First off… GO PATS!
Second off… Unbelievable turnout last week, over 40 runners on a mild winter day attacking the hills of the old Melrose Half Marathon course with strong, determined runs. With such a big group there seemed to be a lot more sizable groups coming through the water stops, meaning most people had a few people to train with. That led to a lot more support and seemed like a good deal of happy runners despite the challenging route. Afterwards we flooded Brueggers with coffee orders, fun conversation, and even an ugliest marathoner toes challenge. The winner… Judi Chiavetta by a landslide. Keep those compression socks on lady!
Third off… You might be thinking “Wasn’t last week Week 5?” Yes it was, but I forgot that due to a strange occurrence in the moving date of the Boston Marathon a “Week 0” was put in so we could always start the first week of January. This was a year we would skip Week 0, but since I wasn’t observant enough and we ran it any way. So you got a bonus week of training in and we’ll all be the better for it.
Ok, now down to business… This week we’ll be doing a Breakheart route. If you’re running short the route is, to be blunt, boring. You head up to the old J Pace’s corner via the LynnFells Parkway, back Howard Street and out the LynnFells Parkway by the High School to Grimsby’s, left onto Wyoming and left on Main back to Brueggers. There will be no water stop support on that route.
An alternate short route is to meet the group at Water Stop 1 at 8:30. Run Breakheart, run out to Wakefield Center with the group but turn on Nahant to head back to Water Stop 1 to finish. This route gives you a water stop. That’s what I plan on doing. You can either meet at Brueggers and car pool over or just meet at Wakefield High School.
Now for the long route: Starting at Brueggers, head up Main St, after Ell Pond cut over onto Green St and turn right onto the LynnFells Parkway. Continue out to Main St in Saugus and turn left. There is an empty lot there, and a strip mall with a Dunkin Donuts, a pushcart lunch place, a bank, and a liquor store. Its where J Pace’s used to be. Follow Main St as it turns into Farm St until you get to Wakefield High School and water stop 1.
From there you head up to the Wakefield entrance to Breakheart Reservation. Entering Breakheart keep right and run the full loop around counterclockwise. You’ll hit some challenging hills quickly. Seriously challenging. There will be a spot where you bear right to continue out by the main office of the park. Run along the parking lot in front of the office and left back into the path to the “flat side” of Breakheart. This will wind towards the beach area. Keep right at the beach to lead back to the Wakefield entrance and back to the water stop.
Next head right onto Farm Street and turn left at the end onto Water St (Rte 129). This will bring you into Wakefield Center. Turn right LEFT onto Main Street and head back to Melrose. You’re done when you hit Brueggers!
So if you’re in, let me know if you’re running short or long, and if you’ll be running the alternate short course (because I’ll need water stop supplies for you in that case). So who’s in? ROLL CALL!!!
(Did I mention GO PATS!)