Penultimate Week!

Week 11 of the dcrrc TKG will meet at 9 am on Saturday, May 3, 2008 in Stanton Square in DC, a few blocks to the southeast from Union Station (Red Line). There should be plenty of street parking nearby on Saturday. This is the starting point, and the ending point, of the Capitol Hill Classic. Kristin will be directing the morning's activities, which probably will entail some variation on the actual CHC 10K race course. Sasha will be there from the Reebok SunTrust National Half-Marathon Program to take some runners out as well.
Don't forget that tomorrow night (Monday night, 4/28), is the Snowball Series Awards and Marathon Training Program Recognition Night. Everyone is welcome at 7:00 pm at the Cactus Cantina, 3300 Wisconsin Ave NW in DC, 20016, for the presentation of the Snowball Series age-group awards, and to recognize the coaches and participants in the Reebok Official Training Program for the SunTrust National Marathon. This is always a fun, informal event. The list of the 2007-2008 Snowball Series winners has been posted on the club's website. Awards are three deep in each age group.

Last Week, week 10, Saturday 4/26 at Haines Point. Bob and I took out all of the runners, including some guest runners from the Reebok SunTrust National Half Marathon Training Program, on a 7-mile run up Capitol Hill, through Stanton Square, to Lincoln Park, down L'Enfant Promenade and over the Francis Case Bridge on the return. This was achieved in about 70 minutes. Several of the runners achieved it in under a 10-minute per mile pace. A few runners varied the route or distance as they saw fit. (Above: Coach Bob leads the TKG on Haines Point in week nine.)

Marine Corps Marathon and DCRRC Hall-of-Famer Jim Hage spoke to us in Week 4 about running a race. Here is an article he wrote on why he runs. When you all graduate to a marathon, here are his tips on that.

Week Ten, April 26th, at Haines Point

Week 10, April 26, 2008:

Three weeks of training left! We will meet again on Haines Point in the Golf Course parking lot at 9 AM for a run of up to seven miles. Here is a 6.8 mile route that replicates the sixth, and then the first, mile of last year's race course. I recently received information from the race director that the course has been changed, due to security concerns. There is still a run up Capitol Hill, however.

For weeks 11 & 12, we'll meet at Stanton Square by Union Station and practice on the actual course of our target race, the CHC, which starts and finishes at Stanton Square. It's a five minutes walk from Metro at Union Station (Red Line), or there is street parking around the square.

Last week (week nine) John, Kristin, Peter and Bob led a small band of dedicated runners on a six mile run around Haines Point and along the Mall. It was a wonderful morning to run.

Afterwards a group of runners met at Whitlow's on Wilson (WOW) Boulevard in Arlington (Clarendon) and enjoyed brunch with some coaches and participants from the Reebok SunTrust National Half-Marathon Training Program and the dcrrc club president. (Right: TKG runners gather before the run from Roosevelt Island on a beautiful Saturday morning.)

Track was offered on Wednesday evening at 7 pm at Washington & Lee High School in Arlington as usual. The workout was 4 one-mile repeats at 10K race pace on the nearby hilly Custis trail (there was a lacrosse game so the track was closed) with quarter mile recovery runs in between. My splits were 7:26, 7:40, 7:49, 7:51. What were yours? Track work is the fastest way to get better and what you're going to have to do, probably, if you ever want to run a sub-50 minute 10K. The runner in the Reebok SunTrust National Half Marathon Training Program, who always went to track workouts, who went from wishing for a 1:50 to running an actual sub 1:40 half marathon in the race, was there. Go here to find out the track workout schedule.

You all should run three more times this week, at least 12 more miles total for the week, not counting Saturday's long run.

Week 9, April 19th, Haines Point

Week 9: Saturday April 19th:

We are meeting on Haines Point in the Golf Course parking lot at 9 AM for up to a seven mile run. Here in the ninth week we'll try to do our long run for the Program. There'll be no sighting of the giant though (Below: The Awakening Statue), he's gone! Left for PG County.

Afterwards, everyone is invited to Whitlow's on Wilson (WOW) Boulevard in Arlington (Clarendon) at about 10:45 to enjoy brunch with anyone from the Reebok SunTrust National Half-Marathon Training Program who wishes to come. This group recently finished its own race, the SunTrust National Half-Marathon and did quite well.

Last Week (week 8, April 12th): Everyone met at Roosevelt Island and Coaches John (south on the Mt. Vernon Trail, over the 14th Street Bridge, north on Ohio Drive to the Memorial Bridge and back into Virginia and to Roosevelt Island), Peter (same route), Renee (north into Georgetown over the Key Bridge, south to the 14th Street Bridge and back into Virginia, north to Roosevelt Island on the Mt. Vernon Trail) and Bob (south on the Mt. Vernon Trail to Gravelly Point and return) took their charges between 5-6 miles in a little over an hour. Everyone ran really well. (Right: Renee's group meets Peter's group on the 14th Street Bridge from opposite directions. Off to the left you can still see that a few Cherry Blossoms were still in bloom.)

