Fun Run in Simsbury, May 24

Now in its 16th year running through the serene roads of Simsbury, the Amica Iron Horse Half Marathon, 10K and 5K on June 3rd has a distance for everyone and offers a great family fun day for spectators too. Join us in a free course preview fun run with Team HMF on Thursday, May 24, at 6:00 pm. Sign-up form and details below!

The 4-mile fun run will cover a portion of the course along the trail. Team HMF co-captain Susan Rubenstein will lead. Following the run, all are welcome to join the group at Iron Horse Pub for happy hour.

Meet Susan
Susan Rubenstein has been a resident of Simsbury for over 30 years and is a co-captain of Team HMF. She fell in love with Simsbury at first sight, decided to raise her family there and finds its scenic roads, flowered bridge, farms and beautiful trails have only added to her love of running. After many years, many miles and many races, Susan still enjoys weekly runs with friends and loves how Simsbury has kept its beauty and charm as it has grown into a thriving community.

Susan enjoys working and teaching in Simsbury at one of the local gyms and has made a career in health and fitness with her business, Yoga Be Fit. She coaches runners, volunteers for Girls on the Run, teaches town employees and local residents in various fitness classes and supports runners’ training.

As the first Mother/Daughter team for the Team HMF ambassador program 4 years ago, Susan shares her love of running with her daughter, Elanna. Together they are seen at many HMF races running, volunteering and sharing time together. When Susan's daughter Mindy visits from NYC, the three of them always find a race they can enjoy together. Susan lives in Simsbury with her husband, Kenny, and two dogs, Rudy and Delilah.

“Nothing is better than bonding with your kids through the love of running.”

Course Preview Fun Run
Sign-up HERE (please fill out in advance)
Date: Thursday, May 24
Time: 6 PM
Location: Simsbury Meadows, meet by the playground area (near the start line for the Amica Half Marathon, 10K, 5K)
Distance: 4 miles on the trail at Iron Horse
Parking: Public parking is available off Iron Horse Blvd

Water and cups will be available for runners, no other amenities provided.

Tip of the Month: Mix it Up!

We are driven to increase running miles when training, but it’s important to mix up workouts to help improve race day performance. Coach Caitlin Roston from soundRUNNER explains what cross training is and why alternative forms of exercise can make us better runners.

Cross Training for Runners from soundRUNNER

What is cross training for runners?

It’s a day where you focus on another fitness activity, such as spin class, bootcamp, HIIT or going to your local gym for a lifting session, and give yourself a break from pounding the road. Most running plans call for at least one day of cross training per week.

Why is cross training important to add to your running plan?
Cross training reduces injury, helps with recovery and builds muscle. For example, spinning is low impact on the body and knees, but it builds up the slow and fast twitch muscles in your legs, works your lower back and abdominals and strengthens your knees. As a runner you already have so much wear and tear on the knees, so spinning gives them a break while improving strength, speed and aerobic power.

Why do we need cross training?
Many runners fail to use their glutes and hamstrings when they strike and push off from the ground due to underdevelopment. Adding 1 or 2 days of cross training into your running plan allows you to build stronger glutes, hamstrings, quads, knees, hips and ankles.Cross training does not slow you down as a runner, but helps increase your speed, strength and endurance. If you are looking to improve your fitness or just want to mix up your workouts, add a cross training day and enjoy the results!



Thanks to our friends at soundRUNNER for providing this guest post. We'll be bringing you tips here on the blog every month from experts in the community - please comment below what you want to hear about.

We're Back! Navigators Stamford KIC IT Races

We're excited to be back in the saddle in Stamford, officially!! It's been six years since HMF last produced the Navigators Stamford KIC IT Races and we've been asked to bring our organizational expertise, dedicated staff and love of triathlon back to benefit this great event, a major fundraiser for Kids in Crisis.

Be ready to experience some HMF updates – our operations team has tweaked the Olympic and Sprint tri courses, particularly the bike portion, to ensure a safe and enjoyable ride. We hope your experience with us exceeds expectation. Safety is our top priority in all events we produce, and multi-sport races like triathlon present varying levels of complexity when it comes to smooth operations...and then there's the kids triathlon: crazy, hectic, but super fun rallying fierce little ones to achieve their goals.

