Last week (twelve) coming up.

Approaching week 12 (Sept. 29, 2007). The last regular meeting of the TMG will be at 7:30 am on Haines Point, just like week eleven, in the parking lot for the golf course. That's on the eastern side of the peninsula off Ohio Drive, 0.3 miles south of Buckeye Drive which cuts across the northern boundary of the golf course.

This will be a taper week. Linda's group will run seven miles, according to the following route:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1337908

Route directions will be:

From the parking lot, run southbound on Ohio Drive, keeping the water to your left, around Haines Point past The Awakening statue, NB on Ohio Drive, keeping the Potomac River to your left, to a few hundred yards north of Buckeye Drive to where there are steps on your right that lead up to the 14th Street Bridge. Go up the steps then cross the 14th Street Bridge into Virginia. Run north on the Mount Vernon Trail to the Memorial Bridge, cross the river back into the District, run to the south of the Lincoln to Independence, go east on Independence to 14th Street, south on 14th Street skirting the Tidal Basin which will be on your right to Ohio Drive, run south on Ohio Drive back to the parking lot.

Last week (week eleven, 9/22/07) we met at Haines Point and everyone had an adventure of some sort with several folks getting lost but everyone eventually making it back.

Matt's group ran elsewhere. (Above: Matt & Kristin at Gravelly Point.)

Linda's group led by Karen ran 9.5 miles in about ninety minutes following the ATM route in the District, with some runners running a half mile extra either because they were lost or because they wanted to. Sasha, an alumni from last year's Program joined us, having completed the hot, hilly and humid Annapolis 10-Mile race last month in 1:24, a sub-8:30 per mile effort. She enlivened her run by including a jaunt up Capitol Hill as part of it. You can run just as well as her if you keep your training up. (Above: WW2 Memorial, Pacific Column. The wonderland we run through. Some veterans visiting the Memorial while some of us ran by in week eight.)

Jeannie's group ran about eight miles around Haines Point and the Tidal Basin.

Everyone is running really well!

We handed out the technical Program racing singlets. Next week will be the last opportunity to pick up your shirt before the ATM race, which is Oct. 7.

Thanks! I want to thank everyone involved or the wonderful black long sleeve training shirt you all gave to me from OMM running apparel company which has the impression "Will run for Beer". Amen to that and thanks! (Remember--members of this Program will receive a 20% discount from OMM--see post for week eight for details.) It's been my pleasure to make your acquaintances and have the opportunity to run with you all.

Peter

Penultimate Week Eleven meet on Haines Point

Week 11 Sept. 22 of the TMG Program will be at Haines Point in DC. The meeting point at 7:30 am will be in the Golf Course parking lot (it's a double lot, really) to the west side of the eastern length of Ohio Drive SW, a quarter mile south of Buckeye Drive SW which runs across the northern part of the golf course. Here are directions.

We'll meet at Haines Point (same parking lot) for week twelve Sept. 29 also, the final meeting of the TMG before the ATM on October 7th.

Jeannie's group will run around ten miles, Matt's Group will run around 12 miles, and Linda's group will run 9.5 miles following this route:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1320302

This will cover the entire ATM race course as it runs through the District (but not the Virginia parts).

The directions are:

NB on Ohio Drive, WB on Buckeye, NB on Ohio Drive to the Lincoln, run on the East side of Lincoln and NB on Henry Bacon Drive to Constitution. EB on Constitution, then WB on Virginia to Rock Creek Park (got that, Christal and Michael?), SB in Rock Creek Park to the West side of Lincoln, cut down the marble stairs towards the Potomac until you hit Independence, EB on Independence to 3rd Street, NB on 3rd to Pennsylvania (Constitution), EB on Pennsylvania Avenue to 1st Street, SB on 1st running past the front of the Capitol, WB on Independence to 14th St., SB on 14th to Ohio Drive, turn left on Ohio and run SB to the parking lot just off Ohio Drive.

That's 9 1/2 miles. If you want to do 10 miles or more, run past the parking lot another 4:30 for every extra half mile you want to go. It's 1 1/2 miles down Haines Point to the tip where The Awakening statue (soon to be removed) is.

