Matias wins Ironman

Recent father and calf extraordinaire Matias stormed through Cambridge at the Chesapeakeman iron-distance triathlon (1.2mi swim / 112mi bike / 26.2mi run) in 9:03, barely a month after a strong performance at Ironman Lousville...

Just this time he took almost 30 minutes off that time, doing it mostly ALONE (imagine having to exercise really hard alone, not to mention race alone, for over 8 hours!). He finished a ridiculously fast ride with a 3:07 marathon.  A very quality pro-level performance and time.

Matias strolling through Cambridge, MD

FLASH: GRC Wins Team Comp in Pitt, Woodshed Wins Perfect 10k

UPDATED

Great Race 10k results: 

2nd - Sam Luff - 30:59

5th - Charlie Ban - 31:43 HUGE PR! 

6th - Maura Carrol - 36:15

Closer to home, Lauren Woodall wins the Perfect 10k in 37:16

Sunday Races & Long Runs

  GRC leads the pack at last year's Great Race

GRC MVP Sam Luff will make his fall debut tomorrow at the Great Race in Pittsburgh. The rolling 10k course and solid competition offers those who know how to race hills a chance to run a very fast time. In 2010 Luff won with a time of 30:34 (running his back 5k in 14:59!). Although he might not be in that kind of shape this year (yet), Coach Jerry Alexander seems confident in his star player: "Sam has been laying low for the past few months in terms of racing, but his training has been excellent, and he's ready to get his fall season started with a hard effort on Sunday."

Charlie Ban will also be racing on Sunday. Ban has been working out extremely well over the past couple of weeks. Racing in his home town, Coach Alexander thinks the recent change in temperatures will only help Ban. "Since the weather cooled off, Charlie has been training very well, and he's looking for a major breakthrough this fall.  Based on his current fitness, it could come sooner rather than later."

5k specialist Maura Carrol is the sole female participant racing for GRC. "Maura built an excellent mileage base this summer and will have a huge fall season" noted Alexander. "This race is on the long end of her range, but she's ready to run a solid PR."

Locally, Lauren Woodall, fresh off a seven minute personal best in the half marathon, will race the Perfect 10 10k in Reston. Alexander believes she's ready for another one. "'Woodshed' is coming off a huge PR at the Navy Half, and there's every reason to think she will PR at every distance she races this fall."
 

++++

Those not racing can find fellow teammates on Sunday at THE LINE at 9:00am for a long run. Distance will vary, but assume most will run 15. GRC expat Jake Marren is in town and is rumored to make an appearance.

Speaking of rumors, Texas Paul and Indiana Witty might be running at Manssas/Bull Run Battlefield tomorrow as well. 

Comment if you're coming/have questions.

Saturday 9/29 XC Workout

From Coach Jerry:

We'll be at the cell phone field on Saturday, starting at 9:00, so plan to meet for the warmup at 8:15.


Before I get to the workout, there are a few important administrative issues.

1) I still need at least one more guide for a visually impaired runner at the Wilson Bridge half marathon on October 7. The goal pace is modest (6:52s) so this will not be a difficult task for any of you. But it will surely be a rewarding task, and supplying guides is a wonderful service that GRC can provide to the running community. If you can do it, please let me know right away.

2) The MCRRC cross country race that many of you will be running next weekend is on SUNDAY, October 7. My original race calender had it listed as Saturday, so there has been some confusion, for which I apologize. On the topic of the race, there are no comps available, but the entry fee is only $10. Registration is race day only, so show up with a crisp $10 bill and your new GRC gear, ready to run. I'd like to get a volunteer to serve as Captain for the race. There will be some folks who need help with transportation to the race, so the Captain can serve as the conduit for those who can give rides, and those who need them.

3) We cannot use the track at BCC again next week. This leaves us in a bit of a quandry about where to hold practice. AU is available, but because of the lack of lights, we would need to be done with the workout no later than 7:15, which would mean starting by 6:30, and thus meeting for the warmup no later than 6. I recognize this is not convenient for many of you. A second option is to hold practice on the Capital mall, but before we commit to that, I want to make sure that the weather will be conducive, as no one wants a repeat of last year's rainy mall workout. My preference is to use AU, but I don't want to impose that on those of you who can't get out of work early, so I'd like to poll the electorate. If you who have a strong opinion one way or the other, please speak up. A third option is to have some of you do the workout on Tuesday at TC Williams in VA in conjunction with my NOVA practice. We will have at least 4 distinct groups on Wednesday--the men's A and B, and the women's xc and Army 10. If enough of one group want to go on Tuesday at TC Williams (ie a majority of the Army 10 group), that is certainly a viable alternative. Any of you who can't make it Wednesday are welcome to come out on Tuesday and go solo, and I'll hold the watch. Let's try to nail down a plan before Saturday, and we can discuss fallback options.

