At the end of the year I always like to take a little time to reflect on what worked well in the garden — and what didn’t. This year I also called some gardening friends — some experienced, some less so — to ask what they had learned.
I’ll go first. In 2021 I planted some bare-root oaks I bought from the State of New Hampshire and planted them for a client in an open meadow in what had previously been a lawn. Most did well last year and really took off this year. Based on that success, I planted even more this year in part because I could get unusual trees not available locally — northern pecan, hardy persimmon, pawpaw and more. We’ll see how they do next year.
Bare-root trees are usually the thickness of a pencil and have a foot or so of root with 18 to 24 inches of bare trunk. Although I found a grower in Vermont willing to sell them to me, most growers sell them to nurseries that pot them up and sell them in a year or two. But if you go online you can find growers who will ship bare-root trees and shrubs in the spring. They are easy to ship — no soil is included — and are less expensive than trees that have been tended and watered for a couple of years.
The downside is that bare root trees are generally only sold when dormant, and need to be planted soon after arrival. Some growers keep big coolers full of bare-root material, but you still need to get them in the ground soon after you get them. Look for them now and order what you want for spring delivery.
A friend bought a house in southern New Hampshire and had her first vegetable garden this year. She was surprised and delighted that there was no blight on her tomatoes. This did not surprise me at all. The fungus that blights so many tomatoes lives in the soil, and in a new location it rarely shows up until Year 2.
She also reported that some of her new raised beds were placed on ground so hard that she couldn’t even get a shovel in it. The wood beds were 8 inches tall but didn’t drain well, and none of her root crops did well. In the spring she is going to dig out the soil, remove the beds, and put 2 inches of coarse sand on the ground. Then she will replace the wood-sided beds and soil, and hope for the best. I predict that will solve the problem, particularly if she adds lots of compost to the soil in the beds.
Another friend was reminded this year that if a perennial is not “happy” where it is planted, you should move it! She said she had divided some phlox and, lacking a good spot for it all, put some in a place that was too shady for it. So she dug it up and moved it to a better place late in the season. Almost anything can be moved; just do it on a cool cloudy or rainy day. Even peonies can be moved if you are careful.
Another friend said that he learned to use hydrogen peroxide as a preventive for fungus on grapes. He bought some industrial-strength peroxide (30 percent concentration) and diluted it (10 parts water to one part peroxide). He then filled his big sprayer to apply it. He sprayed after pollination but before the grapes had appeared. Unlike chemical sprays, he says, it just breaks down to water and oxygen.
Another friend moved to Vermont from New York and has been working to maintain and personalize the large flower gardens that came with the house. She has learned to focus on one area at a time. She also said she has learned that it is important to act on your own ideas, even if you have inherited wonderful gardens. I agree. For example I learned that I love flowers called burnets (Sanguisorba spp.) and I collect them.
Burnets bloom in mid to late summer and come in size from miniature (6 inches tall) to huge (6 feet tall) and do best in sun with moist soil. Each year I add a few. My most recent addition is a S. hakusanensis called Lilac squirrel. I think of it as “the pink squirrel” as its blossoms are fuzzy and much like a squirrel’s tail, though much smaller. Mine are pink, not lilac in color. Not common in most garden centers, it is available from Digging Dog Nursery in California.
So yes, we all learn new techniques, try new plants and do our best to be good gardeners. All my best to you for the year ahead.
Featured photo: ‘Lilac Squirrel’ Sanguisorba blossoms are delightful to touch and see. Photo by Henry Homeyer.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• New exhibit at Art 3: “Multi-Mediums,” an exhibit featuring works on canvas and panel, wall reliefs in ceramic and metal and sculptures in stone and wood, is open now at the Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St. in Manchester; 668-6650), according to a press release. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and a virtual exhibit should be available soon, the release said.
• Photo exhibit: The 23rd annual New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists Member Exhibit and Sale will open Saturday, Jan. 7, with a reception from noon to 4 p.m. at the Exeter Town Hall Gallery (10 Front St. in Exeter), according to a press release. Some of the photographers with works in the exhibit will be on hand to answer questions, the release said. The exhibit will run through Sunday, Jan. 29, and the gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.
