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!

Week 5 at Fletchers

Last Tuesday evening's 10M/10K Program Alternate Track Workout at the Yorktown High School track in Arlington was well attended with at least three coaches present (Matt, Katie & Rachel) and at least half a dozen Program members participating in the 8X400 workout. For several, it was their first speed workout in awhile. The workout was enlivened by listening to the marching band work out on the infield and the director put some fire into the bellies of the flag-twirlers.

The Saturday morning run at Fletchers Boathouse was also well-attended, with several guest runners coming along. After listening to a brief talk by Coach Peter on gels and Coach Rachel on nutrition, the 10Kers ran 4 miles on the CCT to the MacArthur Blvd. pedestrian tunnel and back in about 40 minutes or less (for some, a little more) and the 10-Milers ran on the CCT to River Road and back, 7 miles, or on the C&O to Rock Creek and back, a similar distance. It was a nice cool morning, an anomaly in August in DC. A visiting nurse from Florida, a publisher, and a lawyer from a government agency all ran along as guests of the group. Afterwards, a few participants enjoyed a repast of bagels and donuts while spread out on a blanket on the bank of the canal in the shadow of the old historic boathouse.

Sunday (8/10/08) at 5 pm is the club 3-mile cross country race and picnic at the Landon School in MD. Next Saturday morning (8/16) the long run of about 7 miles or 4.4 miles will be at Fletchers Boathouse again, before moving off to Bluemont Park in Arlington for two weeks.

Week 4 of the 2008 dcrrc 10M/10K Training Group

Despite overcast skies and threats of rain, on Saturday 8/2 (Week 4) the 10M/10K Group met in Bethesda at 7:30 am and ran 6 miles (10M Group) or 5K (10K Group) on the Capital Crescent Trail. Afterwards we went out for coffee on Bethesda Avenue and talked a little shop. The second Alternate Track Workout (8X300) the prior Wednesday had evidently been well-attended. Everyone in the Program should be running three times a week, 2-4 miles each time, in addition to the long Saturday run.

For Weeks 5 (8/9) & 6 (8/16) we are meeting at 7:30 am at Fletchers Boathouse west of Georgetown for runs of 6-7 miles (10M Group) and 3-4 miles (10K Group) on the CCT (paved) or the C&O Canal Towpath (dirt). Go here for a full Program schedule (including directions and parking info) or here for a rundown on the week’s events (including upcoming races and the club picnic).

Approaching Week 4 in the 2008 10M/10K Program

Last week the approximately thirty assembled runners from the Program benefited from learning three beneficial stretches from Chris Graf, a premier runner (47:19 at the 2001 Cherry Blossom 10-Miler) and leading proponent of Active Isolated Stretching. He gave a lecture at Gotta Run on injury prevention and counseled individual runners both before and after our Saturday run. The run was 5 miles for the 10M Group, to Lincoln and back, and 2.8 miles for the 10K Group, a run along Ridge Avenue. It wasn't a bad workout for the third week.

(Right: Coach Jeannie leads out a group of athletes near Dangerfield Island in last summer's Program.) On Tuesday evening, July 29th, Rachel & Katie offered the Program's Alternative Track Workout at Yorktown in Arlington. 8X300 was on the schedule.

For Week Four, Saturday August 2, 2008, we are changing time and location! We are meeting at 7:30 a.m. in Bethesda for one week, right by Ourisman Honda at 4800 Bethesda Avenue a couple of blocks west of Wisconsin Avenue, across the street from the Barnes & Noble. There is a public metered parking lot, which is free on Saturdays, right there next to the Capital Crescent Trail. Plans are for the 10M Group to run 5-6 miles and the 10K Group to run 3-4 miles.

You all should be running 2-3 times a week in addition to the Saturday runs, 2-4 miles each time. One run should be a fast-paced run, or a track workout. There will be the Program's Alternative Track Workout at Yorktown on Tuesday evening, in addition to the Bluemont 5K Club Race at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Bluemont Park in Arlington at the far pavilion past the soccer field. That race (it's free to club members) would be an excellent opportunity for athletes who are handling the Saturday runs well to get in a little racing experience. The club's regularly scheduled Wednesday evening track workouts at Washington & Lee High School in Arlington resume this Wednesday with 4X1600. If you couldn't make it to the W&L Track, you could go to a place (near your house) with a known, measured mile (find a safe 10-block route leaving and returning to your house by driving it first in your car and measuring it) and run it fast. Four times, with a recovery jog of completely around the block between miles.

The Program schedule has been published here. Weekly updates are here. Next week (week 5) we'll be at Fletchers Boathouse for two weeks (August 9th and 16th). The time for Saturday has been changed to 7:30 a.m. until further notice.

See you all in Bethesda. After our run, for anyone who wants to, we'll go get coffee and a bagel at the bagel shop a few doors down from the B&N.