Approaching the halfway point!

This Saturday, March 29th, will be our halfway point, our sixth week. We are meeting again in Bethesda at 9 a.m. There is free parking in the lot right next to the CCT where it runs next to Ourisman Honda, across the street from Barnes & Noble. Coach Bob will take you out on the CCT for six miles, as most other coaches will be at the National Marathon and Half-Marathon Race that morning. (Run 30 minutes down the trail, turn around and come back.) Be aware of street closures! Metro opens at 5 a.m. (Early morning TKG run in week 4 on the C&O Canal Towpath.)

For anyone who can't make it on Saturday, or wants to run again on Sunday, March 30th, Coach Renee will be leading a run from Bluemont Park off Wilson Boulevard in Arlington at 9 a.m. Directions are here. This is at mile marker 3.5 on the W&OD Trail, within half a mile of the hilly Custis Trail.

After that, for weeks 7 & 8, we'll meet at Roosevelt Island.

Weeks 9 & 10, we'll meet at Haines Point.

Weeks 11 & 12, we'll meet at Stanton Square near Union Station. This is where the target race, the CHC 10K, starts and finishes. (Last year's race course. There's been some talk that it might change this year.)

LAST WEEK (Week 5): We met in Bethesda and ran for 50-55 minutes, 4-5 miles, on the CCT. Some group members went out for coffee afterwards at the Starbucks inside Barnes & Noble.

I didn't see any of you at the track workout last night. That is how you can get better and run a sub-50 minute 10K. The w.o. last night was a minute of 5K race pace running followed by 30 seconds of slow recovery run, 10 reps, after a 2-mile warm-up. (Rockin' and rollin' on the Capital Crescent trail in week 5.)

Announcement. The Army 10-Mile Race (ATM) registration opens on April 1st. The club has a 10-Mile Group Training Program (TMG) which will start on Saturday, July 12, 2008, with the ATM as its goal race. Announcements will be made during the early summer on the club website about the training program. ATM fills up quickly, in a matter of weeks last year. If you finish the TKG training, you will be suitable to take the TMG if you keep up your running. Do not get closed out, register for the ATM in April if this is the course you intend to follow, and you plan on taking the training and running the race.

Week 5, March 22d coming up!

Wow. We're a third of the way through! Can you believe it? Last week Troy ran in the St. Patrick's Day 8K (4.971 miles) in downtown DC and cruised to the finish in 39:46 (7:59 pace). That's fast! Congratulations, Troy.

Last week the TKG had a special speaker after our runof about five miles on the dirt trails around Fletcher's Boathouse, led by Bob, John and Kristin. Renowned local runner Jim Hage spoke for about half an hour on running and related topics, taking questions at the end. He is a two-time winner of both the Marine Corps Marathon (1988 & 1989) and the Army 10-Miler (1990 & 1993). In 2002 he won the JFK 50-Miler, and in 1987 & 1988 he won the Washington’s Birthday Marathon, among his many other accomplishments.

Jim said there are no answers in running and training for races, only approaches and application. He advised speaking to more experienced runners and listening to what worked for them. If it seemed suitable for you, try it. This can move you towards the attainment of your goals. Then, to become the best, you must work diligently and well, be confident, and then do even more work.

Although he is a double winner of the MCM, Jim pointed out that he was only partially successful. He ran the MCM in 1984 & 1985 also, expecting to win, but he finished third each time. Although he was in the final pack until the end, he faded. Reassessing, he took some time off and then came back in 1988 with a plan. He ramped up his training from 70 miles a week to over a hundred, and won. The next year he trained even harder, and won again. During those races he was totally focused, he said, constantly assessing his place, pace, condition and strategy throughout the races. He had the fortitude, after twin failures, to redouble his training efforts and win. (Below: Jim Hage spoke to the 2008 TKG about conditioning and race strategy.)

More importantly, even participating in the endeavor said a lot about lifestyle choices that runners make. He spoke of the importance of continuing on with these lifestyle choice beyond the attainment of the next objective, the race two months hence. He urged eliminating the yo-yo effect of losing such hard-won conditioning through sinking into inactivity once the objective is achieved and the race is run. Continue training even when the race is over, to avoid having to start all over again when the next season comes. Take the day after the race off, but then go out for and loosen up with a jog. The next day take a longer run. Get back into training in some degree, don't stop training altogether, as is common. Put a summertime race on the calendar, he suggested.

Speaking on technical matters, Jim stressed the importance of sustenance during races in the form of consuming energy gels. He said energy during a race is very important, as it keeps you thinking more clearly and helps you maintain your focus while your body draws down its readily accessible energy in the form of stored glycogen. Replenish your body with frequent energy gels before it starts depleting the more inaccessible energy stored in muscle, which breaks down the body when it withdraws this energy source. The result is the effect of hitting the wall that marathoners usually encounter after two hours of running.


He said wearing headphones during races was a bad idea because it robbed you of the focus you need to do well. Pace yourself, he urged, and know the course beforehand. For the Capitol Hill Classic, you have to know the big hill is coming up in the sixth and final mile. Run at an even pace and be ready for it.

NEXT WEEK, week 5, Saturday, March 22:
The group will meet in Bethesda at 9 am in front of the Barnes & Noble bookstore on 4801 Bethesda Avenue, a few blocks west of Wisconsin Avenue (Rockville Pike or Route 355). This is near where the CCT goes by the Ourisman Honda Dealership and crosses Woodmont Avenue. There is a public parking lot there, check to see whether the meters require money on Saturdays.

We will run six miles on the Capital Crescent Trail.

You should run three times during the week, at least 25 minutes each time. Consider going to the club's Wednesday night track workout.