The Society recently established a permanent studio space at the Kimball Jenkins School of Art in Concord that gives members access to studio lighting, printers and more. See nhspa.org for membership information.
• Sing! The Rockingham Choral Society will hold an open rehearsal on Tuesday, Jan. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Exeter High School for its spring concert, which will feature works by Beethoven and Brahms, according to a press release. The group is open to singers age 16 and up and a brief placement audition for new members will take place at the end of the rehearsal; dues are waived for high school and college students, the release said. See rockinghamchoral.org.
• January at Gibson’s: Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) has several recently announced events on the January schedule. James T. McKim Jr. will be at the bookstore on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss his book The Diversity Factor: Igniting Superior Organizational Performance; the event is free and no registration is required.
On Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m, Honorable John T. Broderick Jr. (former chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and current senior director of external affairs at Dartmouth Health) will be at Gibson’s to discuss his book Backroads and Highways: My Journey to Discovery on Mental Health.
On Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. the bookstore will be part of a virtual event featuring author and director Joyce Chopra discussing her book Lady Director: Adventures in Hollywood, Television and Beyond with journalist Annie Berke. See the store’s website for a link to the event page, where you can purchase a ticket/book bundle.
Save the date for Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. when Farzon A. Nahvi, MD, an ER physician at Concord Hospital, will be at Gibson’s to discuss his book Code Gray, a memoir about his life in medicine.
New Art Show “Beginnings,” the first group show at the art studio Girl from Mars (135 Route 101A in Amherst), is opening on Friday, Jan. 6, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Melissa Richard, the owner and chief artist at the studio, said she was excited to have 14 local artists showing 24 pieces of new work.
“Some are artists I knew; some I met through other galleries and shows along the way,” Richard said, adding that she’s “hoping to rotate between group and solo shows in the space.”
All of the artwork on display will be available for purchase either online at the gallery’s website or at the show. The show will run from Jan. 6 through the end of February. The Gallery’s hours are Thursday through Saturday by appointment. Visit marsartstudio.weebly.com.
• Book and film:Eva’s Promise, a documentary about Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss (whose mother married Anne Frank’s father after the war), will have its New England premiere at the Park Theatre (19 Main St. in Jaffrey; theparktheatre.org, 532-8888) on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. The film’s director (Steve McCarthy) and the producer (Susan Kerner) will attend the Sunday, Jan. 15, 4 p.m. screening of the film and hold a discussion after the film that will include a special video message from Eva Schloss, according to a press release. When Eva and her brother Heinz Geiringer were put on a train to Auschwitz in 1944, Heinz, who was 17, told her that he’d hidden paintings and poetry he’d created in the family attic and asked her to retrieve them if he didn’t survive the war, the release said. Eva (who is 93 and lives in London) wrote a book, The Promise, in 2006, and signed copies will be available at the theater (as well as at Toadstool Bookshops), the release said. Tickets for the Sunday event cost $10 to $15; tickets for regular screenings cost $8 to $9. In addition to the Friday and Sunday screenings, the film will also screen Saturday, Jan. 14, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Jan. 17, through Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.
• Jazz and classical: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will head to Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club in Portsmouth with their “Up Close & Personal” chamber music and dinner series on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 5:30 p.m. The PSO Brass quintet will explore the boundaries between jazz and classical music, according to a press release. The show will feature a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, music from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, selections from Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller and the score to George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, the release said. Tickets cost $90 per person and include the concert, appetizers, dinner and dessert, the release said. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. See portsmouthsymphony.org to purchase tickets.
A girls’ choir from Maine will be giving a free performance at the Mariposa Museum, but what makes this choir special isn’t the music they perform. It’s the girls themselves.
The Pihcintu Multinational Girls Choir is composed completely of refugees fleeing famine, war and other atrocities. The choir promotes peace, understanding and kindness through their music and has performed for the United Nations, alongside classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Con Fullan, the man who created the choir and has directed and written music for it for the last 17 years, said these girls are inspiring to watch.
