DCRRC's 2009 10K Group Training Program

Way back on February 21, 2009, twenty-one persons signed up at Gotta Run for the DCRRC 10K Group Training Program. Thirteen weeks later on May 17th, ten participants ran in the target race, the Capitol Hill Classic (CHC) 10K Race. Two of the runners placed in their age group. Four of them finished the 6.2 mile course in under an hour.

Along the way there were twelve Saturday morning training runs of gradually increasing distance from two miles to 10K, at locations as varied as Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) in Bethesda. A noted local physical therapist, Robert Gallender, conducted two seminars, on stretching and on core strength. Knowledgeable lecturers provided talks on equipment, safety, and race prep. The Washington Post came the first week and did an article on running featuring the group and published a a picture of the group stretching before their first run. (Right: At Gotta Run the first week. Credit Washington Post.)

Here are the meeting places and the mileages:
Weeks 1-4, Gotta Run in Arlington: (1) 2-3 miles, (2) 2-3 miles, (3) 2.9-3.6 miles, (4) 3-4.1 miles.
Weeks 5-6, Bethesda on the CCT: (5) 4 miles, (6) 4.5 miles.
Weeks 7-8, Fletcher’s Boathouse in Georgetown on the C&O or CCT: (7) 4.4 miles, (8) 5 miles.
Weeks 9-10, Roosevelt Island to DC and back: (9) 5.8 miles, (10) 6 miles.
Weeks 11-12, Stanton Park: 10K race course both weeks.

Intermediate-length evening runs on the Mall were offered on Monday and Tuesday nights, as well as Wednesday evening track workouts in Arlington. The runners and coaches chatted over coffee after a couple of runs. The Program participants had the opportunity to attend a club social hour at Settee Bello in Clarendon. In addition, each participant received a technical Program training shirt with the club logo on it.

(Left: At Stanton Park the last week.) Coaching the Program were Katie, Kathleen, Kristin and Peter, with assistance at various times from Ashley, David, Jay and Sasha. The last two weeks of the Program, the group met at Stanton Park, the CHC’s starting and finishing point, and ran the actual race course.

Finally the numerous training runs were done, and the race was to be run. The Program’s honor roll:

Kathleen 49:42 (2nd in her AG)
David 53:13
John 53:39
Mary Alice 57:29 (3rd in her AG)
Marc in the 60 minute range
Arlene
Christina
Joan in the 70 minute range
Meghan
Peter (Ran the 3K course)

These athletes, and a couple of other regular Program participants who didn’t run the target race, are in condition to progress on to the next Program offered by the club, its Ten-Mile Training Program. This year DCRRC is the exclusive training partner for the Army Ten-Miler Race, which will be held on October 4, 2009. Training starts on July 11, 2009. The option of a Saturday or a Sunday early morning long run will be offered this year. Please come prepared to run 3 miles the first day. Persons new to running might want to consider the Program’s Jump Start training, a free four week program starting on June 13th designed to get each committed person ready to go three miles by July 11th. Sign-ups for the Program are being accepted on the DCRRC website.

The 2009 Reebok SunTrust National Half-Marathon Training Program

The 2009 Reebok SunTrust National Half-Marathon Training Program, powered by the DC Road Runners Club (DCRRC), was a great success as shown by the fact that at least 37 Program participants finished the SunTrust National Half Marathon race. The Reebok SunTrust National Marathon Training Program, also powered by DCRRC, had a similar successful showing of Program participants who finished the full marathon and did well.

Including the ten volunteer coaches, at least 63 Program participants came to a Saturday morning half marathon Program training run at Gotta Run during the 20-week Program. After rigorous training that stretched back to before Thanksgiving, with Saturday runs ranging from the first 6-mile run to about 14 miles near the end of the Program, these dedicated athletes ran the SunTrust National Half Marathon on Saturday, March 21, 2009, in times that ranged from 1:22:58 to about two and a half hours. (Right: Gathering outside of Gotta Run before taking off on a 12-mile training run on January 24th. That's coach Lauren on the left. Kathleen, next to him in the yellow windbreaker, went from Program trainee to coach in the subsequent DCRRC 10K Group Training Program, and took 2nd in her age group in that program's target 10K race.)

Furthermore, one Program participant ran the full marathon, and two participants served as race staff at the event. At least two more participants, nursing ailments, spent the morning cheering on their friends in the race. One participant ran the Virginia Beach Half Marathon, and another participant ran a half marathon in California. Several participants formed 3-runner teams for the relay event in the club’s Greenbelt Marathon or ran in some other club race. One Program participant from last year became a coach in the Program this year and bested her half marathon PR in this year's race by 11:48.