Check out the last post for the remaining schedule.

Finally, for training tips and information, check out the McMillan Running Calculator website here.

Here comes week 4!

We're getting there. We are one quarter done! Can you believe it?

Week 4. This coming Saturday (March 15th) we’ll meet at 9 a.m. at Fletchers Boathouse again. Fletchers is in DC, west of Georgetown to the west of Canal Road next to the Potomac. The blacktop Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) and the dirt C&O Canal Towpath join together here for a short while. Directions to Fletchers Boathouse are here or here.

Ahem. A nationally recognized voice for running will be present to address the group. After the run, at 9:50 A.M., Jim Hage, a noted local runner who is a double winner of the Marine Corps Marathon (1988 and 1989) will give a presentation to the group about running/racing. Bring your questions for afterwards!

There is still time. To sign up for the Program that is. If you have any friends who would like to get active or get back in shape or have a weekly running workout, refer them here to the club's website for more information. Click the Forum link.

Close the loop. There is a track workout every Wednesday evening at 7 pm at the Washington and Lee High School in Arlington. Go to the club website and click on Track Work Out for more information.

You should, you know. You should run at least two to three times on your own this week, at least twenty minutes each time. Make one run a fast paced workout, even if you push your pace for only a few minutes during the run. As always, listen to your body. If it hurts, stop what you are doing and figure out a new approach.

That was so done. Last week, Week 3, March 8th, we met at Fletchers Boathouse and everyone ran 35 minutes on the CCT trail towards Bethesda, 17 minutes out and about 18 back. Everyone ran from about 3 to 4 1/4 miles.

Below is a tentative schedule for the remaining weeks, with projected Saturday mileage. Your coaches will take you further, or shorter, as appropriate. A few prominent races have been noted in brackets.

2008 DCRRC 10K Training Plan for the Capitol Hill Classic 10K on Sunday 5/18/08.

Start: Sat. 2/23/07, 13 weeks before the race. Meetings at 9 am. Schedule subject to change, check this blog each week.

1 2/23 WFC 2M.
Sunday 2/24 Hill Workout in Falls Church. 5M.
2 3/1 WFC 3M.
3. 3/8 Fletcher’s Boathouse 4M.
4. 3/15 Fletcher’s Boathouse 5M. Jim Hage discussion follows.
5. 3/22 Bethesda 5M. Meet in front of the Barnes & Noble in Bethesda, 4801 Bethesda Avenue.
6. 3/29 Bethesda [0700 National Marathon] 6M.
7. 4/5 Roosevelt Island 10K.
[Sunday 4/6 Cherry Blossom 10Miler]
8. 4/12 Roosevelt Island 7M.
9. 4/19 Haines Point 5M.
[Monday 4/21 Boston Marathon]
10. 4/26 Haines Point 6M.
11. 5/3 Stanton Square 6K.
12. 5/10 Stanton Square 6K.

Race.

Approaching Week Three of 10K Training

New location:
For weeks 3 and 4 (Saturday March 8 and Saturday March 15) we’ll meet at 9 a.m. at Fletchers Boathouse in DC, a mile and a half west of Georgetown, to the west off northbound Canal Road, next to the Potomac. The blacktop Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) and the dirt C&O Canal Towpath join together here for a short while.

Directions to Fletchers Boathouse are here or here.

Sign ups still available:
There is still time to sign up for the Program if you have any friends who would like to get active, or get back in shape, or have a weekly running workout. Refer them here for more information. (Right: Are you sure the directions said to meet up here?)

Track Workouts:
There is a track workout every Wednesday evening at 7 pm at the Washington and Lee High School in Arlington., go to the club website and click on Track Workouts for more information. Last night was six half-mile repeats at your own pace. I didn't see any of you using this valuable resource. All you have to do is show up at 7 PM any Wednesday evening and start running the prescribed program!

What to do before Saturday:
You should run at least two times on your own this week, twenty minutes each time. (Left: Running over the Bridge in week one.)

Last Week:
We met for the first two weeks at the West Falls Church Metro, and went 1.8 to 3.1 miles (or further for those who ran up the parking garage ramps) in week one; and 2 to 3.8 miles in week 2.

Tentative schedule, with projected Saturday mileage (your coaches will take you further, or shorter, as appropriate), with a few prominent races noted: (Right: Hitting the W&OD Trail in week 2.)

2008 DCRRC 10K Training Plan for the Capitol Hill Classic 10K on Sunday 5/18/08.
Start: Sat. 2/23/07, 13 weeks before the race. Meetings at 9 am. Schedule subject to change, check the blog each week.
1. 2/23 WFC 2M WB on W&OD Trail
Sunday 2/24 Hill Workout in Falls Church
2. 3/1 WFC 3M EB on W&OD Trail
3. 3/8 Fletchers Boathouse 4M
4, 3/15 Fletcher’s Boathouse 5M
5. 3/22 Bethesda 5M Meet in front of the Barnes & Noble in Bethesda, 4801 Bethesda Avenue
6. 3/29 Bethesda [National Marathon is in DC on this day] 6M
7. 4/5 Roosevelt Island 10K
[Sunday 4/6 is the Cherry Blossom 10Miler]
8. 4/12 Roosevelt Island 7M
9. 4/19 Haines Point 5M
[Monday 4/21 is the Boston Marathon]
10. 4/26 Haines Point 6M
11. 5/3 Stanton Square 10K
12. 5/10 Stanton Square 10K
[Sunday 5/11 Mother’s Day Arlington YMCA 10K]
Sunday 5/18/08 at 0830 in Stanton Square, Capitol Hill Classic 10K.

Run Happy.

Peter 202-297-4874