Archive for the ‘Week 13’ Category

Week 13 – Taper Time

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

After last week’s extravaganza we get back to normal. Those running Boston have hit their taper, where muscles are allowed to recover for the big race. The first taper run is slightly under 15 miles. Yeah, you’re in such good shape that an easy recovery run is 15 miles! The rest of  you run whatever you need to for which ever race you have coming up. If you need extra miles, typically a car will be back at Brueggers with supplies so you can refuel before tacking on a few more miles by running the MRC summer route or looping around Pine Banks for some miles.

You’ve experienced one of the snowiest, coldest training periods in recent memory. Just to put an exclamation point on that Mother Nature coated us with the white stuff one more time, although I think it’ll probably be just a memory in Melrose by Sunday Morning. The route this week takes us through the area we ran on the snowiest run of the season, Swains Pond. You’ve run this route a few times this winter: Up to Melrose Common, around Swains Pond, Lebanon to Forest and the first water stop at the Citizens Bank. From there you head out Glenwood St (the map says Greenwood, someday I’ll fix that) to the Fellsway East. Head right, through the hills, past Grimsby’s to the Melrose High School. Water stop 2 will be at the knoll. Then continue on the Fellsway, take a right at Main St in Saugus and continue onto Farm St turn left on Nahant, which will take you to Main St in Wakefield where Water Stop 3 will be at Nick’s Pizza. Head back Main St and taper run number 1 will be done!

Water Stops. I believe Barry will be there (although he’ll be celebrating his birthday into the wee hours the night before the run). I’ll be there, but I might have to leave early. Anyone else helping?

Who’s in this week? Roll Call!

Posted in Roll Call, Week 13, Winter 2011 | 23 Comments »

Week 13 – Cutting back on the miles!

Friday, October 1st, 2010

There will be one water stop for the 7.1 mile loop, and three for the 14.8.

WS1 – Main/Winter
WS2 – Lynn Fells/Melrose High
WS3 – Nicks Pizza

I could probably handle all three stops, but it would make life a little easier if someone could drop a car at either WS2 or 3!

Anyone interested?

See you on Sunday morning!!

Posted in Fall 2010, Roll Call, Uncategorized, Water Stops, Week 13 | 19 Comments »

Week 13 – Stupidity Avoided

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

” People runnin’ everywhere
Don’t know the way to go
Don’t know where I am
Can’t see past the next step
Don’t have to think past the last mile
Have no time to look around
Just run around, run around and think why”

This week’s run started with people runnin’ everywhere, overflowing from the sidewalks of East Foster and spilling into the streets. As we climbed towards Melrose Common I looked ahead and counted 14 runners, looked behind and counted 11 runners, and added me for a total of 26 of us. Turning onto 6th St and continuing on to Swains Pond Ave Paul Donahue lead the way with a pack of speedsters on his heels. As the road turns at Swains Pond and Turners pond, so did we… although Jen and Andy momentarily headed straight across, not knowing the way to go. The pond looked beautiful, reflecting the beginning of autumn colors, with a lone man fishing on the edge. As the pack went by he pulled a fish from the pond and offered it to the runners for breakfast. As a group we’re used to seeing road kill, this is the first animal we’ve seen just prior to its demise. After the ponds we head along Lebanon to Forest St to the first water stop, Ginny’s car.

The second stretch of the run took us through Malden to the Fellsway East hills. With a foggy mist in the air my glasses became fogged and wet, inhibiting my vision instead of aiding it. With the side of road covered with acorns I decided to remove my glasses, tucking them on the collar of my shirt. Being near-sighted I couldn’t see past the next step, but I could see far enough to avoid rolling an ankle on an acorn. The Fells hills brought us over to the Knoll at the Melrose Middle School and water stop 2 at Judi’s car.

From there we followed the Lynn Fells Parkway to Saugus. Every marathon training period I think a runner gets (at least) one run that makes them wonder “how am I ever going to run 26.2 miles”, it was becoming evident this would be mine. Running 9 minute miles took everything I had, slow heavy legs not wanting to go on.  In the distance I could see a blurry Nick and Andy pulling me to Farm St and across Nahant to Water Stop 3, Julie’s car.

The last miles of the Fall of 2009 training were along Main St from Wakefield to Melrose. As we hit the Greenwood the sound of a car alarm broke the Sunday morning silence. An envious car across the street answered back sounding its alarm as we passed by. As we left the beeping behind us I pulled slightly ahead of Nick and Andy and focused on just getting back to Brueggers injury-free. No time to look around, just running around.

Back at Brueggers, runners gathered in the cool misty air for a cup of coffee outside. Carol and John were out running 22, Jen had put in an extra few miles, some people running Chicago had shortened their route for a nice easy taper, Baystaters looked happy to be mid-taper. The misty air filled with conversations of the upcoming marathons as the morning hours passed timelessly on the sidewalk outside of Brueggers.

