Tag Archives: race review

Ragnar: Reach the Beach Relay – ’22 Race Recap

It’s Saturday morning and the van smells like a Frankenstein combination of boiled cabbage, Febreeze, and beef jerky. I’m in the third row, half bent over with my hands on my slightly distended stomach. For the past thirty hours I’ve been conducting a delicate chemistry experiment on myself. What is the proper combination of Tums, Pepto, and carbs to keep my GI tract happy through three legs of a Ragnar?

My stomach gives a troubling burble. Or was that a purr of satisfaction? I’ve lost track under the avalanche of antacids I’ve poured down my throat.

The line of honey buckets is only yards away. As the sun has risen, the conditions inside have gotten worse at each transition area. My friendly Scottish teammate came back whistling at the last stop and happily told me his body’s response to stress was to empty the tanks. Cheers to that, mate, but mine is quite the opposite.

At the first sign of stress, TSA security lines, or unfamiliar toilets, my digestive tract clamps down like Scrooge McDuck’s grip on a dollar bill. The only cure isn’t more cowbell, but a quart of prune juice and some quiet contemplation. Neither of which are readily available during this 200-mile team trek across New Hampshire.

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Goddard Stomp Duathlon 2021 Race Review

Goddard Stomp Duathlon 2021

The Goddard Stomp Duathlon put on by the local outfit On Your Left Racing was last weekend in Rhode Island and while none of my training had included bike handling with ski gloves, the event was a fun run-bike-run challenge to start the 2021 season.

The weather didn’t fully cooperate. It was raw and cold, even for April in New England, but by the race start, I think everyone was just relieved it wasn’t still snowing and that we were actually going to be racing outside of our own basements.

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Race Recap: Old Fashioned 10 Miler 2020

This year’s Old Fashioned 10 Miler was going to be about redemption. At least, that was the plan. Last year’s race went off the rails almost immediately. Despite not really training more for the distance (I’ve been on the bike a lot more this winter), I was determined that this year would be better than last. I did everything I could to make sure this year left me with better memories. I managed my taper, my fatigue, and my meds carefully in the lead up to Sunday. But you still never know. You gotta toe the line and find out. Continue Reading

Race Recap: 2020 New Year’s Classic 5k

wrentham new year's 5k classic

Held at the nearby Eagle Brook Saloon this low key, no-frills (other than the great breakfast buffet and raffle) is quickly becoming a personal tradition and a favorite way to kick off the new year. A field that tops 100 would be a big turnout. This is one of the those small races held in the middle of the New England winter where it might be -30 or 60 and you are quite happy if it’s just 30 above zero.

Everyone that comes out is there because they love running or support the race and it’s Lion’s Club charity. That sense of excitement and generosity comes through in both the runners and the volunteers. Even you show up nursing a little hangover from the prior night, I guarantee you’re more than likely to leave smiling. The power of running! Continue Reading

Race Recap: Medway Turkey Trot 5k ’19

medway turkey trot 5k

Every other year, we travel to visit family for Thanksgiving and I’ve never been successful in getting anyone to do a Turkey trot while we are on the road. But those other years? It’s trotting time!

There’s a local 5k just a couple towns over from us in Medway that draws a crowd, starts early, affordable, and is family friendly.

The Medway Turkey Trot is Thanksgiving morning at 7:30. If you live nearby you can run it and be home to get the turkey in the oven before 9. Continue Reading

Race Recap: RAGNAR Reach the Beach 2019

When you tell people you are going to do an overnight 200-mile relay race that involves traveling in a van with 6 other people for 36 hours, getting little sleep, running at 2 am, all while paying for the privilege, you are going to get one of two reactions: some will get a recognizable gleam in their eye and ask if there are still any open spots in the van. The others will openly question your sanity. One of the many joys of belonging to a local running club is that I saw much more of the former than the latter. Continue Reading

Race Recap: Brew Run ’19

Race recap The Brew Run 2019

I wouldn’t have the weather to blame for any poor performance this year. This past Saturday was very mild (for August in New England) with low humidity. Past Brew Runs have been unholy slogs through a thick paste of water vapor and scorching sun. Not this year! This might have been the best weather The Brew Run has had in years. 

Like Falmouth, The Brew Run is one of those funky throwback races before standard measurements like 5 and 10k’s where people just ran point-to-point or in some arbitrary circle. For the record it’s 5.2 miles with plenty of water stops and lots of crowds both running and cheering. You won’t be running alone in this race. Continue Reading