Skip to main content

Sacred Heart's Shamrock Shuffle - race #1


    Irish eyes were smiling down on a few hundred runners and walkers at the second annual Shamrock Shuffle on March 9 at Sacred Heart Church in Havertown. Sunny skies, and temperatures in the upper 40s, greeted the runners decked out in their finest green garb. Visit Shamrock Shuffle to watch video of the race.
     This was my first year running this race, my first race of 2013 and my first ever race running with my sister Kimmie. Arriving at the starting line with only about five minutes to spare (parking in the Manoa section of Havertown was very limited), Kimmie and I grabbed our running bibs and followed a bagpiper who led us all to Shelbourne Road. With almost everyone wearing green the mood felt festive for the run. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund upgrades to the infrastructure of Sacred Heart School.
     Soon we were off, and headed down Shelborne before turning left on Lincoln, a quick left on Upland before reaching the straightaway of Maryland Ave. The beginning of the race was crowded and we actually didn't cross the starting line until about 30 seconds after the start, but by the time we reached Maryland the horde of runners had thinned out. Twisting and turning through the streets of Manoa, we were cheered on by race volunteers at every intersection. Unlike some races, this route was clearly mapped and volunteers made sure no one lost their way. Passing some leprechauns and one green-haired athlete I kept a steady, if slow, pace through the quaint neighborhood.
     Reaching Lincoln Ave. again, I trudged up the slight hill before turning left and aimed for the finish line. Crossing the finish line, I felt good but was disappointed with my time of 31:28. I'm always cautious with my first race of the season, so I think tomorrow's Leprechaun Leap 5K at Cardinal O'Hara High School will be faster.
     This is a great race, very well organized and a way to get ready for St. Patty's Day. Next year, it would be nice if they could use a special mat at the starting line, so the runner's chip will register when you've started the race. Grading on the route, ease and cost of registration, T-shirt appeal and the overall fun factor I give this race four sneakers out of five.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kevin Cain Make My Day 5K in Havertown - race #1

      My goal is to run a 5K race each weekend in Delaware County (and one 10-miler in Philadelphia) for the next six weeks.  They're fun, a goal I can work toward each week & they're almost all in a five-mile radius of my house.  The races are usually $20, I get a T-shirt I can brag about & the money raised always go to a good cause.  Back in 2008, my New Year's resolution was to run a 5K, and since then I've done 14 races.  That year I started with the Kevin Cain Make My Day 5K in Havertown.  (See photos & video of the race at http://tinyurl.com/6kfhcyb ).       Being in good shape, I thought I could translate my swimmer's endurance from the pool to the pavement.  It was a little bit tougher than that, and the Kevin Cain race is one of the more challenging 5K routes I've done.  After taking off from it last year, I was back to race it last Sunday, April 3.  It's a huge party, with a DJ pumping up the crowd beforehand and supporters line the ro

Forty Foot in Dublin Bay, Ireland

I love to mix a race with a vacation.  When I ran a half-marathon in Arizona for my 40th birthday, we stayed for few days longer & visited the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Navajo National Monument, Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend.  Running & swimming are such great ways to experience a new environment. So when Kevin & I were planning our long-planned vacation to Ireland, I tried to find out if there were any open water swim races and/or groups I could join for a quick dip. I learned about the Dunmurry Dippers , a group that swims everyday at the Colin River in Northern Ireland, & the Walrus Winter Swimming Group , who jump into the Dublin Bay at Forty Foot. Logistically we could not meet up with the Dippers, so we set our sights on the Walruses. After picking up our rental car, which Kevin did an amazing job driving on the left side of the road, we headed to Forty Foot  at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove.  If you don't have a car, Forty Foot is a

Swimming on in honor of Coach Rick Field

I thought of swimming as a solitary activity. The rhythmic breathing, 18-20 strokes to the wall, flip turn, repeat, blocking out all sound and sights and just following the black line. Other than being a part of my high school swim team, which I had joined because my friend Tara encouraged me, I’ve been swimming laps by myself for more than 20 years.  Coach Rick I was in the pool at Rocky Run Y several years ago, when Rick Field walked over and told me my right hand was entering the water too far to the side. I had met Rick in 2011, when he first started as a swim coach and teacher at the Y. I didn’t know what to make of him at first, he seemed loud and maybe a bit pushy, but he grew on me and I saw how much he cared for his swimmers to succeed. The Cedar Island 5K So in November 2019, after many years of asking me to join his swim workouts, I broke away from the solitary swim life to be part of a team again. Every Sunday from 7-8:30 a.m., our swim group would try our best following