On The Run
Jay Kumar
Living here in New England, we're constantly reminded of how quickly the weather can change.
Just a few short weeks ago, there was still snow on the ground and it was bitterly cold. Then we had near-hurricane force winds ripping trees and fences down. But for the last week or so, we've enjoyed sun and temperatures in the 50s, which for area runners is like manna from heaven.
Of course, plenty of us were still running outside in the cold conditions. But the warming trend has got just about everybody out on the road, freed from the boredom of the treadmill.
There will always be those who prefer to run on treadmills, but for me, doing speed work on an actual track is always preferable to intervals on a machine.
The last few days, I've noticed more and more runners out during the chillier morning hours and especially on my drive home from work, when the air is considerably warmer.
Weekend long runs have been, dare I say, almost enjoyable; well, as enjoyable as three hours of running can be. Golfers were out on the Wenham courses Sunday morning, playing even though the greens were still covered.
The runners, walkers and cyclists enjoying the unseasonably warm weather seem to be a little looser, relishing this escape from winter's icy grip. But there's also a feeling that we need to get out and enjoy it while we can, because it can slip away just as quickly. We've been burned before by little teases of warm weather that are followed up by cold fronts.
We need only harken back to April Fools Day 1997, when the North Shore was blanketed with two feet of snow out of nowhere. It was truly bizarre to be snowed in on April 1, watching opening day baseball games on ESPN while plows cleared the empty streets.
Such late storms are pretty rare, but as we've seen this winter anything can happen. How else do you explain all the snow they've received down South, or the fact that the Disney Marathon in Orlando in January had a starting temperature of 28 degrees?
We need to bask in whatever warmth we're lucky enough to get. Life's too short to be stuck on a treadmill.
And sure enough, there's a chance of rain this weekend, which may just have me and plenty of others back on the treadmills again.
Starts and stops
One of the most common goals for marathoners is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Ever wonder which marathons produced the most Boston qualifiers? Qualifying times vary based on gender and age categories; visit www.bostonmarathon.com for the complete list of times.
According to MarathonGuide.com, the races with the highest percentages of Boston qualifiers in 2009 were: Boston Marathon (43.2% of runners qualified); Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon, Albany, NY (34.9%); Baystate Marathon in Lowell (33.5%); Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (33.5%); Pocono Mountain Run for the Red Marathon (30%); and Steamtown Marathon (28.1%). Visit Marathon Guide for the full list.
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Younger runners will have the spotlight to themselves this summer in Salem at the 2nd annual Wicked Kidz ¬½-mile and 1-mile races. The races are scheduled for July 17 at 9 a.m. at Forest River Park in Salem. Hosted by the Wicked Running Club in partnership with the Salem Park, Recreation and Community Services Department, the event costs $2 per entry. Age groups are 6-8, 9-11 and 12-14. For more information, visit www.salemroadraces.com.
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On the Run is a biweekly column about the North Shore running scene. Send any questions, comments, or news to jay.kumar@gmail.com.
Upcoming races
Sunday, March 14
*AOH 5K Road Race, 58 Lowell St., Peabody, 11 a.m. Event features a DJ, raffles and food. Contact: Todd Buckley at 978-828-1979 or e-mail bucktodd@aol.com.
*The North Shore 30K (18.6 miles) will start and finish at Hamilton-Wenham High School. The race consists of two 9.3-mile loops through Hamilton. For more information and to register online, visit www.runreg.com/events/register.asp?EventID=2231.
Wednesday, March 17 & 24
*Danvers 5K Fun Run, Sweet William's Garden Center, 141 Pine St., Danvers, 7 p.m. Free, timed run. All welcome. These events are part of a weekly 52-race series. E-mail adam@danvers5k.com.
Sunday, March 21
*Eighth annual Olde Salem Greens 5K Cross Country Run, Olde Salem Greens Golf Course, Salem, 9 a.m. Proceeds to benefit the Salem High School cross-country team and Salem Park, Recreation and Community Services youth basketball program. Visit www.salemroadraces.com for more information.
Visit http://coolrunning.com/eventcal/index.php for more race listings.
