Rave Run: Berlin

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany

San Francisco 5K Recap

Crossing the finish line of the San Francisco Marathon 5K race

Last weekend I was in San Francisco, so signed up for the 5K, which is part of the weekend's race festivities.

The race began and ended near the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero, which made for a flat and fast race, mostly along the water.

The race started a couple minutes late for whatever reason, and the start was a bit crazy, with a lot of slower runners starting up front. A little organization at the start would be very beneficial in the future.

After about a half mile, the race thinned out and I was able to enjoy a nice run in the morning, before hopping a plane back home.

The expo for the race was crowded, with a lot going on in the building. It took place overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and had a lot of great vendors and race gear.

May years ago (probably 7-8), I ran the SF Half Marathon, which occurs the same day. It was a lot of fun, even though it was such a foggy morning I couldn't see anything. Overall, this is a good race to do, especially if you're in/around SF.

Rave Run: San Francisco

Baker Beach in San Francisco

Marathon Sports 5 Miler Recap

Last week I ran the Marathon Sports 5 Miler for the second time (though the race is now in its 40th year).

The race begins and ends at Weston High School, and winds through some beautiful neighborhoods, looping around the south part of Weston, before going through some fields and trails on the way to the finish line on the track.

Race day (Thursday) was by far the nicest day of the week, as the humidity suddenly disappeared and allowed for a beautiful day of running.

The weeknight race is a great one - it's a fun setting and is a great course for a race, tempo or just an evening run. There are light rolling hills, keeping it interesting but not slowing down times. And after finishing there is watermelon and pizza to reward your efforts - a win, win!

I look forward to running this one again next year.

Rave Run: Paris

Le Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris

Rave Run: Washington DC

The National Mall in Washington, DC

BAA 10K Recap

The start and finish of the BAA 10K (picture via BAA)

Today I ran the BAA 10K - and it was a wet one. While there were slight tweaks to the course, it was more or less then same as the previous years, starting and ending at the Boston Common, with the turnaround point happening in the middle of BU's campus.

Before the race began and during the first two miles it was pouring, then the rain let up a bit for the rest of the race. However, that didn't deter many people from coming out, as the field was packed. It made the start a little more disorganized than usual, but with many people not racing for a PR today, it wasn't a problem.

This was actually the first time I've ever run this race without it being really, really hot out, which was kind of nice. Given the disorganized start, I focused on running negative splits, which was fun and allowed me to feel strong the entire race. Overall it was nice to get in a good run, despite the rain, and have the rest of the day to relax.