“These kids have a powerful impact on audiences they perform for,” Fullan said. “It’s not meant to be about the perfection of their voices; it’s meant to be much more. The message is the importance here … how important and necessary the refugees are to this country and how to support them.”
Fullan, who started his music career as a singer-songwriter, said he is thrilled to offer these girls a community and a place to learn and grow. He said most of the current singers are Congolese and Angolese, but the choir has 300 past members and has had girls from more than 40 nations.
Fullan said he loves the confidence the choir gives the girls, remembering the story of one Congolese refugee who begged to join the choir even though she didn’t know a word of English. He said that in three months she knew the lyrics to all of the songs, and by the time she graduated from high school she was a National Scholar and was accepted to the University of South Maine.
“To understand what they’ve gone through and how resilient they are is really jaw-dropping,” Fullan said. “The Congolese girl walked through jungles and God knows what horrors, and is now a wildly successful young woman. That’s a typical success story of my kids.”
According to Karla Hostetler, the executive director at the Mariposa Museum, the Pihcintu Multinational Girls Choir represents everything that the museum stands for.
“The Mariposa is dedicated to fostering peace and celebrating diversity while affirming a shared humanity and planet,” Hostetler said. “The mission of the museum and chorus are perfectly aligned.”
This is the second time the choir is performing at the museum, Hostetler said. The first was before the pandemic shut everything down. Now that the Mariposa is opening up again, Hostetler hopes to build a relationship with the choir so that they can perform at least once a year.
There couldn’t be a better time for their performance than now, Hostetler said. The featured exhibit currently at the museum is “The Luminous Worlds of Omar Victor Diop,” by a Senegalese artist who photographs the African diaspora around the world. The exhibit was extended through Sunday, Jan. 8.
“It’s a beautiful way to start the new year and a great way to celebrate and bring people in,” Hostetler said. “It’s really for everybody and a great chance to see what we at the Mariposa are all about too.”
Pihcintu Multinational Girls Choir Where: The Mariposa Museum, 26 Main St., Peterborough When: Saturday, Jan. 7, at 3 p.m. Price: Free for members, $20 for nonmembers Visit: mariposamuseum.org
Featured photo: Pihcintu Multinational Girls Choir. Courtesy photos.
Looking to get out (or maybe get back out) and go for a run? We talked to running aficionados who are part of running groups and race series that will help you lace up and head out, even during these colder months. For additional motivation, we have a rundown of some upcoming road races. And, for those who prefer to run inside but are treadmill-averse, we found a few local spots with indoor tracks.
Running is a sport that doesn’t always have to be done alone. Joining a local running club or group — especially when staying active during frigid temperatures sometimes proves to be a challenge — can serve as a valuable motivator for runners of all ages and abilities.
“I think it’s really a matter of being part of a group of other like-minded individuals,” said Stephen Rouleau, president of Gate City Striders, a Nashua-based running group that was founded in 1979. “I know that, for me, it’s tougher to get motivated to get out the door by myself, whereas if I have a group of people that I know I’m going to meet with there and go run, it’s more enjoyable. The shared miles make it so much better. … We also try to do a whole bunch of social events and other things within the community. In the past, for instance, we’ve rented out a theater and done a movie night. We have ice cream runs, we have our group socials and we try to do some speaker nights.”
With more than 600 members, Gate City Striders is one of the largest running clubs in the state.
“We try to make ourselves a home for everyone,” Rouleau said, “so we have everyone from starters … all the way up to your really competitive faster runners.”
The club is known for hosting a number of signature events and race series throughout the year — next up, Rouleau said, is the Freeze Your Buns 5K series, which kicks off on Sunday, Jan. 8, and will continue every other Sunday through March 5. Each race begins at 9 a.m. at the Conway Arena (Stadium Drive, Nashua), and is open to all registrants, regardless of your membership status with the club.
“The course is pretty much from the YMCA on roads down to Nashua High School [South]. You circle that a couple of times and come back to the finish line there,” Rouleau said. “It’s flat, it’s fast and it’s family-friendly, so it’s a great way to get out there and get your miles in.”
