Despite it only being the second week of the season, the Mascenic runners had a decent amount of work on their plate. After a long run on Monday, during which we were able to occasionally glance up and squint at the solar eclipse, on Tuesday the Vikings trudged up to our infamous dirt track – the only one in the state still in use for track meets. The thermostat read 86°F as we headed up to the track, which felt closer to 90°F with the humidity and lack of shade, especially once we got started with the workout – 300 meters at race pace, with a 200 meter recovery. When all was said and done, more than a few of us were feeling the heat, and the grind didn’t stop there. On Wednesday, we headed up to Hinsdale for a two mile scrimmage with the goal to run a negative split on the one-mile, two-lap course, which was executed well overall.
Thursday gave us a well-deserved easy run, which we decided to take advantage of to show some of the newer runners a few of the hidden treasures in the woods around the Mascenic campus. Thankfully, nobody got lost this time. Lastly, we had another low-maintenance run on Friday, squeezing in less than a mile of speedwork to finish off the week.
Lastly, the Mascenic runners were also given the chance this week to explore outside of New Ipswich. After practice on Tuesday, a few of us headed up to Runner’s Alley in Manchester for a Team Night event! As someone who goes shopping for running gear maybe twice a year, I was extremely impressed with this store. I have personally never seen so many different kinds of leg braces in my entire life – any kind of shoe, clothing, or gear that is running related, believe me, Runner’s Alley has it. A very big thank you to the workers at Runner’s Alley for providing us with a very fun and enjoyable opportunity to check out some cool running gear!
–Sam Bilodeau, Mascenic Cross Country
Extra, Extra!!! So what did you do this summer! Coach Mike Smith and the Mascenic Running Community organized quite the unique event!!! Check it!