4) We cannot use the track at BCC on the following Wednesday, October 10. I propose that we move practice to Thursday, Ocotober 11, when the track at BCC will be available. Does this work for most of you?

5) If you're planning to run USATF Club XC Champs, if you have not done so, please make sure you have your USATF membership squared away.


As for the workout Saturday, the men will do a ladder of 9-7-5-3 minutes, with a 3 minute jog on all of it. The women will do 4 x 5 minutes with a 2 minute jog, then take a 5 minute jog after the 4th rep, and do 5 x 45 seconds with a 90 second jog.

If you have any questions, give me a shout. See you Saturday.

Owls attacking runners in DC

http://www.wtop.com/109/3056439/Owls-attacking-runners-in-DC-area

Owls HAVE been known to hunt fox...

Falls Road 15K

Hello all, I am running Falls Road 15K this Sunday morning and you welcome to carpool with me to the starting line.  Here is our friend Ryan McGrath said about the race:

 

The 15k is definitely not a flat course, it's challenging but also not the hardest course it could be around these parts. Still, I think the winning time has been just inside of an hour or just over an hour the last couple of years.

Contact me directly if you interested.

Wednesday 9/26 Workout

From Coach Jerry:

It was a quiet weekend on the racing front as we all took a well-earned break after the great performances last week. We'll have a small group in action this weekend, including several athletes in the Great Race in Pittsburgh. The rest of you will have the pleasure of another workout at the cell tower field on Saturday. I'll send out further details later in the week.


We're back at BCC this week for a 7:15 start, so plan to meet for the warm up at 6:30.

The workout for the men will be 2 x mile, 2 x 800, 2 x 400, all with a 3 minute recovery.

Catching up with the Expats

GRC recently caught up with a handful of expats from years' past to see how they're fairing on (and off!) the roads, track and trail. 

Here is what a handful had to say about training and life:

DIRK DE HEER

The "Beastman" currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona with wife Brooke and, while not modeling off new wooden clogs, works as an assistant professor in the department of Physical Therapy. The university recently approved a grant Dirk wrote up and, as a result, he'll soon be doing research on the Alter-g anti-gravity treadmill. The Dutchman is busy with everyday life and not training as frequently as he would like, but still "jogs" easily twice a week. By penciling in Cherry Blossom (April) or Tuscon Half (December), Dirk hopes to get recommit himself to an upcoming endeavor. Don't let this lack of fitness fool you - last spring Dirk ran a jaw-dropping 29:59 for 10,000m and in August placed 4th in a half Ironman. This Beastman is no slouch.

IAN HANKINS

Ian lives in Baldwin City, Kansas and coaches the Baker University Wildcats. Nowadays, as a result of coaching, Ian's training is very sporadic but he aims to rabbit (1:14) the Hollywood Half Marathon in December in an effort to get a few of his athletes qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the marathon. Ian recently got engaged to longtime gal pal Beth Neumann.

DIEGO MIRALLES

The Spaniard from Amsterdam, who for a year lived and trained in the United States, now resides in the United Kingdom. With a PhD under his belt, Miralles (see link) now boasts a terrible haircut and teaches classes in hydrology and climate change at the University of Bristol. Miralles hasn't been racing much lately, but did run two sub-32 minute 10Ks as well as an 8:40 3K before moving from Amsterdam to Great Britain.

RYAN HANSON

"Predator" resides in Hershey, Pennsylvania, home of everything chocolate and the famous Troegs Brewery. Hanson hasn't had a lot of time to train due to his demanding school schedule, but plays the occasional pick-up basketball game. The club record holder in the 1500m and 3,000m is engaged to his college sweetheart Katie.

JAKE MARREN

Jake and wife Ella live in Montpelier, Vermont with their new dog "Crumplebones" and have already seen their first frost of the fall. In May, the bearded brewmaster ran 2:49 at the Burlington Marathon while battling plantar pain in his foot (a problem that still persists to this day). Marren is entered in the 2013 Boston Marathon. 

