Sunday Run

Last Week – We took off for Spot Pond on another cool and soupy July day.  We had a great turn out and the rain held off for at least half of the run. I think most of us would prefer this to a hot sunny long run on a Sunday morning.  Regina helped me hold it down at the first and third water stop while Nicole handled Straw point solo.   We even had a guest appearance by Jim Carson for the Spot Pond Loop. Thanks everyone for another great SLR!

This Week – Looks like more of the same this Sunday, cool and wet.  Lets enjoy it while we can, the heat will certainly come soon enough.

The Route – This week is a step back week, distances reduce a bit. The crew will head north to Wakefield with Full Route Runners (10.7 miles) running a loop of Lake Quannapowitt while Half Route Runners (6.2 miles) turn around at the water stop and head back.

Start – We’ll head up Main Street to Wakefield. Stop at the Nick’s Pizza parking lot for a water stop.

Half Finish – Turn around and go back along Main Street to return to Brueggers.

Full 2 – The full route will run along Main Street through Wakefield Center, staying on Main Street up along the east side of Lake Quannapowitt. When you reach Lowell Street, continue around the lake by going left, and another left onto Quannapowitt Way into the Comverse parking lot. Continue through the lot, coming out at North Ave where you turn left. Follow North Ave to Church Street where you turn left. At the church turn right onto Common Street. This will merge back on to Main Street and bring you back to Nick’s for another water stop.

Full Finish – Head back along Main Street to Brueggers.

Water Stop – Nicole and I will handle the water stop.

Roll Call – Who’s in?

Last Week – It was so great to see everyone last Sunday!!! Over 20 people came out on a beautiful day to enjoy our first SLR since March 2020! Nicole managed the water stop for the half runners and Joe T. and Regina kept me company at the stop for the full route.  It was a great morning, thanks everyone!!

If you are on Facebook and have not joined the MRC Sunday Long Run group please do.  Updates and discussions about SLR will be happening there and it is just any easier, real time way to communicate, post pics, and connect with others running the SLR. If you are on Instagram so is MRC, please follow us and tag us if you take pictures during SLR.

This Week – We’ll be back at the lot behind Brueggers to step up the distance and take on Spot Pond. Start time will once again be 7:30. 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 build 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 – Nicole has Volunteered to help me through August but as runs increase in distance and we add multiple stops it would be great to have more volunteers! Please contact me at bobbytaylor@melroserunningclub.com if you’d like to get involved.

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

It’s time to get the Sunday Long Run started! Join us at 7:30 AM Sunday July 11th for the first run of the fall season.

New to this? Here’s how it works. We meet in the lot behind Brueggers (Main St. Melrose), 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 (and this year we have an Oct. 11^th Boston!). 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 by clicking on the distance in the top right of the page. 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 turn 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 join the MRC Sunday Long Run FB group and respond to these posts so we know how many people are coming. The head count of people in for the full or half determines the amount of supplies at the water stop. I’m also working on getting the blog updated on the MRC website, as soon as I’m able to get that live again it will be updated as well.

With that, it’s time for the Roll Call! Who’s in for the first run of the 2021 Fall training season?!

The Melrose Running Club has decided to suspend group runs until further notice so today was the final Sunday Long Run for this session. With an eye on social distancing a group of about 15 runners met outdoors in the parking lot behind Brueggers, stood at a safe distance from each other to listen to the directions for todays run and headed off to Wakefield. People enjoyed the fresh air and the quick water stops as they made their way up to Lake Quannapowitt. A few made their way over to Breakheart, some opting to cut through and head home from there.

For those who’s races haven’t been cancelled or postponed, good luck with your continued training.

Depending on how long this all lasts, I plan on starting things up sometime in June to help people prepare for postponed spring races that are planned for September.

While we wait, I wish you all good runs and good health.

Last Week – Runners ran their 20 milers and 10 milers in prep for upcoming races. We started taking Coronavirus precautions at our waterstops by limiting the number of people that handle bottles and cups to the volunteer and the individual runner. We thought we were being careful.

This Week – Each day the Coronavirus impacted everybody’s lives more and more as each day passed. Many things have been cancelled or delayed, just about every race in the next month including the Boston Marathon. Schools are cancelled for weeks or months. The Knights of Columbus is not hosting large groups until mid-April, including the Melrose Running Club. The good news is, as far as I know, none of have contracted the virus and we have a healthy lifestyle on our sides. So how do we move forward? There are still May races scheduled for the time being so training will continue. To help promote social distancing, if there are more than 10 of us, instead of cramming into the corner of Brueggers we’ll meet in the parking lot behind Brueggers before starting the run on Main Street. We will be skipping the 22 mile run from Hopkinton to Boston and replace it with a local long run lined up with a May marathon if those continue to be scheduled. If attendance drops off to just a few runners we’ll end the season and pick it up to train for Boston in the summer.

The Route – This week we’ll be running Lake Q and Breakheart with all waterstops at Nick’s Pizza.

The Start – This is simple, run up Main Street to Nick’s Pizza in Wakefield.

The Second Section – Run up Main Street towards Lake Quannapowitt. Going short? Turn left at the lake on Church Street, run to the set of lights at North Ave, turn left onto North Ave and return to the water stop. Going long? When you get to the lake keep on Main Street along the lake. Keep turning left onto Lowell St, Quannapowitt Parkway, and North Ave. Continue on North Ave back to the waterstop.

The Short Finish – Run back Main Street to Brueggers for 8 miles. Wash your hands and buy a bagel and eat it 6ft away from anyone else.

The Long Third Section – Leave the water stop on Nahant St. At the end of Nahant, cross Farm Street to Hemlock Rd up to the Voc. Enter Breakheart and, speaking of escalating quickly, run counterclockwise around Breakheart through the hills first. On the flatter side remember to stay right at the pond to gat back to the Voc. Pop out to Hemlock Rd and back to the water stop via Nahant.

The Long Finish – Main Street back to Melrose and Brueggers for 16 miles. Wash your hands and buy a bagel and eat it 6ft away from anyone else.

Water Stop – One Stop multiple times hosted by me.

Roll Call – Who’s in? Anyone?