Okay, I don't typically plug other races, 

unless of course, I'm one of the organizers.

Here are two great runs, in the same place this weekend.

Saturday, May 5th at 8:00 am!!! 

Steps for the Steeple

on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

in Chelmsford Center

2.5 miles

This one is for real people! 

There will be official times, water 

AND SUPER COOL RACE MUGS w/ coffee!

Registration is at http://crockettj.wufoo.com/forms/steps-for-the-steeple-fun-runwalk-25-miles/

There is a great family rate, walkers start at 8:30.

The best part, join us for the MAY DAY BREAKFAST

at the UU Church afterward. Best donuts EVAH!!

No Bananas 5k 

Sunday, May 6th at 8:30 am

on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

in Chelmsford Center

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! 

Here are some questions that are frequently, or not so frequently asked:

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?

Yes, at 8:30.  Why 8:30?  The Java Room opens at 9:00.  Enough said.

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 you questions to Ruth at ruthwhalen@gmail.com

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

-- 

-- 
Ruth Whalen Crockett
Spanish Domain Leader 
F. W. Parker Charter Essential School 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Why I run...or don't run sometimes.

We run for all different reasons. Some of us run to keep our hearts beating.  Others run for the scenery.  Me? Mostly, I run towards niceness. Runners tend to be nice people. They care about their hearts. They tend to keep the scenery clean.  They are people who pound out their psychic garbage with their feet not their fists or tongues.

So I couldn't have been happier last Sunday when I turned the corner into the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail parking lot in Chelmsford Center to find so many nice people.  It was a perfect example of why I run, even if I wasn't running.  Sunday, January 8th was the 13th No Bananas 5k.  It was the biggest one yet. It was a bit embarrassing to greet all these new and old friends in jeans.  I ended up taking last weekend off due to some really sore hips. I've decided to sideline myself for the entire month of January and see how things go.  Even though I was sad not to run, I couldn't help but feel awesome energy from the other 28 runners and walkers. 

Here are the ones who made it to the 8:30 start.

Who were all these nice people who joined me?

Some were brand new friends. When I asked Tim and Heather how they heard about the race, Tim said he read it on Twitter.  I hope I didn't scare this great couple off with my howl.

Some of my old teaching buddies showed up who swore they weren' t going to miss another No Bananas race in the new year.  And a current colleague brought all his people with him and swore they will be running the entire thing come January 2013.  Another new No Bananas runner coincidentally met a boatload of her new Middlesex colleagues at the race.  

Of course the nice and naughty E Streeters joined us.  They brought the ones they love most.  Nice people tend to have nice families.

Even my book club/church friends walked on this great public trail and one of my morning running partners hit her stride on this beautiful morning.


Finally, the King of Nice, Mr. Mike Gilmore kindly slowed down so as to pace Jonathan toward the finish.  Find me a sport where good conversation beats out making records (even if it is only No Bananas) and I'll hang up my running shoes for good.

Why do I run?  I run because what other sport could find me outside on a January morning when there isn't any snow?  It was awfully nice to find so many friends around the corner.

No Bananas 2012!

The last No Bananas of 2011!

Sad you can't ski?  Wishing you could skate? 

Let's run while we can!

Join us for the first No Bananas of the Year!

No Bananas 5k

this Sunday, January 8th

8:30 am

on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

in Chelmsford Center

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!  

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

No Bananas This Sunday!!

Join us for the Last No Bananas of the Year!

No Bananas 5k

 

this Sunday, December 4th

 

8:30 am

 

 

on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

in Chelmsford Center 
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!  

Also, please join us for an important run on 

Sunday, December 11th at 9:00 am

RUN FOR JACK

on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

in Chelmsford Center 

This run is organized to support the Christianson Family.  Jack Christianson, an amazing 6-year-old, was diagnosed with Leukemia in November.   He has already started what is expected to be a 2-year treatment plan.  Runners are encouraged to bring a $10 donation. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Christianson Family Fund which helps defray the costs of gas, parking, food and anything Jack and his family need to make this challenging journey.  I hope you will join me to pound the pavement for this great family.    If you cannot make it and are interested in supporting this family, please send donations to 

 The Christianson Family Fund
c/o Kristy Ostrowski
6 Margate Road
Nashua NH 03062
All checks can be made to: The Christianson Family Fund
 

Thanks!

No Bananas This Sunday!!

P and Kona: October Winners of No Bananas

Some of you may be wondering why you haven't gotten an invitation to No Bananas in a long time. No worries, I haven't removed you from my esteemed list of amazing runners.  No fear, I haven't been running this amazing race without you.  I just didn't think it would make for a very good warm up to the half-marathon I ran on the first Sunday of this month.  [Whoop Whoop!  Finally some distance!]

Others may be wondering why I didn't send you a nice email letting you know about my racing plans for the month.  Recently I was credited by one of my biggest fans as being "a believer in the element of suspense and surprise approach to event planning".  This is why you should never expect an invitation to the No Bananas 5k Race more than five days in advance.  So here it is...

You are cordially invited to the

 

No Bananas 5k

 

this Sunday, November 20th

 

8:30 am

 

 

on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

in Chelmsford Center 
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!  
 Here are some questions that are frequently, or not so frequently asked:

 

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 you questions to Ruth at ruthwhalen@gmail.com

No Bananas This Sunday!!

It's time for the October

 

No Bananas 5k

 

this Sunday, October 2nd

 

at 8:30 am

 

 

on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

in Chelmsford Center 
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!  

For those of your who want to do a double race this weekend, or prefer your races on Saturday so you can more fully recover before returning to work on Monday (yeah right!), consider joining us for the very entertaining trail race at Middlesex Community College in Bedford. The race director and announcer are kinda cute and they play great live music after the run. Find more information and registration (yeah this one is for real folks!) at 

http://www.middlesex.mass.edu/events/5k/.

Here are some questions that are frequently, or not so frequently asked about the NO BANANAS 5K:

 

Where exactly 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 the race is scheduled for another weekend.  

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!