Week five and I know some of you might be wondering: Why am I here? And maybe some other, not-so-inspiring thoughts!
So I thought I'd share this video, a collage of some running greats, to spur you on to your own greatness. It will have you on the edge of your seat!
Just think: You could be the next Bekele!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Approaching Week Six Sat. 3/31 at Fletchers Boathouse 9 am
APPROACHING WEEK 6, week 5 in review
Remaining 2007 SCHEDULE–9 am Every Saturday:
6. 3/31–Fletchers Boathouse (Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race is the next day.)
7. 4/7–Fletcher’s Boathouse
8. 4/14–Bluemont Park, Arlington
9. 4/21–Bluemont Park, Arlington
10. 4/28–East Falls Church Metro Parking Lot
11. 5/5–Stanton Square in DC (sometimes called Stanton Park, near Union Station, the start and finish point for the CHC10K)
12. 5/12–Stanton Square (sometimes called Stanton Park) in DC (near Union Station at Mass & Maryland Aves., C & 4th St.)
13. CHC 10K RACE is Sunday 5/20/07 at 8:30 am at Stanton Square.
NEXT WEEK (Week 6):
Next Saturday, 3/31/07 at 9 am, we’ll meet at Fletcher’s Boathouse next to the Capital Crescent Trail and the C&O Canal. If you Metro, take the blue or orange line to Rosslyn and run over the Key Bridge, turn left and gain the C&O Towpath by going towards the river and then run westbound a mile and a half on the Towpath to Fletchers Boathouse.
Race of the Week--The Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Race is Sunday April 1st at 8 am in DC and Virginia, starting in West Potomac Park. This is a world-class race.
LAST WEEK:
(Remember those cold winter days? They're behind us!) In WEEK 5, while most of the coaches were at the National Marathon or Half, about 10 athletes showed up for the dcrrc 10K Training Group on a misty morning. Coach Kristin reported that since it was a little drizzly at 9, there wasn’t an overwhelming turnout. The run was southbound on the Mount Vernon Trail to Gravelly Point and back, about 5 miles in about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile: Coaches Bob, Peter and Gary ran the National Marathon and Coach Rhea ran the National Half-Marathon. At least three of them PRed. 2nd in Charge Jeanne came out to cheer the marathoners on at milepost 24.
Remaining 2007 SCHEDULE–9 am Every Saturday:
6. 3/31–Fletchers Boathouse (Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race is the next day.)
7. 4/7–Fletcher’s Boathouse
8. 4/14–Bluemont Park, Arlington
9. 4/21–Bluemont Park, Arlington
10. 4/28–East Falls Church Metro Parking Lot
11. 5/5–Stanton Square in DC (sometimes called Stanton Park, near Union Station, the start and finish point for the CHC10K)
12. 5/12–Stanton Square (sometimes called Stanton Park) in DC (near Union Station at Mass & Maryland Aves., C & 4th St.)
13. CHC 10K RACE is Sunday 5/20/07 at 8:30 am at Stanton Square.
NEXT WEEK (Week 6):
Next Saturday, 3/31/07 at 9 am, we’ll meet at Fletcher’s Boathouse next to the Capital Crescent Trail and the C&O Canal. If you Metro, take the blue or orange line to Rosslyn and run over the Key Bridge, turn left and gain the C&O Towpath by going towards the river and then run westbound a mile and a half on the Towpath to Fletchers Boathouse.
Race of the Week--The Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Race is Sunday April 1st at 8 am in DC and Virginia, starting in West Potomac Park. This is a world-class race.
LAST WEEK:(Remember those cold winter days? They're behind us!) In WEEK 5, while most of the coaches were at the National Marathon or Half, about 10 athletes showed up for the dcrrc 10K Training Group on a misty morning. Coach Kristin reported that since it was a little drizzly at 9, there wasn’t an overwhelming turnout. The run was southbound on the Mount Vernon Trail to Gravelly Point and back, about 5 miles in about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile: Coaches Bob, Peter and Gary ran the National Marathon and Coach Rhea ran the National Half-Marathon. At least three of them PRed. 2nd in Charge Jeanne came out to cheer the marathoners on at milepost 24.
(Coach Peter running with a pace group at MP 24 in the 2007 National Marathon. Photo credit Jeanne.
