Last weekend the family and I headed down to Gillette Stadium to take part in the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50. I love when the whole family gets in on the act, and this one was extra special because it was my youngest’s first ever 5K! He rocked it! 🙂

He was so proud of his medal!

The 5K was scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and the 10K at 7 p.m., so we decided to head to the race around 3:30. Parking was a breeze and we found a great spot where we could watch the fireworks later. There were no lines for either the bibs or t-shirts, so we were done in no time leaving a bit of a wait until the start of the race. We milled around Patriots Place, seeking shade and trying to stay hydrated and cool. As we inched closer to 6 p.m. and the temps were still hovering around 78, I was once again cursing myself for signing up for the 10K.

Side Note:  OK, so I just have to put this right here and say that I really have a love-hate relationshp with this race! I love how well-organized it is and that it has really turned into a great family-friendly event. But the combination of the heat and the late start are just uber challenging for me.  Earlier in the week I had, in fact, thought seriously about switching to the 5K and joining my son and husband – actually who am I kidding, that thought went through my head right up until the moment I got my bib! But, the RC coaches and I agreed that the 10K fit better with where I am in my training plan, and that I should just treat it as a hard training run.

Soon the 5K was off! I had positioned myself where I could easily catch my husband and son in two spots along the first part of the course. I cheered them on and then headed back to the main plaza to listen to the music and wait from the 10K to be called to the start. My husband J sent me texts and selfies so I knew how they were making out. No sooner did I head the start area then I spoted them on the ramps of the stadium closing in on the finish.

Now it was my turn. There were significantly fewer of us running the 10K, and several of us joked that all of the 5Kers knew something we didn’t. Just after 7, we were off. We followed the same loop around the first parking lot the 5K did, but then turned away from the stadium heading for Rte 1. I was thankful we were not on Rte 1 sharing the road with cars for long, as the route quickly took us off into the residential neighborhoods behind the stadium. And, this is where the rolling hills began. A downside of this race (for me at least) is the general lack of spectators – some residents were out in their driveways and front yards and did their best to cheer. The kids were the best and I high-fived as many as I could. The burst of energy I felt during the first mile was short-lived and by the time I reached the long, slow climb that was mile 4, I had hit my heat wall – there was some walking involved. I locked in on a woman in a t-shirt with a fireworks burst on it and promised myself I needed to keep her in my sights. “Follow the fireworks” became my mantra.

As we returned to the stadium, we could hear the music and the announcer, but it was a cruel tease, because instead of heading into the stadium loop, the course veered away again for an out and back across the parking lot. I did not love this part of the race course at all – seriously, who wants to run through people tailgaiting?! Miss Fireworks and I leap-frogged each other and I passed a couple of runners I hadn’t seen since mile 2. Finally, I was back within the stadium, and heading for the final tunnel and on to the field. There were lots of people in the stands and on the field, and I love that the announcer calls out each runner by name and the finish line is shown on the jumbotron – so fun!

With our races done, we headed back to our car for well-deserved picnic and to wait for the fireworks – always a good show!

This race is really well done and a fun way to spend part of a 4th of July weekend. The volunteers were really friendly and encouraging, and all of the water stops were well staffed and stocked, (though some Gatorade would have been a welcome addition). I really was not a fan of the out and back thrown in at the end – I think it would have been better to add that extra mile to the neighborhood section of the course. I’d also encourage the race organizers to offer a better selection of post-race food – while I love KIND bars, KIND bars and water was not much of a post-race selection.

I’m sure my family will be back again next year, and I’m most certain that I’ll be sticking to the 5K 😉

Did you run a 4th of July race? Do you avoid summer racing or embrace it?