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July Races and Workouts

Club Members and Guests:

First, my profuse apologies for this page not having updated for the past three weeks. Family concerns and obligations have been a distraction. Thanks to all who have pitched in to support all of our races and other events during this period.

A few key items:

1. 10-Mile Training Program: The 10-Mile training program, which is geared to the Army 10-mile but suitable for those running any fall race in the 15K to Half Marathon range, starts at 8:00 am Saturday morning, July 14, 2007, meeting at the Lincoln Memorial. See details under the Programs button to your left. Registration is on-site on Saturday morning, so please come out and join us -- the program is definitely wide open for registrants!

2. Bastille Day 4-Miler: Saturday night, July 14th, at Fletcher's Cove. Course will be on the Capital Crescent Trail, starting at Mile 8. Registration at Fletcher's. Race time: 7:00 pm. Predicted race time temp of 85 degrees.

3. Steve Thompson/Fort Hunt 10K: This race replaces the Belle Haven 8K on our calendar. It will be run at Fort Hunt Park at 7:00 pm on Thursday July 19th. Course is five 2-kilometer loops of the park -- excellent conditions to judge your pace and to keep yourself well-hydrated in what looks to be another hot and humid evening. Directions to race can be found in this posting from our March race at Fort Hunt. http://www.dcroadrunners.org/2007/fthunt10k.asp

4. Club Track Races July 25, 2007: Race calendar will be updated shortly. Due to Washington-Lee construction and the resulting lane limitations, the races are at Wakefield High School , 4901 So. Chesterfield Road, Arlington 22206 Google Map Here:

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=4901+S+Chesterfield+Rd,+Arlington,+VA+22206&ie=UTF8&z=15&om=1

The races will start at 6:30, and will include gender- and age-based events (depending on size of entry) for the 1-mile run, and performance-seeded heats for the 3000M run.

5. July Track Workouts:

July 11th: Due to heat (93 predicted), we will do sets of 300M repeats with 100M walking interval. Very slow jog also okay. Maximum repeats is 16, but 12 is recommended. Should take a full 2-minute break (or 400M jog) after each fourth repeat -- sets of 4, then break. Hydrate during each of these longer breaks. Pace for 300M repeats is 5K.

July 18th: Long term forecast is for similar conditions. We will do 400M repeats with a 100M jog rest. Again, sets of 4 with a water/jog break of 2-3 minutes. Pace should be about 10K, maybe a bit faster.

July 25th: Track Races at Wakefield High School. No workout at Washington-Lee.

More information to come.

Ed

Bunion Derby Begins; Track Workouts for June

Club Members and Guests:

The "meteorological summer" has begun, something we have all noticed, and the time has come for the Club's annual Bunion Derby Series:

1. BD #1 Combined with Women's Distance Festival and Run After the Women: The 2007 Bunion Derby will begin on a unique note, with separate men's and women's races on Tuesday June 12th at Bluemont Parkin Arlington. First will be the annual Women's Distance Festival 5K at 7:00 pm, followed by the Run After the Women at 7:30. This will enhance participation in the WDF event, as well as provide an earlier start, in hopefully favorable conditions, for our summer series of racing. In addition, we will now be able to "space out" the first four events of the Bunion Derby to allow participants to race on fresher legs while they attempt to pile up the points.

2. Volunteer Requirement is Back!

2007 is the second year of our highly-successful “volunteer to qualify” requirement for the Bunion Derby. Briefly put, we ask that each participant in the Bunion derby, as a condition for being eligible for age-group awards, sit out one series race and volunteer in some capacity.

In addition to volunteering at a Bunion Derby event, any of the following services to the Club meet the requirement.

Coaching in 10-Mile or Marathon Training Programs.

Volunteering (not racing) at Club Championship 1-Mile and 3K track event in July.

Staffing a water stop or supplying end-of-run refreshments at Saturday Long Run.

Directing a Sunday Hill Workout.

Volunteering for Larry Noel Greenbelt 15K on Labor Day weekend.

Volunteering for the National Capital 20-Miler in September.

If you think other services that should be included in this list, please contact the Club president or a VP for approval.

3. Lawyers Have Heart 10K: This signature race is still looking for volunteers! If you (a) are a lawyer, (b) have had heart disease, or (c) love someone who fits either (a) or (b), please consider coming out to help. Contact the Club president if you can assist. Date: Saturday June 9 at 8:00 am, Washington Harbor.

