Club Members and Guests:
There's a lot to discuss after 12 days, which included our November Board Meeting, as well as a trip to the Philadelphia Marathon, along with final preparations for the Club's biggest race, our Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.
In relative order . . . .
1. Turkey Trot: Rain or shine, cold or warm, our annual 5-Mile Classic co-sponsored with the Potomac West Business Association will start at 10:00 am Thanksgiving morning from the Cora Kelley School in the delRay section of Alexandria. Don't let fear of bad weather deter you from running, or from volunteering! We can still use some hlep at the finish line. Bring a canned good or two for the food pantry collection. Thanks to Paul Thompson and Susan Hage for their leadership of the Club's efforts in this annual event, which is by far the Club's biggest race!
2. Philadelphia Marathon: Having run my first marathon in Philadelphia in 1976, in weather about 50 degrees warmer than what nature put forth last Sunday, I've alwasy been partial to marathons run in the City of Brotherly Love. Having run my three fastest times on this course also helps.
But there are specific reasons why this race "works" for well for runners, particularly those "racing the race" in hopes of a personal best or Boston qualifier. While DCRRC always puts forth a good showing in Philly, I'd encourage more of you to think about this race as you approach your 2007 plans.
The first reason is the weather. The likelihoood of a warm day, or even a fully sunny one, in Philadelphia in late November is minimal. So, you will run in favorable temperature conditions. And even if it is breezy, as it often is, the course sets up so you are likely to be downwind the entire last 6 miles -- not a bad assist.
The second reason is the date. Being late in the season gives you more room to do your hardest workouts and longest runs in September and October, as opposed to July and August. A definite advantage given the types of summers we have had recently in DC.
The third reason is the course. Not only is it scenic -- Mile 14, with a view of Boathouse row to your left, and as you cross under the Spring Garden St. Bridge, a view of the downtown skyline to your right, has got to be one of the most scenic stratches of any urban marathon, anywhere -- but it allows you to "break up" your race with reference to specific landmarks. Miles 1-14 take you through an extended loop of the city, back to the Art Museum start. Then, it is out and back along the river for the final 12 miles. You can break that up any way you like -- I usually did it in two-mile stretches, which provide a reasonable goal to stay "on pace." There's great crowd support at miles 18 through 22, and once you get through that point, you simply have to run home. (Well, it is never simple, but it sure beats the 14th Street Bridge, Crystal City, and Route 110!).
The fourth reason is the record. With the possible exception of Chicago, this may be the fastest course that DCRRC members regularly compete over. Lots of PRs and Boston qualifiers through the years.
Anyway, it was great to be at this race as a pure spectator, after 3 finishes, and one"back-half" run to accompany a friend home to a PR. I hope I will see even more DCRRC members at this race next year.
I am forgetting some folks here, for which I apologize, but congrats to finishers Rob Wolfe (a 2:42 after posting a 2:48 in Marine Corps just weeks earlier), Kerry O'Brien (a Boston QT of 3:37), Emily Leary (12-minute PR), Erica Morton, and Mary Casey. Bernie Gallagher also made a game effort through 17 miles. The Club was also well-presented in the 8K race accompanying the marathon.
3. 2007 Race Schedule: The 2007 Schedule, discussed and approved by the Board at its November meeting, will be posted shortly. There will remain a few amendments as the year progresses, but thanks to the Board and its subcommittee, and to those others who attended the meeting, for getting this process done efficiently and well. One need we have -- and it is immediate -- is to find a location for a 20K race in January. The date is the Sunday of the MLK Birthday weekend. National Park Service is again putting a time limit on our use of Hains Point, requiring us to be finished by 9:30. Unless we start at 7:00 am, we cannot meet this target. So, if you have ideas for an alternate course, please let us know by e-mail, or through the Club Forum page.
4. 2007 Board Meetings: Board Meetings will continue to be held on the second Monday of every other month, starting on January 8. Subsequent dates will be March 12, May 14, July 9, September 10, and November 12, 2007.
5. DC National Marathon: I will soon be meeting with Keith Dowling, direction of the National Marathon in March, to discuss the Club's affiliation with the race as a "cooperating club." The main impact for Club Members is that when oyu enter this event, or the half-marathon the same day, PLEASE indicate that you are a member of the DCRRC. Thanks to the Board for its thorough discussion of this issue, and to Pat Brown, director of our February Greenbelt Marathon, for his thoughts and support of this new venture for the Club.
6. Snowball Series and Bread Run Announcement: The Snowball Series begins with the Gar Williams Belle Haven Half-Marathon on Saturday, December 2nd. The second race in the series, the Bread Run at Glen Echo, is on Sunday December 10. Please note for the Bread Run: You are welcome to bring a loaf of bread, but it should be home-made, not store-bought. (There has been a surfeit of store-bopught loaves at recent runnings of this event.) If you have any questions about the Bread Run or what counts as home-made, contact Bob Thurston at thurret@aol.com
7. Potential New Club Benefit -- Race Packet: You may have noticed that the Club has not issued a mailed newsletter during the past year. This is true for many reasons, chiefly the difficulty of finding and retaining a newsletter editor, as well as delays in production that have made previous efforts untimely. No one is to blame for this -- as anyone who has put out a newsletter will tell you, it is burdensome and thankless work.
One option that would put a piece of DCRRC mail -- sort of -- into everyone's hands 6 times a year is for the Club to partner with RacePacket, put out by our past president, Bob Platt. Under this arrangement, and for less cost than a newsletter solely focused on Club News, every Club Member would receive a copy of RacePacket in the mail, six times per year. Included in the Race Packet would be two pages of copy devoted to Club news, also with information how to join the Club (for those recipients of RacePacket who are not already Club Members. The toal outlay for this would be between $3000 to $4000 per year, which is much less than producing our own newsletter and mailing it. It also puts a tangible benefit, listing virtually every race in the area, and a regular Club news update, into the hands of every member.
I am interested in your feedback on this proposal. Please e-mail me or, better yet, start a discussion thread on the Forum page (saves me from Inbox clutter, and allows other Club members to see your thoughts.)
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and see you at SLR/Track Workouts/Races.
Ed
