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6 to 10 x 800m in 5k, 400m jog

Fellow Endorphin Junkies

The weather tomorrow morning will be pretty good, with temps in the mid 50s and very high humidity at 100%, with some wind at 5 MPH and as usual, fair air quality, and no chance of rain! Dress accordingly, and with that humidity be sure to bring water to hydrate. We will start warmups around 5:40, with speed intervals starting at 6 AM in Greenbriar Park, around the corner from Yorktown High School.

October 5th, 2023 - 6 to 10 x 800m in 5k with 400m jog recovery in between

• Stallions: 5:30 to 6:30 Pace, 8 top 10 intervals
• Wolf Pack: 6:15 to 7:00 Pace, 7 to 9 Intervals
• Gazelles: 6:45 to 7:45 Pace, 7 to 8 Intervals
• Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 7:30 to 10:00 Pace, 6 to 8 Intervals

This is another speed workout guaranteed to build both strength and stamina for your summer races. These are tougher than they look, so try to finish strong - push that last 100, and make sure you focus on your running form, so you run efficiently, effectively, and injury-free. Be careful to pick the correct number of intervals – most of us are good at 6 to 8 – only those building to a late marathon at BQ pace need to consider more than that. Remember to stay up on your toes, knees lifting higher, Arms at your sides, not crossing over. Even though I am calling for 5k pace on these, we expect this series to be a progression – starting closer to 10k/8k pace, so take the first two easier, then kick it up a notch by moving to 5k Pace – say 3 to 6 seconds faster per interval than the first two, and if you have something in the tank, pick it up on the last couple of intervals.

In the Coach Rich news ...

Greetings Thursday morning track fans. The Fall racing season is now in full swing.
Good luck to any and all racing ATM or Chicago this coming weekend. I only know one among us that is going to Chicago for the marathon and 44' temps at gun time! If there are others, please let me know who you are. Same for ATM. I don't know of anyone running but I am sure many of you are. Please let me know. rich@dcroadrunners.org

Marty McCormick toed the line at Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon this past week and finished a marathon in his 20th state and all under 3 hours. His time of 2:38 was good for 2nd Master and 5th OA. Marty has been chasing 2:30 and hoped this would be it but things didn't work out. Already looking forward to his next attempt and next state! Still an amazing time Marty. Congrats.

The next club race is the Alexandria Turkey Trot 5M on Thanksgiving. We need lots of volunteers for this race. It is also super fun to run in this race. To sign up to run or volunteer, go to https://www.alexandriaturkeytrot.com/. It's pretty easy to both volunteer – the day before or even the morning of the race - and still run the race – a very worthy Double!
Happy running!

Coach Big Guy will be at Yorktown in the AM!

12 to 20 x 400m in 10k pace, 100m jogs

Fellow Endorphin Junkies

Please arrive at Greenbriar Park (Yorktown Track) early, say 5:40, so you can warm up prior to our 6 AM start of speed intervals. The weather will be nice in the morning, with temps in the lower-50s, but 90% humidity with a little bit of wind – perhaps Fall has arrived! Even though the conditions are pretty good, still bring plenty of fluids to hydrate! I expect heart rates in the mid-80 percent range, and if it gets higher, slow down! There is a wide range of intervals tomorrow – 12 to 20. Most of us will do more than 12, but only the hard core will approach 20 – think about where you are in your training and racing schedule before you choose how many intervals, and as usual, adjust given the conditions and how you are feeling in the AM.

September 28, 2023 – 12 to 20 x 400m in 10k Pace, with 100m jogs

Stallions: 5:30 to 6:30 Pace, 16 to 20 Intervals

Wolf Pack: 6:30 to 7:15 Pace, 14 to 18 Intervals

Gazelles: 7:15 to 8:00 Pace, 14 to 16 Intervals

Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 8:00 to 10:00 Pace, 12 to 16 Intervals

As Ed always says, the focus here is on 10K pace – actual 10k pace, not what you WISH your 10k pace was or should be. The first couple of 400s should feel downright easy. Keep close tabs on your time for each 400 and for each recovery 100. If you find yourself slowing down appreciably, either stop the workout, or at least adjust your pace so that you can finish at least 12 repeats. For those of you training through, slow down your jogs until you can maintain a good, steady, similar time for the 100m jog intervals, and you will find these are much more helpful to your training. You should also focus on your form – get up on your toes and Lift your knees!

... and the Coach Rich Report –

Greetings Thursday morning track fans. A few nice results from this past weekend's racing ...

Victoria Anderson competed in both the Olympic and Sprint Triathlons at the Giant Acorn events. In the Olympic race she was 3rd OAF in a total time of 2:45:11. In the Sprint race she was 2nd Masters Female in a total time of 1:30:02. Way to go Victoria!

Peter Castelino ran the Berlin Marathon in a time of 4:56:57. This despite being sick with the flu. Way to hang tough Peter!

The next club race is the Alexandria Turkey Trot 5M on Thanksgiving. We need lots of volunteers for this race. It is also super fun to run in this race. To sign up to run or volunteer, go to to https://www.alexandriaturkeytrot.com/.

Please let me know if you are running at Chicago or ATM; rich@dcroadrunners.org. Thanks.

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy returns from Nash Vegas and will see you at Yorktown Track at 6 AM after warmup tomorrow!