Sunday Run

Who : You people.

What : This week Baystate Marathon trainers will be doing their 22 miler (officially 21.7) while half marathon trainers will go 11 miles (officially 11.2).

Where : Brueggers

When : 8AM

How (Much): $1 for short, $2 for a long. If you want more than one Gu add another $1 per.

How (Preparation) : Today you should practice your prerace meal, your prerace sleep. Tomorrow consider wearing your race clothing and eat your race breakfast. This is your practice race day, not just a training run. But also remember this is not a race. This is a training run. Don’t try to win this, there are no medals. This is just six short runs to get you ready. Go water stop to water stop at your training pace and finish healthy.

How (Start) : Start out running up Main Street past Ell Pond. Give that monument at the pond honoring Melrose marathoning legend Clarence DeMar a tap as you by for good luck. Go left on Melrose Street and another left to get on the LynnFells Parkway. Follow the parkway past Grimsby’s onto the Fellsway East to the Highland traffic circle. Turn right on Highland and head up to the water stop on Highland Ave.

After that go to the Highland Ave rotary and go left onto Elm Street. Take that to the end and turn right onto the Fellsway West. Continue all the way to Straw Point. Here is where the path’s diverge.

How (Short) : Half marathon trainers go right through the Straw Point parking lot and continue your loop around Spot Pond, past the Stone Zoo back to Flynn Rink. Cut through the Highland Ave rotary and make your way back to the Highland Ave water stop.

Take your first left on to East Border Road followed by a left at the lights back on to the Fellsway East. Run the hills and take a right onto Ravine Road, cutting over to West Wyoming. A right there followed by a left at the lights on to Main Street gets you back to Brueggers for 11.2 miles.

How (Long) : At Friendly’s take a left on North Border Road which turns into Park Street. Take a left on to Marble and find water stop 2 as you cross over I93, on your left on Eugene.

Continue on what is now called Forest Street in Winchester, left on Highland Ave, run all the way to the end to Water Stop 3.

After that go left on Main Street (Rte 38) and head to a left on Playstead Road in Medford. At the end of that road go right at the train tracks by the conveniently located Dunkin Donuts. Now you’re on High Street which you follow to Mystic Valley Parkway. You’ll see a little rotary before a bridge that goes into Arlington. Do not go into Arlington, you go right and run along the road keeping the Mystic Lakes to your left. Follow to the end and turn right on Bacon, then a quick left back onto Mystic Valley Parkway. You’ll find a water stop along this road by the track on your right.

After this stop continue on Mystic Valley Parkway to your second set of lights, turn left there onto Washington Street. Washington will take you through a 5 way intersection where you cross Mt Vernon Street and bear right to stay on Washington. Follow that to an intersection across from the Gingerbread Construction Company. Turn right at this intersection onto Forest and back up to the Eugene water stop.

Next cross over I93 and take a right at the lights onto Park Street, back past Friendly’s, past the Stone Zoo, turning left on Pond Street. This will take you down to Grimsby’s where you’ll turn left and follow the LynnFells Parkway past Melrose High School, turning right on Melrose Street and right on Main Street. Thank Clarence for the help as you pass Ell  Pond and finish up at Brueggers. Longest Long Run Done!

Who: is going to help me with water stops. I need Highland in Medford, Eugene, Highland in Winchester, and Mystic Valley Parkway. I can do Highland in Medford and move to Mystic Valley Parkway after if I only have two helpers.

Who: is in? Roll Call.

When : 8AM

Where : Brueggers

How Much : $1 short, $2 for long for water and candy. Note this gives you access to 1 Gu, if you want more please contribute $1 per Gu.

Theme: W. P. Kinsella died this week. He was the author of Shoeless Joe, the book that inspired the movie Field of Dreams. I’m a sucker for baseball movies so in honor of Kinsella this week’s run will be Black Sox Sunday. If you have black athletic socks, where them, or you could always go shoeless.

Where (Start) : Start by crossing Main Street. Run up East Foster to Melrose Common. Take a right onto Sixth Street, continue straight onto Swain’s Pond Ave. This will bring you up to the ponds where you’ll turn right at a stop sign to stay on Swains Pond Ave. Turn right at the end of Swains Pond onto Lebanon Street, then left at a set of lights onto Forest Street over to Main Street in Malden. Cross Main and find the water stop in the Citizens Bank parking lot. From the water stop everyone will head out Winter Street, past Oak Grove, and straight through a big intersection onto Glenwood Street. This windy, hilly road will take you over to Highland Ave, where you’ll turn right and quick right again onto the Fellsway East. Follow that through the hills and past Grimsby’s onto the LynnFells Parkway. This will bring you to Melrose High School where you’ll find the second water stop on the right at the knoll.

