Rich on Running: Runners make entrance when Hurricane Irene exits

Sunday seemed like the perfect day to stay indoors. Hurricane Irene paid a visit to Massachusetts, and while it had been downgraded to Tropical Storm Irene by then, it still looked menacing enough to keep everyone inside.Yet once the storm settled, it seemed like local runners collectively laced up their shoes and stepped outdoors.That’s how it looked in North Cambridge when my girlfriend and I went out to walk our West Highland white terrier, Daisy, on the bike path. Under a carpet of fast-moving gray clouds, runners raced past us even faster, including one fellow who did so barefoot. He was almost as unexpected a sight as the torn-down tree branches scattered across the grass.When Daisy was ready to go upstairs, I put on my pedometer and New Balances and went back outside to find out what this running-after-a-hurricane deal was all about.I started my run on the bike path, switched to local streets (including Rindge Ave. and Mass Ave.) and finished up back on the bike path. No matter where I ran, there was no shortage of debris to dodge, particularly those downed branches. The storm had also knocked down one street sign.Thankfully, I had found a window of time when the rain had stopped (I had a ballcap on just in case) and the winds hadn’t picked up again. Yet I didn’t want to test my luck by going too far, and turned back after running about one mile (it was a 2.2-mile round trip).The way back felt the best. It was a straight shoot up Mass Ave. and another mostly straight shoot on the bike path. Near the end of the run, I heard the footsteps of another runner on my left, and while it was tempting to try to stay ahead of her, I just couldn’t do it. Still, overall it felt good to go outside and get some exercise.While the Sunday-evening run ended up being a positive experience, runners need to take the forecast into account before going outside in potentially dangerous weather. I sense most people know this. There was a reason, for instance, why the New York Road Runners called off three events when Irene threatened New York. I suppose it was the same reason we only saw one runner braving the rain on Sunday morning.Of course, another solution is to get your running in before the storm hits.”I ran 16 miles on Saturday, so that I wouldn’t have to run in a hurricane/tropical storm on Sunday,” said Mike Pelletier, president of the North Shore Striders. “Twenty years ago I went out to run as Hurricane Bob hit. I tried to run into the wind but had to quit after 1/2 mile. I turned around and was quickly pushed back home by the gale force winds. That was the first and last time I tried running in a hurricane/tropical storm.”The Nahant 30K Road Race will take place on Sunday, Sept. 11. The race starts and finishes at the Ward Bath House at the Nahant Rotary on the Lynnway. The course winds all around Red Rock Park and both Little and Big Nahant. Proceeds benefit the Nahant Life Saving Station Restoration Fund. The $33 registration fee includes a technical T-shirt to the first 300 registrants. Online registration is at www.northshorestriders.com/nahant30K right through Sept. 9.The Rockin’ Mad 5M Challenge will take place at Lynn Woods on Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. Organizers describe it as “an off-road run through Lynn Woods with 20+ military-style obstacles.” These include “hills, tire obstacles, 12-10-8-4-foot walls, cargo nets, crawl-unders, hay bales, steeple chases, slippery climbs, and more.” Proceeds will benefit both Lynn Woods and the Wounded Warrior Project, a national organization that assists wounded veterans. Email Ashley or Brandi at [email protected] with any questions.Rich Tenorio writes a weekly running column for The Item. Email him at [email protected].