New England Running: The Great Stew Chase!

This weekend, my mom, my brother, and I drove out to Lynn, MA so that Dave and I could run The Great Stew Chase, a 15K road race that is held every year. Usually, it takes place in February, but due to the amount of snow that we got this year, it had to be rescheduled to March. The field was very small, and it was not the most beautiful course, but overall the experience was great! Especially after running the Hyannis Marathon last month (which was organized horribly), I really appreciated how much support there was for the runners.

For an entry fee of only $12 (or $25 if you wanted a sweatshirt), runners gathered at the starting line and waited for the signal to start- the blare of someone's car horn. Lynn police officers were stationed along the way to ensure that traffic was stopped, and there were volunteers along the way to point corners. At the end of the race, stew, rolls, and cookies were provided for all of the runners as part of the entry fee, courtesy of the Lynn Athletic Club. Especially with small events like this (I think there were only around 150 runners), it is often difficult to find vegetarian options, and if they are available there often is only a small amount. There was no such problem with this race- and the stew was goooood. Especially after nine miles in the cold.

I've never really run a race this small before, but the feel of it was really nice. People don't take it so seriously, everyone is friendly, and it was much more laid back. One woman ran with her dog, which is something that is usually prohibited. Of course, I instantly fell in love with her and was covered in dog hair by the time she and her owner left. (Ah, I can't wait to get my own dog.. someday.) Running with Dave for his first road race was nice as well. He runs quite a bit, but hasn't entered a race since high school track. I have to say that it was a little frustrating trying to keep with his fast-slow-fast-slow pace, but I wanted to stay with him. Towards the last few miles, we were both really pushing, and he eventually pulled ahead of me. I was pretty annoyed when we got to the finish and didn't bring it in together, the way that we ran the race. It wasn't until after I went through and got my water at the car that I looked at him and realized that it was stupid of me to feel that way; this was his first race, and if he could have pushed it for a better time and left me in the dust, then it was silly of me to be irritated by that. I don't know how he feels about running more races, but if we do another one, I'd bet that we don't stay together for the duration.

So congrats to the little brother on his first race, kudos to the Lynn Athletic Club for putting on such an enjoyable run, and as always, a thanks to my mom, who so patiently drives us out to sit and wait at the finish line.

Already Tuesday. Countdown to graduation: 45.

We're gettin' there.

R.