Every once in a while, the circumstances line up to combine for the perfect run, and Sunday's double reservoir loop in Brookline and Brighton was just one of those days. Weather, stamina, energy, and mental relaxation are all key pieces of the puzzle. And more often than not, location plays a major role.
This weekend, Andrew needed to log a 5K loop (3.1 miles) to take part in a virtual fundraiser for his workplace, Pinkerton Academy, in Derry N.H. Proceeds from the charity run were being earmarked for relief efforts to help those displaced by the war in the Ukraine.
So as luck would have it, this particular Sunday morning Heather, Jack, Ryan's mom Nancy, and two of Heather's bridesmaids Katie and Kailey were spending their morning checking out potential wedding gowns for Heather at a bridal shop in Boston.
For Andrew and I? It provided an opportunity we've been waiting months for - to go exploring the roadways behind Heather and Ryan's Brookline apartment and logging miles on roadways some of which we've never run on before. (And yes, that did include some of the hills of Brookline, including Aspinwall Hill.)
First up? The Brookline Reservoir. (Which, by the way, was the windiest and therefore, most intimidating part of the run.)
The reservoir is a man-made body of water, about a mile wide, originally built as a drinking water supply for Boston. From what I could glean, the park and reservoir date back almost 175 years!
It boasts a 32-acre park, which Andrew and I were only too happy to circumnavigate.
From there, we wound through some more side streets of Brookline, making our way out to more familiar environs, the Chestnut Hill reservoir behind Boston College, in the Old Chestnut Hill Historic District. This reservoir was created in 1870 on marshes and meadowlands to also assist with supplying water to Boston. (It was taken off line about four decades ago because it wasn't needed anymore for said water supply.)
Regular readers of this blog might recognize this site as the backdrop of many a past springtime Boston Marathon training run. The mile-and-a-half reservoir loop featured into many of our long runs in advance of marathons past, wrapping Heartbreak Hill and the hills of Newton into the extended mileage.
Today, the mileage wasn't as extended as in years past, but they were plenty inspirational for this father and son, as we found ourselves energized/supercharged by the skyline views of Boston.
Adding to the energy of the day was the literally HUNDREDS of other runners who were out this beautiful spring morning, most of them logging group runs during one of the primo Boston Marathon training weekends heading into the Patriots Day race.
Normally, on Marathon Monday, this particular stretch of Beacon Street can seem endless and torturous as you try to notch the final 3-5 miles that gets you into Boylston Street. Today, it was effortless, relaxing and a great pipe-cleaner to close out the weekend.
The architecture along the street is unique, distinct, and picturesque, even if the occasional runner passes through the shot.
Both Andrew and I donned yellow and blue togs today to pay some extra respect to Ukraine and the global crisis unfolding there.
Yeah, we know our Sunday morning duo run won't make much of difference in the long run for the besieged country, but this special 90 minute pocket of father-son springtime running sure helped us feel like we were trying.
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