Heading Into Week Two of 10K Training

Week one of the DC Roadrunners 10K Group ("TKG") Training Program was a resounding success Saturday, February 23, 2008, as 19 athletes found their way to the top level of the West Falls Church Metro Station Parking Garage and signed up for the Program. Also on hand were six volunteer coaches, Bob, John, Kristin, Linda, Peter and Renee. Coach Alex will join us next week and unfortunately, Coach David suffered an injury a week earlier and had to drop out.

(Left: A lean mean crew of racers in last year's 10K Program posed in Stanton Park in DC a week before the target 10K race.) Sign-up for the 10K Program will again be conducted at this coming Saturday (March 1st) at 9 a.m. atop the WFC Metro Station Parking Garage. See the last post for directions and Program information or go here or here. Program cost is $35, and you can access a 10K Program application form here. You be a member of dcrrc to participate, annual cost $20, you can access a club membership form here.

On Saturday the group ran from 2 to 4 miles on this route, depending on the runner's individual condition. Everyone ran from the Station down to the W&OD Trail and over the bike bridge across Route 7. There and back was a two mile trek. Some athletes ran with Linda and Bob, our fast group coaches, all the way to Shreve road on the W&OD before turning back, to achieve a distance of 5K for the morning. Some intrepid runners ran up the six ramps of the parking garage upon the return, adding .6 miles of hill work to their morning.

On Sunday a hill workout was held nearby in Falls Church, conducted by Peter. Program members were invited to participate. Dave and Jack showed up, as twenty hill climbs were run, a total of 5 miles in sixty minutes. It was a strenuous workout. (Right: 20 times up and down this hill.)

Every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. in Arlington at the Washington & Lee High School, the club offers a track workout. This is a fantastic way to get into shape and improve your race times. This is a self-help workout, although a club official is there at each workout to answer questions and give direction. You can find out more about this resource on the club website here. This week (February 27th) calls for 16-18X400 (laps) at your 10K pace with a 100 meter (about 100 yards) recovery (much slower) run between laps. If you went to the track and did six individual laps as best you could, and walked a lap between each one, that would be a superior first track workout for you. (Left: Last year 10K Program coach Ashley coming in second in last year's companion 3K race to the Capitol Hill Classic 10K, 5th overall. Speed workouts gave her the edge she needed to accomplish this.)

On Friday (February 29th) there is a Special Running of the free, informal noontime club 3K race around the Tidal Basin in DC, starting on Ohio Drive by the FDR Memorial. If you can attend this during your lunch hour, this is an excellent speed workout.

Runners should run one to two more times this week before Saturday, running for twenty minutes each run. On Saturday, we will again run two to four miles in Falls Church on the W&OD Trail as we progress towards our goal race of the Capitol Hill Classic 10K in twelve weeks. The route we'll go, to the W&OD then East (away from the bridge) is here. Runners can turn around and return at any point of this out-and-back run that is suitable for them.

Next week (March 1st) at WFC Metro at 9 a.m. (top level of the parking garage).

Weeks 3 & 4 (March 8th and March 15th) at Fletcher's Boathouse in DC just west of Georgetown at 9 a,m..

URL for next week's route is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1651898