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2 x 20 minutes @10 mile pace

Fellow Endorphin Junkies –

The weather tomorrow will be cold with Temps in the low 20s, but with low humidity at 53%, with little wind at 7 MPH, and the "snow" should hold off till 10 AM. There may be some slick spots on the track, so be careful, but it should be passable. You should still remember to bring fluids because you need them whenever you run – tomorrow after every other interval! Accordingly, the Thursday Morning DCRRC Track Practice in Arlington will begin at the Greenbriar Park around the corner from Yorktown High School at our sweet new track tomorrow at 6:00 AM sharp, with announcements before 6 - so please get there early to warm up – say by 5:40 AM. Workout as follows:

February 20, 2025 – 2 x 20:00 minutes in 10m Race Pace, with 3:00 walk back to start plus water and standing rest combo

Water breaks are important ALL year round, even when it is cold like tomorrow, so remember to hydrate before, during and after your runs - tomorrow between and after the Tempo runs

NOTE: I expect to see your heart rates in the Low to Mid 80% of Maximum range, and if your rates are higher, you need to slow down!

Stallions: 6:15 to 7:00 Pace

Wolf Pack: 7:00 to 7:30 Pace

Gazelles: 7:30 to 8:30 Pace

Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 8:30 to 10:45 Pace

This week's workout is a nice break from the more intensive speed work and racing we have been doing. Take it easier on the first interval, accelerating slowly up to 13.1 pace towards 10-mile pace. At the Break, walk back to the start, get some water, and then we will start the second 20:00-minute interval where I want you accelerate a little more quickly and steadily to 10m pace. Both of these Tempo intervals are great opportunities to learn to make moves in longer races where you accelerate to catch and pass runners who are running a steady pace if you add some quicker pace in the middle or end of these runs.

Here is the Coach Big Guy Club News this week:

We had some excellent results in the Valentine's Day 10k and 20k Swim Meet, er, Race and Relay – which were kind of wet! ;-)

Elise M. finished 3rd overall in the 10k, and first in her Age Group in 42:19 – great work Elise! Ageless Wonder Paul Ryan finished first in his Age Group with a 54:19 – woo, hoo! Finally, in the 10k, Coach Eunja finished 3rdin her Age Group with a 69:34.

While it is hard to tell on Athlinks, it looks as if TMBC swept the Top 2 Places in the 20k relay. In first, as predicted by Coach Big Guy, Zach (10k 38:18) and Coach Anna (41:04) for a combined 20k time of 79:22 and very cute teddy bear prizes (Coach BG would LOVE to adopt one!). In second, our recently married love birds, Jonathan (38:27) and Bonnie P (52:00), for a combined time of 90:27 for 20 kilometers – Great Work by all you sweethearts!

The Club Challenge 10 Miler is this Sunday, good luck to all the racers! Get the details on the bus and everything on the Club website:www.dcroadrunners.org.

Coach Big Guy will be in Austin house hunting, so Coach Andrew Golden will more than ably fill in for me at Yorktown in the morning!

TMBC at W&L - Stafford Hills!!!

Fellow Endorphin Junkies

After the Heavy Snowfall last night an Angel (actually TMBCer Mike) shoveled an entire lane around the Yorktown track – a Herculean effort – Kudos Mike! When Coach Big Guy showed up to help out and clear a second lane, however, the Arlington Parks maintenance guys showed up also, and bawled us out for clearing the track! SO - safety and usability are not an issue, but the mere possibility people who love and treasure the Arlington tracks might possibly damage the track means that we can't help out people who won't do their job and make sure park facilities are cleared and open for residents you use them on a daily basis – lesson learned and we will heed their direction in the future. Even if the track was cleared, however, I am worried melt, possible refreeze, etc., pose enough of an issue that we should seek an alternative – which tonight's Wednesday night crew should try – the Stafford Hills:

The weather tomorrow will be right at freezing, and after the heavy snowfall on Monday, both Yorktown and W&L tracks are basically impassible. Instead of a track workout, we will have a hills workout on the Stafford Street hills immediately adjacent to W&L High School. We've done this workout before, and it's a great one for building strength and naturally improving your speed form. Plus, the street is pretty clear and traffic in the morning between 6 and 7 is pretty light.

We will meet at the base of the Stafford Hills at the corner of North Stafford street and 15th street, catty-corner to the W&L High School parking decks (1301 N. Stafford Street, Arlington, VA. 22201. The sidewalk "Loop around W&L and the parking decks" is basically clear – thank heaven for Arlington County School Employees - and at about .8 miles for the Koop, you can warm up running the Loop once or twice before the 6 AM start time for the Stafford Hill repeats. The Stafford Hill is almost exactly 800 meters long from bottom to top, with a significant gain in altitude, so these hill intervals will be challenging. The jog back down Stafford Hill to the start point should be enough to allow you to recover and begin the next interval. When Jill, Iron Man and I used to run these on Tuesday Hill workouts, we would find that the increase in altitude slowed our 800 times so that it would add about 20 to 25% of our 10k pace – your mileage may vary.

February 13, 2025 – 4 to 8 x Stafford Hills at 10K or slower Pace, w/800m return to base easy jogs in between

Water breaks are important ALL year round, even when it is cold like tomorrow, so remember to hydrate before, during and after your runs – after each interval if possible, but at least every other interval!

NOTE: I expect to see your heart rates in the high 80% of Maximum range, but if your rates are higher, you need to slow down!

Stallions: 6:15 to 7:15 Pace, 6 to 8 Hills

Wolf Pack: 7:15 to 8:00 Pace, 5-7 Hills

Gazelles: 7:45 to 8:30 Pace, 5 to 6 Hills

Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 8:30 to 10:30 Pace, 4 to 6 Hills

This week's workout is a strong endurance workout. TO get up the hill, focus on form, eyes front, knees higher, arms at side lifting the knees, hands relaxed, on toes.

In Coach Big Guy Club News –

No results received, but I am sure I missed a few, please let me know for next week!

The next Club Race is the Valentines 10k and 20k Relay this Sunday, February 16, details on the Club Website: : www.dcroadrunners.org – I understand from Coach Anna we may have VERY special prizes that the Big Guy only wishes he could win – Teddy Bears!

Also – the Club Challenge 10 Miler is quickly coming up! Each year we have one chance as a Club - as a Team - to compete together and show the world what we as a group can do: at the local RRCA Club Challenge. All of us can chip in to the team score and enthusiasm by running, whether we place highly or not. As a team, we compete for each other and for all of us. This year the race is on Sunday, February 23rd, and the Club pays for the bus and Coach Big Guy is springing for the Beer and Wine! Details on the Club Website – but signups CLOSE THURSDASY NIGHT (tomorrow) at midnight – and will NOT be extended – so sign up today!

Also please sign up for the Club banquet on March 2nd – details also on the Club website!

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy will be at the Stafford Hills tomorrow morning at 6 AM to "Lead" (from the back – where he is most races! ;-) )