Tag: Training

Race Recap: Shirley May France 10K

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Even though I am an early bird and usually wake up before 5AM each day, there is something about a road race in the evening that I do quite enjoy. It doesn’t need to be a pitch-black run like the Medway Police Chase 5K but a race kicking off in the evening has a unique charm to it be it the Narragansett Summer Nights 5K or one of the weekly Colonial Road Runner races in Raynham.

Yesterday, Mrs. Running Griffin and I made our way to Somerset, Massachusetts for the Shirley May France 10K. We received a flyer for the race while running the Mattapoisett Road Race on the 4th of July and never have run the race so it sounded like a great opportunity to tackle a new to us road race.

The race kicked off at 5PM and we were both nursing a couple of aches so decided we’d run together to help support each other on the race and push each other along. The temperature was right around 60 degrees and a hint of fall could certainly be felt in the air. What really stood out for this race was the course; it was awesome! The race took runners along a closed down street that brought out residents along the course to cheer runners along. There was a 5K option that broke off from the 10K course and we were certainly happy we chose the 10K option as the course was a real gem.

The course took runners along the Taunton River which leads out to the Atlantic on the South Coast of Massachusetts. There were some nice rollers in the first stretch of the race and right before the halfway point runners ran through a small park to add on some distance and then up a good sized hill directly in front of a local church. This nice hill right around the halfway mark definitely stressed the legs and given it was an out-and-back at this point running both up and down the hill was required.

A great group of volunteers helped to control each side street leading into the main road where the running took place and the closed course running was a nice treat. The Somerset Police Department patrolled the course in cars and on motorcycles and bicycles.

We finished up the Sally May France 10K with a time of 1:05:26, good for 10:31/miles. Would highly recommend you adding this race to your radar for 2027!

Proceeds from the Shirley May France 10K benefits the Somerset Chapter of The Cure Starts Now, a charitable organization dedicated to funding research and providing support to children and families battling pediatric brain cancer. The chapter was founded by Somerset residents Ken and Michelle Oheman in loving memory of their daughter, Selina.

Born and raised in Somerset, Massachusetts, Shirley May France developed a deep love for the water that would shape the course of her life. As a teenager, she emerged as one of the most accomplished and promising long-distance swimmers of her era, earning national recognition for her remarkable endurance and determination.

Among her many achievements, Shirley became the first woman to swim across Lake George in the prestigious Lake George Marathon, setting women’s world records at both the two-mile and five-mile marks. Her success in open-water swimming quickly established her as a rising star in the sport and captured the attention of audiences across the country.

Chasing the English Channel

Shirley’s greatest challenge was the legendary English Channel. At a young age, she became the youngest woman to attempt the crossing, taking on one of the world’s most demanding endurance feats. Between 1949 and 1950, she made multiple attempts to conquer the Channel, facing powerful tides, frigid temperatures, and unpredictable weather conditions.

While the Channel ultimately proved unforgiving, Shirley’s perseverance won the admiration of countless supporters. Newspapers closely followed her training and progress, while the people of Somerset rallied behind their hometown hero. She became more than an athlete—she became a symbol of courage, determination, and the willingness to pursue extraordinary goals.

Race Recap: Hop Harvest 5K

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Just before an utter deluge of rain hit the area, this morning it was off to Weymouth, Massachusetts to run the Hop Harvest 5K sponsored by Vitamin Sea Brewing.

For years, now defunct brewery Barrel House Z hosted a few road races at this location each year and thankfully now Vitamin Sea, which is just doors down from where Barrel House Z was located, has picked up the torch and kept the races going. The Hop Harvest 5K was the September Grand Prix race for the Thirsty Irish Runners and it was great to see so many familiar faces at the starting line and out on the course.

The race kicked off promptly at 9:30 AM and having run races on this course before I knew what to expect in terms of the route. The first mile has a downhill stretch that then leads to a significant uphill portion that takes runners to the one mile marker and a bit beyond before leveling off some in a residential neighborhood. Just as you loop through the neighborhood, because the course is an out-and-back, right past the two mile mark you get to coast down the same goos hill before leveling off once again. However, the hill that leads up to the finish line, though it feels more gradual when heading out onto the course, definitely can take a toll on wearier legs in the final mile. The race finishes right in the driveway of Vitamin Sea and for those runners who wish to enjoy a beer, one free beer comes with each race entry.

There was no timing mat at the starting line so it was a gun start for everyone and I finished the race in 27:53, good for 8:59/miles. Even though the weather was relatively mild out on the course today, I still think a 5K race needs to have at least one water stop on the route and it was a miss that there was no water out there.

Certainly glad the race kicked off when it did as the rain that started just as runners were hitting the finish line has turned the rest of this Sunday into the perfect day to hang out on the couch!

Recap: Carver Old Home Day 5 Miler

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Have I mentioned that I love early race starts?

This morning it was off to Carver, Massachusetts for the Carver Old Home Day 5 Miler which kicks off at 8AM. Bib pickup started at 7AM so for early birds like me this race was a good one to check out!

Mrs. Running Griffin had run this race with a friend once before but I have never done it so when the calendar showed a nice opening this morning it definitely was well worth signing up for the five mile race.