Each race takes place as scheduled, Rouleau said, unless inclement weather interferes with snow removal operations at the high school, or there are dangerously cold temperatures or wind chills. Registration is available online in advance or in person the day of, starting at 8 a.m.
“It’s open to the public, and there are a good number of non-members who run it, or they are members of other clubs in the area, so it’s a good mix,” Rouleau said.
The sense of community that comes with being part of a running group is also a major benefit for Blake Tyler, a lifelong Queen City native and a member of the Greater Manchester Running Club (formerly known as the Athletic Alliance Running Club). They currently meet for a run every Wednesday at 5 p.m. on the corner of Bridge Street and Mammoth Road, near the Derryfield Country Club, and also host group runs on Saturdays at 7 a.m., meeting at Fitlab in the city’s Millyard.
Runner’s Alley Manchester running group. Courtesy photo.
“I’ve always been a socially sports-based person,” Tyler said. “I really enjoy sharing an activity that I like with fellow people who are part of that activity, and I just find that in particular, the running community is really [made up of] just very genuine folks. … People just love running, they love being around other people who love running, and speaking for me, in my opinion, it’s been a great boon to my mental health, especially coming off the Covid lockdowns and isolation and the lack of being able to connect with people.”
Tyler agreed that, especially during the winter months, connecting with other runners is crucial.
“You can ask any runner who’s been doing this for a while … that in the wintertime, when it gets dark by 4 or 4:30 and the days feel way shorter, it’s a lot easier to slide into habits of, ‘Oh, I’m not going to go for a run today. It’s dark and it’s cold,’” he said. “For runners, I think the ability to get out with other people, even if it’s only a mile or a couple of miles, I think there’s something to be said for that.”
Up in the Concord area, Northeast Delta Dental is a chief sponsor of two racing series set to begin this month. Their third annual Hopkinton Winter 5K series kicks off on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. at Storms Fitness Center (442 Pine St., Contoocook), followed by two other races on Jan. 22 and Feb. 5. Then, beginning Saturday, Jan. 14, Delta Dental’s Snow or No, We Go Trail series returns, first taking place at Highway View Farm (100 River Road, Boscawen). Other races in that series are set to take place on Jan. 28, Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road) and on Feb. 4 and March 4 at Prospect Acres (4 Beaumier Drive, Franklin). Each of those trail races is between 2 and 4 miles, running on one or two loops, and participants are encouraged to run on snowshoes.
“Delta Dental sponsors us so all the registration money can go to charities,” series coordinator Ellen Raffio said in an email, adding that the 2-mile option for the Snow or No, We Go Trail series is the perfect distance for a beginner on snowshoes. “Every series we do … brings a different crowd, and they’re always great people. It’s a lot of fun.”
Winter Races
• The Snowflake Shuffle will take place on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 9:30 a.m. from 25 Constitution Drive in Bedford. The cost for participants age 21 and up is $35 in advance and $40 on race day, and the cost for youth participants is $30 in advance and $35 on race day. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. There will be a post-race beer garden and refreshments. Visit millenniumrunning.com/snowflake.
• The Northeast Delta Dental Boston Prep 16-Miler and 5-Miler organized by the Greater Derry Track Club will take place on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. at West Running Brook Middle School (1 W. Running Brook Lane, Derry). The cost for the 16-miler is $75 in advance until Jan. 20, $80 in advance after Jan. 20 and $85 on race day. The cost for the 5-miler is $40 in advance until Jan. 20 and $45 after Jan. 20 and on race day. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups for the 16-miler and to the top three male and female participants overall for the 5-miler. The first 325 runners will receive a race shirt. An after-party will be held at 603 Brewery in Derry, and all participants age 21 and up will receive a voucher for a free beer. Visit gdtc.org/run.
• The 50 Football Fields Road Race will be held on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 11 a.m. at 2 Delta Drive in Concord. The cost is $25. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. Visit runsignup.com/Race/NH/Concord/50FootballFieldsRoadRaceJanuary2911am.
