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Turkey Trot and Half-Marathon Volunteers; Bread Run; GWB Marathon 2/15; Snowball Series

Members & Guests:

NOTE TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS: THERE WILL BE A BRIEF "ALL-MEMBERS" MEETING OF THE CLUB AFTER THE BREAD RUN ON DECEMBER 14, 2008, TO VOTE ON TWO MAJOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES APPROVED BY THE DCRRC BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT ITS NOVEMBER 2008 MEETING: A REPLACEMENT FOR OUR AGING EQUIPMENT VAN, AND AN AUTOMATIC CHIP-DRIVEN TIMING SYSTEM FOR USE IN CLUB-SPONSORED AND CLUB-SERVICED RACES.

Reminder: NO Track Workout on Wednesdays November 26, December 24, and December 31.

1. Alexandria Turkey Trot -- Last Call for Volunteers! Thursday, Nov. 27 at 10:00 a.m. is the annual Alexandria/DelRay 5-Mile Turkey Trot. We seriously need volunteers for the finish line of this event, easily the largest race we put on each year. In 2008, there were over 2500 finishers -- most completing the course within a space of 30 minutes. So, the work is quick and intense, and we get you out of there by around 11:30 to get home and cook, eat, and/or watch football. This race is our single biggest fundraiser for the year, allowing us to keep our annual dues very modest, and to support the legion of races and training programs we put on each year. PLEASE join us.

2. Belle Haven Half-Marathon December 6, 2008, 9:30 AM: This is the annual kick-off to the Snowball Series. The race starts and finishes at Belle Haven Park south of Old Town Alexandria off the George Washington Memorial Parkway. See Calendar for more race details.

VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO NEEDED FOR THIS EVENT! Please contact Race Director Gene Fox at gene.fox@verizon.net if you can help.

3. SNOWBALL SERIES 2009-2009:

The entire detailed calendar for the Series will be posted shortly on an updated Club calendar for 2009

12/6/08 Belle Haven Half Marathon, Belle Haven Park, Alexandria VA 9:30 am

12/14/08 Bread Run 10K, Glen Echo Park, Maryland 10:30 am

1/3/09 Al Lewis 10-Mile, Ken-Gar Park, Kensington MD 9:00 am

1/17/09 JFK 20K, Georgetown and Capital Crescent Trail, 9:00 am

2/01/09 Custis Trail 12K, Bluemont Park, Arlington VA, 9:00 am

2/22/09 Club Challenge 10-Miler, Columbia MD

3/01/09 Burke Lake Park, 12K.

3/08/09 Fort Hunt Park, 10K

Only major change from 2007-08 is including the Club Challenge 10-Miler. This is to provide an incentive for more Club members to participate in this race, and improve the Club's standings among other area RRCA affiliates.

4. Bread Run, Dec. 14, 2008, 10:30 am: Please join us for this holiday treat! This is the second Snowball Series race for 2008-09. Run on an interesting and challenging course including a stretch on C&O Canal Towpath. Please bring a loaf of home-baked bread or similar treat for all to share after the race.

5. Club Meeting, After Bread Run on Dec. 14: Pursuant to Club by-laws, all members of the Club are eligible to vote on capital expenditures approved by the DCRRC Board at its 11/10/09 meeting:

a. Replace Club Van. The aging Ford Aerostar is ending its useful life, after 10 years of solid service. We propose to replace with a larger van that will cost in the range of $20,000.

b. Purchase Automatic Chip-Driven timing system: These systems are now more economical -- about $12,000 plus per unit cost of $1.00 for "paper chips." These systems have been in use in area races, including MCM. Benefit to Club is faster more precise results, particularly at larger events, and ability to serve running community at large with race management services. The cost is approximately what we make each year from the Alexandria Turkey Trot alone, so in essence, we have already "earned" the cost of this investment several times over.

c. Club Revenues: Our annual budget remains in positive balance. Counting anticipated revenue from this year's Turkey Trot, we have assets totaling approximately $120,000 -- which will leave us with about $85,000 once these purchases are made. When I became president in May 2006, this was our approximate reserves. So, we are clearly in a position to afford these investments, and to use them wisely for the betterment of the Club, and of the sport in the DC area.

