Category Archives: Sports

Two runs, one weekend: Jack Kerouac 5K

Posted on September 28, 2011 | 2 comments
Jack Kerouac

Author Jack Kerouac (he ran with us in spirit).

Where boobs characterized weekend 5K part one, part two was all about beer. (And you wonder why we chose to run both.) Some would probably point out that I’m taking a far-too-lowbrow view of the Jack Kerouac 5K in Lowell, MA, but having read the author’s  classic novel and gotten little out of it, I chose to focus on the event’s post-race libations rather than its high-falutin’ literary pedigree. (Lowell, by the way, is Kerouac’s hometown and where he is buried.)

It wasn’t our first run with beer at the end, but it was our first that started and ended in a pub – Hookslide Kelly’s – which made me infinitely happy. I’m not sure of the health ramifications of post-race ale, but, hell, it’s not like we were drinking before the run.

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Two runs, one weekend: Tanger Outlets 5K

Posted on September 25, 2011 | 4 comments

Tanger Outlets 5K Run/WalkThere are so many races going on every weekend across New England that it’s almost impossible to choose. But many of them have one thing in common: boobs.

Or breast cancer, to be more precise. Yes, the Pinking of America is alive and well in running-land. That’s not to take anything away from the cause, of course, and we were happy to sign up for the Tanger Fit for a Cure 5K Run/Walk in Tilton, NH, which raised money for LRGHealthcare.

However, at the risk of sounding completely shallow, there was another reason for committing to this particular event: shopping.

You really can’t go wrong with a run that provides coupons and encourages post-race consumerism. Can you?

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The bog days of summer: Semap Bog Jog

Posted on September 19, 2011 | 7 comments
Cranberry bog

Needless to say, at the end of the Semap Bog Jog, my face was the same color as the cranberries.

The cranberry and I have never been friends, but I was intrigued by the prospect of “running through bogs,” as promised on the website for the first annual Semap Bog Jog in Wareham, MA. I did have two questions though as we signed up for the 5K: how was I going to keep my feet dry? And how on earth was I supposed to run in those cumbersome waterproof waders?

My apparel fears turned out to be unfounded, however, when I realized we would be running around bogs, not through them. I covered my disappointment well (I think) and lined up in my customary back-of-the-pack spot for this, my first-ever trail run.

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Police, poignancy and impatience: Jamie Cochrane Memorial Road Race

Posted on September 12, 2011 | 4 comments
Jamie Cochrane Memorial Road Race, Quincy, MA.

The Stars and Stripes hovers over the start of the Jamie Cochrane Memorial Road Race on Sept 11, 2011.

With Hubby away with the Massachusetts National Guard, it was time for my first – gasp – solo 5K. Technically I always run solo, but usually have my other half/cheering squad at the finish line to help me cross.

But I couldn’t resist this race as it was practically on my doorstep: the Officer Jamie Cochrane Memorial Road Race, held in Quincy, MA, the place I currently call home. It was a stunning day for a race, possibly the nicest since I started doing these events. It also happened to be September 11, so it was heavy on the poignancy. The event raised money for various charities.

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The New Hampshire hill from hell: Covered Bridge 5K

Posted on September 6, 2011 | 8 comments
Covered Bridge

Looks pretty, yes? But this idyllic start and finish belied a truly murderous run.

This running gig certainly takes you to uncharted territory. Such as teeny, tiny Henniker, NH (pop. 4,850) – hardly a tourist draw, but a lovely town nonetheless. The Covered Bridge 5K supports the athletic programs at New England College, whose campus hosted the race.

It was a small event, with fewer than 100 runners, that started under the covered bridge from which the race gets its name. I was convinced I really would be last this time, as I’d never run among such a small field. That turned out to be the least of my worries.

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