Despite what was billed as either a snowy Sunday morning or a rainy Sunday morning, today we woke up to a thinly overcast Sunday Morning with temps hovering just above freezing. Perfect… and through the run it got slightly warmer and not a drop of precipitation fell. The morning started with me picking up Suzanne on Highland Ave. We picked a spot around the seventh mile of the run and pulled over to plant the car there. On our trip to her right passenger side door we discover the first roadkill of the morning, a freshly deceased squirrel along the curb. Even though the winter has been relatively roadkill free we decided it wasn’t proper to set up the water stop that close to a carcass and moved a few feet up the road.
At Brueggers only small crowd gathered as a good part of our regular contingent was readying themselves for the Hyannis Half down on the cape. I sent eleven runners out the door on their way for a 14.3 mile trek, starting north on Main St in Melrose and out Franklin St to Stoneham where they headed South on Main St to Friendly’s where I served up water stop number 1. Joe and John came in first, Joe running his usual strong pace and John putting in a valiant effort to keep him company. As the continued on to the backside of Spot Pond, Brian Gilroy pulled in with Audie following in shortly. Their quick visit ended and Peter and Tall Dave’s started. Ginny, Jose, and Christina joined them for a quick sip. Seconds after they left for the next 3 mile stretch Suzanne came in, not feeling like she was having her best run ever but pushing forward nonetheless. If you’re counting (and I doubt you are) that’s only ten runners, the eleventh was Brian Slater who had a shorter agenda planned but was kinda enough to join in the start at back at Brueggers.
I was in for just the next 6+ miles of the run, still nursing a sore achilles and opting for rest… which when you’re training for a marathon means you only run 6.5 miles instead of 14.3. Suzanne and I headed out along the Fellsway West and we chatted about her running, how important your diet on Saturday is when you’re running long on Sunday, and some general thoughts on training. As we pulled up towards the Sheepfold she gave me a tap on the shoulder and ordered me to go ahead. Still trying to fight through a bad run, she didn’t want the strain of trying to keep a conversation with me going. I pulled ahead and made catching Ginny, Jose, and Christina before the next water stop my goal. Weaving our way along the Fellsway West, along and under I93, I kept catching sight of them as I slowly gained ground on each uphill. Along this stretch we passed some unofficial road kill, a brownish lump on the side of the road which ended up being a stuffed animal in the shape of some rodent, surely jettisoned from a passing car at some point in the past week. Turning on to Elm St I passed Jackie Doerrer Mullen running in the opposite direction. Jackie is one of the original MRCers and long time long runner. After a quick “Hi Jackie” I headed up Elm St, now with a clear view of my targets, Jose, Christina, and Ginny, each trying their own techniques to get up the hill: Christina pumping her arms, Jose losing himself in conversation about Venezuela politics, and Ginny internally going through a train of thought… love the hills and they’ll love you back, love the hills, I love you hills, I love you baby and if its quite alright I need you baby. With this song now firmly stuck in her head I caught up to her and subsequently we caught up to Dave and Peter as the six of us pulled into water stop 2.
After the break we headed over to the Fellsway East and worked our way through the hills. I pulled ahead with Christina as we shared stories to distract us from the hills. Ginny held back and shared the song rattling around in her head which was added to the list of songs not to think of while running. Up Pond St and past the Stone Zoo we headed back to Friendly’s where my run would end. Ginny asked if I knew who sang that song, at the moment I didn’t. The ran off down Main St back to Franklin and ultimately back to Brueggers. I sat in my car humming that song for a minute until Suzanne had come in for the last water stop drink for the day. Off she went to finish up her run while I drove off towards Brueggers singing:
You’re just too good to be true
Can’t take my eyes off you
I love you baby, and if it’s quite alright
I need you baby to warm the lonely night
I love you baby
Trust in me when I say
Oh pretty baby, don’t bring me down I pray
Oh pretty baby, now that I’ve found you stay
Andy Williams
Now its stuck in your head too!
When you were discussing the importance of diet on Saturday in preparation for Sunday, did you happen to mention that you often forget to eat? 🙂
Shhhh
What’s this about you not eating, Jim? Hmm… I’m not calling your pot or kettle black, but maybe a charcoal grey. Nice recap and segway into that song which is again stuck in my head; thank you very much. Could be worse, though. Thanks to you and Suzanne for the water stops. I definitely felt the hills today. It’s so great to have company on the run to make them go by fast. Oh and thanks for clarifying the mystery woman that said “Hi, Ginny”. I couldn’t tell who it was all bundled up. Nice job to all who ran Hyannis and great times, too! Wow!
Speaking for myself, it wasn’t my best time, time-wise, but I had a blast running with Jo-jo, AND hanging with the MRC crew. One little recap from the race,….Jo and I were walking up one of the little hills , and I mean little compared to the Sunday Long run hills, alongside another woman when Joanne told her that we like to call these little things “slacker’s hill”, to which she replied, I like to call this the Big F— You! Well, Jo and I kind of giggled and off we went. I wonder what she would call one of our Sunday Long run hills!
Suzanne and Jim, thank you for the water stops. I’m glad to get back in the mix, with the exception of Ginny’s song choices. I’ve made a mental note to keep her on my deaf side. (Ginny just kidding, but be warned – I thought of a really bad song)…
Great run! Nothing like landing on dry surface.
andy williams? I like the Lauren Hill version or sung in the movie by the late Heath Ledger in 10 things I hate about you. not andy….now I have this in my head!