If you have questions about these expenditures, please contact the Club President: president@dcroadrunners.org

6. GWB Marathon, Sunday February 15, 2009: This race, one of the oldest continually held marathons in the country, will be run as it is every year on the challenging course in Greenbelt, MD and the USDA research facility. There is also a 3-person marathon relay. Information on signing up will be posted shortly on the website. If you can volunteer for this event, or if you have questions, please contact the race director, Pat Brown. pbrown@noblis.org

7. Reminder: Send Us Your Marathon Accomplishments! Fall marathon season closes with Philadelphia on 11/23, and a couple of early December races. Please send us your marathon accomplishments so we can create a post for the entire Club in early December.

Ed

Turkey Trot Volunteer Call; Board Meeting Nov. 10; Eagles Wings 10K; Natl Marathon Training Nov. 8

Members & Guests:

The next regularly-scheduled meeting of the DCRRC Board will take place on Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:00 pm at the Silver Diner in Clarendon. Among items to be discussed is the 2009 DCRRC race schedule, and the purchase of major capital equipment: a new van to replace the ailing 1996 Ford Aerostar, and an automatic timing system to allow us to provide a wider range of finish line services in our own events, as well as to the greater running community in the Washington DC area.

The next Club-sponsored race is Tuesday, November 11: The Eagle's Wings 10K in Annandale. Please consult Club calndar for details on this race, perhaps the only open running event on Veterans Day in the greater DC area.

1. Congratulation to Marathoners! It is coming close to the end of the fall Marathon season, with big races yet to come in Richmond and Philadelphia. It has been a great season for DCRRC athletes. I'd like to do a compendium at season's end of our Club's performances, and post it here in late November or early December. Please email the Club President with names and times, and any significant info such as PR, Boston Marathon qualifier ("BQ"), first-time marathoner, etc. I do know we have had a significant number of first-time and repeat "BQs". That is the staandard we shoot for with our experienced runners at Wednesday night track workouts. Over the years, many beginning runners have, over the course of time, reached the point where they can shoot for a "BQ." For those who ran the distance the first time this fall -- stick with it! You'll be surprised how much you can progress, and hopefully, we'll see you in a future field in Boston.

2. Looking Ahead to SunTrust National Marathon: The Club's affiliation with the SunTrust National Marathon continues to grow. This Saturday, November 8th, we will host the first workout for the 2009 Reebok Official Training Program. Please meet between 7:30 and 8:00 at Georgetown Running Co., 3401 M St NW in the District. You can sign up for the program at the race's official website, available by clicking on the logo to your left. We have programs for both the full marathon and half-marathon. Enrollment is already double that for the 2008 program, and we expect it to grow further. The enrollment cost for the program breaks down to $5.00 per week -- and that covers personal coaching, training seminars, customized workouts, some serious Reebok "swag," and a dedicated tent at the start/finish area on race day.

3. Turkey Trot Volunteers Needed: Thursday, Nov. 27 at 10:00 a.m. is the annual Alexandria/DelRay 5-Mile Turkey Trot. We seriously need volunteers for the finish line of this event, easily the largest race we put on each year. In 2008, there were over 2500 finishers -- most completing the course within a space of 30 minutes. So, the work is quick and intense, and we get you out of there by around 11:30 to get home and cook, eat, and/or watch football. This race is our single biggest fund-raiser for the year, allowing us to keep our annual dues very modest, and to support the legion of races and training programs we put on each year. PLEASE join us. Contact the Club president by email to volunteer. president@dcroadrunners.org

4. Track Workouts: Workouts for the winter will be posted shortly. On Wednesday November 5, we will do a 10-set of 400M repeats with a 100M jog interval, at 10K pace on the 400s.

Hope to see many of you on Saturday at Georgetown Running Co.

Ed