MATT ERNST

When reached for comment, Ernst was purchasing a 12-pack of Budweiser from a Lexington, Kentucky-area package store...at 9:37am...on a Wednesday. The master's runner lives with his new girlfriend and breeds race horses (last week they sold 11!). After a nasty shoulder injury, and subsequent surgery, last November, Ernst hasn't been training as much as he'd like. However, last month he finished the Louisville Ironman. 

PATRICK REAVES

After graduating from Duke in May, Reaves moved to San Mateo, California and took a job with a little know company called Facebook in July. Never one to sit idle, Reaves is running 80-90 miles per week and will be racing Rock n' Roll San Jose half in a few weeks, followed by some races in the Bay Area fall XC series. He'll also be racing alongside fellow GRC expat Billy Askey at Club XC Nationals in December for the Bull City Track Club. Next June, Reaves will set his sights once again on the marathon, this time Rock n' Roll San Diego. He and longtime girlfriend Valerie got engaged this past summer. She and "Wilson", their ever-droopy Basset Hound, will join him in California in January. 

CARLOS HUNT

The one time playboy from American University has returned from Europe and again lives in Washington, D.C. He's been running 30-40 miles per week and hopes to return to GRC practices in November. Hunt is eying the Boston Marathon next spring. 

LUKE ALBERTSON

Luke moved back to Connecticut and is working toward a Master of Arts in Teaching. He's also student-teaching and assistant coaching (xc/track) at William Hall high school. So while he's mostly running vicariously through his athletes, he's also in fairly decent shape, and will be shooting for a sub-15 5k this indoor season. Over the summer, Luke ran 15:19 for 5k on the roads. He will be applying for jobs in the DC metro area come springtime, so we might see him yet again. Luke is also the proud father…of a corn snake named "Corny."

BILLY ASKEY

Billy and wife Sara recently relocated from New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina and live next to a huge state park with abundant (but very hilly) trails that Billy trains on daily. After dealing with an abdominal muscle issue in the spring and focusing on job hunting and moving, Billy is almost back to training full-bore. He'll be running with Bull City Track Club (thanks to Reaves) in Lexington and plans to chase after new PRs in the spring.

DYLAN KEITH
Dwayne now lives and works on a farm in Sacramento, California. That farm, has apparently grown dramatically in the last few months...or so he claims. Training isn't going well, Dwight admits, but he wants to make it a goal to run the California International Marathon NEXT year.

And now...the ladies (in Ladies' Man voice)...

MELISSA TANNER
Tanner is living in Baltimore and ais working as a psychologist at Johns Hopkins. Since finishing up her PhD she's been focusing on her career and loves what she does. While not running as much as she use to, she joined the Falls Road Racing team this past spring. Now she's slowly getting sucked back into it and admits "It's great to be a part of a really supportive running community again". While she has no big races set on the horizon, she'd like to do another marathon.

CAROLINE WHITE
After finishing 34th at the 2012 US Olympic Trials in Houston (2:38), White is setting her sights on shorter races before, once again, moving back up to the 26.2 distance. White is a pilot in the USAF and resides in Anchorage, Alaska. She recently got engaged.

LINDSEY JERDONEK
LJ left her "real job" in January to focus on triathlon training full time and plans to live in Orlando, FL for the winter. She's had a character-building season after missing 5 months of run training due to injury. However, she did compete on the USA relay at a world championships event in Stockholm and placed 5th American at USAT nationals in Buffalo. She has a few races left for the 2011 season: a World Cup in Cancun followed by two half ironman races in SC and FL, but her long term goal is to qualify for the Olympics in Rio in 2016. 

It should be noted that most everyone reached for comment reads this blog frequently and expressed warm greetings to their old teammates back in Washington, D.C.

Sunday Run

If anyone is interested, I am going to run Riley's Lock on Sunday at 9am. It's a 15 mile loop, but there are also 11 or 13 mile options.

