Sunday Run

Last week Lois, Dan, and Dave kept people hydrated on a challenging early morning run. On a day where temperatures quickly climbed into the high 90s, the group decided to start early, leaving Brueggers at 6:30AM, to beat the heat. It was a hard long run, but a small group got it done!

This week and next Lois is on vacation, I’m still away, and Tom is unavailable so a little help was needed. Minutes after Lois posted on Facebook, boing, hands were raised. Courtney, Gail, and Marian volunteered for this week. Liz Hecht and Cynthia volunteered for next week. Thanks!

The route this week will bring us to Wakefield, with a loop around Lake Quannapowitt for the long run. The run will start from Brueggers at its normal time of 8am. Temperatures will still be quite warm this Sunday, 73 at 8am and quickly rising into the 80s by 10am, so you’ll need plenty of fluids.

The run will begin heading north on Main Street, continuing straight into Wakefield to a water stop at the intersection of Main Street, North Ave, and Nahant St where you’ll find Dunkin Donuts and Jiffy Lube. The water stop will be on the right side in the Nick’s Pizza parking lot. Courtney usually hosts quite the party at her water stop so watch for a lot of energy and excitement.

After the water stop the half route will turn around and head back to Melrose to complete the run. The full route will continue up Main Street, through Wakefield Center, up to Lake Quannapowitt. Stay to the right to run along the east side of Lake Quannapowitt, turning left at Rte 129, and left onto Quannapowitt Parkway. Follow through the parking lot across to North Ave, taking a right there. You’ll reach a softball field after which you’ll turn left onto Church Street, which will bring you to a church. Across from the church is Common Street, where Wakefield Common is. Common Street will merge onto Main Street which will bring you back to Nick’s Pizza for another water stop.

When you’re hydrated up, follow Main Street back to Melrose, back to Brueggers, to complete your run.

When you get back to Brueggers, if you’re hanging out there please change out of your running clothes, which will undoubtedly be very wet, into something clean and dry before you mingle with the customers and your fellow runners.

Enjoy your Courtney Run, keep drinking.
Who’s in? Roll Call!

Last Week – We got off to a good start. Over 20 people started their training with a nice weather day for a Sunday Long Run. Half the group opted to stop a little early. The sun was shining and temperature was normal for a July day in New England. Tom helped out at water stop 1 and Lois handled water stop with Joe T. A bonus stop was thrown in along Main Street to help offset the rising temperatures.

This Week – We’ll be back at Brueggers to step up the distance and take on Spot Pond. It’ll be pretty hot on Sunday so there is a chance we’ll start super early to beat the heat. I know some are talking about a 6:30AM start. I’ll let Lois decide whether we move the official start to an earlier time or not. Watch the comments below and Facebook for that announcement. The half run is about 7 miles, the full about 12.5. Generally every other week of the long run will step up 4 miles and then the next will drop down 2 miles as we walk to 22 miles. Meanwhile the short run will step up 2 and then step back 1 headed towards an 11 max before their race.

Start – Leaving Brueggers we will head south on Main Street (in the direction of Malden), past Dunkin Donuts, and turning right on West Wyoming, like the start of the MRC Summer Route. West Wyoming will take you out to Grimsby’s where you’ll turn left onto the Fellsway East. Two hills will great you on the Fellsway East which you’ll hate, but maybe someday you’ll grow to love. Ignore the incline and enjoy the feel of running through the Melrose section of the Middlesex Fells. Eventually you’ll go through an intersection with a set of lights and come down to a traffic circle in Medford where you’ll turn right on to Highland Ave. Follow Highland up towards Spot Pond, finding a water stop on the left right before a rotary by the Flynn Rink.

Half Finish – After the water stop, the short runners will continue straight through the rotary on to Woodland Road, running past the Flynn Rink. Follow this to Pond Street where you’ll turn right and head down a steep hill to Grimsby’s. Turn left there and follow the Lynn Fells Parkway past Melrose High School, after which you’ll turn right on Melrose Street and then take a quick right onto Main Street to finish up at Brueggers.