• The Super Sunday 4-Miler will be held on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 9:30 a.m. at 1750 Taphouse (170 Route 101, Bedford). The cost for participants age 21 and up is $35 in advance and $40 on race day, and the cost for youth participants is $30 in advance and $35 on race day. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. There will be a post-race party at 1750 Taphouse with entertainment and refreshments. Visit millenniumrunning.com/supersunday4miler.
• The Hampton Half Marathon & 5K returns to Hampton Beach on Sunday, March 5, at 10 a.m. The cost for the 5k is $39 in advance through Jan. 8, $44 in advance through Feb. 5 and $49 until registration closes. The cost for the half marathon is $74 in advance through Jan. 8, $79 in advance through Feb. 5 and $89 until registration closes. There will be an after-party at the Ashworth By The Sea Hotel with hot soup and complimentary Smuttynose beer for participants age 21 and up. Visit hamptonhalf.com.
• The Shamrocks and Shenanigans 4-Miler will take place on Sunday, March 12, at 9 a.m. from Great North Aleworks (1050 Holt Ave., Manchester). Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The participant age 21 or older who is wearing the best representation of a kilt will win a pint. All participants age 21 and older will receive free beer vouchers redeemable following the race at Great North Aleworks or The Wild Rover Pub in Manchester. The cost is $35 for participants age 12 and up and $30 for youth participants age 11 and under. The first 400 registrants will receive a race shirt. Visit totalimagerunning.com/shamrocksandshenanigans4m.
• The Together We Fight 5K and 10K, to raise funds for Dana Farber for Nancy Rank and the American Liver Foundation for Bill Ducasse as they raise funds for the 127th Boston Marathon, will be held on Sunday, March 19, at 9 a.m. at 2 Delta Drive in Concord. The cost for the 5k is $20 until Jan. 31 and $25 after Jan. 31. The cost for the 10k is $35 until Jan. 31 and $40 after Jan. 31. Awards will be given to top participants within age groups. Additionally, there will be a free kids fun run at 8:45 a.m. Visit runsignup.com/Race/NH/Concord/TogetherweFight5K10K.
• The Citizens Bank Shamrock Half Marathon & Relay will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 8:50 a.m. at Veterans Park in downtown Manchester. The relay splits are 5.2, 3.2 and 4.7 miles, and awards will be given to the top three teams in the male, female and co-ed divisions. The cost for the three-person relay is $135 in advance until Feb. 28, $145 in advance after Feb. 28 and $155 on race day. The cost for the half marathon is $85 in advance until Feb. 28, $95 in advance after Feb. 28 and $105 on race day. The Citizens Bank Shamrock Shuffle, a 2-mile race, will be held the following day, Sunday, March 26, at 11 a.m. at Veterans Park in downtown Manchester. The Stonyfield Organic Lil’ Leprechaun Runs, a 100-yard fun run for kids age 8 and under, will precede the Shuffle at 10:30 a.m. The Manchester Saint Patrick’s Day Parade will follow the Shuffle at noon. The cost for the Shuffle is $25 in advance and $30 on race day for participants age 21 and up, $20 in advance and $25 on race day for youth ages 12 through 20 and $10 in advance and $15 on race day for kids age 11 and under. There will be medals for finishers, and awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The first 1,250 registrants will receive a long-sleeved race shirt. Visit millenniumrunning.com/shamrock.
• The Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter’s Run and Walk for Food & Shelter will take place on Sunday, March 26, at 1 p.m. outside the Muldoon Fitness Center on the campus of Rivier University (420 S. Main St., Nashua). There will be a 5k race, a 10k race and a 3k walk. Additionally, there will be a kids sprint for kids age 7 and under preceding the main event at 12:30 p.m. The cost ranges from $30 to $45 for adults and from $20 to $35 for students for the 10k; from $25 to $40 for adults and from $15 to $30 for students for the 5k and the 3k, depending on the registration date. The cost for the kids sprint is $5. Visit nsks.org/run-and-walk-for-food-and-shelter.