Comment if you plan to show up

Saturday 9/22 XC Workout

 

From Coach Jerry:

We will be on the cell tower field on Saturday morning, for a 9 am start, so plan to meet for the warmup at 8:15.   The workout for the men will be 2 x 12 minutes at approximately 10k goal pace, with a 5 minute recovery, then after another 5 minute recovery, 5 x 45 seconds on, 2 minutes off. The women will do a 6-5-4-3-2-1 minutes ladder, with a 3 minute recovery after the 6 and 5, and 2 minute recovery on the remainder. Directions to the field are on available under the Where We Run tab of grcrunning.com.     Charlie is hosting a brunch at his house in Tenleytown after practice.  Please let him know if you plan to attend.

A couple of quick administrative notes:

1)  We will be back at BCC next Wednesday.

2)  Don't forget to enter your race schedule on the calendar on our web site.

3)  Don't forget to update your bio.  If you've run PRs recently that are not listed, and/or you have located a good photo of yourself in the new singlet (and there are lots of photos floating around), please fill out this handy form on grcrunning.com and Jimmy will make the changes.

If you have any questions, give me a shout.

I'll see you Saturday on the grass for a 9 am start.

Weekly Recap and Wednesday 9/19 Workout

From Coach Jerry:

RACES

In the spirit of the Jewish New Year, I'm kvellig over all the great performances this weekend. In no particular order, some of the highlights for me were:

The GRC debuts of Catherine Campbell, Alex Benway, Stefan Kolata, and Matt Hassett. Catherine and Alex both ran very well in the 8k on Saturday, and demonstrated that they are going to be in the hunt for the GRC top 5 at Clubs. Stefan ran a very solid half in Philly, and he is going to be a great addition to our marathon group. Matt ran his first race longer than 10k, and showed that he has a great future on the roads.

Lauren's HUGE half marathon PR at Navy. We've seen some big PRs in the last few months, but knocking off almost 7 minutes in one race is truly outstanding. To put Lauren's improvement into perspective, her 5k PR when she joined GRC in the spring was the pace she ran for a half marathon on Sunday.

Lindsay's half marathon debut in Philly. Lindsay had never raced longer than a 10k, and while her respect for the distance caused her to run conservatively early, her 18:41 last 5k demonstrated that she is capable of running much, much faster next time.

Drea and Beth's big PRs in Philly. I've become so accustomed to seeing huge PRs from Drea and Beth that this seems almost routine, but it's worth emphasizing that they ran PRs of a minute, and 80 seconds, respectively. Drea has dealt with some injury issues the last couple of months, and to see her back in form is welcome news indeed. Beth has had some bad luck in the half the last few times out, but she took advantage of the favorable conditions in Philly in a big way.

Teal’s PR in Philly.  Teal has been training very, very hard since she started with GRC this summer, and this will be the first of many PRs for her in the longer distances, which are her strength.

Dave Burnham's wire to wire victory in the Navy half. Dave was unchallenged from the gun, but he ran hard and will be ready to roll at Army, where there will be a wee bit more competition.

Sean's solid effort in Philly. Sean missed a PR by a few seconds, but he ran hard, and will be ready to roll in what will literally be a command performance at the Marine Corps Marathon.

Witty’s PR at the 8k.  Witty’s training has been sporadic of late due to a very demanding work schedule, but clearly his fitness is there.

Michelle’s return to racing at the 8k.  Michelle’s rust showed, but her fitness level is outstanding, and she is poised for a great fall season.

Tex Paul’s return to racing at the 8k.  Paul ran much faster than he expected, which bodes very well for the fall.

Solid performances from Maura, Hilary, and Susan at the 8k.  Those 3 former Ivy League greats will form the core of our cross country squad in Lexington, and they are all very fit, and will be ready to run well this fall.

More solid performances from Jake, Dave Wertz, and Jason at the 8k.  That Jake running 25:32 for 8k is not a headline proves how far he has come in his recovery. Dave and Jason narrowly missed PRs, and they are both ready for excellent seasons.

A hearty mazel tov to you all!

ADMINISTRATIVE

• We will be on the cell tower field on Saturday morning.  I’ll send more details later in the week.  As an added incentive to attend the workout (as if one were needed), Charlie is hosting a brunch at his house in Tenleytown after practice.  Please let him know if you plan to avail yourself of his gracious hospitality.

• If you’re running USATF Club Nationals, nowis the time to take care of your USATF membership.  Let me or Charlie know if you have any questions in that regard.

• Please remember to enter your fall races on the spreadsheet on our web site, so that we can accurately track who is racing when.

