Balmer Brings Back Beer Mile

On a chilly Thursday night at an undisclosed track in the national capital region, Chilly Balmer had a major breakthrough in the beer mile, finishing with a PR of 7:30. "I struggled with carbonation issues during the second lap," said Balmer. "But I powered through."  After learning at the final transition that a PR was in reach, Chilly closed in 70. Despite cramping up during the final lap, Mercer unleashed a ferocious kick to come in under ten minutes. Murphy ran strong for three laps but incurred a "penalty" during the final transition and the resulting penalty lap put a PR out of reach. Breezy and Meyer were unable to compete with the big boys and ran the event as a relay.

Koons selected for U.S. team in Scotland

USATF has selected Frances Koons as a member of the women's team representing the United States at the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country Race in Edinburgh, Scotland on January 10, 2015.  

Koons earned her spot on the national team with an outstanding 8th place finish at the USATF Club Cross Country Championship at Lehigh University on Saturday.

Upon learning the news, GRC Coach Jerry Alexander said, "I am thrilled for Frances to make the team.  There is no greater honor for a runner than to represent her country in international competition, and Frances will run her heart out for the USA in Scotland.  It's also an incredible honor for GRC for one of our athletes to make a national team, and we're extremely proud to call her one of our own."  

THURSDAY workout, December 18

It was an historic weekend for GRC at Clubs, with epic performances on the team and individual level.  The women get top billing for their 10th place finish, which is the best in GRC history, and which came against the highest quality field ever to compete at Clubs.  On the individual level, Frances made one heck of a GRC debut, as her 8th place finish was without a doubt the best performance in a GRC singlet of all time, bar none.  Frances was mixing it up with the best runners in the country right from the gun, and she beat a whole lot of full-time professionals.  As impressive as Frances’s performance was, she’s just getting started, so keep your eyes on that young lady in the weeks and months to come.  While it certainly helped to have Frances leading the charge, our 10th place finish was truly a team effort, and we had excellent runs from the entire crew.  Kristin proved once again that she has developed into a national caliber runner by placing 91st in 21:41, a huge 6k PR.  Kristin is going to take a well-earned break after her amazing (and long) season, and the PR train will get rolling again this winter. Lindsay shrugged off her injury-induced lack of training to finish 93rd in 21:42, and fought all the way to the tape despite becoming woozy in the final mile. Lindsay is a superior cross country runner, and she brought all of her experience and toughness to bear on Saturday.  Sara ran her best race in a GRC jersey by far, finishing 137th in 22:29, and now that she has made the difficult transition to post-collegiate running, we are going to see great results from her on the track.  Tina was 176h in 23:00, and proved once again that she can compete at a very high level at distances that are outside of her comfort zone.  Emily surprised herself with an excellent 23:13, and capped off an outstanding first season with GRC.  Every one of our women came through when it counted, and I am extremely proud of their performance.

The men placed 13th, and while they hoped to get back in the top 10, there is no question that 13th place this year is more impressive than 9th place last year, as the field was loaded, and we were missing two high A team runners who intended to run due to unfortunate circumstances.  Knowing that there was no margin for error, each of the A team men did their part.  Mike led the way, placing 69th in 30:45 on a course the organizers stated was 200 meters long.  This was the best cross country race of Mike’s life, and he will be ready to crush his club records on the track this spring.  Luke was 92nd in 31:09, and while his aggressive early pace came back to bite him later in the race, Luke gave it absolutely everything he had, and fought to the bitter end to help his team.  Kevin was 101st in 31:15, and he executed his go-out-slow early, run-hard late race plan to perfection.  Sam was 105th in 31:16, and he delivered his best race of the year in front of his home town crowd.  Matt Rand was our fifth man, placing 122nd in 31:26 in his best performance in a GRC singlet.  Ryan was 139th in 31:37, running strong the whole race, and unleashing his big kick at the end.  Our second wave was led by Paul in 32:04, followed by Stewart in 32:41, Tom in 32:54, Sean in 32:55, Sebi in 33:18, Dave Wertz in 33:19, Charlie in 33:30, Joe Wiggy in 33:43, Dickson in 33:48, Fridge in 33:55, Dave O in 34:03, and Murph in 35:17.  I was extremely pleased with all of these performances, especially those of Tom and Dave O.  Tom is a miler who had never broken 35 minutes for 10k at the beginning of the fall, and he continued his breakout season with a confident, controlled race.  Dave O gave an inspiring speech on Friday night about his quest for redemption on Lehigh’s course, and backed it up by running like a man with something to prove.