Carver Old Home Day has been a tradition since 1901 providing a day for the community to come together and celebrate the history of Carver, Massachusetts. The mission of the Carver Old Home Day Association is to continue to provide a relaxing day for families to come out and meet their neighbors and enjoy their families. The day features a full schedule of events including food, a car show, music and fireworks and the five mile road race kicks off and finishes in a small, local park where many of the activities for the day take place.

The morning temperatures were perfect for a road race and you couldn’t really ask for a better day out there. In terms of the course, I really enjoyed the route which took runners along rural roads with almost no traffic out on them. The roads were long stretches which made the miles go by easier and being in the heart of cranberry country, running past cranberry bogs added to the quintessential New England feel to this race. Kudos to the race organizers for having plenty of water out on the route at all the right locations and a special thanks to some of the neighbors along the route who sat out for the morning cheering runners on or perhaps even having a sprinkler set up for those who may have wanted a quick cool down.

Felt pretty good out on the course and given we arrived at the race with plenty of time before the start we were able to do a 10 minute stretch before heading to the starting line. (I know, I know. Stretch more; you won’t regret it.) Even heading up the sneaky uphill climb in the final .3 miles the legs were feeling pretty good; a good morning of running!

I finished the Carver Old Home 5 Miler with a time of 44:08, good for 8:51/miles.

Mattapoisett Road Race

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Happy 4th of July!

If you plan to run a race on the 4th of July you should expect it to be hot. But this morning was next level hot with temperatures hitting 90 degrees at 9AM just as we toed the starting line for the Mattapoisett Road Race. This four miler through the coastal Massachusetts town of Mattapoisett has to be one of the most idyllic courses you will find in the area as runners traverse the four mile route through the absolutely perfect coastal neighborhoods.

We ran this race once previously and the area that the race takes place in is the kind of location that immediately has you checking local real estate listings once you get home from the race. It’s an incredibly beautiful area and the course takes you through the local streets that have a lot of the locals out supporting you as you tackle the race. Because today’s heat is next level hot, an extra big shoutout to all of the local residents who setup their own water stops, had sprinklers and hoses out to cool off runners and cheered runners along each step of the way.

After picking up our numbers and tossing the race shirt back in the car, we found a nice spot of grass near the starting line that was in the shade as conserving energy was going to be the key for the day.

Mrs. Running Griffin and I decided we would run together today to help pace each other in the heat and we made our way out onto the course with the goal of finishing the race safely being the priority. Mission accomplished! It was hot out there and thankfully there were some nice stretches of the race that were in the shade but when you were out in the sun you could certainly feel it. The water on the course was imperative at each station and hitting the hoses and sprinklers helped to regulate the body temperature relatively well.

We finished up the Mattapoisett Road Race with a time of 47:32, good for 11:53/miles. Happy to cross the finish line together where we then took in some water, the cool face cloths being handed out and fresh cut watermelon which helped to bring the body temperature down some. Nice to be able to run together today and kick off our 4th of July with a beautiful race. As we joked on the way walking back to the car, definitely better than running in the snow!

Race Recap: Horseneck Half-Marathon

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This Sunday it was off to the coastal community of Westport, Massachusetts for the Horseneck Half-Marathon. Westport is an absolute gem of a town on the South Coast and is one of my favorite spots around so having heard good things about this race from previous runners definitely pushed me to registering for the race.

The race started and finished at Horseneck Beach and took runners through the streets of the coastal community. In terms of scenery, this race definitely was amongst some of the most beautiful half-marathons that I have done rivaling races such as the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon up in Vermont, for example.

Race morning temperatures proved to be quite warm and were amongst some of the warmer temperatures we have seen so far this spring. Though there was a cool breeze while standing adjacent to the beach at the starting line, out on the course finding spots of shade whenever possible was a must as the heat started to hit pretty nicely.

The course was a beautiful run and was mostly flat with a couple of hills mixed in for good measure. Runners passed by spots like Buzzards Bay Brewing and Westport River Winery and through residential roads going along the coast, along cattle farms, protected open space land and more. Honestly, some of the roads that runners ran along gave you more than enough to revel in and made the running all that much more enjoyable.

There was good support on the course when it came to volunteers along the way and different sections featured small contingents of fans cheering runners along the way. If I lived in the area I would for sure be hosting a little viewing part of sorts to add to the vibe along the way!

The heat definitely gave me something to contend with and the second half of the race it hit me more than in the first half of the race. Additionally, I have been dealing with some plantar fasciitis pain and that definitely was hitting me harder than normal out on the course but I kept on trucking determined to finish the race. (Side note: I’ve tried ice, compression, shock wave therapy and massage so if you have a magic trick, hit me up!)

My only real gripe with the race was that for a half-marathon a few extra aid stations with water and electrolytes would have been useful as a couple of them were spaced out a bit too much. Certainly with the heat it would have been useful as there were a number of runners being tended to by paramedics out on the course due to the heat but even on a normal temperature day, one or two extra hydration stations could have gone a long way.

I finished up the Horseneck Half-Marathon with a time of 2:22:09, good for 10:51/miles. Certainly not my best running out there but chalking up a half-marathon is never a bad thing so happy to mark this one complete!