• If you raced this weekend and ran a PR, please email Jimmy Daly to update your bio.  It’s important that the bios reflect current PRs, because I use them when dealing with race directors to seek comp entries and travel expenses.  Also, if you raced, please take a few minutes to review the photos posted on the blog and/or the official race sites to find one of you in the new singlet that you’d like on your bio.  We’ve got the beautiful new gear, so let’s show it off to our adoring public!

WORKOUT

We’re at AMERICAN again tomorrow.  Because there are no lights at American, the gun will go off at 6:45, so those of you who are driving to AU should meet at 6 at the track for the warmup.  Those of you who are taking Metro should arrive at Charlie’s house no later than 6 for the run over. 

As for the workout itself, the men will do 2k, 4 x 1k, 4 x 500, all with a 3:00 recovery.

See you at AU tomorrow for a 6:45 start.  Contact Sam or Charlie if you plan to use their house to store your stuff.

Front page Lauren

http://www.runwashington.com/

And a good writeup of the race by Ed in Chief Charlie Ban
http://www.runwashington.com/news/4109/314/Newcomers-make-first-Navy-Air-Force-Half-one-to-remember.htm

GRC sweeps men's race at the Navy-Air Force Half

David Burnham appears to be running all alone through the streets of Washington DC.

Lauren Woodall is all business.

 Photos (C) Cheryl Hendry Young

NAVY-AIR FORCE HALF MARATHON - WASHINGTON DC

GRC takes the team title!

Race Results

Dave Burnham (1:10:11) took the lead less than a mile into the race and was almost three minutes ahead with 2k to go. After a slow start, Matt "Fridge" Hassett (1:12:55) gradually moved up and took second place about 10 miles in, already about four miles farther than he had ever raced before. Dickson placed 3rd in 1:14:29. Brian Young ran 1:21:36.

That was all an opening act to the 10-mile battle Lauren Woodall waged with the eventually winner. She caught up with Shannon Miller three miles in and battled her evenly until the last turn. Though Miller wound up the winner by one second, Woodall (1:21:41) took home a nearly-seven-minute PR.

ING ROCK n' ROLL PHILLY HALF - PHILADELPHIA, PA

Barrett, O'Brien lead GRC in the City of Brotherly Love.

Kolata debuts in GRC singlet.

RESULTS:

Sean Barrett - 1:07:48
Stefan Kolata - 1:10:56
Lavar Curley - 1:14:25

Lindsay O'Brien - 1:19:58 
Drea Garvue - 1:20:08
Beth Young - 1:21:09 
Teal Connor - 1:23:53
LTO - 1:23:58

DEVELOPING...

The Line at Nine

Ladies and Gents,

Sam, Witty and I will be meeting at the line at nine to run 14-18 miles.  Post here if we should wait for you.

FLASH: Witters wins Run Geek Run 8k, Miller 2nd

GRC wins team title at RUN GEEK RUN! 8K!

Witters defeats competition, brutal head-wind in the second half of the race, to win in 24:58.

Miller makes return to racing to lead GRC women.

Everyone looks fabulous in new uniforms/warmups.
JARRIN races shorter than the marathon for the first time!

Witty, on the far right, ran negative splits to earn the "W". 

Klim stuck with Witty for 2.5 miles before eventually fading to 3rd.

Benway, AKA "Viking" (487), ran a stellar last 2 miles into a headwind and finished 4th.

  Campbell (352) placed 3rd amongst women.
May (378), Hendrick (373, Carrol (371)

1 Ryan "Witty" Witters 24:58
3. Jake "Red Fox, The" Klim 25:32
4.Alex "Vike" Benway 25:39
5. Tex Paul Guevara 25:42
6.Dangerous Dave Wertz 26:02
8. Jason Billzzz Myers 26:25
15. JR "Dallas" Roberts 28:13
23. Robert JARRIN 29:34

2F Michelle Miller, better known as the Butcher of Damascus29:11
3F Catherine Campbell 29:41
4F Maura "Skittles" Carroll 29:52
5F Hilary "Newpsie" May 30:04
6F Suz Hendrick 30:23

Twenty GRC harriers set to race this weekend

The fall season will begin in earnest this weekend, when GRC athletes will compete in three races. On Saturday, a large contingent will contest the Run Geek Run! 8k on the Tidal Basin. On Sunday, GRC will have athletes running the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon, as well as the inaugural Navy-Air Force Half Marathon in Washington.

