Wednesday, February 1, 2012


Looking for something to do this Sunday?

Okay, before 6:30 pm!?! 

Join us for the No Bananas 5k

this Sunday, February 5th

8:30 am


on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
in Chelmsford Center

Those donning a Wes Walker 'stache start in front...
(To all of you who know me personally and are wondering how I recently climbed that Patriots Fan Learning Curve, I learned about the Wes Walker 'stache from a Patriot Pep Rally flyer that came home in my son's backpack.  I AM STILL A PACKER FAN and remain in mourning.)  

BRING A NEW NO BANANAS FRIEND! 

For  those of you who have yet to join this crazy bunch, here is a refresher:
This is a low-key fun 5k run. 
You might ask, how low is low-key?
No entry fee. No official time. No t-shirt. No official sponsers. No water at the finish line. No bananas. Just a fun 5k!  
Previous race pictures can be found a www.nobananasraceseries.blogspot.com


Here are some questions that are frequently, or not so frequently asked about the NO Bananas Run:

Where do I go for this crazy race?
We run on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Chelmsford Center.  We most often park at Center Sports at 11 Cushing Place in Chelmsford.  This is right off of 110 in Chelmsford Center.  You could also park at the Bertucci/Java Room Ginger Ale Plaza at 14 Littleton Rd.  The start line is right behind Bertuccis.  Walk to the end of the plaza (by the bank) and there is a set of stairs that will lead you right to the starting line.  Don't look for the crowds of runners.  Look for a tall skinny guy and a "race director" holding a pad of paper and a wrist watch. Remember, low key.

What do I wear?
The answer to this question is obviously dependent on the time of year you ask it.  Prepare for the worst as there won't be a warming hut or volunteers to throw a foil blanket over you at the end of the race.  You can however warm up or cool down at the Java Room after the race with hot cocoa or ice coffee.
 
What should I bring?
Friends!  Oh, and you might want to bring a stop watch.  You never know when I might forget mine at home.  Or bring friends who have stop watches.  Friends are good.  Bring lots of them.
 
Am I expected to run fast?
If this excludes having fun, then absolutely not.  Have a good time.  Come each month and run a bit faster each time.  Cheer on your friends and other competitors (who will soon become friends).  No one has volunteered or is getting paid to cheer so we've got to take care of this ourselves.

Will my name be in the paper if I run fast enough?
This is all dependent on whether or not our esteemed press manager Mr. Patrick Cook comes to the race.  I encourage you to write your own press release and send it in to the local press if Pat chooses to sleep in.  This should by no means encourage you to run any faster than necessary.

Will my time be listed on Cool Runnings?
This question cracks me up the most. Again, remember low key.  One of these days I may remember to send in the times to Cool Runnings. I do keep record of all times on a very professional pad of lined paper.  I'm always happy to send you your times.  Just shoot me an email.

Will the race always be on the first Sunday of each month?
Most of the time yes.  Sometimes the race director totally drops the ball and forgets about the race.  She forgets to send an email and before you know it she realizes it's 8:45 on the first Sunday of the month and she is at the grocery store.  Opps. Okay, this only happened once.  The cool thing is that people still show up to race. Every so often, okay, more often than not, the race is scheduled for another weekend. You can expect an email letting you know about the race no earlier than five days before the event.

What happens if the race director doesn't show up?
You should run anyway.  The whole reason I came up with this silly thing was to get a race in every month.  My plan is to be there rain or shine.  If I'm not there, you should run without me and have fun.  Don't forget to have fun.

How can I get the word out about this fabulous race series?
Forward this message or send me your friends emails and I will send them an "official" invitation.

Does "No Bananas" suggest anything more than the fact that you do not hand out free bananas at the end of the race?
I'm a bit concerned with how many men have asked me this question.  Really guys. "No Bananas" means only that the yellow fruit will not be freely available after the race.

How did this email ever start coming to me and how can I stop getting this thing sent to me every month?
Hmmm...that's a hard one.  You probably mentioned to a friend of a friend that you like running or imagined yourself doing a 5k at some point in your life.  You can always send me a request to drop you from the esteemed group of athletes who receive this invitation each month.  Before you do this however, you might want to join us for a run and check out this crazy bunch at the monthly No Bananas Race series.

COME JOIN US!


Send your questions to Ruth at ruthwhalen@gmail.com
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Ruth Whalen Crockett
Spanish Domain Leader 
F. W. Parker Charter Essential School 
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