Best of luck to everyone who will be off running the Hartford and Chicago marathons!!
For the rest of you with a race in the near future, let’s enjoy this last week of the formal SLR program! 12.5 miles for those choosing to run the long route; 7.1 miles for those choosing the short long route; and the option to run more or less, depending on where you are in your training. Those of you running later marathons will continue on your journey to the starting line with freedom to run when you want and where you want. Stay the course.
This Sunday, we’ll start out Main Street going North up to Ell Pond. Give the Clarence DeMar monument a little tap, from one great marathoner to another. Then turn left on Melrose St down to a left on the Lynn Fells. Follow the Lynn Fells onto the Fellsway East to Highland Ave. Take the right and head up to the water stop (thank you, AJ, for being there for us this week).
Out of the water stop, everyone go straight past the hockey rink, long and short runners! Short runners will turn down Pond Street to Wyoming and finish up a nice short run ready to run a half marathons The longer runners will loop Spot Pond counterclockwise. Yes, counterclockwise. As Jim puts it, you’ll see the pond a whole different way this way going in this direction… especially when you run up Elm St to turn right on Highland back to the water stop.
From the water stop you’ll head over to East Border Road, take a left on the Fellsway, take on a couple more hills and then take a right when you hit Grimsby’s. Go down West Wyoming and left on Main Street and stop at a runner friendly place called Bruegger’s. Oh, right, you know that place, don’t you?
I would be remiss not to mention that many of you are in or will shortly be in the ‘Don’t Do Anything Stupid’ phase of training. For those of you new to this phase, it means don’t think that since you’re tapering or since you’re so fit now that you can go out and try something that could very well interfere with all of your good work in getting to where you are. So… NO skydiving (unless it’s your job), NO crazy diets, NO taking up a brand new sport that will just tax you and get you sore in new places, NO boulder lifting, bee keeping, climbing trees to get apples (unless, again, this is something you already do), and the list goes on. You can, however, go to yoga class. Just kidding (no, I’m not).
There is only one water stop with this course, and gratitude goes to AJ for agreeing to park on Highland and have all that you need to keep rocking the roadways. If someone else would like to be at Straw Point for bonus stop, let me know and I’ll have some supplies for you.
So who is in for this final frolic of the formal season? Roll Call!!!
In for the half and a little bit more. 🙂
Yes, best of luck to all of the marathoners! A special shout out to Ashley as she accomplishes her very first marathon in Hartford! You will be amazing!
Thank you so much Alicia!!! 🙂
A huge thank you to Melrose Running Club and all the SLR supporters!! I couldn’t have done it without you all!! 🙂
In for the full….thanks A.J.!
In for the half please. Thank you
Good luck to those marathoners running Hartford and Chicago! Also those running the BAA Half Marathon! I hope the weather cooperates, the running gods are on your side, and you find that finish line wearing a smile. You’ve all trained hard, you deserve the best! Have a great run, bring back some good stories, I can’t wait to get back to hear them!!!
I’ll be in for the full. Thank you 🙂
In for the full, plus a few more! Thanks – gonna miss you as we continue on to Philly!
Well if Jeanne is in, then I’m in too! (for the full, if I can)
Thanks to Jim and AJ for your support!
Out this week, taking a 13.1 mile tour of Newport, nothing crazy, just a little taper run 🙂
In for this season’s final full…thanks!
In but not sure how long.
In for the full!
Let’s do it!
This training season has sure flown by. Thanks so much to all the volunteeres for your support, ecouragement, and the just being out there where we needed you the most.
Much, much appreciated.
Peter and I are in for the full. See you in the morning.
Erin and Peter
Finally the longer distance is ‘short’ enough so I can say, “in for the full”
In for the full. Thank you to all the volunteers over the summer.
In for the full plus another 6. The Philly crew is really going to miss these amazing long runs. Best of luck to everyone in their races!
In for the short. Thanks
Thanks everyone for the well wishes!!! Jim, Lois, etc thanks for all the help with water stops all summer – couldn’t have done it without you!!
In for the half
I had to do my run today so I won’t be there but good luck to all! It’s been fun training with you. I’ll keep an eye out for MRC runners at baystate next weekend. 🙂
I am also in for the full distance. Thanks for another great training season.
In for the half
Thanks for letting me crash the party a couple of times this Fall…the 7 miles last week gave me the confidence to run the BAA today.
Congrats to everyone who ran their full or half and good luck to those about to pound the pavement.
See you after the new year!