Clubs is a very important race for us, as it is our one opportunity each year to compete as a team against a national-caliber field, and every one of our athletes represented GRC with pride and distinction.  I was extremely pleased with our performance, and I’m confident that we made a statement about the quality and cohesiveness of our team that was heard loud and clear by our fellow competitors.  Well done!

WORKOUT

Most of you are taking a little time off right about now, but for those of you who are still rolling, we’ll have practice at BCC on THURSDAY at 6:45, so meet for the warmup at 6:00.  Let me know if you’ll be there, and we’ll get a plan together.

GRC Women Place 10th, Men Place 13th at Clubs!

PHOTO - Lucas Meyer places 92nd (Evan Jurkovich)

FLASH: The GRC Women, lead by Frances Koons' 8th place finish, placed 10th at the USATF Club Cross Country Championships this afternoon in Bethlehem, PA.

WOMEN'S UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

The GRC Men's A Team placed 13th led by Mike Franklin (69th, 30:45) 

MEN'S UNOFFICIAL RESULTS 

The Men's B Team placed 25th. The Men's C Team placed 42nd.

It was the largest field ever assembled at Clubs.



GRC Men's A Team
69. Franklin - 30:45
92. Meyer - 31:09
102. McNab - 31:15
106. Luff - 31:16
122. Rand - 31:26

DEVELOPING...

GRC Racing Teams Hope to Crack Top 10 at Clubs

PHOTO - GRC's Sam Luff takes a spill in last year's race. Luff got back up on his feet and, with his help, the team placed 9th. (C) John Swenson

 

On December 13, the Georgetown Running Club (GRC) will be racing its best and brightest at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Affectionately known simply as “Clubs,” GRC has competed in the championships since 2007. This year, the team’s goals, according to head coach Jerry Alexander, are to place the men’s and women’s teams in the top 10. Last year, the men’s team placed 9th -- the highest finish ever for any GRC squad. In 2012, the women’s team placed 11th. This year, both squads are capable of improving those results. “There is no doubt in my mind that these are the two best teams we’ve ever sent to Clubs,” boasted Coach Alexander, “and if we run up to our capability we will see some excellent results.”

The men’s team is led by Lucas Meyer, a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier (steeplechase in 2008, marathon in 2012) who excels at cross country. Meyer was an All-American at Yale and placed 7th place at Clubs in 2009. More recently, Meyer placed 10th in the USATF 10 Mile Championships with a GRC club record time of 48:46. Meyer will have company in two other All-Americans: Kevin McNab (Texas A & M), who has had an outstanding fall on the roads, and Michael Franklin (Princeton), who won the 10,000 meters at the 2014 Penn Relays with a GRC club record time of 29:32. Other potential scorers are Lehigh Valley native Sam Luff (29:37 10,000m), Phil Royer (8:59 - steeplechase, 14:07 - 5,000m), Ryan Witters (14:31 - 5,000m), and Matt Rand (30:09 - 10,000m). “I’m excited about both the quality and the depth of this squad,” said Alexander. “Luke, Kevin, and Mike are all capable of finishing in the top 30 if they run well. Sam has been running on this course since high school and knows it like the back of his hand, and he’s ready to put that experience to good use. Ryan is full of confidence after his recent road PRs, and Phil and Matt are excellent cross country runners who are ready to go.” Rounding out the “A” team is 39 year-old David Wertz, who will be running his final open race at Clubs before he moves up to the Master’s division in 2015, where he hopes to contend for a spot on the podium.

The GRC women did not compete at Clubs in 2013, but they’re looking to make their presence felt in 2014. The team will be led by Frances Koons, an 8-time All American at Villanova and two-time Olympic Trials qualifier (1500m in 2008, 5,000m in 2012). Like Sam Luff, Koons has run on the Lehigh course more times than she can remember, and she is in excellent shape, as evidenced by her 15th place finish at the recent USATF 12k championships. “Frances is ready to do something special,” Alexander said. “She’s excited to run in front of a home town crowd on a course she knows extremely well, and we’re looking for her to grab a low stick.” Also in the mix will be Lindsay Donaldson O’Brien, a 6-time All-American at Yale who placed 3rd in the NCAA cross country championships as a junior, and fellow former Bulldog Kristin Johnson, who has run a series of huge personal bests on the roads this fall, including a 2nd place finish in the Raleigh half marathon with a time of 1:19:21. The other scoring positions will be filled by Sara Patterson, a Division III cross country All-American at Dickinson, track specialist Tina Morrison (2:07 – 800m, 4:30 -1500m), and former North Carolina standout Emily Young. Noted Alexander, “Lindsay has been limited by injury this fall, but she is a superior cross country runner who will rise to the occasion while Kristin will be running in her first national championship, and she is eager to show what she can do on this level.”

