Jamaica Pond

Monday I ran 8 laps around Jamaica Pond.  Those laps plus to and from Parker's playgroup site was 13 miles. The reason I ran a crazy eight times around the pond was because I recently learned that Bill Rodgers - yes THE Bill Rodgers - did a lot of his miles training for the Boston Marathon here.  In fact, I came across his running log from 1973 online, and get this: he ran 543 miles in the 31 days of January '73.  One month.  543 miles.  Almost ALL of those miles around Jamaica Pond.  That's cool (and a bit insane - I'm sure he'll admit this).  Check it out here if you want to read more of his running log.  I thought about him for most of my run.  30 years ago, what was it like?  If I ever meet him, I'll definitely ask him.

A lot of No this and No that but it's a very friendly place with lots of walkers and joggers

Not completely frozen over, yet signs still are needed to prevent people from skating on the pond

Something interesting is that in the late 1800s there existed a Jamaica Pond Ice Company, which harvested and sold Jamaica Pond ice.  Check it out here.

A great thing about running around Jamaica Pond is that you have 2 surface options: paved and dirt

So come run some miles around Jamaica Pond!  It's 1.5 miles around (actually1.45 according to my GPS watch, if you're a mileage junkie like me) and in the warmer months there are public bathrooms at the boathouse.

Chris

Running to Work

I'm a busy guy (2 jobs, toddler, new dog) so sometimes I have to be creative to get my weekly miles in.  Today Saturday I ran to work and will run home.  It's 5 miles each way.  It was very pleasant (though cold brrr) with blue skies and a thin layer of snow on the sidewalks.

Passing through Dudley Square, a busy shopping hub in Boston over a century ago... Ferdinand's was once the largest home furnishing store in the US, and now is the future site of the new headquarters for Boston Public Schools

Making fresh footprints on a sidewalk along Washington St (the longest street in Boston and one of the longest streets in Massachusetts)

Into the Theatre District, downtown Boston

Arriving at NEAq, 5 miles from my house

Marathon App - It's for real!

This is a marathoner's gold that I'm holding in my hand here!

Team Long Run #2

We had our second team long run yesterday.  I can't speak for everyone but I thought it was a great day!  I wanted to show off Jamaica Plain to the team, so I mapped out a 12-miler through and around Franklin Park, Arnold Arboretum, and Jamaica Pond.

In Franklin Park, we ran the perimeter of the golf course, but in the upper corner is the famed cross country course used by local high schools and colleges, and was host to the 1992 world x-country championships.

An aerial view of the "Arbo", a green space owned by Harvard University, only 5 miles south of - and within the city limits of - Boston.  Founded in 1872, it is home to over 14,000 individual plants.

Jamaica Pond is a kettle pond and the largest body of freshwater in Boston. Its paved path around measures 1.45 miles and is a popular walking (no bikes allowed!) destination for Bostonians.

First Team Long Run

What a fun day.  11 team runners made it out, for 11 miles.  It was cold but sunny, and we had the Charles River by our side most of the run.

Heading west during first half of run; notice the CITGO sign in the distance (on the left)

Crossing the Weeks Footbridge at the halfway point

Returning to NEAq on the Cambridge side path, with a great view of downtown Boston

It's funny.  I never realized how much I am attracted to running along shores of water until I started doing this blog.

3 Weeks Down...

No better way to get in your long run than to run home from where you spent New Year's Eve the night before.

It was just over 11 miles from Canton to JP.  I was shooting for a 10-miler, but close enough.  Happy New Year!