 

Run Geek Run! 8k

The "Run Geek Run! 8k" will be held on Saturday morning on flat, fast Hains Point in Washington DC. The women’s team will be led by Michelle Miller, who has put her recent injury woes behind her.  “Michelle is in great shape,” said GRC coach Jerry Alexander.  “Even though it’s early in the season, Michelle is well-capable of running a PR on Saturday, and she’s just going to keep getting better as the season goes on.”  The 8k will also be Catherine Campbell’s GRC debut.  Catherine, a 2012 graduate of Dickinson, was a Division III All-American in the indoor 5,000, and has track PRs of 17:11 for 5k and 35:58 for 10k.  “Catherine is a great talent, and I look forward to great things from her, this fall and beyond,” said Alexander. The 8k crew will also include GRC 5k club record holder Maura Carroll, GRC mile club record holder Susan Hendrick, and Harvard 1,000 meter school record holder Hilary May, making her 8k debut. The men’s team will be led by Ryan Witters and Jake Klim, both of whom look to contend for the victory.  The 8k will mark the GRC debut of Alex Benway, as 2012 graduate of  Clarkson University.  Alex qualified for the 2011 Division III NCAA cross country championships, where he finished 47^th.  “Alex is a true diamond in the rough,” Alexander said.  “Like Ryan Witters, who joined us last year, he has a limited background in the sport because his college did not have a track program, and like Witters, he has the ability to be a major contributor for us in the months to come.”  The 8k squad will also include the ageless Dave Wertz, Jason Myers, who is making his fall debut after having a breakthrough outdoor track season, where he ran PRs at 800, 1500, and 5000, and GRC newcomer JR Roberts, who will look to build on his solid debut at the Kentlands 5k.

 

Navy-Air Force Half Marathon

On Sunday, GRC men and women will go to work at the inaugural Navy-Air Force Half Marathon. Tracing much of the popular Cherry Blossom route, the half marathon promises to be a fast course. The men’s squad will be led by Dave Burnham, who is looking to return to the form that produced PRs of 14:14 for 5k and 29:41 for 10k during his stellar career at Dartmouth. “Dave has been training very, very well this summer, and he will likely be in contention for the win on Sunday,” Alexander said.  Matt Hassett, as 2012 graduate of Loyola, will make his GRC debut, as well as his half marathon debut. “Matt has a lot of potential, particularly in the longer distances, and I expect that this first half marathon experience will be a positive one,” said Alexander. Dickson Mercer will look to shake off the bad luck he experienced last spring, when his excellent fitness was thwarted by extremely hot weather at the Boston and Cleveland Marathons. For the women, Lauren Woodall will be looking to run a big PR. “Lauren has been running stride for stride in workouts with our top women, and I expect her to crush her current PR, which she ran before she started training with GRC last spring," Alexander said. 

Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon

One hundred and fifty miles away, in the City of Brotherly Love, the Philly half will showcase the 13.1 debut of Lindsay O'Brien (nay Donaldson).  Lindsay, a 6-time All-American at Yale, will be in uncharted territory past 10 miles, but according to Alexander, her training indicates that she is ready for the challenge.  “Lindsay has hit every workout on the money, and while she has a healthy respect for the distance, I expect her to run a very strong second half of the race.” Laura O’Hara, Drea Garvue, Beth Young, and Teal Connor are also running Philly, and Alexander anticipates strong performances results from all of them.  “Drea had an incredible spring, running PRs of 35:46 for 10k at Penn Relays and 58:50 for 10 miles at Cherry Blossom, and she is ready to pick up where she left off.  Laura ran a 10K PR of 35:51 on the roads, and she is training well, and poised for a big fall.  Beth has run into tough conditions in her last few halfs, and with good conditions expected for Sunday, she has a great shot at a major PR.  Teal is coming off a big marathon PR of 2:53:10 in the spring, and after an excellent summer of training, she is set to lower her half marathon PR by a significant margin.”  Sean Barrett will represent the men at Philly.  Sean is an active-duty captain in the Marine Corps who is sharpening up for the Marine Corps Marathon, and he’s looking to build some confidence with a PR at the half.  “Sean’s training could not be going better, and sub 1:07 is a real possibility for him,” Alexander said.