In addition, GRC will be entering men’s “B” and “C” teams, and Alexander is enthusiastic about their prospects as well. “It’s become very difficult to make our A team, and we’ve got some accomplished athletes running for the B and C teams.” The B team is a mix of youth and experience. 2014 graduates Stewart Reich (3:58 1500) and Sean O’Leary (4:00 1500, 15:00 5,000) are aspiring A team runners who will gain experience in their first Clubs. The veteran contingent is led by Sean Barrett, the 2007 Ivy League 10,000 meter champion while running for Harvard, whose training has been hampered this fall by his status as an active duty Marine. Other veteran GRC harriers looking to score for the B team are Paul Balmer (31:09 road 10k), Charlie Ban (14:57 road 5k), Dickson Mercer (31:38 road 10k), and Tom Kelly (4:00.7 1500). “This meet is a big step up in quality for Stewart and Sean O’Leary, and they are looking to prove themselves against top level competition,” said Alexander. “It’s also a chance for Charlie and Dickson to show that their road prowess translates to the grass, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do. The fact that Sean Barrett is running for our B team proves our depth, and I expect our B team to beat a whole lot of other clubs’ A teams.”

The C team includes top-level athletes who are on the way back to full fitness after returning from layoffs forced by injury or job-related training limitations. The squad is led by Joey Wiegner, a Division II cross country All-American at Lock Haven who placed 61st at Clubs in 2010, and also includes Patrick Murphy (31:41 10,000), Matt Hassett (15:06 5,000), Sebi Devlin-Foltz (15:10 5,000), James Frick (3:58.2 1500), and David O’Hara (32:18 road 10k). Alexander explained, “this is a strong group. Joe Wiggy is an exceptionally talented runner, and he’ll be back in A team shape soon. Sebi, Matt, and James are gearing up for big track seasons, and Dave and Patrick are going to give 100% effort, just as they do at every race.”

TUESDAY workout, December 9

RACES

What a truly, truly phenomenal performance by Teal!!  I've had 24 hours to process her titanic accomplishment, and I'm still at something of a loss for words to describe how incredibly well Teal ran, but this will shed some perspective on the enormity of her achievement--when Teal began this training cycle, her half marathon PR was 1:21:37.  Yesterday she ran two half marathons thirty seconds faster than that, back to back!  Think about that for a moment.  Teal is a very experienced marathoner, and for someone with her level of experience to improve so dramatically in such a short period of time is simply astonishing.  To me, the most amazing part is that Teal believed to her core that she could break 2:43, and she committed herself to going for it by rolling with the 2:43 pace group from the gun despite the ever-present possibility that the aggressive early pace would come back to bite her late in the race.  There's an old saying in the coaching game that the body can't go where the mind hasn't already been, and Teal has been mentally prepared to take on this challenge ever since she joined GRC.  Yesterday, her body caught up to where her mind has been for over two years.  Indeed, Teal was so confident in herself that she hit the gas at mile 24, and left the 2:43 pace group in the rear view mirror to make sure she didn't cut it too close at the tape.  Teal's performance is unquestionably one of the greatest in GRC history, and I am certain that her incredibly courageous run will serve as inspiration for our athletes at Clubs, and beyond.  Well done!