• The SEA 5K Road Race and Fitness Walk, a fundraiser with proceeds going to Operation Santa Claus, will be held on Saturday, April 1, at the Governor Meldrim Thomson State Office Complex (27-29 Hazen Drive, Concord). Visit seiu1984.org/sea_5k.
• The Easing Heartbreak Hill 5K: Don’t Forget Your Wings, to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will be held on Sunday, April 2, at 10 a.m. at 2 Delta Drive in Concord. The cost is $25. There will be awards for top racers overall and within age groups. Search “Easing Heartbreak Hill 5K: Don’t Forget Your Wings” on eventbrite.com.
• The Cheap Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier with a half marathon and full marathon, will take place on Sunday, April 16, at the Derry Rail Trail (1 E. Broadway, Derry). The full marathon will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the half marathon will begin at 8:45 a.m. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The cost ranges from $26.21 to $49.99 in advance and is $60 on race day. Visit millenniumrunning.com/cheapmarathon.
• The NHTI/Northeast Delta Dental 5K Road Race will be held on Friday, April 21, at NHTI (31 College Drive, Concord). The cost is $20. Visit runreg.com/nhti-delta-dental-5k.
• The Stonyfield Earth Day 5K will take place on Saturday, April 22, at 9 a.m. at Londonderry West Soccer Fields (90 West Road, Londonderry). A 100-yard fun run for kids age 8 and under will follow the race at 10:15 a.m. Awards will be given to the top three male and female participants overall and within age groups. The cost until March 11 is $25 for adults, $20 for youth ages 12 through 20 and $10 for kids age 11 and younger; the cost increases by $5 after March 11; the cost on race day increases by $10. The first 1,000 registrants will receive a race shirt. Visit millenniumrunning.com/stonyfield5k.
Local running clubs and groups Here’s a list of locally based community organizations that are currently operating and promoting the sport of running through weekly meets and runs, special race series and more. Did we miss any? Let us know via email at [email protected].
Gate City Striders gatecity.org, follow them on Facebook @thegatecitystriders and Instagram @gatecitystriders How to join: Registration is available online at $30 per year for individuals or $40 per year for families. Individuals must be a minimum age of 13 and families must be a maximum of two adults and four children. Benefits include access to their bi-weekly email newsletter and discounts at some local businesses, like Fleet Feet Sports (4 Coliseum Ave., Nashua)
Greater Derry Track Club gdtc.org, follow them on Facebook @gdtc78 and Instagram @gdtc_derrynh How to join: Registration is available online at $25 per year for individuals and families, plus a $2.50 processing fee. Member benefits include discounts at some local and online vendors, access to monthly meetings, an annual dinner and more.
Greater Manchester Running Club gmrcnh.org, join the Facebook group @gmrcnh How to join: Registration is available online at $30 per year for individuals or $35 per year for families. Member benefits include access to weekly emails providing information on group runs and races, as well as some discounts.
Millennium Running 138 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, millenniumrunning.com/club, or see “Millennium Running Club” on Facebook How to join: Registration is available online at $75 per year. Member benefits include club singlets, 15 percent off all purchases at Millennium Running’s retail store, weekly group training and workout opportunities and more.
Run Walk Brew, running group from Total Image Running in Auburn. Courtesy photo.
Run Walk Brew Total Image Running, 63 Coleman Road, Auburn, totalimagerunning.com/club, or see “Run Walk Brew Social Club” on Facebook How to join: Registration is available online at $80 per year. Member benefits include 10 percent off all purchases at Total Image Running, Runner’s Alley and Her Tribe Athletics, as well as $10 off on two of Total Image Running’s signature races per year. New members also receive some Total Image Running swag, and membership renewals receive 30 percent off one item through their online store.
Runner’s Alley 669 Elm St., Manchester; 142 N. Main St., Concord; see “Runner’s Alley Concord Run Group” or “RA Manchester Run Group” on Facebook How to join: Runner’s Alley’s run groups are free and runners are welcome each week. The Concord group meets on Thursdays at 6 p.m. and runs through all parts of the city, while in Manchester, groups meet Tuesday nights at 5:45 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. The Tuesday night group in Manchester features a 1-mile loop on Elm Street that you have 30 minutes to complete. The Saturday morning group is about 5 miles with shorter options possible.
