Week eight was at Bluemont...

Saturday August 30th, week eight, was a nice cool morning for running at Bluemont Park in Arlington. Attendance was affected due to it being the long Labor Day weekend, but still about 16 runners and four coaches showed up and ran about 9 miles (10M Program) or 6 miles (10K Program) eastbound on the W&OD Trail to Shirlington and back again. On Tuesday evening the Alternative Track Workout had half a dozen runners toiling away at Yorktown on their 9X400s with four coaches present. Wednesday evening, of course, was the club's regularly scheduled track workout at W&L of 16-20X400 if anybody didn't get enough speed work in on the prior evening.

Coach Emily ran in the New Mexico Marathon over the weekend and finished twelfth in 3:52 This was a finish for her in the top ten percent of this hilly marathon. Congratulations.

For week nine, Saturday September 6, we are scheduled to meet at Roosevelt Island for a nine or six mile run. However, Hurricane Hanna is currently projected to bring six inches of rain to the region on Friday evening to Saturday morning and possibly cause flash flooding. This is a fluid situation as of Thursday evening, September 4th, but if there are torrential downpours on Saturday morning the Program will CANCEL week nine's run (Saturday, 9/6). Check for a last minute update on the weekly announcement space at the 10K Training Program Log.

This blogger is sorry to report that the gentleman to the right was suspected at the Program gathering last week at Sette Bello to be smoking a cigarette. He kept running outside to check on something, and he would return will a suspicious odor of tobacco around his personage, Apparently some paparazzi were about and they snapped this picture. Perhaps you all will recognize him from his picture, the smoking gun in effect as to his habits when he is not directing the running club or its track workout program. Perhaps we could encourage him to enter rehab. (Photo credit Emily.)

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 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!

10KG Week 2 & Schedule

2007 DCRRC 10K Training Group Program

APPROACHING WEEK 3

Come 10 minutes early on Saturday to sign up if you'd like to join us. $30 for the program, and $20 for club dues if you're not already a member.

Here is the 2007 SCHEDULE, meeting at 9 am every Saturday at the following locations:
Week 1. Feb. 24–Steps of the Lincoln Memorial
Week 2. March 3–Steps of the Lincoln Memorial
Week 3. March 10–Steps of the Lincoln Memorial
Week 4. March 17–Parking Lot for Roosevelt Island
Week 5. March 24–Roosevelt Island (National Marathon is on this day)
Week 6. March 31–Fletcher’s Boathouse (Cherry Blossom Race is next day)
Week 7. April 7–Fletcher’s Boathouse
Week 8. April 14–Bluemont Park, Arlington
Week 9. April 21–Bluemont Park, Arlington
Week 10. April 28–East Falls Church Metro Parking Lot
Week 11. May 5–Stanton Square in DC (near Union Station at Mass & MD Aves.)
Week 12. May 12–Stanton Square in DC (near Union Station)
Week 13. Sunday May 20, 2007 at 8 :30 am at Stanton Square CHC 10K RACE

WEEK 2 with the dcrrc 10K Training Group:

About 10 new participants showed up on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial by 9 a.m., and then three groups of runners went out along the Mall, a beginner's group with Arnetta and Gary, an intermediate group with Kristin, and an advanced group with Bob and Rhea.

Gary and Arnetta’s group started out at a walk until they warmed up, then did some running down Ohio Drive by the Potomac. They went by the Jefferson Memorial and underneath the highway bridges towards Haines Point, some of them, before they returned to the Lincoln Memorial.

Kristin had her charges go out on a run from Lincoln past Korea, WWI, WWII, Washington and the Carousel (in front of the Castle, the site of last year's TUMS speed workouts on the Mall) before turning and coming back, a little over 3 miles in about half an hour.

Bob and Aaron, and Rhea and Amanda, went out all the way up Capitol Hill to the Supreme Court Building before coming back, 5 miles in about three quarters of an hour. They ran up the exact hill that participants will hit in the fifth mile of the goal race, the CHC.

Everybody looked really good. There were liquid refreshments at the end of the run and many runners lingered to talk with their coaches and others.