Not to be lost in the excitement over Teal's superb run is that we had excellent performances across the board in Sacramento.  Julie ran 2:51:55, a 55 second PR!  Julie's training was not ideal due to her hectic work schedule, and she started to struggle by mile 13, but she showed her characteristic toughness and grit by fighting through it all the way to the tape.  Julie is going to be back for another go at the distance in 2015, and she's got a Teal-style major breakthrough in her waiting to come out!  Outlaw made a successful marathon debut in 2:31:24.  Outlaw had a great training cycle, and he was on pace to run 2:27 through 22 miles when, as happens so often to marathon debutantes, the bottom fell out.  Despite his screaming quads, Outlaw maintained as best he could and finished with his head held high.  With a valuable lesson learned, Outlaw will be back in 2015, looking to break 2:25, and I wouldn't bet against him.  Finally, Breezy ran a very solid 2:46:30 after a training cycle that was all but ruined by a lengthy trial he completed last week.  For the non-lawyers in the crowd, I can assure you that during trial, a lawyer has little time to do anything but work, eat, and sleep (and not very much), and if you know Breezy, you know that he takes his job as a criminal prosecutor very, very seriously, so the fact that he got on the starting line yesterday is a tribute to his resolve.  That he was able to work with Teal for most of the race and contribute to her incredible performance was going above and beyond the call of duty.  Breezy will be back, better than ever, in 2015.

WORKOUT

We'll be at BCC for our final tune up for Clubs.  We'll get going at as normal, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.

TUESDAY workout, December 9

RACES

What a truly, truly phenomenal performance by Teal!! I've had 24 hours to process her titanic accomplishment, and I'm still at something of a loss for words to describe how incredibly well Teal ran, but this will shed some perspective on the enormity of her achievement--when Teal began this training cycle, her half marathon PR was 1:21:37. Yesterday she ran two half marathons thirty seconds faster than that, back to back! Think about that for a moment. Teal is a very experienced marathoner, and for someone with her level of experience to improve so dramatically in such a short period of time is simply astonishing. To me, the most amazing part is that Teal believed to her core that she could break 2:43, and she committed herself to going for it by rolling with the 2:43 pace group from the gun despite the ever-present possibility that the aggressive early pace would come back to bite her late in the race. There's an old saying in the coaching game that the body can't go where the mind hasn't already been, and Teal has been mentally prepared to take on this challenge ever since she joined GRC. Yesterday, her body caught up to where her mind has been for over two years. Indeed, Teal was so confident in herself that she hit the gas at mile 24, and left the 2:43 pace group in the rear view mirror to make sure she didn't cut it too close at the tape. Teal's performance is unquestionably one of the greatest in GRC history, and I am certain that her incredibly courageous run will serve as inspiration for our athletes at Clubs, and beyond. Well done!

Not to be lost in the excitement over Teal's superb run is that we had excellent performances across the board in Sacramento. Julie ran 2:51:55, a 55 second PR! Julie's training was not ideal due to her hectic work schedule, and she started to struggle by mile 13, but she showed her characteristic toughness and grit by fighting through it all the way to the tape. Julie is going to be back for another go at the distance in 2015, and she's got a Teal-style major breakthrough in her waiting to come out! Outlaw made a successful marathon debut in 2:31:24. Outlaw had a great training cycle, and he was on pace to run 2:27 through 22 miles when, as happens so often to marathon debutantes, the bottom fell out. Despite his screaming quads, Outlaw maintained as best he could and finished with his head held high. With a valuable lesson learned, Outlaw will be back in 2015, looking to break 2:25, and I wouldn't bet against him. Finally, Breezy ran a very solid 2:46:30 after a training cycle that was all but ruined by a lengthy trial he completed last week. For the non-lawyers in the crowd, I can assure you that during trial, a lawyer has little time to do anything but work, eat, and sleep (and not very much), and if you know Breezy, you know that he takes his job as a criminal prosecutor very, very seriously, so the fact that he got on the starting line yesterday is a tribute to his resolve. That he was able to work with Teal for most of the race and contribute to her incredible performance was going above and beyond the call of duty. Breezy will be back, better than ever, in 2015.

WORKOUT

We'll be at BCC on TUESDAY for our final tune up for Clubs. We'll get going at 7:15 as normal, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.

Jerry

Coach Jerry Responds to Teal Qualifying for Olympic Trials

GRC SPECIAL REPORT

 

(PHOTO - Teal Connor Burrell (left) and Julie Tarallo at the California International Marathon Expo)

Earlier this afternoon, Coach Jerry Alexander was summoned to comment on word that one of his athletes, Teal Connor Burrell, had qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon.

 

"In 25 years of coaching I'm not sure I've ever seen an athlete maximize her ability on race day the way Teal did today, said Alexander. "Everything came together in exactly the right way at exactly the right time, and in one race years of hard work paid off in the most spectacular way. I could not be more proud of her."