To Share Run Club To Share Brewing Co., 720 Union St., Manchester, see “To Share Run Club” on Facebook or follow them on Instagram @tosharerunclub How to join: This club meets every Friday at 6 p.m. at the brewery, and all are welcome regardless of age, pace or running ability. Runners make their way around downtown Manchester with a lot of flexibility to choose your own distance.
Taking the inside track
A winter run doesn’t have to mean braving the elements
There are different options to running in the cold New Hampshire air this winter: treadmills, of course, but also indoor tracks.
“Treadmills have their values, but it does a little bit of the work for you,” said Mike Davis, the head running coach and owner of No Finish Line Fitness in Dover. “It’ll direct and force your movement and pace.”
According to Davis, who specializes in gait analysis and has been coaching people on running for 15 years, running on a treadmill can make it challenging for runners to know exactly how they’re moving.
Form is very important, he said, and keeping a good form is one of the few ways runners can protect their legs and joints from injury.
Davis’ advice to new runners is to get the right equipment (meaning a good pair of running shoes that fit well), to not download a one-size-fits-all running plan from the internet and to not sign up for a race that’s only six months or less away.
Davis recommends using a time-based model for training, starting at 30 minutes a few times a week, and doing intervals of walking and running until it gets easier. He said that listening to your own body is key in making good running decisions.
“I always say be conservative, take it easy, find your happy pace, and don’t sign up for a race too soon,” Davis said.
Indoor tracks
Here are a few locations with indoor tracks. Some locations require a membership to be able to run on the track while others will charge for a day pass.
• Executive Health and Sports Center (1 Highlander Way, Manchester; ehsc.com, 668-4753) Call for pricing details.
• Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road, Milford; hampshiredome.com, 673-7123) $6 for a one-day pass, $80 for a 20-visit punch card. Members of Hampshire Hills Athletic Club can use the facility for free.
• Health Club of Concord (10 Garvins Falls Road Concord; healthclubofconcord.com, 224-7787) Call for pricing details.
• Nashua YMCA Branch (24 Stadium Drive, Nashua; nmymca.org) $100 to join; adult pricing starts at $49
• Merrimack YMCA Branch (6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack; nmymca.org) $100 to join; adult pricing starts at $49.
Upcoming winter running series Here are a few upcoming organized running series brought to you by local clubs and groups.
Freeze Your Buns 5K series Gate City Striders, gatecity.org When: Sundays, Jan. 8, Jan. 22, Feb. 5, Feb. 19 and March 5; races kick off at 9 a.m. each day Where: Conway Arena, 5 Stadium Drive, Nashua Cost: $5 registration per race, or $20 for the entire series ($12 for runners ages 17 and under); a virtual option is also available
Hopkinton Winter 5K series runsignup.com/Race/NH/Contoocook/HopkintonWinter5kSeries When: Sundays, Jan. 8, Jan. 22 and Feb. 5; races kick off at 10 a.m. each day Where: Storms Fitness Center, 442 Pine St., Contoocook Cost: $25 registration per race; a virtual option is also available
Snow or No, We Go trail series shakers.org/winterraces When: Saturdays, Jan. 14, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and March 4; races kick off at 10 a.m. each day Where: Locations vary depending on the date; the Jan. 14 race will take place at Highway View Farm (100 River Road, Boscawen), the Jan. 28, Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 races will take place at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road), and the Feb. 4 and March 4 races will take place at Prospect Acres (4 Beaumier Drive, Franklin). Cost: $25 registration per race; each race is limited to 75 participants
Featured photo: The Gate City Striders’ Freeze Your Buns 5K. Courtesy photo.
Recycled Percussion wraps up a holiday week run of shows today (at 7 p.m.) and tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 7 (at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.), at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). Tickets start at $37. See recycledpercussion.com for videos of the group’s high-energy performances.