RUN ON YOUR OWN:
This week you should run three or four times on your own, 30 to 35 minutes each time. On Saturday, each coach will take you out on a route they choose that is a little further than we went last week. Our goal race is the Capitol Hill Classic 10K (CHC) on 5/20/07 which has a serious hill in the last mile. We’re almost halfway there now so it’s time to step up your training a little bit. 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. http://www.capitolhillclassic.com
CLUB TRACK WORKOUT & HILL WORKOUT:
In the meantime, go to the club’s website and 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 contact me by email in that instance. Plamberton@ftc.gov or plamberton@yahoo.com. Also consider a club Hill Workout, also posted on the club’s website. I will be hosting the Hill Workout on Sunday, April 29th at 9 am and I hope to see some of you there getting ready for the hill at the CHC.
MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the program’s Forum Commentary on the DCRRC website. There’s lots of interesting and pertinent information there. Why, you could even leave a comment there, or here, http://dcrr.blogspot.com/, about whether you like the program!
TRAINING HELP:
Here is a link to the first stop to check out all things related to marathons. It has pace charts and training tips. http://www.marathonguide.com/
See you Saturday!
RUN ON YOUR OWN:
This week you should run three or four times on your own, 30 to 35 minutes each time. On Saturday, each coach will take you out on a route they choose that is a little further than we went last week. Our goal race is the Capitol Hill Classic 10K (CHC) on 5/20/07 which has a serious hill in the last mile. We’re almost halfway there now so it’s time to step up your training a little bit. 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. http://www.capitolhillclassic.com
CLUB TRACK WORKOUT & HILL WORKOUT:
In the meantime, go to the club’s website and 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 contact me by email in that instance. Plamberton@ftc.gov or plamberton@yahoo.com. Also consider a club Hill Workout, also posted on the club’s website. I will be hosting the Hill Workout on Sunday, April 29th at 9 am and I hope to see some of you there getting ready for the hill at the CHC.
MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the program’s Forum Commentary on the DCRRC website. There’s lots of interesting and pertinent information there. Why, you could even leave a comment there, or here, http://dcrr.blogspot.com/, about whether you like the program!
TRAINING HELP:
Here is a link to the first stop to check out all things related to marathons. It has pace charts and training tips. http://www.marathonguide.com/
See you Saturday!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Approaching Week 5, week 4 in review
Week 4 Review: About 20 runners met on Saturday March 17th at the Roosevelt Island parking lot at 9 am in 35 degree temperature with a gusting wind and ran southbound on the Mount Vernon Trail. Coaches Gary and Arnetta took the Run/Walkers out for 45 minutes or so.
(As these athletes warm up, does 
it look cold or what?)
Coaches Bob and Peter ran to the 14th Street Bridge and back with the Intermediate runners, about 4 miles in about 44 minutes (a pace between 9:45 minute miles and 10:30 minute miles). (Mary Alice and Erin wait patiently in the biting wind for the run to start.)
Coach Rhea took the advanced group, augmented by some of last year's alumni (I think that's Mindi, who loves to flip, and Sasha),
almost to Ronald Reagan Airport and back again, a distance of a little over 5 miles in a little over 50 minutes. The wind blew strongly in our faces as we returned. 
(The Intermediate Group returning in Week 1. Note the heavy running garments and the dry Reflecting Pool.)
Next: Week 5 March 24th we'll meet at 9 am in the Roosevelt Island parking lot again. The closest Metro is Rosslyn, about half a mile or a 4 minute run away.
Coach Kristin is in charge next week. Coach Arnetta will be there too, but all other coaches will be at the National Marathon race that day unless a fill-in coach shows up. If you're at a loss as to what to do, run south on the Mount Vernon Trail for 28 minutes and then return.
(Coaches Gary and Kristin, and Trooper.)
Here's a helpful website for training, the McMillanRunning Site. Coach Rhea loves this site. It has training programs and also the McMillan Calculator which tells you how fast you should run various distances based upon how fast you have run other distances. Go to the site and look around.
For the remaining schedule, look at a prior posting for Week 2. Let's all wish Jeanne a speedy return to running post-surgery.
(As these athletes warm up, does 
it look cold or what?)Coaches Bob and Peter ran to the 14th Street Bridge and back with the Intermediate runners, about 4 miles in about 44 minutes (a pace between 9:45 minute miles and 10:30 minute miles). (Mary Alice and Erin wait patiently in the biting wind for the run to start.)
Coach Rhea took the advanced group, augmented by some of last year's alumni (I think that's Mindi, who loves to flip, and Sasha),
almost to Ronald Reagan Airport and back again, a distance of a little over 5 miles in a little over 50 minutes. The wind blew strongly in our faces as we returned. 
(The Intermediate Group returning in Week 1. Note the heavy running garments and the dry Reflecting Pool.)
Next: Week 5 March 24th we'll meet at 9 am in the Roosevelt Island parking lot again. The closest Metro is Rosslyn, about half a mile or a 4 minute run away.
