Way back on February 21, 2009, twenty-one persons signed up at Gotta Run for the DCRRC 10K Group Training Program. Thirteen weeks later on May 17th, ten participants ran in the target race, the Capitol Hill Classic (CHC) 10K Race. Two of the runners placed in their age group. Four of them finished the 6.2 mile course in under an hour.
Along the way there were twelve Saturday morning training runs of gradually increasing distance from two miles to 10K, at locations as varied as Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) in Bethesda. A noted local physical therapist, Robert Gallender, conducted two seminars, on stretching and on core strength. Knowledgeable lecturers provided talks on equipment, safety, and race prep. The Washington Post c
ame the first week and did an article on running featuring the group and published a a picture of the group stretching before their first run. (Right: At Gotta Run the first week. Credit Washington Post.)
Here are the meeting places and the mileages:
Weeks 1-4, Gotta Run in Arlington: (1) 2-3 miles, (2) 2-3 miles, (3) 2.9-3.6 miles, (4) 3-4.1 miles.
Weeks 5-6, Bethesda on the CCT: (5) 4 miles, (6) 4.5 miles.
Weeks 7-8, Fletcher’s Boathouse in Georgetown on the C&O or CCT: (7) 4.4 miles, (8) 5 miles.
Weeks 9-10, Roosevelt Island to DC and back: (9) 5.8 miles, (10) 6 miles.
Weeks 11-12, Stanton Park: 10K race course both weeks.
Intermediate-length evening runs on the Mall were offered on Monday and Tuesday nights, as well as Wednesday evening track workouts in Arlington. The runners and coaches chatted over coffee after a couple of runs. The Program participants had the opportunity to attend a club social hour at Settee Bello in Clarendon. In addition, each participant received a technical Pr
ogram training shirt with the club logo on it.
(Left: At Stanton Park the last week.) Coaching the Program were Katie, Kathleen, Kristin and Peter, with assistance at various times from Ashley, David, Jay and Sasha. The last two weeks of the Program, the group met at Stanton Park, the CHC’s starting and finishing point, and ran the actual race course.
Finally the numerous training runs were done, and the race was to be run. The Program’s honor roll:
Kathleen 49:42 (2nd in her AG)
David 53:13
John 53:39
Mary Alice 57:29 (3rd in her AG)
Marc in the 60 minute range
Arlene
Christina
Joan in the 70 minute range
Meghan
Peter (Ran the 3K course)
These athletes, and a couple of other regular Program participants who didn’t run the target race, are in condition to progress on to the next Program offered by the club, its Ten-Mile Training Program. This year DCRRC is the exclusive training partner for the Army Ten-Miler Race, which will be held on October 4, 2009. Training starts on July 11, 2009. The option of a Saturday or a Sunday early morning long run will be offered this year. Please come prepared to run 3 miles the first day. Persons new to running might want to consider the Program’s Jump Start training, a free four week program starting on June 13th designed to get each committed person ready to go three miles by July 11th. Sign-ups for the Program are being accepted on the DCRRC website.
Along the way there were twelve Saturday morning training runs of gradually increasing distance from two miles to 10K, at locations as varied as Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) in Bethesda. A noted local physical therapist, Robert Gallender, conducted two seminars, on stretching and on core strength. Knowledgeable lecturers provided talks on equipment, safety, and race prep. The Washington Post c
ame the first week and did an article on running featuring the group and published a a picture of the group stretching before their first run. (Right: At Gotta Run the first week. Credit Washington Post.)Here are the meeting places and the mileages:
Weeks 1-4, Gotta Run in Arlington: (1) 2-3 miles, (2) 2-3 miles, (3) 2.9-3.6 miles, (4) 3-4.1 miles.
Weeks 5-6, Bethesda on the CCT: (5) 4 miles, (6) 4.5 miles.
Weeks 7-8, Fletcher’s Boathouse in Georgetown on the C&O or CCT: (7) 4.4 miles, (8) 5 miles.
Weeks 9-10, Roosevelt Island to DC and back: (9) 5.8 miles, (10) 6 miles.
Weeks 11-12, Stanton Park: 10K race course both weeks.
Intermediate-length evening runs on the Mall were offered on Monday and Tuesday nights, as well as Wednesday evening track workouts in Arlington. The runners and coaches chatted over coffee after a couple of runs. The Program participants had the opportunity to attend a club social hour at Settee Bello in Clarendon. In addition, each participant received a technical Pr
ogram training shirt with the club logo on it.(Left: At Stanton Park the last week.) Coaching the Program were Katie, Kathleen, Kristin and Peter, with assistance at various times from Ashley, David, Jay and Sasha. The last two weeks of the Program, the group met at Stanton Park, the CHC’s starting and finishing point, and ran the actual race course.
Finally the numerous training runs were done, and the race was to be run. The Program’s honor roll:
Kathleen 49:42 (2nd in her AG)
David 53:13
John 53:39
Mary Alice 57:29 (3rd in her AG)
Marc in the 60 minute range
Arlene
Christina
Joan in the 70 minute range
Meghan
Peter (Ran the 3K course)
These athletes, and a couple of other regular Program participants who didn’t run the target race, are in condition to progress on to the next Program offered by the club, its Ten-Mile Training Program. This year DCRRC is the exclusive training partner for the Army Ten-Miler Race, which will be held on October 4, 2009. Training starts on July 11, 2009. The option of a Saturday or a Sunday early morning long run will be offered this year. Please come prepared to run 3 miles the first day. Persons new to running might want to consider the Program’s Jump Start training, a free four week program starting on June 13th designed to get each committed person ready to go three miles by July 11th. Sign-ups for the Program are being accepted on the DCRRC website.
