Labor Day, Fall Goals, Lynn Woods!
Happy Labor Day fellow Wickeds! The beginning of September brings change for many members, as school returns for families and those that work in them. Some are sending children to school for the first time, others are dropping off young adults at university. Luckily, we have a constant in our lives with running. I am aware that many members are training for fall marathons, and if my Strava feed is any indication, people are doing well in that regard. Remember as members you get access to great coaching with Fernando Braz; you can integrate his speed workouts into your routine quite easily, especially on-site at BHS on Tuesday nights.
Fall Goals
For those of you not targeting any race right now, I invite you to review our Wicked Grand Prix and USATF schedule for the rest of the year. In particular, there is the Lone Gull 10K on September 25th (which is actually a “double-dip, being both a Wicked Grand Prix and USATF race), the Newburyport Half Marathon on October 23rd (WGP), and the BIGGSTEPS 5K on November 13th (final USATF race). These are great targets for fall racing. If racing isn’t your thing right now, the Fall, with cool temperatures and dry air, is a great time to set independent personal goals, be it a new weekly distance, number of days per week, or just mixing up your regular runs with some speed or tempo work.
Summer BBQ
We had a spectacular day for our annual Summer BBQ, held on August 13th at Forest River Park. Unfortunately we didn’t get any pictures, but thanks to Karen Hoch and Don Withee, we were able to acquire the best spot at Forest River, right on Salem Harbor, with a wonderful view and breeze for the BBQ. It was a wonderful time for everyone who came.
USATF Race Update
Two USATF races were held in August – the Bobby Doyle 5-miler in Narragansett RI, and the AutoFair NH 10-miler in Manchester NH. Big shout-out to the Wickeds that traveled the extra distance to these events.
Lynn Woods 2022
After being postponed for one week due to the fires in Lynn Woods, Wicked had a tremendous turnout at this annual relay event. We had multiple teams scoring jackets and many placing medals in their groups. Big thanks to Alen Yen, Amy Chruniak, and Matt Adams who worked diligently to tie all the pieces together, including a great after-party at Prince Pizza in Saugus. We also were able to welcome many new members to the club with this event. Glad to have you all on board, and hope to see you soon at our upcoming events! Here are just a few pictures, really too many to put in an email, check out our Facebook feed! Big thanks to Mike Fitzgerald for taking these pictures!
BackBeat Happenings!
Every Monday night since last Winter, we have been gathering at BackBeat Brewery in Beverly for a 5K run. This past Monday there was a special awards ceremony to top off the summer. Not only that, but we have learned that BackBeat Brewery is knocking it out of the park on the international Beer stage, placing 4th out of 72 beers submitted at The Great British Beer Festival. Owner Pete of BackBeat was presented with an award by Senator Joan Lovely and State Representative Jerry Parisella (also a Wicked member) for his achievement. If you like beer, running, both or either, come check out this fun way to spend a Monday evening!
Upcoming Events
All club events (not including regular runs such as Monday BackBeat or Tuesday Track) are shown on our website’s calendar. Close on the horizon are:
- Sunday September 25: Lone Gull 10K
- Sunday October 23: Newburyport Half Marathon
In addition, we will hold a September Sea-Of-Red at New England Running Company. Date is not exactly set yet, but it will be on a Thursday night. Watch your email for this special event.