If you don’t know what this week’s song lyrics are from, they are aptly quoted from Chicago (the band not the marathon) Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Posted in Fall 2009, Recap, Week 13 | 4 Comments »

Week 13 – “Gonna chase the clouds away, Waitin’ on a Sunny Day”

Sunday, April 6th, 2008

Another cloudy day didn’t stop the runners from showing up. A quick count showed about 25 heads exiting Brueggers at about 8:15 for a scenic, meandering tour through Melrose.

The run started out East Foster and headed up to Melrose Common. Nick, who ran 16 miles of downhills on the Boston course last week, wasn’t happy to be tackling an uphill in the first mile. I don’t put the hills there, I just run over them. At the Common, three dogs and their owners all looked on with similar curiosity as the pack stretched out the length of the park and turned right up to Swain’s Pond. Somehow I took the lead with Walt close behind keeping close track of our instantaneous pace…. 9:00 minutes on an incline, 7:00 on a decline, average pace 8:25 which I interpreted as A) too fast and B) indicative of the balance tilting in favor of uphills. On to Lebanon St we went, turning on to Forest towards water stop 1. As we approached the water stop the real lead pack finally showed up, Brad, Barry and Erin having reclaimed the head start they gave us.

Having pulled into water stop 1 with what was now the second pack I discovered why I have no chance of keeping up with them. Sure I’m slightly slower on foot but as far as eating and drinking go there is no comparison. Despite being one of the first served, my gatorade cup was still well full when Ed hustled off and the rest followed him. Mike York, Nick, and Tracy all showed up before I polished off my refreshment, and Nick encouraged me to keep those guys in sight. Off past Oak Grove and cutting across to Highland Ave I could catch glimpses of Audie’s and Mike Murphy’s jackets. Through the hills of the Fellsway East there was a fain glow of yellow from Mike and Walt’s yellow jackets. Past Grimsby’s I lost sight of them until the water stop at the Knoll across from the Middle School. As I approached I got a quick wave from Andy Pate as they headed out, and the acknowledgement that they knew I was close as a full cup of a purple gatorade and water awaited me on the trunk of the water stop car.

As the shorter route runners turned back to Brueggers at different stages of the run, longer runners continued out the Fellsway toward Saugus. A few last glimpses of the group ahead of me and no sign of a group behind me signaled the fact that the remaining 11 miles of my run would be done alone. This leads to a boring recap as I don’t get any stories from other runners along the way. So on this 4+ mile stretch I only have two things to report: 1) the rabbit died, literally a dead rabbit on the Fellsway was the road kill of the day, God bless you Mr Bunny. 2) Along the sidewalk of Nahant St I ran past a box from a pregnancy test. So separately these two things mean nothing but together they are a signal that someone’s pregnant. Anyone have news they would like to share?

After a brief stop at the water stop at Nahant and Main St in Wakefield I headed out for a loop around Lake Quannapowitt. For those training for Boston and tapering, they turned left and headed back to Melrose. Mike York, Nancy, Lois, Pam, Mike MacNeil and myself would be the only ones to run this additional section of the route. A chance run in with Joe Terranova as I approached the lake was a welcome sight, I hadn’t seen a runner in miles! The blustering wind was whipping in our faces along the route all morning, but nothing matched the intensity of the wind meeting us head on heading East along the northern part of the lake. The exhausting stretch left little left in my legs as I marched back to the water stop for the final stretch. Along the way I spotted Brian heading home, realizing he would be home before I reached the final water stop… I wish I were faster and tapering.

Along Main St the skies got grayer and the circling winds picked up. There was nothing left to do put push along to the finish, with the wind nudging runners along in places while occasionally pushing us back for a second. Finally 18+ miles of chasing the clouds away was done… except the clouds were still there, and we’re still waiting on a sunny day… or at least a windless day.

Boston Marathoners, 1 week of training left!
Providence Marathoners, 1 more long run before our taper!
Great Bay Half Marathoners, you’re done, congrats!

Posted in Recap, Week 13 | No Comments »

Week 13 – Tapering for some

Friday, April 4th, 2008

April ushers in the final month of the Winter Long Run Program. Yes, where approaching the end of another season. Many of the Halfs have come and gone, Boston runners start their taper, and Providence Marathoners are fast approaching their tapers. 

This week we do a slow, easy 14.8  mile run if you’re running Boston. It’s key to remember that your training is done, now you’re preparing for race day. There is no cramming for a marathon so pushing it now isn’t going to amount to much, except maybe an injury. Enjoy this run!

For those running Providence, we’ll need to tack on another 3 miles or so. This can be done late in the run with a loop around Quannapowitt or at the end of the run with a loop around Pine Banks. I’m thinking Quannapowitt but can be convinced otherwise. What do you think?

The rest of you have options. Follow the route and decide to loop back to Brueggers at Main St (~4.5 miles), at Wyoming (~7 miles), or at Main later in the run (~8 miles).

To help with spreading out the water stop supplies, one again ROLL CALL! Who’s in and for how far?

Posted in Routes, Week 13 | 19 Comments »