Friday, Jan. 6
The play Scene Changesopens tonight at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315). In the show, a traveling production of A Christmas Carol loses its Bob Cratchit when he gets ill in Burlington, Vermont, and the show has to hire a new actor when it comes to Concord, causing “a clash of wills,” according to the website, which also says that the play contains adult language. The show will run tonight through Sunday, Jan. 22, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.
Saturday, Jan. 7
Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) will screen the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m. The morning will include complimentary coffee from Revelstoke and hot chocolate for the kids (or just the hot chocolate fans), according to the website. Dressing as a scarecrow in need of a brain or a girl from Kansas with a fabulous pair of shoes is encouraged, and the concession stand will feature some themed treats, the website said. Tickets cost $10 per person.
Saturday, Jan. 7
Looking to add more native plants to your garden? Winter is actually a good time to sow the seeds of native plants that need the cold as part of their growth process, according to NH Audubon, which is holding a class about winter sowing today from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org, 668-2045). UNH Extension master gardeners Donna Miller and Stacey Scaccia will lead the session; the cost is $15. Register in advance (by Thursday, Jan. 5).
Sunday, Jan. 8
The Kid Brother (1927), a Harold Lloyd silent comedy, will screen at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St. in Nashua; nashualibrary.org, 589-4600) today at 1:30 p.m. with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. The event is free and family-friendly, according to a press release.
Sunday, Jan. 8
Who will be the “Champion of Champions” is the question today from 1 to 5 p.m. at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) when four champions from previous years’ Pizzastock battle of bands take the stage for Pizzastock 6.5 Battle of Champions. The lineup is Fourth Degree, Crescendo’s Gate, Cozy Throne and Second to Last Minute, according to pizzastock.org, where you can learn more about the fundraising concerts and the Jason R. Flood Memorial. Tickets to the Tupelo show cost $20.
Save the Date! Friday, Feb. 3 Livingston Taylor will come to the Dana Center for the Humanities (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester; tickets.anselm.edu, 641-7700) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is teaming up with the American Red Cross during January, National Blood Donor Month, in a call for blood and platelet donations to prevent a seasonal blood shortage. According to a press release from the Concord-based Northern New England Region Red Cross office, the Red Cross, in partnership with the National Football League, will enter everyone who donates blood, platelets or plasma now through Jan. 31 for a chance to win a trip for two to the Super Bowl LVII event in Arizona. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.
QOL score: +1
Comment: To book a donation appointment at a Red Cross blood donation site near you, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.
Land conservation
The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) will award $4.3 million in matching grants to municipalities, nonprofit organizations and community groups to support 34 land conservation and historic preservation projects across the state. According to a press release, those projects include rehabilitating 17 historic structures and permanently conserving more than 2,700 acres of farm, timber, and ecologically significant land in all ten New Hampshire counties.
QOL score: +1
Comment: The grants will be additionally matched by more than $15 million funding from other public and private sources, according to the release. Recipients are expected to complete the funded projects within two years.
Hate crime increase
Newly released data from the FBI has revealed a significant increase in the number of hate crimes committed in New Hampshire, NHPR reported. New Hampshire law enforcement documented 34 reported hate crimes in 2021, up from 19 in 2020. Hate crimes are defined by the FBI as violent criminal acts against a person or property motivated by bias against a race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
QOL score: -2
Comment: The hate crimes in New Hampshire included 16 instances of destruction or property or vandalism and 13 instances of intimidation. Nearly half of the crimes were targeted at Black residents, eight were motivated by religious bias and seven were related to sexual orientation, according to the article.
Help for families
Bank of New Hampshire has made a $5,000 donation to Harbor Care to support its efforts to help families that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. According to a press release, Harbor Care serves more than 5,000 individuals through housing and residential services, primary and behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, home care, HIV/AIDS care, veteran services and food pantries and kitchens that make more than 100,000 meals available annually.
QOL score: +1
Comment:“Support from Bank of New Hampshire will provide thousands of meals and, in the long term, help create the foundations for our clients to build their lives,” Henry Och, President and CEO of Harbor Care, said in the release.
QOL score: 50
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 51
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
