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2022 Holiday Relays TONIGHT!

Fellow Endorphin Junkies:

This week there will be NO Thursday Morning Track this week! Instead, we urge everyone to attend the DC Roadrunners Christmas/Hanukkah/Festivus/Holiday Relays that will be held at 7 PM TONIGHT - Wednesday, December 14th at the Washington-Lee Track, 1301 N Stafford St, Arlington, VA 22201. We will split everyone into hopefully competitive two-person teams, alternating between team members a total of 20 (so 10 each) 400M laps. There will be awards for winning teams and best holiday themed costumes. Happy Hour will follow at First Down Sports Bar 4213 N Fairfax Drive, a short walk from the track. All are welcome at the Happy Hour even if you don't run in the relays. I especially encourage everyone to participate, as this is the one time all year that we get to share camaraderie, cooperation, and yes, just a little competition when we are paired with our brother and sister Wednesday Night Hawks – when we are together as one big Team/Club. Plus you get to see a REAL coach in Coach Ed! ;-)

The weather tonight (Wednesday) night will be fine, with Temps at 34 degrees and low humidity at 62%, with little wind at 7 MPH, but still remember to bring fluids because you need them as much in the winter as in the summer!

Here is the Coach Rich Club News this week:

Happy Wednesday and Holiday Relays day. Here is the rundown on last weekend's racing.:

On Saturday, Eunja Rau ran the Holden Beach Half Marathon in North Carolina in a time of 2:00:46. Then on Sunday morning she ran 12 miles from home out to Glen Echo to join several others in our crew at the Bread run!

Bread Run 10K
47:09 - Melinda Metz, 1st AG
50:36 - Yuko Takakusaki, 1st AG
56:51 - Eunja Rau, 1st AG
58:41 - Dara Schulman

Carrie Dunn ran 19:24 at the Jingle All the Way 5K. A sizzling time good for 1st 45-49

Congrats to all of you!

The Annual Holiday Relays are tonight 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.

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy and Coach Rich will be at the Holiday Relays tonight!

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!