It's a big weekend all around - June 23 and 24. The kids triathlon kicks off Saturday morning for 6 to 15 year olds to swim, bike and run their way to an outstanding personal achievement. This kids-only event is timed and race distance varies by age to offer a great opportunity to introduce children to the sport of triathlon.

A family 5K follows later that morning with packet pick-up for Sunday's triathlon races on Saturday afternoon. The day will also serve as a 40th anniversary celebration for Kids in Crisis. Expect kids activities, live music and a family festival.

The Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons kick off early Sunday morning, starting and finishing on Cummings Beach. This race is truly unique in that it offers athletes of every age the opportunity to compete and fundraise for the cause, providing free event registration to those that commit to and secure fundraising levels. Proceeds benefit the incredible local work of Kids in Crisis, Connecticut's only free, round-the-clock crisis counseling center and emergency shelter for children newborn to 17.

If you can't join us in Stamford, you can still fundraise for this great cause here: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/navigators-stamford-kic-it-races. A great race in a great place for a great cause, HMF is proud to be part of the action!

Fun Run in Collinsville, May 3

Next weekend’s Burlington to Collinsville Classic 10K shows off two beautiful communities along the quiet and serene multi-use trail. Check it out with us in a free course preview fun run with Team HMF on Thursday, May 3, at 6:00 pm. Sign-up form and details below!

The 4-mile preview will run out and back on the multi-use trail and will be led by Jeanne Corey and Kim Marchand of Team HMF. Following the run, join them at Lisa’s Crown & Hammer for food and drink specials - because every good run deserves a happy hour!

Meet Jeanne & Kim
Jeanne works full time at Travelers Insurance Company and part time on weekends as a Marathon coach for Fleet Feet for the past 5 years.

"I love to coaching new runners and to be able to share my experiences and lessons learned throughout the years.  I’m looking forward to meeting and running with everyone.  Please make sure to let us know if the race will be your first time running this distance!"

Kim works full time as an Electrical Contractor and on weekends he is also a coach for Fleet Feet’s marathon training program.  

"I’ve been running since 2004 and completed a variety of distances.  I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at the course preview run and hearing your stories.  I’ve run this race the past 2 years and would love to answer any questions you may have on the race or logistics."

Course Preview Fun Run

Sign-up HERE (please fill out in advance)

Date: Thursday, May 3

Time: 6 PM

Location: Burlington to Collinsville Classic 10K finish line (near the bridge on the multi-use trail off Depot Street in Collinsville).

Distance: 4 miles on the multi-use trail.

Parking: On-street parking is available in Collinsville, there’s also a dirt lot near the trail entrance and a paved lot at Town Hall

Water and cups will be available for runners, no other amenities provided.  

Please note if you plan to register for the Burlington to Collinsville Classic 10K, we expect to sell out before race day.  Everyone who registers by April 29 will have their bib mailed to them!

O'Hartford on the run!

We love the O’races. Love. Them.  Festive St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that combine 5K races with drinking beer, eating food and partying with friends.  What could be better?   

With four race locations across the state and a great annual tradition in place, we’re always looking for new ways to create excitement and ante up the O’race game. We’ve listened to your feedback and in the past few years made changes to O’Hartford, the final race in the series (Sunday, March 18).

This year, we’re knocking it out of the park (literally) with a totally new location and course starting and finishing at the Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt.  Just south of downtown, the Coltsville National Historical Park area is centered around the iconic Colt Building, recognizable as one of the major visual landmarks in Hartford.

Unlike the familiar streets around our beloved Bushnell Park, this race route will take you through many Hartford sites you may never have otherwise seen.  Run past historic buildings and through Colt Park where you can catch the amazing architecture of Armsmear (meaning “meadow of arms”), the family home of firearm manufacturer Samuel Colt, which has been a National Historic Landmark since 1966.  Exit the park and on the last (fast) half of the race, look for the Church of the Good Shephard Parish House, built in 1896.

