2012 Hynes 5-Miler

Ah, good ole' Lowell, MA.  A city that was once hailed as the heroine capital of the country has slowly become a city that offers so much more.  No, I don't mean a wider array of pharmacological delights... I mean, sure you can get that, too, but that's not the point of this... no, I don't know where.. stop asking... seriously, I have no idea... and the password is "Cinnamon Munchkins."

eh...

Lowell has, through patience, good ideas, and good people, slowly transformed from a relative, pardon my course language, poopy-hole, to a vibrant city of art studios and cafes, of entertainment venues and business ventures, and, of course, of races.  Lowell has become a hot-spot for local racing, be it triathlons, duathlons, marathons, etc.  One of the many events that Lowell offers is the Hynes 5-Miler, put on by the Wild Rover series.

This has been my second year running in this event and, for those of you who follow Age Aggressively already know, the 5-miler is a good race for the novice runner.  Those of you who have been following me also know that I may or may not have allegedly poked fun at Lowell in last year's review of the race... because it's Lowell.

Well not this year.  Let me break it down for you

The Organizers / Volunteers:

Hard to find me in the crowd during the 1st mile

The Hynes 5-Miler was a great race!  First off, the organizers did a bang-up job.  There was minimal waiting at the registration desk and, if you registered early, you had your name printed on your bib.  I was not some unnamed number running with the masses.  I was someone!  This is good because you might not have noticed me running with the other racers had I not had my name on my bib.  Without it, you would have never seen me.

They provided two water stops, around miles 2 and 4, which was plenty for a 5 miler, and each was manned by enthusiastic and friendly volunteers who all had words of encouragement for all who partook of their offered beverages of what I can only assume was Lowell's finest Merrimack tap water, which was awarded "Most Almost Palatable Liquid Offered Outside Mexico."  (Sorry, I made that up... I promised no jokes about Lowell... won't happen again)

A little bit easier to find me in the 2nd mile

The Competitors:
The unseasonably warm weather brought with it a full array of racers both young and old to participate in the event: A-listers, Old Timers, First Timers, and, yes, the Costumers.  Due to it being an Irish-themed race and it so close to St. Patrick's Day, there were many bedecked in St. Paddy's Day colors of white and green (no, not me), some with green tutus (no, not me) , and one man dressed as a leprechaun (no, not me).  Not being Irish, I did not dress for the Gaelic occasion.  I decided to wear my official 2012 racing gear (yes, that's me).

My secret identity is revealed.

The Course:
The course is not too challenging.  It is fairly flat, with a few dips here and there.  It's a good course if you are trying to set a PR or if you are new to this distance.  The organizers provided timers possibly at each mile, possibly because I can't remember, so you could keep track of your amazingly fast, stellar progress.  All along the course there are people from Lowell and surrounding towns encouraging the runners as they stride to racing glory.   Well, most are doing that but some just pointed and laughed.  Not sure why.  The course also brings with it scenic views of Lowell with its Spaghetti Bridge, the Edson and St. Patrick's Cemeteries, and its well made roads paved with pure, undiluted, black tar heroi... (dammit, I said no more jokes about Lowell).

The Overall:
The Hynes Road race, which is the third and last race in the Wild Rover Series, is a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Did I mention that the finish line is at an Irish Pub and they keep their lot open for open air festivities?  Yeah, it is.  A pub... that serves beer.. because it's Irish-themed... and they drink things... like beer.  The finish line also offers plenty of post-race food and drinks for all the racers.  No one went hungry or thirsty after the event.  When all is said and done, this is a fun race.  Is it the best venue?  Depends on who you ask.  Is it the best course?  Depends on what you're looking for.  Is this an event that people should try because the overall experience is an afternoon well-spent?  Absolutely!  Am I mildly biased because my race day picture made it into the Lowell Sun?  You betcha!  However you want to take it, I will be looking forward to running this again in 2013.  Hopefully we will see more of you there.

... and the password has been changed to "Cinnamon munchkins with sprinkles."

 

Going for the... um, what medal do you get for  40th place?