Where (Short) : The short route will continue on the LynnFells past Main Street in Melrose to Main Street in Saugus. Turn left at the lights there and a quick left onto Howard. Follow that back to Green Street, a left there will bring you over to Main Street and back to Brueggers for just over 11 miles.

Where (Long) : Follow the LynnFells Parkway out to the Saugus entrance to Breakheart. You’ll find a water stop there, before you run in and loop Breakheart. When you come out you’ll find the same water stop waiting for you. Head back along the LynnFells Parkway back to the Melrose High water stop. Keep heading back on the LynnFells, turning on to West Wyoming at Grimsby’s. This will take you back to Main and back to Brueggers for just shy of 18 miles.

Water Stops : Regina has volunteered to do the first stop. I’ll do the second/fifth stop at the knoll. I need someone to handle the third/fourth stop at Breakheart.

Roll Call: Who’s up?

When : 7AM if you can, 8AM if you’re running short.

Why: This week is the Emarc race in Melrose and race director/MRCer Brian Slater could use your help. If you are running long, please start at 7am, if you’re running short you can start at either 7 or 8AM. The race starts at 10 so if you can get back to Melrose Center by 9/9:30 you can help out with the race.

Theme: It’ll be 9/11, so you can be patriotic. It’s also the first Sunday of the football season so feel free to wear something Patriotic… or Cowboyish, or Steelerish, or Giantish, or even Jetlike, wherever your allegiances lie. (Note the quality of waterstop may vary based on your football allegiance)

Where: Brueggers. I’ll start people at 7, Lois will start people at 8. You’ll run to Wakefield and grab a cup of water at Nick’s Pizza. From there you’ll run up Main Street to Lake Quannapowitt, go counterclockwise around the lake, and take North Ave back to Nicks. If you’re running short head back Main Street to Brueggers to finish. If you’re running long head out Nahant Street over to Wakefield High School and up to the Wakefield entrance to Breakheart at the Voc. Run counterclockwise around Breakheart (use the fountain there for a water stop break) and then back to Nahant to get back to Nick’s. After that visit you’ll head back to Melrose to finish up.

Water stops: I’ve got this one. If you’re feeling volunteery help out with the race.

Roll Call: Tell me that you’re coming, what you’re running, and what time you plan on starting PLEASE! Who’s in?

Join us for a long Labor Day weekend 20 mile long run!

Where : Brueggers

When: 8AM

How Much: $2 for those that have been part of the training plan all season. If you drop in for just the longer long runs, remember the SLR is funded completely by your Sunday morning contributions, if you’re taking more than you’re giving please consider giving more.

Theme: Hat Week. Keep the sun off your noggin by wearing some sort of hat this week. Besides the hat, you should be working on figuring out your race day attire. Try out what you’d like to wear and see how it works for you. Also check out your running shoes. Wear comfy ones on this run, but plan out where your shoes will be in about 6 weeks. You might want to buy a new pair, either to wear in your race or to help stretch out the ones you’ve been training in so they’ll last until race day.

Where (Half Route): Here’s an overview of your route, look at the map for details. Head out Wyoming, up past the zoo, past Friendly’s. Turn right when you get to the lights on Park Street, onto Marble Street, over 93 to the Eugene water stop. Next run a loop in Winchester on Forest Street, left on Highland, right on Eaton Street at a little park, right on Washington, and right at the Gingerbread Construction Company back on to Forest. A few hills gets you back to the Eugene waterstop. Then head back the way you came to finish up your 10 mile run!

Where (Long Route): Here’s an overview of your route, look at the map for details. Head out Wyoming, up past the zoo, past Friendly’s. Turn right when you get to the lights on Park Street, onto Marble Street, over 93 to the Eugene water stop. Continue on Forest, turn left on Highland and follow that straight to the end for the next water stop. After that stop go left on Rte 38. Cross over to the right side and take a right onto Playstead Road. This will bring you to High Street where you’ll turn right. Note the Dunkin Donuts across the street, a convenient place for a restroom break. Follow High Street to a rotary at Mystic Valley Parkway (don’t cross over the bridge into Arlington). Go right onto Mystic Valley Parkway along the Mystic Lakes. Turn right at the end of the road onto Bacon, then take your first left back on to the Mystic Valley Parkway. As you pass a field and school on your left keep your eyes open for a water stop. Leave that stop and take a left at your second set of lights onto Washington Street. Washington will take you to the Gingerbread Construction Company where you’ll turn right and run up to Eugene for another stop. Continue over 93, turn right at the lights at Park Street and get back to Friendly’s. From there run the back side of Spot Pond over to Elm Street to the Highland rotary and turn right onto Highland Ave. There will be a water stop there. Take Highland all the way to the traffic circle at the Fellsway East, go left there, up to Grimsby’s, onto West Wyoming to Main and back to Brueggers for 2o!

Water Stops: I think I have Tom, Jeff, Lois, and me to help get you through all these miles.

Who: You! Who’s in? Roll Call!