Club Members & Guests:
1. Club Races:
NEXT CLUB RACE: The JFK 20K and MLK 5K will be held Saturday, January 17, 2009, at 9:00 am. Start & finish is at the head of the Capital Crescent Trail, at the end of K Street/Water St. below the Whitehurst Freeway in Georgetown. The 20K includes a stretch on K St. & Water St. before hitting the Cap Crescent Trail, and then finishes underneath the remnants of the old Aqueduct Bridge. The 5K starts a bit after the 20K start. We are grateful for our volunteer partnership with the Team-In-Training for this event. In additionl both races serve as official qualifiers for the SunTrust National Marathon and Half-Marathon.
PLEASE CHECK THIS WEBSITE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, FOR ANY UPDATES ON THIS EVENT NECESSITATED BY THE EVENTS AND PLANNING SURROUNDING THE INAUGURATION.
Race director Daryl Knuth needs additional volunteers for this event. Please contact Daryl at 301-233-7147 if you can help.
On Sunday, January 18, the second in a series of indoor track meets co-sponsored by DCRRC and the Poromac Valley Track Club will take place at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington. See Club Calendar for details.
The next Club race after these events is the Custis Trail 12K, taking place on Sunday, February 1, 2009, starting and finishing at Bluemont Park in Arlington. Please see Club calendar for details.
2. Congratulations to DCRRC Marine Corps Club Winners: This good news -- and the associated hardware -- arrived during my sojourn overseas. So, let me add my congratulations and thanks to the Club Members who performed so ably in the area's largest marathon.
3. Speaking of Teams -- USAT&F National Cross-Country Championships: DCRRC plans to organize teams to compete in the USA Track & Field National Cross-Country Championships on Saturday, Feb. 7, in Derwood, MD (Montgomery County). There will be separate races for the open, masters, and community categories at distances ranging from 4K to 12K.
The entry fee for the open and master's races is $30 (by Jan. 30), and all entrants in those races must join USA Track & Field (USATF), which costs an additional $30. Because the two fees total $60, DCRRC will consider reimbursing Club members half the cost, i.e. $30. However, our decision on whether to reimburse will be driven by the funds available and the number of club members interested in participating in this "elite" level event.
Please note that for the 4K community race, the entry fee is $20, and USATF membership is not required.
If you are interested in participating on a team and being reimbursed, please contact DCRRC board member Ian Clements (ianclem@yahoo.com) by Jan. 24.
For more information, please see the race website: http://www.nationalcapitalregion2009.com/
4. 2009 Annual Banquet, Elections, and Awards: The Club's annual awards banquet will take place on Sunday, March 22, at Maggiano's in Washington DC. Cost for ALL attendees will be $15.00 (The Club heavily subsidizes this event, so the fee covers only a portion of the total cost.)
At this event, we will elect a new slate of officers and directors. The nominating committee consists of retiring board members Ian Clements and Kerry O'Brien. If you have nominations, please contact Kerry at raptorkerry@yahoo.com
We will also present our annual awards for most outstanding and improved athletes. The awards committee is Ben Richter and Kenny Ames. Please use this email to submit nominations, and please do not be shy about nominating yourself! dcrrc.awards@gmail.com
5. 48th Georege Washington Birthday Marathon, Sunday February 15, 2009: This race, the eighth oldest continually-held marathons in the nation, will take place once again on the chalenging Greenbelt, MD course, starting at 10:30 am. There is also a 3-person marathon relay. Detailed information is available on the Club calendar. Additional information and on-line registration is available through Race Packet. www.racepacket.com or http://www.racepacket.com/races/feb09/gwmarathon.htm
Volunteers are URGENTLY needed for this event. You may satisfy your volunteer requirement for the Snowball Series by doing so. Please contact race director Pat Brown at pbrown@noblis.org 703-476-5765 if you can help.
6. USAT&F National Indoors Masters Championships: This event, open to all masters runners, will take place March 20-22, 2009, at the Prince George's indoor track complex near the grounds of FedEx Field. Volunteers are needed, particularly for Friday, March 20. More details in a later post -- but if you would like to help, please write John Haubert at haubertjohn@yahoo.com
7. Monday and Tuesday Training Runs: Club Members are invited to join members of the training programs for the SunTrust National Marathon for informal training runs on Monday and Tuesday evenings.
"Monday Night Foot-Mall": Coach Sasha Sibert leads this run from 25th & Virginia Ave. (across from the Watergate) on Monday evenings around 7:00. It's a nice loop around the back of the Capitol, with an opportunity for food and refreshments afterwards. There will be NO run this coming Monday, the 19th. If you are interested, please contact Sasha at sycsibert@gmail.com for directions.
"Tuesday Night Beer & Burritos": Coach Katie Madison leads this run from the Iwo Jima Memorial on Tuesdays at 7:15 pm. Please check with Katie for details. katie.madison@gmail.com
8. New Van and Timing System: Based on the unanimous vote taken at the Bread Run in December, the Club is in thbe process of purchasing a new van and automatic timing system. Progress will be reported in this space.
Finally, some cold weather running reminders: 1. Dress in light layers. 2. Assume the temp is 20 degrees warmer than it actually is -- you will warm up to that point once you start running. 3. Carry water, or plan water stops. Hydration is just as critical now as in the summer. 4. If you can, run into the wind early in your run, and with the wind at your back coming home, when you are more tired. 5. Change rapidly after you finish into dry clothing. 6. Try to run with someone -- not a good idea to be out alone in extreme cold.
Be safe and run well!
Ed
