bridge indeed. The race kicks off bright and early at 8:15 from Suicide Six Ski Area and takes runners along 13.1 miles of truly some of the best scenery you can find. Though I was hoping to see a moose or a bear with a trout in its mouth along the course, nothing could disappoint when running this course and the fan support is of the highest caliber with people cheering, ringing cow bells or busting out some beats on pots and pans or old paint buckets.

The night before the race we opted to carbo-load at Harpoon Brewery just down the road in Windsor and enjoyed food, a pint and live music with the fresh Vermont air really making you consider to grab the real estate listings before heading back home. A microbrew around a fire pit with some live music playing is about all this runner needs to get into a good pre-race mindset, that’s for sure.

The race directors for the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon do a really nice job getting the logistics right from busing runners to the starting line where number pickup takes place to funneling runners into the chute post-run to gather the race medal and tech-shirt. Live music is present on the course ranging from polka bands to drum corps and a band rocked the finish line after-party where runners could refuel with plenty of snacks and fresh offerings for those over 21 from our friends at Harpoon Brewery. The only down side to the post-race party was the line for the massage tables was moving at a snail’s pace and there weren’t enough hands to keep up with the demand.

The Covered Bridges Half-Marathon is sort of a bucket list race that those who love running and those that love the half-marathon distance need to tackle. Registration sells out fast so you need to be sure to follow the race on Twitter and Facebook to ensure you don’t miss registration announcements.

Colonial Summer Series – Dewpie’s Dash

On May 13, 2015May 13, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

It was a busy weekend of running complete with the Ragnar Cape Cod Relay and the Scituate Firefighters 5K but Monday night made for a back-to-back-to-back racing circuit on some tired legs. I had another good showing at the weekly Colonial Summer Series 3.25 mile run in Raynham, Massachusetts as I finished with a time of 24:30, good for 7:32/miles.

20 Motivational Running Quotes

On May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Check out our friends over at QuoteHunter for their awesome list of 20 Motivational Running Quotes. Click here to read their website.

Monday Night Fun Runs are Back!

On May 8, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

The Colonial Road Runners do a nice job putting on a weekly race series Monday nights in Raynham, Massachusetts and the event has grown nicely over the past few years. Each Monday night runners take to a 3.25 mile course in Raynham that for a timed fun run that allows you to compete against a lot of the same faces each week but also against your own times from previous runs.

The race costs just $2 and includes water and Gatorade after the race along with official run times posted on CoolRunning after the race. The course is a good 3.25 mile stretch that includes a decent size hill just past the two mile mark before you come to a steep downhill heading toward the mile 3 marker. The series is one of the best running bargains you will find and is something that for either seasoned runners or for new runners alike is a great way to ensure once a week you are tackling a run that is challenging and fun.

For this week’s run, I finished with a time of 23:52, good for 7:20/miles. Not a bad way to start off the Monday night series!

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!