Full Route 3 – The long runners will leave the water stop and turn left at the rotary on to Elm Street. Run to the end of Elm Street and turn right onto the Fellsway West. This will bring you through another portion of the Middlesex Fells, up what we’ve named Slackers Hill after that urge you get to walk instead of run up the hill, keep running. You’ll then cross under I-93, past the Sheepfold, and over I-93. Watch on your right as you cross an off ramp from I-93, cars come down there very quickly! After that you’ll want to turn right into the Straw Point parking lot. There will be a water stop there, so grab some water and keep going through the parking lot to Pond Street. Continue right to keep circling Spot Pond, pass the Zoo, continue straight as Pond Street becomes Woodland Rd, up to Flynn Rink, through the rotary and back to the water stop at Highland Ave.

Full Finish – After the final water stop you’ll cross Highland and take your first left on East Border Road. This will bring you up to a set of lights where you turn left to get back on the Fellsway East. Ride those two hills back past Grimsby’s and onto the Lynn Fells Parkway. Run past Melrose High School, turn right on Melrose Street, and right on Main Street which will take you back to Brueggers.

Water Stops – Lois is in charge of setting things up with help from Dan. We’ll need volunteer help over the next few weeks while I’m out, and really throughout the whole program. These water stops don’t just happen, people need to help each other out.

Roll Call! Those are the plans, who’s in?

Sorry for the late notice of kicking off the SLR. My laptop keyboard has stopped working which made typing this tricky. If you’re a returning SLRer you might notice I’ve done a lot of cutting and pasting from the past…

It’s time to get the Sunday Long Run started! Join us at 8AM Sunday July 14 for the first run of the fall season.

New to this? Here’s how it works. We meet at Brueggers, collect $2.00 from those running the long run, $1.00 if you’re running short. Start the run. Each week there will be water stops about every three or four miles. The stops are there for a quick drink and a little snack if you need it. As the runs get longer (>14 miles)there will be gu around miles 7 and 14. If you need anything else you should practice carrying it for race day.

The program is 15 weeks, aiming for the Baystate Marathon. To train for a half you should already be able to run 5 miles comfortably and regularly. For a marathon your typical long run should already be a comfortable 10 miler. If you’re training for a different race at a different time in the fall, tailor your distances around existing water stops.

Maps for the run are located on the MRC SLR blog main page and turn by turn directions can be accessed from water stop to water stop on your smartphone by clicking the link below. Learn the routes please. You can print them out and wrap them in clear tape to waterproof them and bring them with you if you tend to be directionally challenged. Remember, if you wander of the route we won’t find you… because you’re lost. Here’s this week’s route…

This week’s run is short and sweet. We’ll head north on Main Street, bear right on Green Street and turn on the Lynn Fells Parkway. Follow that to the first set of lights where you tune left. Running short, you’ll turn left on Howard, back to a left on Green, merge back to Main and finish at Brueggers. Long runners will continue on Main Street in Saugus which will become Farm Steeet in Wakefield. Look for a water stop at Wakefield High School. Continue on Farm to a left at the end onto Water Street. This will bring you to Wakefield Center where you turn left on Main Street which will bring you back to Melrose and Brueggers.
After the run change into dry clothes and feel free to buy a bagel and a drink. Brueggers has graciously hosted us for a dozen years now, please respect their business! That means keep quiet before the run, get clean after the run, and patronize their business. Please refrain from bringing outside food in to their business.

Lastly, please respond to the blog post so I know you’re coming. The head count of people in for the full or half determines the amount of supplies at the water stop. I’ll do this week’s water stops and can use one helper, I think Lois is willing to help.
After this week I’ll be away for several weeks. I think Tom will be helping once or twice, I will reach out to Audrey, but we’re looking for more volunteers. If you’ve run with us in the past and aren’t training, please consider giving back to the program that gave something to you.

With that, it’s time for the Roll Call! Who’s in for the first run of the 2018 Fall training season?!