Sunday Run

The New Year has begun, a time when many runners choose their spring races, set their goals, and lace up their running shoes. That means it’s time to start our training! The Melrose Running Club invites you to join us for our Sunday Long Run program, a proven series of long runs that will get you ready for your big race. All our welcome to join us each Sunday from Brueggers on Main Street in Melrose, regardless of which running club you belong to, if any. All we ask is a verbal agreement that you won’t hold the Melrose Running Club liable for anything you do while you’re out on the streets. You join us for the run, but you’re responsible for what happens out on the road.

About our meeting place: Brueggers allows us to join for our run within their place of business but is not at all affiliated with the Melrose Running Club or the Sunday Long Run. Please be respectful of their property and their customers. Do not gather along the line or waiting areas meant for their patrons. Keep the restroom facilities clean. Wipe your feet before entering. Keep your voices low as you wait for the run. Let me repeat that, it is human nature to raise your voice so you can be heard by the person you’re talking to, and when everyone does that we tend to make a lot of noise, at 8AM, when half asleep people are trying to eat their breakfast. You’ll have many miles to talk to each other, please limit the conversation in the few minutes we gather at Brueggers. After the run feel free to talk as much as you like. Please consider purchasing food and drink from Brueggers. Refrain from bringing in outside food into their restaurant, respect their business. If you plan on hanging out after, please bring a change of clothes. Would you want to sit next to a sweaty runner when you go out to breakfast? If we follow these suggestions we’ll continue to meet at Brueggers, if we don’t we’ll have to meet in the street, in the cold, and rain and snow.

About our runs: The weekly running route is listed to the right in the sidebar of the Sunday Long Run page at the Melrose Running Club site. Each week I’ll post about the run, reviewing the route, and requesting a reply if you’re in. Over the years the standard has become to post IFTF if you’re in for the full route, of IFTH if you’re in for the half. These responses will be used to gauge what to buy for water stop supplies. Please reply. The morning of the run we’ll gather slightly before 8AM. I’ll collect $2 from the full route runners and $1 from the half route runners. This money goes towards the supplies I just bought. We’ll quickly head outside to Main Street and I’ll review the route. At this point you acknowledge you know where you’re going and agree you are on your own from there. If you wander off course you will become lost and you won’t be found… because you’re lost. Know the route, and become familiar with the area so that you can find your way back. Each week a link to turn by turn directions of each section of the route will be available. If you tend to get lost, bring your phone so you can follow the directions or find your way back on course. The water stops are typically manned. Have a drink and a snack to keep fueled. If the stop is used more than once you’ll be asked to initial the bottom of your cup and reuse it. When you hit that stop for the last time please throw away your cup. When the cups are gone the volunteer will know they can leave the stop. If you plan on skipping a stop, let the water stop attendant know, or post it in your reply to this post. It is very helpful to know. Also, if you wish to get a head start, let us know. Some runners opt to meet a half hour to an hour earlier to finish up earlier. The water stops roll along the course so you may be ahead of them, but review the map and plan for the ones you think you’ll make. We’re out there to help you.

This weeks route: Well, looks like we’ll start the season off with a wet run to Breakheart. Yeah, if you’re new to this, I forgot to mention you’ll be running a lot of hills.

Start – Heading North on Main Street in Melrose, the group will start together running up to Ell Pond where you’ll cross over to the right side of the road and veer off onto Green Street. At the traffic lights where Green Street meets the Lynn Fells Parkway you’ll take a right. Follow the Lynn Fells into Saugus, up to the Saugus entrance to Breakheart on your left. If you see Target and Kelly’s you’ve gone too far! The entrance to Breakheart will take you up to the parking lot in front of the Breakheart Headquarters Lodge where you’ll find the water stop for this week. Have a drink.

Half Finish – The half route runners will turn around and return to Brueggers along the same path. Run back down to the Lynn Fells Parkway where you turn right. Continue into Melrose, turning left on Green Street and merging on to Main Street. Grab a bagel and coffee, the rest of the group will be back soon.

Full 2 – The second part of the full route run is a lap around the outer loop of Breakheart Reservation going counter-clockwise. Head in along the path to the right, when you approach the beach, keep to the right, circle around and run through 5 (at least) major hills before heading back out to the parking lot for another water stop. Have another drink, you deserve one!

Full Finish – Now you’ll return to Brueggers the way you came. Run back down to the Lynn Fells Parkway where you turn right. Continue into Melrose, turning left on Green Street and merging on to Main Street. Grab a bagel and coffee, the rest of the group will be back soon.

Water Stop – I’ll be there with Hank. No volunteers needed this week.

Roll Call – Who’s in for this week’s run ON SATURDAY? Let me know by responding to this post!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 4th, 2019 at 9:48 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.