Coach Kristin is in charge next week. Coach Arnetta will be there too, but all other coaches will be at the National Marathon race that day unless a fill-in coach shows up. If you're at a loss as to what to do, run south on the Mount Vernon Trail for 28 minutes and then return.(Coaches Gary and Kristin, and Trooper.)
Here's a helpful website for training, the McMillanRunning Site. Coach Rhea loves this site. It has training programs and also the McMillan Calculator which tells you how fast you should run various distances based upon how fast you have run other distances. Go to the site and look around.
For the remaining schedule, look at a prior posting for Week 2. Let's all wish Jeanne a speedy return to running post-surgery.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Approaching Week 4, week 3 in review.
Here's a picture from Week 3, our last appearance for the season at the Lincoln Memorial, of Coach Bob pointing out the route to the advanced group and some alumni from the last program who stopped b
y to run with us.Busted! Then here's a picture of the advanced group, having been stopped by the bicycle patrol on the Mall, about to get a warning ticket for speeding.
Last week was very nice running weather and Coach Bob took the advanced runners out from Lincoln up Capitol Hill and back, about 5 miles in about 45 minutes. Coach Kristin and Trooper took the Intermediate group out along the Mall to the Capitol and back, about 3 1/2 miles in about 35 minutes. Coaches Gary and Arnetta took the run/walkers out from the Lincoln Memorial for 30 minutes or so. This w
eek (Saturday March 17 at 9 am) we're meeting in the parking lot for Roosevelt Island.Last Sunday Coach Rhea and I ran the Lower Potomac River Marathon Two-Person Coed Relay and came in first. Yay! Here's Rhea motoring around the course in the seventh mile of her 11.6 mile finishing leg. Wave hello to everyone!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Starting Over
Have you ever had to start over in life? Whether it's your career, a relationship, school, just moving to a new apartment or even a new city, starting over is never easy.
Luckily, running is one of the few areas of life where you can pretty much count on having to start over—at some point or another.
Maybe you took the winter off from running. Maybe you were injured. Maybe you decided to do something else for a while.
Running is one of those areas in life where you can always start again. This is my second year of running. My first year I used the run/walk method, and that worked great for me. But I decided to challenge myself a bit more during my second year. You see, I never thought I could ever run. Ever.
But I persisted, and eventually could run one mile with no walk breaks, then two, then five, then twenty!
That was just a few months ago. A few niggling injuries and a reduced training schedule left me where I am today: starting over. So start over I did, with this great 10K program of which you are a part. (Note to DCRR: put check in mail for shameless plug.)
And after Saturday, March 17 (happy St. Patrick's day!), I'll be taking some time off from running—again. Enforced time off. I'm having some minor surgery and my surgeon has restricted me from any and all cardio for six weeks.
Six weeks!!
See, when all of a sudden you are told you can't run, well, all of a sudden you are dying to.
The good news is I'm not, in fact, dying. (Well, we're all dying. But that's another essay.) I don't have some fatal disease. I should be able to run again at the end of six short (long! endless!) weeks. And when I do start running again, I know that I will be starting over.
But that's OK. It beats the alternative.
So if you find yourself in a similar position, starting over, and annoyed that you can't pick up where you left off, cut yourself some slack. You'll get there.
All it takes is time and persistence.
Oh, and more than a little desire:
Luckily, running is one of the few areas of life where you can pretty much count on having to start over—at some point or another.
Maybe you took the winter off from running. Maybe you were injured. Maybe you decided to do something else for a while.
Running is one of those areas in life where you can always start again. This is my second year of running. My first year I used the run/walk method, and that worked great for me. But I decided to challenge myself a bit more during my second year. You see, I never thought I could ever run. Ever.
But I persisted, and eventually could run one mile with no walk breaks, then two, then five, then twenty!
That was just a few months ago. A few niggling injuries and a reduced training schedule left me where I am today: starting over. So start over I did, with this great 10K program of which you are a part. (Note to DCRR: put check in mail for shameless plug.)
And after Saturday, March 17 (happy St. Patrick's day!), I'll be taking some time off from running—again. Enforced time off. I'm having some minor surgery and my surgeon has restricted me from any and all cardio for six weeks.
Six weeks!!
See, when all of a sudden you are told you can't run, well, all of a sudden you are dying to.
The good news is I'm not, in fact, dying. (Well, we're all dying. But that's another essay.) I don't have some fatal disease. I should be able to run again at the end of six short (long! endless!) weeks. And when I do start running again, I know that I will be starting over.