Alexander added, "There could not have been a more meaningful and appropriate way to honor Lauren than what Teal did today."

Teal's former teammate, Lauren Woodall Roady, passed away two years ago Monday.

GRC athletes wear a "LWR" patch above their hearts on their singlets in memory of their teammate.

One for the Ages

From an athletic standpoint, Teal Burrell's 2:42:16 marathon, which notched a spot in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles, speaks for itself. Having run near Teal for 20 miles (and and two hours and four minutes) before she took off, I was most impressed by her amazing level of concentration and courage. The Olympic Trials Standard is cruely precise. The runner must go sub-2:43. A 2:43:01 doesn't cut it -- dropped water bottles, loose shoe laces, weather conditions make no difference. It is a very rare person who has the determination and strength of character to run mile-after-mile and step-after-step at almost exactly the required pace the whole while knowing that, with so much at stake, the whole race will come down to seconds. And those seconds will come into play when your mucles are seizing up and you have nothing left in the tank. This is especially true where that pace is over 20 seconds per mile faster than the runner's best marathon. It is rare to meet a person who can withstand that sort of pressure under those circumstances. Teal's performance today was a huge milestone for herself, her family, and her Club and I was honored to watch part of it. On this of all days we are reminded of how short life can be and Teal lived this day to the fullest.

Teal qualifies for the Olympic marathon trials

Teal Burrell ran 2:42:16 at Cal International today to qualify with time to spare, with a 10-plus-minute PR, running a consistent, though slightly accelerating, pace throughout. It appears Breezy (2:46:35), ran the first 20 miles with her (2:04:18) before she dropped the gloves and went after it. She will likely don some compression socks to recover and get ready for LA in 2016.

Outlaw ran 2:31:24 in his debut

Julie 2:51:55

Sunday Preview: Four GRC marathoners look to fast course in Sacramento

Marathon running in December can only mean one thing: California International Marathon (CIM).

Brian "Breezy" Young, Jerry "Outlaw" Greenlaw, Teal Burrell, and Julie Tarallo, four accomplish veterans on the GRC squad, are making the cross-country trip from Washington, D.C. to Sacramento to toe the line at 7 a.m. Sunday morning for the 21st running of the Marathon.

The four GRC-ers, all veterans of the marathon except for Outlaw making his marathon debut, are looking to capitalize on a CIM course that is known for turning our fast performances and PRs.

As of this posting, Sunday’s forecast is for lows in the low-50s, highs in the mid-60s and low wind.

After a fall of hard training, the four GRC-ers tackling the 26.2 in Sacramento are ready for big things.

With a fall of PRs for Burrell in the 10-mile and half-marathon, she’s looking to add another PR to the books with a breakthrough in the marathon.

Jerry Alexander, head coach of GRC, said that Burrell is “undoubtedly in the best shape of her life and is looking for a major breakthrough in the marathon.”

For Tarallo, CIM is an opportunity to improve on her PR from Boston in 2013. With her continual strong and steady performances, the fast course at CIM will hopefully pay dividends.

Breezy, who set a big PR last year at CIM of 2:42:24, has had a few setbacks due to his exceptional prosecuting skills. This time around, Breezy heads into CIM confident but cautious.

"Look, I know the marathon is about the hard training. That's what we do. I had some great months of hard training but unfortunately some weeks of work travel didn't help the cause," Breezy said.

Breezy's hard training once again included his signature 20-mile at pace effort, a workout that has proved successful and is now emulated to varying degrees by fellow GRC marathoners.

"I think the game plan I've talked with Coach Jerry about it to get out easy and look to negative split," Breezy said. "While I'm not sure the PR will be there, I'm looking to run a solid time and you never know at CIM."

While these three GRC-ers have double-digit marathons between them, Outlaw will be experiencing the post-22 mile sensation(s) for the first time.

“Outlaw’s training has gone exceptionally well this fall,” said Coach Jerry. “While he’ll be in uncharted territory over 25k, he has run numerous marathon-specific workouts that suggest he’s ready to crack the GRC top five all-time.”

With the hard training in the books, it’s clear Coach Jerry is excited to see what this group can do Sunday and knows it will certainly continue to build on the growing success of GRC.

