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2 x 20:00 minute Tempo in 10m Pace, 5:00 minute rest

Fellow Endorphin Junkies -

The weather tomorrow morning will be lovely for summer, with temps in the mid to upper 50s, lower humidity at 73%, with little wind at 6 MPH, but despite the nice weather you should still bring fluids.

Several of you have asked for a longer schedule which we will set forth below, subject, of course, to weather and other factors.

June 17th, 2021 – 2 x 20:00 minute Tempo Runs (These at 10m pace or better), with 5:00 walk back to start plus water and standing rest combo

Water breaks are important ALL year round, especially when it hot like tomorrow, so remember to hydrate before, during and after your runs - tomorrow after each interval

NOTE: I expect to see your heart rates in the 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 solid base workout, and since some of us are going a bit longer on Saturday, this is a nice break from the more intensive speed work we have been doing. Tempo Pace has always been a mystery to Coach Big Guy, but you can check the McMillan calculator, or just try to be somewhere between 10k and 10m pace and you should be good. Take it easy on the first interval, accelerating slowly up to 10m pace or better. Walk back to the start, get some water, and then we will start the second 20:00-minute interval where I want you to do the same - accelerate slowly but steadily from to 10m pace, with perhaps a couple of final laps at 10k pace. Both of these Tempo runs 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 Rich Club News this week:

Hi Everyone. Father's Day is this Sunday. I wish all our dad's a great day and all of you remember to wish your dad's the same.

No races to report this week but some good club news. The full Bunion Derby schedule of races is now open for registration. We also need volunteers for each Bunion Derby race. You can register to race or volunteer at the dcroadrunners.org. The first race is this coming Sunday night (I know it's Father's Day). I will be out there volunteering.

The first DCRRC Happy Hour since before the pandemic is next Thursday June 24th. All the fun starts at 6:30 at our favorite Irish pub, Ireland's Four Courts on Wilson Blvd. near Courthouse in Arlington. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy will be in ATX, and Coach Rich is day-to-day, So Coach Jill will be at Yorktown in the morning to lead practice

 

Early Summer Track Workouts

We received some requests for some advance notice of the track workouts, so the next two months are planned below. While track workouts sometimes conflict with Club races, we usually hold practice even when there is a race for those who are not competing in that particular race. As to availability of tracks for practice, right now we are set at Yorktown for early Thursday mornings with the TMBC Crew. We are still working with Arlington County to see if we can get the W&L track opened on Wednesday nights. According to the School schedule, W&L is supposed to end the school year tomorrow, June 16, so we are hopeful the track will become available next week (June 23) at our usual Wednesday 7 PM start time, but we will see and stay tuned. In the meantime, Wednesday night regulars can run at Yorktown/Greenbriar track on Wednesday nights, or apparently, McLean and Falls Church High School tracks.

June 16/17 - 2 x 20:00 Tempo runs, 5 Minute walk to start and hydrate rest interval

June 23/24 - 4 to 6 x 1000m in 5k Pace, 400m jog intervals

June 30/July 1 - Sprint Medley Ladders – 200m/400m/600m/800m/1200m all in 10k Pace, then down at 5k Pace 800m/600m/400m/200m, all with 400m easy jogs except 200m easy jogs after the first 200m and between the last 400 and the final 200m

July 7/8 - 12 to 16 x 400m in 10k, 100m jog intervals

July 14/15 - 10 to 12 x 500m in 5k, 300m jog

July 21/22 - 3 to 4 x 1600m in 10k, 400m jogs, then 2 x 400m in 5k, 200m jog

July 28/29 - 6 to 8 x Yasso 800s

TMBC - 6 to 8 Yasso 800s, 400m jog rest

Fellow Endorphin Junkies

Tomorrow will be very warm and swampy, with Temps in the lower-70s and high (91%) humidity, little wind, and little chance of rain, so dress accordingly. Greenbriar track at Yorktown is right around the corner from the school, and we will be warming up at 5:40 so that we can start the intervals right after 6 AM!

If you've been running this week, you know how important that you bring plenty of fluids and hydrate – at a minimum every other interval at the finish before your rest interval, but every interval would be ok. Rich and I want to tell everyone how great it is to see so many of you back out at the track! We hope more will join – and just so you know, it looks as if the entire TMBC Crew has gotten their vaccinations so we are hoping we are safe out there following CDC protocols!

June 10, 2021 – Yasso 800s – 6 to 8 Yasso 800s - at a pace where your expected marathon time in hours and minutes is your 800 pace in minutes and seconds, with 400m easy jogs between each 800 in the exact same time as your 800, not faster or slower

To reiterate how to calculate your 800 time take the hours and minutes of your expected (hoped for) marathon time – in my case three hours and 50 minutes (Dream on!) and convert that to an 800 time of three minutes and 50 seconds, followed by a slow 400m jog in three minutes fifty seconds. It is VERY easy to jog that 400m too fast – but don't do it! Much more critical to run ALL of the 800s at the same pace/time, even as you tire, and fully recover if possible, on that exact same time on the slow 400. Yasso 800s are a favorite of Coach Ed and Coach Big Guy, developed by the legendary Coach Bowman from Oregon who coached Steve Prefontaine – and one of the best workouts you can do for the marathon!

Here is the Coach Rich Club Report:

Greetings Thursday Morning Faithful. In the news this week, BABIES! That's right, two of our very own are expecting. Hope Seck and husband Ben are expecting child number 2 in November and Liz Ozeki and husband Ben are expecting their 1st, also in November. So let's see, both dads named Ben and both coming in November. Hmmm? :) Anyway, huge congrats to both these ladies. We are all very excited for you.

Big Guy used to keep track of how many of our runners who brought new little runners into the world. Maybe he still does, but I have long since lost track. I do remember the first being Robyn Bernardy in 2013, but I lost track years ago.

No racing this past weekend but expect it will be picking up a bunch now that races are back. Check the club website dcroadrunners.org to register as most Bunion Derby races are now open for registration.

Happy Running!

Coach Big and Coach Rich will be at Yorktown tomorrow!