4. Run Smart! “Sumer is icumen in” sang the medieval bards, and in the midst of our own very post-medieval “warming period,” the urge to hit the road, track, and trail is at its highest. Keep the following common sense tips in mind:

Trails are crowded this time of year. Don’t block the trail, yield to bikers, and when you are biking, “do unto runners as you would have them do unto you!”

Leave the I-Pod at home. You need to be able to hear out on the road and trail.

Slow down. This is a great time of year for target heart-rate training. Working at your normal pace will take you into a higher zone of exertion, and may lead to over-training.

Cross-train. Even 15 minutes of vigorous swimming can accomplish as much as many runs. Pool running in the deep end or dive tank, while a bit boring, is easy on the legs.

Lightning strikes. Stay home, or stop working out, when lightning is in the area. Club policy is to postpone or cancel all workouts and races when lightning is present. No exceptions.

Watch the warnings. We will run on Code Orange and Code Red days, but we will modify if need be. If you are among those at risk due to age or medical condition, please sit out the race or workout.

Above all, run safe and come into the fall ready to race.

5. Congrats to 10K Program Participants! (From Coach Peter Lamberton) The 2007 DCRRC 10K Training Program had a successful spring. It targeted the Capitol Hill Classic 10K on Sunday, May 20 as its goal race.

Thirty-nine athletes signed up for the program, which was led by 7 coaches. Special thanks go to Jeanne McCann for being so capable an administrator, and to coaches Arnetta, Ashley, Bob, Gary, Kristin, Peter and Rhea.
After twelve weeks of practice runs of up to eight miles at six venues, including the Lincoln Memorial, Roosevelt Island, Fletcher's Boathouse, Bluemont Park, East Falls Church and Stanton Square, 18 participants finished the Capitol Hill 10K.

Gary Censoplano (coach)
Giovanna Colan
Arnetta Davis (coach)
Sara Davis
Eileen Engh
Rhonda Glenn
Colby Itkowitz
Jeff Jacobs
Peter Lamberton (coach)
Kimberly Lovel
Kara Lovett
Laura Ramos
Rima Silenas
Ji Seon Song
Erin Sylvester
Brandes Taylor
Anne Trenolone

Times ranged from 48:44 to 1:33:07. Four participants broke an hour (Diaz, Ellis, Lamberton and Sylvester), and three finished in 60th minute: Colan, Itkowitz and Lovel. Coach Masters ran in the companion 3K race and came in 2nd, 5^th overall. Coach Borja finished 4^th, 17^th overall in the 3K, and Coach Lamberton doubled, finishing 15^th in the 3K.

Local running legend Jim Hage reported that the course's signature charge down Capitol Hill and then back up will be eliminated next year and the course re-designed due to security concerns.

Mary Alice Cahir ran the hilly Arlington YMCA Mother's Day 10K the week before in 55:37, coming in 22d. Mary Ellen Fraser was present at the
race. Amanda Wait was on travel during the CHC but ran practically every weekend. Several others ran frequently as well.

The 10-Mile Training program, with the goal race of the Army 10-Miler, will commence on July 14. If you can help out as a coach, please contact:
plamberton@ftc.gov.

6. SLR Now at 7:00 am: Cancel that extra Friday beer and set the alarm earlier -- Saturday Long Run now starts at 7:00 am each week from the Iwo Jima Memorial.

7. June Track Workouts: We will be back on the track, finally, for the entire month of June. Workouts as follows:

June 6: Set 1: 4 x 600M at 5K pace. 200M recovery. 5-Minute jog at end. Set 2: 4 x 500M at 5K pace. 300M recovery. 3-minute jog. Set 3: 2 x 200M at 5K pace. 200M recovery. [4800M total at 5K pace].

June 13: Post-Race Workout. If football field is available, 20-30 x 100M strides. If field not available, 10 x 200M strides, 200M recovery.

June 20: Pre-Race Workout. 300M repeats with 100M recovery. Number and speed depend on participation in race on June 21. Maximum 12, in sets of 4 with 400M between sets.

June 27: Weather permitting, 1000M repeats. Total of 5 @ 5K pace; 400M recovery. Strides to follow.

See you at the track!

Ed

PS: For those wondering my thoughts, yes, Webb ran superbly on Saturday in New York. Probably the most significant competitve victory of his life over a very impressive (and crowded) field. USA could put one of its finest international teams in history on the track this summer in Osaka. Maybe someone could explain to me why two different broadcast teams on two different networks were required to cover the meet, neither of them live.