But that's OK. It beats the alternative.
So if you find yourself in a similar position, starting over, and annoyed that you can't pick up where you left off, cut yourself some slack. You'll get there.
All it takes is time and persistence.
Oh, and more than a little desire:
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Tuesday Night Running Seminars
Here are some helpful, free seminars on running you may be interested in:
The Arlington Cooperation Foundation (ACF) welcomes all runners to its Spring 2007 Tuesday Night Seminar Series at Pacers, 3100 Clarendon Blvd. Arlington, VA, across the street from Clarendon (Orange Line) Metro.
Seminars are free of charge, start at about 7:30 PM (following the Pacer's group run), and run 30-60 minutes, with audience Q&A. All are welcome, regardless of experience or ability.
Tues. 3/20/07 [Last Tuesday before National Marathon and Half]: Jay Jacob Wind, Coach, 111 Marathons, and Age Group Ace, "Mental and Physical Preparation for your Distance Race"
Tues. 4/3/07 [First Tuesday after Cherry Blossom 10 Miler]: Dr. Bernard Etherly, Chiropractor and Triathlete, "Turning Ouch! into Ahhhh ... Prevention of, and Recovery from, Running Injuries"
Tues. 4/10/07: Chris Farley, Owner - Pacers Running Store, Veteran Marathon Elite, "The Top Ten Things You Didn't Know about Running Shoes"
Tues. 4/24/07: John Steitz, Coach and Foe of the 14th Street Bridge, "Hydration Myths and Strategies for the Distance Athlete"
The Series will conclude with ACF's "College of Running" on Saturday, May 5, 2007, 2:00 to 6:00 PM, at the Courtyard by Marriott, 2700 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22314, which is part of the Expo for the Potomac River Run Marathon and Half Marathon. All are welcome.
The Arlington Cooperation Foundation (ACF) welcomes all runners to its Spring 2007 Tuesday Night Seminar Series at Pacers, 3100 Clarendon Blvd. Arlington, VA, across the street from Clarendon (Orange Line) Metro.
Seminars are free of charge, start at about 7:30 PM (following the Pacer's group run), and run 30-60 minutes, with audience Q&A. All are welcome, regardless of experience or ability.
Tues. 3/20/07 [Last Tuesday before National Marathon and Half]: Jay Jacob Wind, Coach, 111 Marathons, and Age Group Ace, "Mental and Physical Preparation for your Distance Race"
Tues. 4/3/07 [First Tuesday after Cherry Blossom 10 Miler]: Dr. Bernard Etherly, Chiropractor and Triathlete, "Turning Ouch! into Ahhhh ... Prevention of, and Recovery from, Running Injuries"
Tues. 4/10/07: Chris Farley, Owner - Pacers Running Store, Veteran Marathon Elite, "The Top Ten Things You Didn't Know about Running Shoes"
Tues. 4/24/07: John Steitz, Coach and Foe of the 14th Street Bridge, "Hydration Myths and Strategies for the Distance Athlete"
The Series will conclude with ACF's "College of Running" on Saturday, May 5, 2007, 2:00 to 6:00 PM, at the Courtyard by Marriott, 2700 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22314, which is part of the Expo for the Potomac River Run Marathon and Half Marathon. All are welcome.
Monday, March 12, 2007
A Win for DCRR!
Peter and I ran the Lower Potomac River Marathon Relay yesterday. We placed first in the co-ed division!
Our time: 3:34:35. Full results are here. Our team name is "Tortoise and Hare."
Peter did the first leg, which is a flat and scenic 14.6 miles. I ran the hilly 11.6 mile second leg. He ran quite strongly, meeting his half-marathon PR, and averaging 7:59.5/mile. I ran the race as a fast training run, averaging 8:22/mile.
The second-place winner in our division came in more than 10 minutes behind us. We also beat all 10 women's teams, and beat five of the nine men's teams. So besides placing first division-wide, we came in5th out of 27 teams overall.
Peter and I recap the race in our blogs, so check 'm out.
Our time: 3:34:35. Full results are here. Our team name is "Tortoise and Hare."
Peter did the first leg, which is a flat and scenic 14.6 miles. I ran the hilly 11.6 mile second leg. He ran quite strongly, meeting his half-marathon PR, and averaging 7:59.5/mile. I ran the race as a fast training run, averaging 8:22/mile.
The second-place winner in our division came in more than 10 minutes behind us. We also beat all 10 women's teams, and beat five of the nine men's teams. So besides placing first division-wide, we came in5th out of 27 teams overall.
Peter and I recap the race in our blogs, so check 'm out.
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