Week Two of the 2008 Summer 10M/10K Program

The Program so far:

In week one, we listened to Club President Ed Grant talk about the many valuable resources offered by the DCRRC. Then we ran 3 miles (10-Mile Group) or 2 miles (10K Group).

In week two, we listened to premier runner and running store owner Andre Williams of Gotta Run discuss shoes and equipment and touch on hydration (bring a half-liter bottle of water with you when you run in the hot humid summer!) and then we ran 4 miles (10-Mile Group) or 2 1/2 miles (10K Group). (Left: Club President Ed Grant (in red with white cap) prepares to address the athletes in Week 1.)

In week three, on July 26 we’ll meet for the last time at Gotta Run (until the end of the Program, when we'll return there the last two weeks) and assemble for the last time at 8 am. Premier runner Chris Graf, who ran a 47:19 Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in 2001, will give a talk on active local stretching/injury prevention, and then we’ll run up to five miles (10-Mile Group) or up to 2.8 miles (10K Group).

After that, in week four we’ll change location and time. (Right: Gotta Run owner Andre Williams (in white tank top) addresses the athletes in Week 2.)

Meanwhile, Alternative Track Workouts!

They start Tuesday night, July 22, at at Yorktown High School in Arlington at 7:15 pm. After a warmup, the first workout consists of 8X200 at 10K race pace, with a 200M recovery jog. I hope many Program members take advantage of this great resource created by volunteer coaches Rachel, Lauren and Katie, in conjunction with club track workout director and Club President Ed Grant.

(Left: Ashley and Peter at the club's Wednesday night track workout.) Anyone is also welcome to the club’s regularly scheduled Wednesday night Track Workouts, once they resume in August. Jennifer and Ashley did the club’s Wednesday night track workout last week at Washington & Lee High School in Arlington, doing 8X400 at an even 2:00 for each lap (an 8:03 pace), except the last one which was run in 1:35 (a 6:22 pace). The recovery jog was 200M between each lap and there was a water break midway through.

There is no Wednesday night Track Workout this week or next due to club races. The club’s one-mile and 3K championship races are being held next Wednesday, July 30, at 6:30 pm at Wakefield High School in Arlington. Everyone is welcome to participate, there are many heats in order to accommodate everyone. After that, the Club’s Wednesday night track workout will resume on August 6 with 4X1600.

Everyone in the training Program is running really well as we work to get ready for Army, the Lower Potomac River Inaugural 10-Miler, the Rediscovery 10K, or just to get into shape. There are still slots available in both the 10-Mile and the 10K Programs. Tell your friends. See you Saturday at 8 am at Gotta Run!

Week One of the 2008 dcrrc 10M/10K Program

Twenty-five runners showed up last Saturday, 7/12/08, at 8 am at the Gotta Run running store in South Arlington for the start of the 10-Mile/10K Group Training Program which runs 12 weeks (14 weeks for the 10K Program. The goal races are Army on 10/5/08 and the Rediscovery 10K on 10/19/08 on Haines Point.

Since Army is already sold out, an excellent substitute would be the inaugural Lower Potomac River 10-Miler on 10/12/08 in Piney Point, MD. I ran a marathon, and a marathon relay there. It's going to be flat, fast and scenic. (The Program volunteer coaches are all experienced runners. Here Coach John and Coach Matt relax before the SunTrust National Half-Marathon in March.)

The assembled runners heard Club President Ed Grant speak about the valuable (and mostly free) resources offered by DCRRC, the oldest running club in the region. Then it was into the streets for a two-mile (10K group) or a three-mile (10-Mile group) run.

The Club's Track Workout on Wednesday night was attended by two Program members, Ashley and Jennifer. The workout consisted of 8X400. If you don't know what that means, well, you're just going to have to come to the next Track Workout, on August 6, 2008 (there's a 2-week summer hiatus, starting next week, due to club races).