(Left: Ice on the Tidal Basin. There's a stark beauty to running through the District in January.) During the Program, the coaches offered a regular Monday night run on the Mall of 6.5 miles, a regular Tuesday night run along the Georgetown waterfront of 4 miles, and track workouts twice a week, either on Wednesday evening in Arlington or on Thursday morning in the District. Speakers came to lecture the runners before Saturday runs three times, and there were two social events in addition to pre-race dinners in both Arlington and the District. A post race bash at Settee Bello in Clarendon, celebrating the athletes' accomplishments, featured cake and discounted drinks ("let them eat cake").

The Reebok SunTrust National Half-Marathon Training Program thanks its outstanding staff of DCRRC volunteer coaches–Rachel Bonistalli, John Braden, Lauren Bullis, Emily Grossman, Peter Lamberton, Matt Pyle, Bob Selin-Williams, Jeannie Salo, Sasha Sibert and Ellen Wilson. At least seven of these coaches have RRCA coaching certificates, while another is a certified Runner’s Bootcamp Trainer. (Right: It was nice to have a warm place to relax in before and after the training runs. That's Gotta Run owner Andre Williams, center, behind the cash register in the background. Jon, on the far right, broke 1:40 in the half mary. Coach Matt, in the gray shirt, center, threw down a sub-1:23. To the right of him, Rick, is going to coach in DCRRC's exclusive training program for the Army Ten-Miler Race starting on July 11th.)

Invaluable assistance was given to the half marathon Program by full marathon coaches Kenny Ames, Ed Grant, Andrew Kent, Katie Madison, Eric Phillips and Ben Richter. Especial thanks go to Max Lockwood at the Georgetown Running Company, Shawn Fenty at Fleet Feet in Adams Morgan, and Andre Williams at Gotta Run in South Arlington for hosting the workouts. (Left: Marathon coaches Katie (center) and Andrew at milepost 15 in the 2009 SunTrust National Marathon.)

Next up will be the club’s ten-miler training program. This year DCRRC is the exclusive training partner for the Army Ten-Miler Race, which will be held on October 4, 2009. Registration for DCRRC's exclusive Army Ten-Miler Training Progrgram is open now, and watch the club website for more details about the start this summer of this training program.

The 2008 DCRRC 10-Mile Training Prgram was a success!

After the tropical storm washout in week 9 of the DCRRC 10-Miler Group Training Program, with Army as its goal race, training picked up in earnest again in the last three weeks of the Program.

Week 10, Saturday September 13, the 10M/10K group met at Roosevelt Island and ran down the Mall and up Capitol Hill for its long run of about nine miles. Members of the 10K Program turned around earlier around 7th Street to return. Because TNT was running from the same location and took all the parking spots, some Program members had to park in Rosslyn and got in some extra distance by jogging from there to the Island.

Tuesday's alternate track workout at Yorktown was 4X800 and was well attended by runners getting their game faces on.

Week 11, Saturday, September 20, 2008 the Program moved to a new time and an old location, meeting at 8 a.m. at the Gotta Run running store in Pentagon Row in South Arlington, the same location where we met the first three weeks of the Program. It seemed like so long ago! Remember doing only two or three miles the very first day? Now everyone in the TMG threw down 10 miles on much of the actual ATM Race course while the TKG ran 7 miles in hilly South Arlington.

(Left: David and Sasha, two Program coaches, run the hills of South Arlington.) Congratulations to Coach Emily who ran a BQ last Sunday (3:40) at the Erie Marathon. Other coaches have been busy as well, John (and Fen) have been hashing in Great Falls, and Peter ran two noontime 3K Tidal Basin Races this week at a 7-minute per mile pace or better.

The Program's distinctive short-sleeve technical t-shirts were handed out to participants. (Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?)

The Alternate track Workout on Tuesday evening was 4X800 as Program runners started to fine-tune their conditioning for Army.

Week 12, Saturday, September 27, 2008 the Program met for the last time at at Gotta Run and ran about about nine miles, much of it on the actual ATM course. Coach Sasha took the 10K Group out for their six miles.

The Alternate track Workout on Tuesday evening was 4X400 with 200M recovery as Program runners tapered for Army. And . . .

Army: After twelve athletes from the Program carbo-loaded at Vapiano’s in Ballston the night before, a pre-race dinner arranged by Coach Rachel, Sunday morning October 5, 2008 dawned cool and clear–perfect conditions for running the Army 10-Miler, the largest 10-mile road race in the country and the 2nd largest in the world. (Right: Coach Lauren, on the right, with his pace group at the pre-race dinner at Vapiano's.)

