Rich on Running: Recovery Run is great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend

West Lynn was the place to be for runners on Sunday, when the Ancient Order of Hibernians held the second annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K Recovery Run.It was my first 5K and the weather couldn’t have been better: temperatures in the 40s, and none of the rain or snow that visited yesterday. I layered up with my red hoodie and a black zippered vest.The course looped through West Lynn, starting and finishing at Hibernian Hall on Federal Street. It passed through largely residential areas, although the runners did go by Classical High and local businesses like Jimmy’s Roast Beef.One of the first tests came early, when the course inclined upward, and I decided to walk instead of run. I like to think it paid off after mile 1.What also helped was that around the halfway point, volunteers had thoughtfully set up a water station. The adults and children who handed out plastic cups of H20 were much appreciated. Also, there was a handy tree nearby for me to catch a few breaths.Overall, the Lynn Police and volunteers did an excellent job directing both runners and traffic (though there were a few spots near the end where some volunteers at intersections wouldn’t have hurt). It was also great to see spectators watch and wave.As I rounded onto the final part of the race, the sight of people with bib numbers walking in the opposite direction alerted me that the finish line was near. I summoned up one final push to make it to the end, where my girlfriend Laura greeted me with a smile.We went into Hibernian Hall to celebrate with some hot dogs, pasta and dessert (whoever got the peanut-butter and chocolate-chip cookies was a genius, and the brownies weren’t bad, either).The audience applauded the top finishers, including overall winner Michael Smith of Lynn and women’s winner Melissa Henry of Brookline. Winners were also announced in the youth and Hibernian categories (former Lynn mayor Edward J. “Chip” Clancy came in second among Hibernians).So, congratulations to the winners and everyone who ran ? thanks to the police, volunteers, spectators and organizers ? and a special thanks to Laura, who figured out how to get us to the race when we were running late.Flanagan reigns in SpainShalane Flanagan of Marblehead finished third in a close women’s race at the cross country worlds in Punta Umbria, Spain, Sunday. Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot of Kenya won the 8K race in 24:58 ? countrywoman Linet Chepkwemoi Masai finished nine seconds later for second place ? and Flanagan was only 12 seconds off the pace.Farewell to MunnFormer Gloucester High track coach James Munn died on March 13 at age 72. Munn, who had been battling brain cancer, coached the Fishermen outdoor and indoor boys track teams from 1994 until this past fall, when he retired. Munn’s teams went a combined 257-10, winning 23 conference titles and two state championships.Rich Tenorio writes a weekly running column for The Item. Email him at [email protected].