- GRC Wire Service

Wednesday workout at American

From Jerry:

We had some very solid performances by our athletes using the Parks half marathon as a workout, with Sam, Jake and Outlaw running 1:13:30, 1;13:46, and 1:14:38 respectively.  Andy ran a very encouraging 1:19:03 as he continues to bounce back from injury.  On the women’s side, Michelle executed her mission to lead the 1:35 pace group to perfection, crossing the line in 1:34:50.  

This coming weekend, we will be running races as races, not workouts, with our distance group competing in either the Philly or Navy half marathons on Sunday, and many of our 5k-10k group running the Run Geek Run 8k on Saturday. I’m looking forward to some big PRs, and all-around excellent results.

ADMINISTRATIVE

1)     If you’re running Run Geek Run 8k and you have not yet registered, you need to do so immediately.  And if you’re running and did not receive the logistics email from Maura, our race captain, please alert her and me that you will be there.

2)    Because of the heavy race schedule, there will be no practice this weekend.  We will be back on the cell tower field the following Saturday, September 22. 

3)    Consider volunteering as a guide for visually impaired athletes at the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon.  

4)    If you plan to run USATF Club Cross Country, which I hope you all do, you MUST have an active USATF membership.  Please do not leave this to the last minute.  It’s simple to register on-line, so please do so promptly.  If you have any questions about registration, give me or Charlie a shout.

WORKOUT

The workout is at American this week and next week.  Because of the lack of lights at AU, we need to start promptly at 7 pm.  Those of you who are driving should plan to meet at the track at 6:15 for the warm up.  Those of you who are using Metro should plan to meet at Charlie, Sam, and Witty’s house near the Tenleytown metro at 6:10 to drop off your stuff and get ready to jog over.  Their address is available upon request.

Because we’re racing this week, we’ll keep the volume for the workout on the low side, so that we can be reasonably well rested.  The men who are running the 8k will do 6 x 800 with a 3:00 rest.  The targets for the A group will be 2:26, 2:24, 2:22, 2;20, 2:18, 2:16.  The targets for the B group will be 2:30, 2:28, 2:26, 2:24, 2:22, 2:20.  The Navy half men will do 6 x 800 in 2:34, 2:32, 2:30, 2:28, 2:26, 2:24.  For administrative convenience (and you all know that my convenience is the team’s top priority), you’ll start at 6:50, then run your last 4 with the B group. 

FLASH: Dusens have baby girl

From Karl's "Baby Dusen" Twitter feed:

Juliet has arrived! Born at 1:41P and weighing in at 6lbs 0.3oz. pic.twitter.com/bKUKcbXL

Congrats Karl and Emily!

Boston Marathon Registration Opens Today

http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/athlete-registration.aspx

Luff, Klim Run 73 at Parks Half Marathon

GRC runners busted rust today at the MCRRC Parks Half Marathon, with Luff leading the way in 1:13:30 (11th overall) and Klim with 1:13:45 (12th overall).  Outlaw continued on the road to recovery from a hamstring injury with 1:14:40 (14th overall).  Koonce and CTR stayed relaxed with 1:23 and 1:19, respectively.

Weekend Workouts: Cross Country is here!

From Coach Jerry:

While it sure didn't feel like it last night at the track, fall is here, and that means cross country season has arrived. The greener pastures of the cell tower field are calling our name, and on Saturday morning, we'll make our long awaited return. We'll plan to meet at 9 for the warm up, and start the workout at 9:40. The idea this week is simply to get acclimated to running on grass again, so to ease that transition the workout for the men will be 3 x 10 minutes at tempo pace, with a 3 minute recovery, and the women will do 3 x 8 minutes at tempo pace, also with a 3 minute recovery. For those of you who have never had the pleasure, here are the directions. If you have any questions on logistics, let me know.

View GRC: Where We Run in a larger map

There will also be a Sunday workout, which is geared to the half marathon crowd, but which is open to anyone who can't make it on Saturday.  I will send the specifics on the Sunday workout to the half group only; if anyone else wants to come out, let me know.

Finally, I know that many of you are planning to run the Run Geek Run 8k next Saturday.  If you have not already done so, please sign up now.  You cannot enter on race day, and on-line registration will close early next week, so take a minute and get it out of the way.