At least twenty-six Program participants ran in the Army race, nineteen trainees or guests and seven coaches. At least four Program participants ran in the National Capital 20M/5M club races the prior weekend (Coach Matt won the 5-Mile race), while three more Program participants provided volunteer help for those races. An additional Program participant ran the Baltimore Half-Marathon the following weekend. Several Program participants ran the Rediscovery 10K two weeks later.

It was a rousing end to a successful 10M program. Below is a list of the Program participants who ran in Army, and their time range. Congratulations, runners!

Joy sub 1:29
Rachel coach, sub 1:39
John coach, sub 1:35
Lauren coach, finisher
Alyson sub 1:49
Chelsea sub 1:49
Adam injured but ran Army strong, sub 1:29
Melinda Army strong also, sub 1:49
Avery sub 1:49
Heather sub 1:59
Beth sub 1:39
JoAnna sub 1:39
Emily fastest coach, 1:15:41 (7:34)
Linda injured coach, finisher
Kara sub 1:49
Susie sub 1:39
Katie coach, sub 1:34
Catharine only came once, but a race finisher
Krista reduced her race pace from 10:18 (10K in May) to 9:42 (10M)!
Tyler strong finisher
Erin this runner only came once but was fast!
Brie sub 1:59
Sasha coach, 1:19:29 (7:57)
Olu sub 1:49
Kevin 1:20:36 (8:04), fastest regular Program participant.
Kristin strong finisher

Rediscovery 10K: After two more weeks of meeting at Gotta Run to run Saturday long runs on the hills of South Arlington, several participants of the 10K Program finished the Rediscovery 10K Race on Sunday, October 19th on Haines Point in fine form. Coach Matt came in 4th in the race. Sondra and Fen finished. John ran a sub-50-minute race. Coach John won his age group while coach Peter volunteered at the race. (Left: Lining up for the Rediscovery 10K race on Haines Point two weeks after Army.)

The 2009 Army Ten-Miler Race will be run on Sunday, October 4, 2009. DCRRC will be offering a training program for it, starting in the summer of 2009. Watch the club's website for further information. Race registration opens on April 1, 2009, and Army has been selling out quickly in recent years. Make sure you register early for the race, in the first couple of days even, or you might get shut out of the race. The training Program, however, has no requirement that you actually run the ATM or be signed up for it (in case you're shut out of the race).

Week Nine was a downpour

Week nine of the DCRRC 10M/10K Group Training Program had its Saturday long run (9/6) cancelled due to Tropical Storm Hanna, which dumped torrential rain on the DC area that day and caused flooding. Some brave souls went out that morning and ran anyway in the relative calm just before the full fury of the storm hit. On the local news midday, tracking the effects of the storm, some TV reporters conducted interviews with passing runners, asking them incredulously, Why are you out here? (Right: Coach Bob leads the discussion during drier times at Bluemont.)

The run was supposed to have been six (10K Group) or nine (10M Group) miles from Roosevelt Island. Some runners made up for the cancellation by running in the Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5K Race at the Pentagon that evening, after the rain had stopped. Coaches Peter and Sasha each finished the race with a time under 25 minutes. On Sunday morning, Coaches Sasha, John and Peter took more than half a dozen Program runners out for 6-10 miles on the hilly Custis Trail, from Roosevelt Island to Bluemont and back. Other Program runners ran similar distances on their own.

On Tuesday evening a dozen Program runners took advantage of the presence of Coaches John, Katie, Matt, Peter and Rachel at the alternative track workout at the Yorktown HS Track and ran between 4-9X600 as they get ready for Army or the Rediscovery 10K next month. On Wednesday evening all Program runners had the opportunity to go to the regularly scheduled club track workout at the W&L HS Track in Arlington.

The next Saturday morning run for the Program (9/13) will be at Roosevelt Island, of 6 or 10 miles length, and will cover a portion of the actual ATM race course.

Week eight was at Bluemont...

Saturday August 30th, week eight, was a nice cool morning for running at Bluemont Park in Arlington. Attendance was affected due to it being the long Labor Day weekend, but still about 16 runners and four coaches showed up and ran about 9 miles (10M Program) or 6 miles (10K Program) eastbound on the W&OD Trail to Shirlington and back again. On Tuesday evening the Alternative Track Workout had half a dozen runners toiling away at Yorktown on their 9X400s with four coaches present. Wednesday evening, of course, was the club's regularly scheduled track workout at W&L of 16-20X400 if anybody didn't get enough speed work in on the prior evening.

