Last Week – The weather was extremely pleasant for a long run last week, with temps in the high 60s, a cool breeze, and some sunshine. For August that’s quite a treat. About 25 runners join in on the run, but only about 5 did the full route. Its unusual to have more people training for halfs than full marathons, which made me think “what exactly is everyone training for?”. Let me know in your replies.
This Week – It looks like we’re in for some similar weather, although it could get a little warmer along the way. The route this week is the old Law Enforcement Memorial Half which was held in Melrose around the turn of the century (this century, 2000). It later moved to Wakefield, a portion of which you’ll run next week, and ultimately moved to Boston when it grew up, becoming Boston’s Run to Remember. The full runners will run over to the starting line and complete the whole route, minus a lap around the Melrose High School track mostly because it doesn’t exist anymore, and then back to Brueggers. The half runners will skip a loop of Ell Pond, and cut the end of the route off. When you’re done running you’ll be halfway through the training runs for this season!
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full/Half Start – Unlike most weeks, the start will end up putting the half runners ahead of the full runners. We’ll start together up Main Street, past Ell Pond, turning left on Melrose Street (before the LynnFells Parkway). Take a left off Melrose Street onto LynnFells Parkway and run past Melrose High School. This is where the Melrose Half started. the half runners will continue straight along the LynnFells Parkway to Grimsby’s. The full route runners will turn left at the set of lights at the tennis courts onto Tremont Street. Loop Ell Pond with a series of lefts onto Lake Street, West Emerson Street, back on to Main Street, Melrose Street again, and around to the LynnFells Parkway. This time continue straight past the tennis courts and over to Grimsby’s. There will be a little water stop there in case you need an early one.
Full/Half 2 – From Grimsby’s you’ll continue on the LynnFells as it becomes the Fellsway East, through the hills, to the traffic circle where you turn right onto Highland Ave. Highland takes you up to the rotary at Highland where you’ll find a water stop on your left.
Half Finish – As usual you’ll keep going straight through the rotary onto Woodland Rd, passing the Flynn Rink. Turn left onto Pond Street coming down the hill to Grimsby’s. Continue straight onto West Wyoming, turn left on Main, and finish at Brueggers.
Full 3 – As usual loop Spot Pond by taking a left on Elm Street at the rotary. Turn right at the end of Elm onto the Fellsway West. Go up a hill, under I-93, past the Sheepfold, over I-93, past the off-ramp of I-93 (watch for fast moving traffic!), and turning left into the Straw Point parking lot where you’ll probably find Hank. Keep circling Spot Pond by leaving Straw Point merging onto Pond Street, past the Stone Zoo, straight onto Woodland Rd, past Flynn Rink, through the rotary, and back to the water stop at Highland Ave.
Full Finish – Leaving the water stop, cross Highland to turn left onto East Border Road. Run up a hill and turn left at your first set of lights back on to the Fellsway East. As you run through the hills again remember I didn’t make up this route, it was an actual race. Run past Grimsby’s over one more hill, past Melrose High School. The race ended with a lap of the Melrose High track with spectators watching your hill weary legs trying to sprint. I’ll save you that embarrassment and instead you’ll run up to Melrose Street, turning right and right again on Main Street. Your hill weary legs will instead parade you through downtown Melrose as you finish up at Brueggers.
Water Stops – I think I have Tom and Hank helping me out again this week.
Roll Call – Who’s in?
Im in for the half 🙂
IFTH – training for life and no race in particular yet ????
In for the full and what JEP said….thanks 🙂
Ifth— doing Marine corps ( just starting early from home this week)
Jim
Thuy, Mary, Julie and I are in for the full, starting early. See you along the way! All four of us are NYC Marathon bound!!
IFTF-Baystate 🙂
I’m in for the half! Training for Bay State 1/2 and another 1/2 in Nov
In for the half
Audrey and I are in for the half – training for Newburyport 1/2
In for the half thank you!
IFTH. I’m training? I like to call it practicing.
in for the full
in for the full
In for the half…. ditto what Lois said….????
In for the half. Recovering from last weeks Ironman. Will up the mileage in a week or so for the Marine Corp marathon. Thanks
In for the full. NYC marathon.
In for the full! Training for smuttynose half with a longer term goal of a full in the Spring. Thanks!
Aiming for 10 miles so I’ll do half+. Training for Reach the Beach/Ragnar or whatever it’s called now. 🙂
In for the half, plus a bit. Training for whatever my foot lets me do
IFTH. No specific race in mind. Gives me an excuse to wake up early on Sundays!
IFTF – training for the Manch-vegas marathon.
In for something. Will decide tomorrow. Likely running Bay State Half again.
BAA Half Oct 7th, gone for two weeks enjoying a little vacation time, see you on the 9th!
IFTH no race in mind just running
In for the half. Training for Bay State Half and South Shore Half.
Also, I think for the half finish, we’re turning right onto Pond not left, correct? Just checking. See you tomorrow.
In for the full
IFTF
IFTH just for fun!
Ifth Maine half
Unfortunately I can’t make the run today, but I am training for the Howling Wolf Half Marathon in October.
2 infh
in for the nothing , training for the nude English Channel swim
IFTH, just for fun