Wednesday 9/5 Workout

From Coach Jerry:

RACE RESULTS

The fall season is off and running, and to prove it, we had some very solid performances at Kentlands 5k. The times were slowed by extreme humidity, but this observer liked what he saw nonetheless. The men were led by the resurgent Jake Klim, who was 3rd in 15:48. Jake is not race sharp, to be sure, but after his very lengthy absence from competition, the fact that he was able to run hard and pick up a few dollars at a competitive race in the process is a great sign. Dave Wertz ran a very strong 15:55 for 4th, and impressed his adoring wife Carolyn and baby daughter Zella. Dickson opened his season with a solid 16:27. Finally, JR Roberts impressed in his GRC debut, running 16:38, his fastest 5k in several years. He's a young fellow to keep your eyes on in the weeks and months ahead. On the women's side, Meghan Lockett and Hilary May ran together for the most of the race, and finished in 2nd and 3rd in 18:29 and 18:36, respectively. It was a solid start to Meghan's quest to qualify for Foot Locker high school nationals, and Hilary's quest to make the transition from an excellent collegiate middle distance runner to an even better post-collegiate 5k-10k runner.

We also had solid performances at two alumni cross country races. Charlie Ban ran 16:05 at the Richmond alumni race, leading the way for the old-timers. The previous week, Joe Wiggy ran a very conservative 16:05 at the Lock Haven alumni race, good enough for 5th overall and second alum. Well done to all!

ADMINISTRATIVE

1) We will be at BCC this Wednesday, then at American the next two Wednesdays (Sept 12 and 19). As the date gets closer, I'll send logistical information about the gear drop for Metro users at Charlie/Sam/Witty's house. 2) We will begin Saturday morning workouts this week at the cell tower field. I will send more detailed information later in the week. The field is not Metro accessible; if you need help finding a ride, let me know. 3) There will also be a workout this Sunday morning at BCC geared towards the half marathon group, as a final hard effort before their inevitable humongous PRs at Philly/Navy. Anyone who can't make it Saturday but wants to get in a workout this weekend is also welcome.


WORKOUT

The men will do 2 x mile, 4 x 800, all with a 3:00 recovery.  We may still be dealing with this brutal humidity tomorrow, and if we are, the workout will feel a whole lot more difficult than it looks on paper. 

Ban Runs 16:05 in Mechanicsville

On Saturday, newsman and distinguished alumnus Charles Ban ran 16:05 at the University of Richmond Spider Alumni Open, which was held on the grass and dirt of Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville.  Mr. Ban captured top honors among Richmond alumni.  

Labor Day run at The Line

Dickson and I are meeting at 9am tomorrow for a run from The Line. 

We plan on running 12-13. Comment if you're joining so we know to wait.

Flash: Klim, May lead GRC at Kentlands

Hilary May and Jake Klim lead GRC at Kentlands/Lakelands 5k.  Hilary Placed 3rd overall in the women's race.  Jake ran a strong second mile to move up and hold on in the final mile for 3rd place. Dave Wertz places 4th overall in return to racing and a great debut in front of his new baby girl!!!    Times/other GRC places to come when available...

1	1/50	1301	Seife Geletu		M	30	Washington Dc	15:14	15:14	4:55
2	1/29	870	Christopher Sloane		M	29	North Potomac MD	15:16	15:15	4:55
3	2/50	1250	Jake Klim		M	32	Bethesda MD	15:49	15:48	5:06
4	1/74	987	David Wertz		M	36	Arlington VA	15:55	15:55	5:08
5	2/29	1303	Mesfin Abebe		M	29	Silver Spring MD	16:14	16:14	5:14
6	3/50	640	Dickson Mercer		M	31	Washington DC	16:28	16:27	5:18
7	3/29	1246	Jr Roberts		M	25	Alexandria VA	16:38	16:38	5:22
8	4/50	636	Brian McMahon		M	30	Washington DC	16:40	16:40	5:22
9	4/29	891	Andy Sovonick		M	26	Gaithersburg MD	16:47	16:46	5:24
10	1/10	1236	Jonathan Echevers		M	21	Gaithersburg MD	17:02	17:01	5:29

20

3/82

1202

Scott Koonce

M

40

Gaithersburg MD

17:49

17:48

5:44

			28 2/32 552 Meghan Lockett F 15 Comus MD 18:30 18:29 5:57	30 2/25 1131
			30 2/25 1131 Hilary May F 23 Washington DC 18:37 18:36 5:59