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2 x 15:00 Tempo Runs, 2:30 walk back and rest between

Fellow Endorphin Junkies -

The weather tomorrow morning will be very nice, cool with temps in the upper 40s, humidity at 90%, and a little wind. While it will be pretty ideal fall/winter conditions, you should still bring plenty of fluids.

December 8, 2022 – 2 x 15:00 minute Tempo Runs (These at 10m to Half-Marathon pace), with 2:30 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 this is a nice break from the more intensive speed work and racing 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 10m and 13.1m race pace and you should be good. Take it easy on the first interval, accelerating slowly up to 10m/13.1 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 to do the same - accelerate slowly but steadily 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 Thursday morning track fans. Lot's of racing this past weekend. Here is how the crew faired:

California International Marathon
2:58:02 - Yared Addisu, 3 min PR
3:14:45 - Arielle Weiner

Adam Mann ran a strong 2:59:31 at the Dismal Swamp Marathon down in Chesapeake. This was a PR and a BQ

EOD Warrior Marathon on the C&O Canal Towpath Sunday
3:37:39 - Hope Seck (sadly missed the turnaround adding an extra mile), 1st AG
3:37:39 - Melinda Metz (pacing Hope), 1st AG

Gar Williams Half Marathon
1:33:46 - Mike Lurie, PR, 3rd AG
1:50:42 - Yuko Takakusaki
2:03:59 - Eunja Rau
2:41:48 - Miguel Cuya

FXBG Blue & Gray HM
1:24:21 - Christie Wetzel, 2nd OAF
1:18:38 - Rodrigo Vellon, 1st AG

Congratulations to all of you!

Finally, At the Rehoboth Marathon, Coach Big Guy ran his 80th and final marathon in a time of 5:16:42. It was a real miserable weather day but he hung tough and finished with his usual spirited sprint to the finish. Congrats once again. Everyone is proud of you!

The 2nd race of the Snowball Series is the Bread Run 10K this Sunday Dec 11. As a reminder, all series races are free to club members. We always need volunteers. Go to http://dcroadrunners.org to register for the race or to volunteer.

The Annual Holiday Relays are Wednesday night Dec 14 at the W-L track at 7PM. This is a 2-person relay where we pair faster and slower runners together to run 10 x 400 as a tag team relay. You each run 10 x 400. This is a hugely fun event followed by happy hour at First Down just up the street from the track. Fun holiday prizes are awarded for the podium places and best costumes. We hope to see everyone there. There will be no Thursday morning track practice on the 15th.

New Year's Day is the club's annual Predictions & Resolutions 5K. It starts at a New Year's Eve friendly 12:00PM. I am the race director andI am still in need of 10 volunteers. To sign up to run or volunteer go to http://dcroadrunners.org.

See you tomorrow. Happy running!

Coach Big Guy and Coach Rich will be at Yorktown in the morning!

Distance Ladders - 400/800/1600/1600/800/400 w/400 jog rest

Fellow Endorphin Junkies

Tomorrow morning will be cold, in the low 30s with low humidity (57%) and quite windy – with winds from 15 MPH to gusts of 25 MPH. Despite the cold, make sure you bring water and hydrate often during this workout with long intervals.

December 1 2022 – Distance Ladders – 400m/800m/1600m, all in 10k Pace, then down at a quicker Pace (5k for some of you), 1600m/800m/400M, all with 400m easy jogs

There are a lot of intervals to run (six), and a lot of jogs in between, so you do NOT want to go out fast, as the benefit to this sort of workout is increasing your speed, cadence and pushing past your lactate threshold on the back end of the workout. At these medium to long distances, correct speed form is the key. 8 to 12 degree lean, lifting knees higher, core still, no crossover with your arms, and do not clench your fists. Make sure you are up on your toes, and increase speed by increasing cadence, which counter-intuitively may involve shortening your stride.

And now the Coach Rich Report!

Greetings Thursday Morning Faithful. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Lots of racing this past holiday weekend. Congrats to all who raced and sorry in advance if I missed anyone.

Alexandria Turkey Trot 5M

29:22 - Yared Addisu, PR
32:08 - Carrie Dunn, 1st 5M race ever!
32:31 - Nate Rathjen
34:46 - Hope Seck
38:13 - Rich Mendelowitz
39:01 - Judah dal Cais
39:53 - Mark Bourgeois
43:57 - Eunja Rau
46:13 – Coach Big Guy (taking it easy running Marathon Pace)

Ron Wang ran the Arlington Turkey Trot in 20:46. Solid work for Ron but lot's of peeps upset that they rolled out a new course this year and it was 0.2 short. Bummer.

Kate Scott ran the Reston Turkey Trot in 21:40

At the Can the Bird 5K Emily and Kenneth ran solid times.

22:37 - Kenneth Riley
24:14 - Emily Riley

The first race of the Snowball Series is the Gar Williams Half Marathon this Sunday Dec 4 followed by the Bread Run 10K on Dec 11. As a reminder, all series races are free to club members. We always need volunteers. Go to http://dcroadrunners.org to register for the race or to volunteer.

Four of the Faithful will not be running the Gar Williams, as they are running marathons. Good luck to our marathoners this coming weekend. Jill and Coach Big Guy are heading to Rehoboth for the Seashore Marathon and Arielle and Yared are headed out to the California International Marathon. Run smart and good things will happen. We are all pulling for you guys!

The Annual Holiday Relays are Wednesday night Dec 14 at the W-L track at 7PM. This is a 2-person relay where we pair faster and slower runners together to run 10 x 400 as a tag team relay. You each run 10 x 400. This is a hugely fun event followed by happy hour at First Down just up the street from the track. Fun holiday prizes are awarded for the podium places and best costumes. We hope to see everyone there. There will be no Thursday morning track practice on the 15th.

New Year's Day is the club's annual Predictions & Resolutions 5K. It starts at a New Year's Eve friendly 12:00PM. I am the race director andI am still in need of 10 volunteers. To sign up to run or volunteer go to http://dcroadrunners.org.

I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow morning. Happy running!

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy is considering sleeping in in due to his Saturday marathon, but Coach Rich will be there for sure!