Sunday Run

Cool, overcast, flat, glitter, maracas, Kanes. Six words that sum up a much more pleasant Sunday Long Run than you usually get in July or August. The typical water stop supplies were out but Courtney put her unique touch on the water stop bringing a party feel to a Sunday morning. So I have some good news and some bad news for you. Bad news: It’s going to be warm on Sunday. This week’s run is expected to start out with temperatures around 70 degrees but by the end of the run it will be touching 80. I know, Booo. The good news is I’ll be at the beach. Ok, that’s only good news for me, your good news though is Courtney has volunteered to host the water stops again this week. With the help of Don you should be well taken care of this week.

The route this week is one of the SLR’s favorites, a trip to Horn Pond in Woburn. We’ll start out running over to West Wyoming and head up Pond Street to SPot Pond. Take a right at the pond, run past the Stone Zoo, past Friendly’s, past the onramp to I93 North to a set of lights at the corner of Park Street and Marble Street. Go left, over I93 and look for a water stop on the corner of Eugene in Winchester.

Running long. Keep running on what is now called Forest Street, down a few hills to a set of lights where the Gingerbread Construction Company is. Go left onto Washington Street and then a right at the lights onto Cross Street. Cross will bring you in to Woburn where you’ll turn right on Main Street, Route 38. You’ll run along Main only a few seconds as you take a quick left on Lake Ave which will surprising bring you to a pond, not a lake. Run to the parking lot at the head of Horn Pond where you’ll find water stop 2.

After the water stop take a loop of the pond and head back out Lake Ave, right on Main, left on Cross, left on Washington, and right back up Forest Street to the water stop at Eugene.

The last section of this run will be to cross over I93 as Forest turns into Marble Street. Continue on straight through the lights staying on Marble. At Main Street in Stoneham you’ll cross over onto School Street. Follow this bending road until you get to the second set of lights at Franklin Street. Go right here, run past Stoneham High School and follow Franklin into Melrose until you get to Main Street in Melrose. Go right here and head back to Brueggers.

Running short? You have an option. Run the first section out to the Eugene water stop and return with the last section along Franklin Street. Or… you can carpool out to the water stop and jump in there running from Eugene to Eugene. Either way is about 7 miles.

Water stops are covered.

All that’s left is ROLL CALL!!!! Who’s in?

After a grueling Sunday Long Run in humidity that weighed heavily on each of the 27 runners that partook last week, it looks like a cooler Sunday Morning is in store for this week. Also the hills that tested your legs last week along the Fellsway East won’t be anywhere in sight as you head up  Main Street to Wakefield. This run is a recovery run from last week’s step up week, you’ll get in the miles while your legs shake off any remnants of last week.

So this week’s route is simple. If you’re running short you’ll run up Main Street from Brueggers, into Wakefield, to Nick’s Pizza at the corner of Nahant Street. Nick’s is on the right so you’ll have to cross over at some point. After a quick water stop in the parking lot there, turn around and come back. a A simple six mile run.

Long Run? Start out the same, up Main Street to Nick’s. After the water stop you’ll continue up Main Street, through Wakefield Center and along the eastern banks of Lake Quannapowitt. You’ll be circling the lake counterclockwise, which means you’ll have some left turns to take. When you get to the northern side of the lake turn left into the parking lot of Converse. Follow the footpath along the lake and back onto the sidewalk as the parking lot road takes you to North Ave. A left there will eventually bring you to a set of lights by a softball field, turn left here onto Church Street. Once you get to the church on Church Street you’ll be taking right on Common Street by Wakefield Common. This will merge back on to Main Street and bring you through Wakefield Center back to Nicks for more water. After a stop continue on Main Street back to Brueggers.

As for the Water Stop, this week has one stop at Nick’s Pizza. I will be there to serve up your nutritious treats along with my assistant, the ever energetic Courtney. Thank you to all that have offered to help this week, but there really is only one water stop so we have this week covered. Next week I’ll likely be unavailable, so I will need help then!

Ok, that’s all I have. We had some new faces join us last week, which is always a good thing. Who’s joining us this week? ROLL CALL!!!

Last week we had over 25 people kick off a new training season together. In stark contrast to the winter that wouldn’t end, the summer session started off with a humid morning with a hot sun growing stronger as the miles went by. The half route team turned the corner with smiles while the full route team ran through a Wakefield HS Yard Sale/Water Stop equally as smiley. No smiles were as big as the sweaty grins displayed as the long runners passed Billy’s Roast Beef and spied a bonus water stop in the parking lot. All in all a successful kick off of the summer season. Let’s keep the spirit moving into Week 2.

This week we’ll head out West Wyoming Ave to the Fellsway East. Enjoy the hills as you  make your way to a left on Highland Ave. You’ll find a water stop as you approach Spot Pond. After the stop a left turn awaits the long runners while the half route runners continue along the eastern shores of Spot Pond to a right on Pond Street, a left on LynnFells Parkway, a right on Melrose Street and a final right on Main Street before you get back to Brueggers.

The long route runners will be running around Spot Pond. Elm Street will take you to a right on Main Street in Stoneham. You’ll go under I93, then over I93 before you reach the parking lot at Straw Point (right before Friendly’s). Cut through the parking lot and bear right and run along the Pond, past the Stone Zoo, and past the Flynn Rink where you’ll cut past the rotary back onto Highland Ave. Find the water stop again before finishing up your run.

After you leave the stop you’ll take a quick left on East Boarder Road up to a light. A left there will put you back on the Fellsway East. Continuing past Grimsby’s onto LynnFells Parkway will take you to a right on Melrose Street and another right on Main and back to Brueggers.

This week I can handle the water stop but we could use a helper to add a stop at Straw Point. Interested, post below.

Ok, Roll call. Who’s in?!

It’s time again for the Melrose Running Club’s Sunday Long Run program!

In short, we’ll meet at Brueggers every Sunday for the next 14 weeks in preparation for Fall Marathons and Half Marathons… except for this week. This week we’ll be running on SATURDAY so MRCers can stay up late at the MRC Summer Party  on Saturday night.

If you have some questions click on the ABOUT link in the upper right of this page. Some FAQs: Running short, bring a dollar. Running long, bring two. Study up the route map for the upcoming week’s run in the schedule to the right. Print it out and bring it if you’re prone to getting lost. Answer the roll call here every week so I bring enough water. Get to Brueggers at 7:45. Hand me your dollars. Let me tell you where you’re going. Go. Find me along the way for drinks and snacks. Finish your run. Have a coffee. Repeat until October. Run the race of your life!

The route this week, out to Farm Street. Head up Main Street, bear right after Ell Pond onto Green Street. At the lights turn right on the LynnFells Parkway. Keep running until you get to the next set of lights. Go left onto Main Street in Saugus.

If you’re running short turn left onto Howard Street, follow it until a left on Green Street and head back to Brueggers along Main Street.

Running long, continue along Main Street onto Farm Street and look for a water stop at Wakefield High School. After the stop continue to the end of Farm Street and turn left onto Water Street. This will bring you to Wakefield Center where you’ll turn left on Main Street. Follow Main back to Melrose all the way to Brueggers.

Ok, that’s all I have. Who’s in? ROLL CALL!