(Coach Sasha running the anchor leg for her relay team at the Washington's Birthday Marathon in February.) There's still time to sign up for the Program. The next two meetings will be on the next two Saturdays at 8 am at Gotta Run in Arlington. After listening to an informative talk on hydration and equipment, we might run 2.5 miles (10K group) using this route, http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2088044, or maybe 4 miles (10-Mile group) using this route, http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2088057 . Check with your small-group coach.

After two more weeks, the Program goes on the road in the metro area, starting with Bethesda the fourth week at a new, earlier time. Check the dcrrc website for further details.

2008 DCRRC 10-Mile Group Training Program, and associated 10K Program

The 10-Mile Group ("TMG") Training Program:

The DC Road Runners Club (dcrrc) has developed its 10-Mile Group ("TMG") Training Program specifically with the Army 10-Miler (ATM) as its target race. This is a 12-week group training program, costing $40, which is scheduled to start on July 12, 2008. It meets each Saturday morning for a group run at different locations around the DC-metro area. The location usually changes every two weeks. The Program is planning to meet for the first three weeks at Gotta Run Running Store in South Arlington on Pentagon row at 8 am.

The Program will take registrations and payment at that location prior to the Saturday long run during those first three weeks. After that the Program will switch meeting time to 7:30 am on Saturdays, and meeting locations, to places TBA.

The Saturday runs get increasingly longer until they are in the 10-12 mile range by the end of the TMG Program. You should be able to run 3 miles or longer at the onset of the TMG Program to consider taking the TMG Program, and get your doctor’s approval before you embark upon strenuous physical activity.

There will be different paced running groups. Each runner is offered the opportunity to do an organized track workout on his or her own each Wednesday evening during the Program. (Right: Two runners in last year's 10-Mile Training Program jog around the Tidal Basin. This picture was featured in the national magazine Cooking Light on its feature ranking DC as the third best city in which to to live and eat. Photo credit Douglas Merriam.)

Each runner will be assigned a volunteer group leader, and should run on his or her own two to three other times each week, three to six miles each time.

The cost of the Program does NOT include the cost of the ATM registration. Race entry does NOT come with the Program, each runner should sign up for the race on his or her own, although running in the race is not required to take the Program. The runner must be a dcrrc member to take the Program, however.

The ATM race is already sold out. There are plenty of other races in the fall that the Program should enable a runner to enter, such as the Baltimore Marathon weekend Half-Marathon the week following the ATM, and other local races. A viable option for those closed out of Army is the Lower Potomac River 10-Miler in Piney Point, MD on October 12, 2008 at 7:45 am.

Keep watching the dcrrc website for further information on the TMG Program. You may sign up for club membership by going to the website and downloading a club application form and sending it in to the club, prior to coming to the first or second week of the Program and registering for the TMG Program.

The 10K Group ("TKG") Training Program:

(Left: A group of runners cross over the Potomac during the club's springtime 10K Training Program.) The Program will also accommodate participants who wish to run in the Rediscovery 10K Race on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 8 am on Haines Point in DC, starting and ending at West Potomac Park in the District.

This 10K component will also cost $40 and will meet at the same places and times as the TMG Program. It starts on Saturday, 7/12/08 at 8 am at Gotta Run Running Shop and runs for 14 weeks. It will meet for training runs two additional weeks, on Saturday 10/4/08 and Saturday, 10/11/08, at places TBA. Participants wishing to participate in the TKG Program and run in the 10K race should be prepared to run/walk 1.5 miles the first week. The TKG does not have a walking pace group. The TKG Program will be run very similar to the TMG Program, described above, only with a lesser mileage amount each week.

The cost of the Program does NOT include the cost of the Rediscovery 10K Race registration. Race entry does NOT come with the Program, each runner should sign up for the race on his or her own, although running in the race is not required to take the Program. The runner must be a dcrrc member to take the Program, however.

Further directions and information will be provided via the Forum chat room on the dcrrc website. To get a feel for how the Program has been operated in the past, peruse its blog right here.