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Restarting Track Practice as a Group

As with most of you, we've been eager to return to our running routines, including our weekly track practices. The DC Roadrunners are going to try to ease back into running in groups based upon the latest CDC guidelines released last week. If you would like to join us, you will have to follow these four simple steps:

1. Agree to strictly comply with the new CDC guidelines, found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/participate-in-activities.html. This includes wearing a mask when gathering in groups where you are not fully vaccinated. While your coaches are vaccinated, and therefore could dispense with masks outdoors under the CDC guidelines, we will be always wearing masks except when in motion running and would ask the other vaccinated team members to join us in this preventive measure. Of course, if you are feeling at all sick or have come into contact with a sick person, please use common sense and skip ten days of working out and contact with others.

2. Agree to comply with any additional State or Arlington Country requirements. At the present time, the State and Arlington align with the CDC guidelines, so this should not add any additional measures beyond complying with the rules of track use.

3. Agree to follow Coach Ed's "Track Etiquette Rules" and the directions of your coaches.

4. Agree to waive any liability on the part of your Club and Coaches, as you will be assuming the risks still present despite trying to comply with CDC and government guidelines. The SLR group will be sending out an email with more details on this requirement.

We are excited to see you all, and to welcome you back to Club life! As we know from many studies, group activities such as organized running builds our immunity to all disease by getting us in better shape.

If you agree to follow these four steps, we will see you back for Thursday Morning Breakfast Crew track practice on Thursday May 27, 2021 at 6 AM. Until Arlington changes the rules at W&L, which do not allow us to gather on the track at our usual time on Wednesdays, we won't be restarting Wednesday night organized practices till Arlington changes the W&L Track schedule. In the meantime, you Wednesday Night Hawks are warmly welcomed to our Thursday morning practices!

Coach Ed, Coach Big Guy, and Coach Rich

No TMBC - On Track On Your Own - 4 to 5 x 1000m in 5k Pace, 400m jogs

Fellow Endorphin Junkies

The weather tomorrow will be lovely, with temps in from the high 40s to high 60s, moderate to low humidity, and little wind all day. Yorktown HS track is available, but W&L is still technically closed except for a half an hour each morning, although some will jump the fence, but it seems that McLean and Falls Church HS tracks should also be open.

We continue with no "FORMAL" DCRRC Track Practice in Arlington, but it looks as if we will restart no later than May 27 with some elementary precautions, and until then self-appointed small groups can do our scheduled workouts on their own. We will send out and email soon with details on the restart of track and SLR hopefully.

May 13, 2021 – 4 to 5 x 1000m at 5K ("Interval") Pace, w/400m easy jogs in between

Water breaks are important ALL year round, even when it will be nice 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 mid to high 80% of Maximum range, but if your rates are higher, you need to slow down!

Stallions: 5:15 to 6:15 Pace, 5 x 1000m Intervals

Wolf Pack: 6:15 to 7:00 Pace, 5 x 1000m Intervals

Gazelles: 6:45 to 7:30 Pace, 4 to 5 x 1000m Intervals

Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 7:30 to 9:30 Pace, 4 x 1000m Intervals

This week's workout is a strong speed workout, but given the distance, also an endurance workout. Focus on form, eyes front, knees higher, arms at side lifting the knees, hands relaxed, on toes. This is about a 5k race for most of you, so take it easy on the recovery jog/walk/water legs of 400m, and if you are feeling frisky, put it into the last 1000m interval, perhaps in 3k pace.

In Coach Rich Club News –

Belated Happy Mother's Day to all our mom's. Sorry I missed you all in last week's email.

This week is nurse appreciation week so big shoutout to Liz Ozeki! Liz is an operating room nurse. None of us can likely imagine what this year has been like for her and all nurses – they are all True Heros. Thank you Liz!

At the races this weekend ... Brian Young turned in a nice 18:59 at the Pacer's 5K Friday. I don't think they officially awarded age-groups but for the record Brian was 1st Master. Way to go Brian!

Emily Riley got back in the swing of real and in-person racing at the PR Devotion to Children Mother's Day 4M. Emily turned in a nice time of 32:50. She was still feeling her 2nd vaccine shot but is now looking forward to putting in lots of hard work for Fall racing. Nice job Emily!

I'm heading to Boston for the next week to help my oldest son move. Look for some good runs and pics on Strava and my social media.

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy will be at Yorktown tomorrow morning, but Coach Rich is on the Road – Check him on Strava