Sunday Run

Last week the humidity was a giant factor in the run. Maybe more giant than the hills in Breakheart. Everyone had a “Tom” day as they came through the waterstop with every stitch of their clothing sopping wet. But you made it through another week, and for that you get… wait for it… another week!

This week we’re heading to Winchester. This route is used a few times during the fall training, notably its your 20 and 22 mile runs so learn the path well, you’ll want it in your memory when you’re scuffling through 22.

We start at Brueggers at 8AM (surprised?) and head up Main St towards Wakefield. Turn left on Franklin and take your first hill of the day into Stoneham. Go out past Stoneham High School, past Dunkin Donuts, and hit a set of lights at Summer St. Turn left here. This street winds around to Main St in Stoneham, cross that to Marble St. Take this over I93 into Winchester where it becomes Forest St. On the left will be Eugene where water stop 1 will be.

If you’re running the long route, turn back the way you came but take a right at Park St. Follow that past Friendly’s, past the Stone Zoo, and back to Pond St where it takes you down to Grimsby’s. Take a left at Grimsby’s run through the hills, past the High School and up to Main. Right there and you’ll be back to Brueggers and done!

Long runners, not so fast… Leave there and head downhill until you get to Highland Ave. Turn left here, there should be signs pointing you to Winchester Hospital there. Head up hill (its called Highland for a reason) up to the hospital. Don’t go in the hospital (unless you need to) instead take a left onto Reservoir Road. This road is the most scenic road of your training season. You’ll run up to one of the Winchester Reservoirs in the Fells. The street is decorated with gas-light style lamp posts. The fells woods follows you along on the right while stately homes line the right side. Take that all in as you climb the hill up, and then cruise back down to Highland Ave. Take a left on Highland and keep on running, through a five way intersection at Mystic Valley Parkway where you head straight across staying on Highland. Attack those hills over the next mile and find the water stop at the end of Highland.

Now turn right onto Main St/Rt38. This will take you to a rotary. Here’s where it gets a little confusing. When you go around the rotary there will be a little street to your immediate right, don’t run on that one. the next street will me Main St (it isn’t straight across from where you came in, its more like a 90 degree angle, people get confused here. I believe there is an historic sign for about some Symmes guy where you turn). Follow Main St back to Mystic Valley Parkway. Here’s another 5 way intersection. To the right will be Mystic Valley Parkway, don’t take that. Across and to the right will be Washington St, TAKE THAT! If you run by Winchester High School, you’re not in the right place, go back and try again. You should run past a church which is usually bustling with activity at the time we go by. Now that you’re on Washington St run the flats all the way to Forest St. The Gingerbread Construction Company is a landmark for this intersection. Don’t buy a muffin there! Turn right and climb some hills. These are the ones you ran coming back from Horn Pond, so you should know what to expect this time. When you get to the top, the water stop will still be there with some refreshments for you.

Leave that water stop and head across 93 and turn onto Park St at the lights. Go down to Friendly’s and turn right. Yep, you’re going around Spot Pond. Follow Main St in Stoneham behind the pond, down “Slackers Hill” to Elm St. Left there and head up one long hill to the rotary at Highland Ave in Medford. (Yes, all the streets in this area reuse the same names). Go left at the rotary onto Woodland Rd. Look for a water stop at Flynn Rink. If you’re fast it might not be there yet.

From the hockey rink you run the front side of Spot Pond to Pond St and down to Grimsby’s. Unless you really want to, you don’t have to do the LynnFells this week, just head straight back West Wyoming to Main, take a right and you’re home! We’ll at Brueggers anyway.

Water Stops. If I could get a helper that would be good. If I can’t I at least need two cars. One at Eugene, another at the hockey rink.

Who’s in? ROLL CALL!!!

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 18th, 2012 at 10:00 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.