This week’s route is a staple of the Sunday Long Run. Based on the Melrose Half Marathon, the race that ultimately grew into Boston’s Run to Remember, we’ll be retracing most of the hilly half’s route. The first mile is nice and flat out West Wyoming to Grimsby’s. A left turn there introduces us to the hills of the Fellsway East. One large hill that never seems to end will end, then you’ll notice its little brother right behind it. For every uphill there is a downhill though, and the downhill sends you flying through a set of lights at East Border Road and down to the rotary at Highland Ave in Malden. You’ll take a right onto Highland Ave and slowly make your way up to water stop 1 just before you make it to Spot Pond.
Barry will be hydrating you back up and sending you out for more. It’ll be a hot one so make sure to drink up! Full route runners will turn left at the rotary at McSheffrey’s Mobil gas station and complete a full loop of Spot Pond. Half route runners will stay to the right of the rotary and run the east side of the pond to Pond St back down a steep hill to Grimsby’s. Here they have a choice, turn left onto the Fellsway for the 7.1 miles or continue straight down W. Wyoming chopping off a mile of their route making it 6.1. Be smart, if its hot don’t push it! Meanwhile back on the long route we’ll be pushing through this hills on the west side of the pond. If we can have someone set up at the Straw Point parking lot (the cut through by Friendly’s and the Mobil Station) we can get another water stop in there too. Finishing the loop of the pond will bring us by the Stone Zoo, along winding paths up to Flynn Rink, and back to Barry’s water stop.
After that a quick left on East Border Rd will climb back to the Fellsway East and a few more hills will bring us back to Grimsby’s. Any long runners who have had enough can turn right down Wyoming retracing the start of the route for an 11.5 mile run while the die hards continue up the Lynn Fells for one more hill! Passing Melrose High School and turning up Melrose St to Main St will bring you in along what promises to be a scorching last half mile back to Brueggers!
That’s the route for tomorrow. Barry has the main water stop covered. I need one volunteer to park at Straw Point for an extra stop due to the heat. I believe Barry will pick you up there around 7:45 and bring you to Brueggers.
Who’s in. Roll Call!
I’ll be there to do the 7 mile!
I will be there for the long run!! Is there anyone in Malden who ouldn’t mind giving me a ride to Brougers. I am closes to Oak Grove.
I am in. Would volunteer the car but short on time tomorrow morning. Maybe next week on water.
Can’t make it. Nursing a rotator cuff injury, MRI tomorrow. I hope it’s not serious.
Hi, I’ll be there attempting the long route and can park my car for the water stop at Straw Hill (I’m assuming that’s the parking lot before the intersection where the Mobil and Friendly’s are?). I don’t think I’ll be able to pick up the supplies before the morning, can I get it from your house in the AM?
I’m in for the full, although might rather start at 7:00 or 7:30. Its going to be brutal out there.
Catherine, Email me or call me about tomorrow morning if you can do that.
barry.petzold at gmail.com or 617-680-4315.
Courtnay, if you cant find a ride for tomorrow morning, let me know by tonight.
I’m in for the half route.
I’m in for the 7 though I may have to bump it down to the 6.
Yeah, can we start earlier? Otherwise, I think I am going to park my car at Straw Hill early and run back to Bruegger’s to meet you guys then run back to the car after the Highland Ave stop. Barry, I’ll get in touch with you…Thanks!
I’ll try for the full, but want to get an early start ca. 7am. This is going to be another scorcher.
Sorry to miss tomorrow’s SLR. I’ve got a Tri starting at 8AM. See you all next Sunday.
Hi everyone,
I’m starting out around 5:30am and then going to the beach.
Have a good run and drink plenty.
I did have an MRI, no fracture so I guess I can heal as I run.
See you all next week or perhaps Tuesday after the run.
Lauren and Carol, hope you are both doing okay after last week.
Jo-Ann and I are in for the 6 mile route. See you at Bruegger’s in the AM.
Barry
I do need a ride still. My phone number to be reached is 617-378-2490!!
Since its tough to get buy-in from everybody to switch the start at the last minute I suggest we go with Catherine’s thought, if you want to start early start along the route so you hit Brueggers at 8AM so we can run with those that couldn’t change their start time.
Catherine, is it possible for you to stock your water yourself? All yours really needs is a gallon of cold water and cups and paper towels. The other stop will be the main stop with the food and Gatorade. For those that want to start early I suggest the following: Meet at 7 and start the route at Straw Point around mile 6.5 of the route. This should get you to Brueggers by 8. I’ll jump in at the Highland Ave start at around 7:30 with the other water stop supplies. BarryP if you could have some cold Gatorade and water at Brueggers ready at 8, that can be yet another water stop. Then Barry can go augment the water stops along the route and make sure nobody is getting in any trouble with the heat.