Coach Emily ran in the New Mexico Marathon over the weekend and finished twelfth in 3:52 This was a finish for her in the top ten percent of this hilly marathon. Congratulations.

For week nine, Saturday September 6, we are scheduled to meet at Roosevelt Island for a nine or six mile run. However, Hurricane Hanna is currently projected to bring six inches of rain to the region on Friday evening to Saturday morning and possibly cause flash flooding. This is a fluid situation as of Thursday evening, September 4th, but if there are torrential downpours on Saturday morning the Program will CANCEL week nine's run (Saturday, 9/6). Check for a last minute update on the weekly announcement space at the 10K Training Program Log.

This blogger is sorry to report that the gentleman to the right was suspected at the Program gathering last week at Sette Bello to be smoking a cigarette. He kept running outside to check on something, and he would return will a suspicious odor of tobacco around his personage, Apparently some paparazzi were about and they snapped this picture. Perhaps you all will recognize him from his picture, the smoking gun in effect as to his habits when he is not directing the running club or its track workout program. Perhaps we could encourage him to enter rehab. (Photo credit Emily.)

Week Seven at Bluemont

It was another busy week for dcrrc's 2008 10M/10K Program as the halfway point is now behind us. For week 7 we met at Bluemont Park in Arlington on Saturday (August 23rd) morning and ran 8 miles (10M Group) or 5 miles (10K Group) westbound on the W&OD Trail to Falls Church and back again. It was a cool, breezy morning, perfect for running, certainly not your typical August morning in DC.

Sunday Coach Katie ran the tough Annapolis 10-Miler in about 1:29, or maybe a little longer if you add in a necessary equipment stop. Program guest runner K ran about a 1:32 at the same race.

The Program's Tuesday evening Alternative Track Workout at Yorktown was well attended, as about a dozen athletes met to do a 6X600 workout led by coaches Rachel, Katie & Bob. Wednesday was the club's regular Track Workout at W&L of a twenty minute tempo run followed by 3X300. (Right: Coach Emily (center) leads the 10K Group on the CCT on the run from Bethesda in week 4.)

Thursday evening well over a dozen Program athletes, accompanied by coaches, guests and club officers such as dcrrc President Ed Grant, relaxed at a social gathering at the Sette Bello restaurant in Arlington. Talk started centered on running for awhile but soon reached other areas as well such as Coach Lauren's recent white water rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, Kara's recent white water rafting trip in West Virginia, a couple of upcoming happy unions which are soon to take place for members of the gathered assembly and other mundane everyday topics discussed among friends. Thanks to Coach Rachel for setting this up.

Week Six at Fletchers.

It was a busy week for the Program.

Saturday morning (August 16) was the last meeting at Fletcher’s Boathouse in the District. The 10 Mile Groups ran 7-8 miles on the CCT at various paces. The 10K Group ran to the Key Bridge in Georgetown and back on the C&O Canal Towpath, about 4 1/2 miles.

Sunday morning (August 17) was the Program’s Hill Workout, held on Highland Avenue in Falls Church, and the attendee ran 4 1/2 miles in about 50 minutes on the hill there. Afterwards a trip to Starbucks for coffee was called for. (Right: Last summer the Program ran on the W&OD Trail at Bluemont Park, where the Four-Mile Run Trail branches off from it, as well.)

Tuesday evening (August 19) over half a dozen Program athletes met for the Alternate Track Workout at Yorktown. Led by Coaches Rachel, Katie and Peter, the regime was 8X400 with 100M recovery. Adam of Matt’s Group did 8X600. Meanwhile, Kevin of Matt’s Group ran the club’s Burke Lake 4.5 mile race at a sub-7:55 minute-per-mile pace. Coaches Matt (8th place at a 6:22 pace) and Bob (7:45 pace) also ran the race.

Wednesday (August 20) was the club’s monthly noontime Tidal Basin 3K race and Coach Peter ran it at a 7:04 pace. Wednesday evening was the club’s regularly scheduled Track Workout at W&L of 3-4X1600.

In the near term: We meet on Saturday (August 23) at 7:30 a.m. for the first of two weeks at Bluemont Park in Arlington to run about eight miles (10M Group) or about five miles (10K Group). Besides the Alternate Track Workout next Tuesday (probably 4-5X600), or the club’s Wednesday Track Workout (20 minute tempo run, then 3X300), there is a Program Happy Hour on Thursday (8/28) starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Sette Bello Restaurant in Arlington. See you there!