The race ends at the steps of the Hooker Brewery Tasting Room in the Colt Building, just opened in 2017 and a great new hot spot for Hartford.  Clearly a highlight of the St Paddy’s Day “day-after” race is capping it off with a delicious locally made craft beer (one free beer for 21+ only with ID). And, good eats, of course.

There’s plenty of free parking around the start/finish area.  We’ve got maps, details and all you need to know about the course on HERE!

Tip of the Month: It's Always Sunny

Even when it feels like the warmth is gone for good, don't underestimate the power of the sun in the winter! Our friends at soundRUNNER put together some info on the importance of eye protection during these seemingly dark winter months.

Sun Protection in the Winter from soundRUNNER

You know that feeling when you come inside from shoveling snow and you suddenly can't see for a minute? That's because the sun is more damaging to your eyes in the winter than in the summer. Most people don't think about this because we only get a few hours of daylight in the winter in New England, but those rays are much more damaging to your eyes than summer sunlight. The snow reflects 80% of the sunlight directly back at you, which means your eyes are taking in almost twice as much light than during a snow-free day.

It's imperative to wear sunglasses in the winter, especially while running and cycling. If you stop inside somewhere to use a bathroom, or get water, you will notice how your eyes have a hard time adjusting to the difference in light. This effect shows the sensitivity of your eyes and the importance of sun protection. 

Another issue with winter sunlight is that it is very difficult to actually see the sidewalk under you. The contrast in brightness means the sidewalk just looks like a dark path you're running on. You often cannot see uneven sidewalk panels, curbs, steps, or patches of ice. This is a huge risk causing people to slip because they couldn't see where they were going due to the brightness difference. 

Polarized sunglasses are the best option because they reduce glare and improve vision on sunny winter days.

At the very least, wear sunglasses whenever you step outside this snow season. Pay attention to obstacles, protect your eyes, and you'll come out of this winter without any vision-related injuries.

Thanks to our friends at soundRUNNER for providing this guest post.  We'll be bringing you tips here on the blog every month from experts in the community - please tell us what you want to hear about, info@hartfordmarathon.com. 

New competitive series: Race fast, win cash!

One thing about running we really love is that everyone can participate, doesn’t matter how fast or slow.  We all come together at the start and cross the same finish line in the end.  When we put together the new 2018 Challenges, we wanted to help people of all experiences set goals and strive to attain new achievements. We thought it was time to offer a boost for competitive runners, a new scored series where they can vie for the glory...and the cash.  

 

Enter the 2018 HMF Money Medley!

Giving competitive age group runners a little more motivation, the Money Medley consists for four races of varying distances to test runners’ ranging disciplines. Scoring is based on cumulative time of all events, you don’t need to win the race or even win your age group to come out in the money in the end.  As long as you complete all four events, you have a chance to win prizes (and bragging rights).

Race events of the HMF Money Medley (register here):

• O’Hartford 5K, Sunday, March 18, Hartford, CT
• Harvard Pilgrim Middletown 10 Mile, Sunday April 8, Middletown, CT
• Amica Iron Horse Half Marathon, Sunday, June 3, Simsbury, CT
• Old Wethersfield 10K, Sunday, August 26, Wethersfield, CT

Scoring is based on total elapsed time for each individual (net time). Top three male and female in each of the following divisions will win payouts of $175, $125, $75:

            Open: Under 40
            Masters: 40+
            Grand Masters: 50+
            Seniors: 60+

DETAILS

Qualifying age for the Money Medley is based on your age on date of Old Wethersfield 10K, August 26, 2018.

After each event, the leaderboard will be updated and available to view on hartfordmarathon.com, so eligible participants know where they stand going into the next event

Register for the four race bundle here. If you have already registered for one or more race in the Medley and want to add the remaining, simply register individually (note - be sure to use the SAME last name and birthdate for each event so we can bundle them).

Participants must be registered for and complete all four designated events to be eligible, not substitutions allowed.