NEXT WEEK: Next Saturday, 3/10/07 at 9 am, we’ll meet on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the last time. Anyone who missed these two weeks and wants to sign up for the program, come a few minutes early to fill out the applications for the program ($30) and the club ($20) (if you’re not already a member). Please bring payment.

RUN ON YOUR OWN:
This week you all should run two or three times easily on your own time, 25 to 30 minutes each time. On Saturday, each coach will take you out from the Lincoln Memorial on a route they choose that is a little further than we went last week. The goal race is the Capitol Hill Classic 10K Race (CHC) on 5/20/07. If you want to run the race in the spring at the conclusion of the program, you must sign up at the CHC website. Also, look at the Wednesday evening track workout schedule at 7:15 pm every Wednesday at the Washington & Lee High School Track in Arlington. Speed workouts will make you better. If anyone is interested in going to a track workout and wants me to be there to give them guidance (the Track Workout Program Director, Club President Ed Grant, is an excellent coach and usually there), contact me and I’d be happy to attend the track workout and work with them if I am able to.

MORE INFORMATION:
Be wild and comment on this blog! Amanda did. Look at Amanda as she ran last year's Army 10-Miler. Is she having fun or what? (Photo credit Ashley.)


Feel free to comment on the forum link, also.


TRAINING HELP:
Here is a link to Marathon Guide’s pace and training charts. It is a good place to start for runners turning to the Internet for help with their training. See you Saturday!

First Week 10KG

The DCRRC 10K Training Group got off to a good start on Saturday, with about 40 hardy participants braving the freezing temperature to come to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial by 9 a.m to sign up for the program. Then three groups of runners went out along the Mall, a beginners group with Arnetta and Gary, an intermediate group with Kristin, and an advanced group with Rhea.

Gary and Arnetta, both long-time 10K coaches, took their group out at a walk until they warmed up, then they did some running. They were gone over half an hour. Not bad for the first day’s work! Here's a picture of Coach Arnetta waving hello at the party last fall celebrating the successful end of the DCRRC's summer-time training program for the Army 10-Miler, a race run in early October. Several of last year's 10K participants went on to undertake the 10-Miler training, and some have progressed on to running half-marathons or marathons.

Kristin, who was the 10K Training Group Program Director last year as well as the 2006 DCRRC Volunteer of the Year, took her charges out on a run along the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial alongside the drained reflecting pool, past the Korean War Memorial, the World War I Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, and to the Carousel before coming back. They went about 2 1/2 miles in a little over half an hour.

Rhea, a 10K coach a year ago, went out all the way to the Capitol and back with her group which included a couple of graduates from last year’s program who are currently preparing for the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race. This group ran 3.6 miles in 40 minutes or so.

Everybody looked really good. There were liquid refreshments at the end of the run and some runners swapped email addresses.

This week you all should have run once or twice easily on your own time, 20 to 25 minutes each time, or three times if you are in better shape. You can substitute in a DCRRC Wednesday night Track Workout at 7:15 p.m. at the Washington & Lee High School track in Arlington for a regular run. Speed workouts will really improve your running. Last night the routine at the track workout was six to ten 800M (about half a mile) repeats with a slow 400M recovery jog after each one. I was there to help any 10K Program participants but I didn't see anyone from the program. Hopefully Kristin or I will be there at the track most Wednesday nights during the program.

Next Saturday, March 3, 2007, we’ll meet on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at 9 a.m. again. Anyone who missed this week and wants to sign up for the program can come a few minutes early to fill out the applications for the program ($30) and the club ($20) (if you’re not already a member). Please bring payment. We expect that at least two more volunteer coaches will be on hand. We will meet at Lincoln on the following Saturday, March 10th, at 9 a.m. as well.

Meanwhile Jeanne created this blog of our exploits. Feel free to comment, and please comment on the forum link also. On Saturday, each coach will take you out from the Lincoln Memorial on a route they choose that is a little further than we went last week. The advanced group might do this 5-mile route up Capitol Hill which is the same infamous hill the racers tackle in the fifth mile of our goal race, the Capitol Hill Classic 10K Race (CHC) on 5/20/07. If you want to run the race in the spring at the conclusion of the program, you must sign up at the CHC website for the race and pay the entry fee on your own.

We'll see you Saturday!