A number of people, including Coach John and Marisa, ran the Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Race last Sunday, April 6th. Congratulations to them.

You all should run three more times this week, at least 30 minutes each time. One run should be faster than you normally go. You could substitute the Wednesday night track workout for this faster-paced run.

Week 8, April 12th.

WEEK 8, Saturday April 12, 2008 at 9 am:

The dcrrc 10K Training Program will meet at the Roosevelt Island Parking Lot for up to a 10K run. (Below right: The Potomac from the meeting place in the Roosevelt Island Parking Lot before Saturday's run.)

Go Northbound on GW Parkway to just past the Roosevelt Bridge where there's a turnoff to your right. If you take Metro, take the orange or blue lines to Rosslyn, and run towards the Key Bridge. You cross the Mt. Vernon Trail after you cross over Lee Highway but before you start over the Key Bridge. Go South on the Mount Vernon Trail a quarter mile to the Roosevelt Island Parking Lot.

A suggested route is 10K on the nearby Custis Trail. We could run to Glebe Road and back. It'll be a little bit hilly as we practice for Capitol Hill in the race in the sixth mile.

This week you should run three other times, 3-5 miles each run. One run should be a fast-paced run, or have fast portions in it (interval running). Track is on Wednesday night at 7 pm in Arlington. This is a self-contained program, go the the Track Workout section on the club's website for more information.

Next week (week 9) and week 10 we'll meet at Haines Point in the Golf Course parking lot. (Left: Heading out on the Mt. Vernon Trail.)

Weeks 11 and 12 we'll meet in Stanton Square in the District near Union Station. The target race, the Capitol Hill Classic 10K, starts in Stanton Square.

LAST WEEK (week 7). We were joined by Jessica, a runner who had just completed the Reebok SunTrust National Half Marathon training program (16 weeks). Jessica broke two hours for the half marathon last week and has already plunged into training for the Capitol Hill Classic 10K which is, after all, in SIX SHORT WEEKS! Coaches Kristin and Peter took their runners south on the Mount Vernon Trail to the Gravelly Point parking lot just north of National Airport, and back, for six miles in about an hour. Coach Renee took the 14th Street Bridge into the District and then headed north through Georgetown to the Key Bridge and returned, where she completed a loop of six miles in about 55 minutes. It was beautiful spring weather, although there was some wind. (Right: This is what running in the District looked like last week.)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:I hope that you all continue with your running and don't let your conditioning slip after this Program is over. The ARMY 10-MILER registration opened last week. It is MORE THAN HALF-FULL already in one short week. It will be run on Sunday, October 5, 2008. Consider putting it on your schedule and taking the dcrrc 10-Mile Training Program this summer, which starts on July 14th. All of you who finish the 10K Program and keep up with your running are capable of finishing the 10-Mile Program Training too.

Run happy.

April 5, 2008 at Roosevelt Island for the 7th Week

Tomorrow, April 5, 2008:

The dcrrc 10K Training Group will meet at 9 am in the parking lot for Roosevelt Island in Virginia, off Northbound Geo. Washington Parkway just north of the Roosevelt Bridge. The Metro stop is Rosslyn. The schedule calls for us to run up to six miles. Here is a six mile route you can follow, three miles south on the Mt. Vernon Trail to the Gravelly Point parking lot and back again. (Above right: Coach Kristin directing a club race last month. She does a lot of volunteer work, and received an award for the 2005 DCRRC Volunteer of the Year. She hasn't slowed down since!)

You all ran three times this week, at least 3 miles each time, right? (Left: Coach Renee, Hiba and Troy didn't let a little rain deter them in week 3.)

Track Workout this week on Wednesday night was 4X1Mile on the Custis Trail (the track was occupied by a school function). My miles were 7:01, 6:44, 6:43, 6:46. What were yours?

Last week (Week 6):

(Right: Coach John lines up for the SunTrust National Half-Marathon on Saturday. On Sunday he competed in a sprint Triathlon event.) On Saturday Coach Bob took everyone out 4-6 miles on the CCT from Bethesda, because most of the coaches were at the SunTrust National Half-Marathon. Coach Kristin was volunteering at the race and Coach John, Coach Peter and Troy ran the race. All three of us broke two hours for the 13.1 miles. One of the reasons why Troy broke two hours is because he trains hard. In the picture above, he is running in the rain on the Capital Crescent Trail in week 3 with Coach Renee and Hiba. Hard work has a payoff!

Sunday, Coach Peter was at Bluemont at 9 am to run with anyone who missed Saturday's run or who wanted to run again. He practiced his 5K pace miles on the W&OD Trail. (Left: The colors were gorgeous along the W&OD Trail at Bluemont on Sunday morning.)

NEXT WEEK: We'll meet at Roosevelt Island again for week 8, then go to Haines Point (Golf course parking lot) for weeks 9 & 10, and finish the training at Stanton Square (meet by General Greene's statue) near Union Station in weeks 11 & 12.