This will make the run a little disjointed for some, but should keep people along the roads we planned at the same time for at least a little while.
So now who’s planning to start early and where? I guess the options of start points are Straw Point, Stone Zoo, Highland Ave, and Grimsby’s. Anyone parking in a funky spot can throw a Gallon of water in their car with cups to augment the water stops along the run.
I am in for the half. I signed up for the Sea Coast Half Marathon to make up for the closed BAA half. It does give me more time to train so that is good. I would like to start at 7:00 to beat the heat. So where should I start? I am happy to leave my car and cold water and cups. I also may have some candy or other sugar items.
Will start with Nancy, Lois, ?Liz, and ?Catherine at 7:30am
Hmm, 7AM Half routers could start at Grimsbys, run up Ponds St to try to meet up with the 7AM Straw Point starters along the Pond. This way you can run your route this way: Pond St, Spot Pond, Water Stop. Highland Ave, Fellsway East to Grimsby’s to complete that loop. Then Lynn Fells Pkwy to Main St to Brueggers (at around 8:00). Then finish up with a mile with the rest of the group down W Wyoming to finish up. Just a thought.
I plan on being there for at least some portion. Not sure if I am quite up for the 12.5 – and now so many options of when & where to start….Sue, where are you starting at 7:30?
I cannot make it this week. I will be back for next weeks run. Have a great run and be careful in the heat.
Just to sum up:
If you’re starting at 7:00 and running long, start at Straw Point and run the end of the route then the beginning of the route.
If you’re starting at 7:00 and running short, start at Grimsby’s and run the Woodland side of Spot Pond, then Highland, then the Fellsway East, then the Lynn Fells, then Wyoming.
If you’re starting at 7:30 and running long, start at Highland Ave, run the end of the run and then the beginning of the run, ending with the loop of Spot Pond.
If you’re starting at 7:30 and running short, start at Highland Ave, run the Fellsway East and Lynn Fells, then run Wyoming and up the Woodland side of Spot Pond.
If you’re starting at 8:00, just do what you thought you were going to do before we changed anything.
If you’re AudreyP, just sleep in like you did last week.
Just to mix things up…(Sorry Jim), I am starting from Straw Point with Nancy and Lois, (maybe Carol) and Catherine if she waits for us at 7:30
meant to add, we’ll run back to Brueggers and join the 8:00 runners from there for whatever mileage the heat allows
Who the folks who want to do the half (7 miles or so) will be leaving from Grimsby’s at 7:00?
i will be there for half.
I’ll start from the Straw Point at 7am for the full? Anyone else? Catherine, are you with me? I’ll throw some H2O in my car.
Jim, you’re a master of logistics :0)
Holy Land of Confusion! Just checking in now after a long day. I am going to run 8 miles on my own around Lake Quannie tomorrow morning with my trusty IPOD. 7am is too early for me. Have a good one everyone and hope to see you next week!
I will be at my car at Straw Point by 7am and the car (brown/tan Jeep Liberty with a 26.2 sticker) will be there waiting for the last runner with cold H20. I’ll wait for Dorota, Sue, Nancy, Lois, ?Carol and anyone else that wants to meet us to run to Bruegger’s by 8. Thanks for your organization, Jim and sorry if I screwed up anything!
Umm…I’m confused! I just exhausted my brain trying to make sense of all this. I would like to run some distance, probably the half. I’m OK with early. I have no idea what Straw Point is. Perhaps I should just follow the instructions for Audrey P – ! Ha.
Too hot for me this week. I’ll try to do a make up run during the week if it ever cools off! I’ll take winter running anyday over this. Good luck everyone.
try to meet you at straw point at 7:30am
Too hot for me too. I’m either doing a shorter, earlier run in Clinton, or going on my bike instead for the built in breeze…
Just saw this..and just woke up- I will be at Brueggers at 8 and hopefully someone is running the long route from there
I’ll be there at 8 running long….maybe by myself:(
I decided at the last minute not to run the long, way to hot!! I will see you all next Sunday.
Have I let everyone down by showing up this am??
Judi and Kristen- oops…if i knew you were both coming for 8am at Brueggers I would have come! I did 8 miles by myself at 10am and it was fine…81 degrees and breezy….or maybe I am just becoming acclimated!