Last week (week ten, Sept. 15) at Gravelly Point, the technical program t-shirts were given out. They will be available for the next two Saturdays also if you didn't get one.

Thirty-three athletes showed up on a beautiful morning for running. Jeannie led her group about ten miles in about two hours, running up the Mount Vernon Trail to Key Bridge and back. With Christal in the lead, Kristin went with her group while they ranged over the entire ATM course in the District, from the Virginia side of the Memorial Bridge (MP1) to the Virginia side of the 14th Street Bridge (MP9), about eleven miles in about 110 minutes. Matt's group ran about 13 miles in the District, at one point they were sighted blazing up Capitol Hill. Everyone looked terrific! (Below: A rare photo of Matt (left, holding the beer) and his group at rest.)

Army is three weeks out. Keep running regularly this week, through next weekend, then start to taper. The last Saturday (Sept. 29) we'll run less mileage than what we're now accustomed to. And after enjoying yourselves and taking a well-deserved week off after Army, keep up your training. You can continue to run long on Saturdays with the club's Saturday Long Run (SLR).

Some further races you are ready for that you might consider:

Baltimore Marathon weekend Half-Marathon (sold out) 10/13/07

MCM 10K near the Pentagon on 10/28/07

Turkey Trot 5-Miler in Alexandria on 11/22/07

Gar Williams Half-Marathon in Belle Haven (Alexandria) 12/1/07

A Metric Marathon in Columbia (MD) on 12/2/07 (this would require more training)

The club's Bread Run 10K in Glen Echo (MD) 12/9/07

In other doings: Jeanne ran the Philly Half-Marathon on Sunday and finished at a 12-minute per mile pace. Congratulations! Is she ready for Army? I think so!

Week Ten Sept. 15 will be at Gravelly Point

Saturday September 15, 2007 (week ten) the TMG will meet at 7:30 am at Gravelly Point off the George Washington Parkway in Virginia. That's where you can watch the jets from Ronald Raygun National Airport come in or take off. You must access it by going NB on the GW Parkway. If you come SB on the parkway, you have to turn around by going through the airport and exiting onto the NB (towards Washington) GW Parkway. Here is a schedule with directions for all twelve weeks of the TMG Program. (TMG on the stairs at Fletcher's.)

Matt's group will likely run 12 miles. Jeannie's group likely will run nine miles on the Mt. Vernon Trail. Linda's group will run what they will run. If they follow this route it will take them ten miles, 70% of which will be over the actual ATM race course. The route is :

NB on the Mt. Vernon Trail from Gravelly Point to the Memorial Bridge. Cross the river on the Memorial Bridge, now you are running the actual race route starting around MP 2. Run North Northeast on Henry Bacon Drive, then East on Constitution Avenue to Virginia Avenue. North Northwest on Virginia Avenue to Rock Creek Park, south on Rock Creek Parkway around the Lincoln Memorial to Independence Avenue, Eastbound on Independence all the way to Maryland Avenue where the new Native American Museum is. Turn around and backtrack from there (the Army course goes up Third and then past the Capitol on First before rejoining Independence) to 15th Street. (The Army route actually turns left on 14th Street and runs over the bridge, but pedestrians can't access the bridge from there unless the road is closed.) Run South on 15th Street around the east side of the Jefferson Memorial onto the 14th Street Bridge, back over the Potomac River to the Mt. Vernon Trail, exit the bridge to your right and circle around under the bridge and run SB on the Mt. Vernon Trail (thus leaving the Army course, which runs from the bridge straight out to the Pentagon) to Gravelly Point.

Got that? You should study the Army Course before the race. Here is the link to the 10-mile route that Linda's group might run.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1278791

Last week (week 9): Matt's group ran 12 miles through Georgetown. Linda's group ran eight miles in the District. A couple of Linda's runners went ten miles. Jeanne led Jeannie's group 8 miles WB on the Custis Trail.

Next week (week 11, and week 12) Sept. 22 we'll meet at Haines Point in the District. Program t-shirts will be handed out in weeks eleven and twelve, and possibly tomorrow (week ten).