Wednesday Workout, 12/3

RACES

We had lots of action this weekend in far flung locales, and there were too many excellent performances to name them all, but the highlights include:

Ryan's club record for the road 5k of 14:38 on his old stomping grounds in Evansville.  Ryan ran solo from the gun, making his performance that much more impressive.

Kevin's enormous kick to win the Alexandria Turkey Trot 5 mile in 24:32, which puts him 5th on the all-time list.  Kevin knows how to win races, and he went deep into his bag of tricks to beat a very strong field on Thursday morning.

Kieran and Dave Wertz's PRs in Alexandria, in 24:43 and 25:35, respectively.  Kieran led for most of the race, and purposely slowed the pace in the middle miles to give Kevin a tactical advantage, and he definitely has more gas in the tank.  Wertz just keeps getting better with age, and he's going to be a real contender to win multiple Masters national titles when he turns 40 next year.

Victories by A-team stalwarts Mike, Phil, Sam, and Luke in low key settings.  Mike won a 5k turkey trot in New Jersey, Phil won a 10k turkey trot in Louisville, Sam won a 5k turkey trot in the Allentown area, and Luke won the Pacers pre-clubs xc 6k.  All four of them got in hard workouts, and will be ready to roll at Clubs.

On the women's side, Kristin did double-duty, running a PR of 29:18 for 5 miles in Alexandria, and winning the Pacers xc 4k.  Kristin has run PRs virtually every time she's raced this year, and she's not done yet, as she's gearing up for a big effort at Clubs.  Also at Alexandria, Lindsay ran a solid 29:55, and Beth raced for the first time in more than 7 months due to injury, running a very controlled 30:18.  Sara was second in the Pacers xc 4k, and showed that she is rounding into shape at the right time.

I want to acknowledge the efforts of Pacers coach Dustin Sweeney in organizing and staging the xc race.  You all know that Dustin routinely goes out of his way to welcome us at Pacers events, but yesterday he went way, way above and beyond the call of duty, as he had a serious medical emergency over Thanksgiving, but he made sure that the race went off without a hitch.  We all owe Dustin a debt of gratitude for his hard work and support.

WORKOUT  


We'll be at BCC on Wednesday for our normal 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30. We're going to get after it on Wednesday in our final hard workout before Clubs.

Catch 'em as they come: Turkey Trot Results 2014

Alexandria Turkey Trot 5-Miler
1. Kevin McNab - 24:32
6. Kieran O'Connor - 24:43 (PR)
9. Dave Wertz - 25:38 (PR)
12. Charlie Ban - 25:55

5. Kristin Johnson - 29:14 (PR)
7. Lindsay O'Brien - 29:55
8. Beth Young - 30:18
Elyse Shimada - 32:48

Bethesda Turkey Chase
7. Sean O'Leary - 33:28

Nazareth PA Turkey Trot
1. Sam Luff - 15:02
5. Dickson Mercer - 15:56

We Gather Together 5k (Cape Cod, MA)
1. Jake Klim - 16:20 (in snowy conditions to boot)

Fairfax Turkey Trot 5k
2. Dave O'Hara - 16:33

Pete Keyes Memorial Turkey Trot (Binghamton, NY)

2. Patrick Murphy - 28:04 (tempo effort, won a Wegmans gift card!)

The Fifth Third Bank Turkey Day 5k (Evansville, IN)

1. Ryan Witters - 14:38 (this is his 4th race since November 9th, what is this guy on???)
* If confirmed by GRC gurus, this would be a club record for the road 5k

Easton Tiger Turkey Chase 5-Miler (Easton, MA)
1. Julie Tarallo - 30:54 (workout effort for the win!)

Morris Township Turkey Trot 5k (NJ)
1. Mike Franklin - 15:54 (workout effort for the win!)

DEVELOPING...

Wednesday workout, November 26

RACES

We had some very nice performances at the Rothman 8k in Philadelphia on Saturday. Ryan ran a PR of 24:31, which moves him to 4th on the all-time GRC list, and is a sure sign that he is going to make some noise at Clubs. Ryan was not able to make the trip to Bend last year, but he's ready to roll this year, and having him on board at Lehigh is going to be a huge boost to our already loaded A team. Sam ran a solid 25:09, and proved that he is rounding into shape at the right time. Evan ended his injury-shortened season with a PR of 25:19, which is most impressive given that his nagging hamstring problem precluded him from doing much in the way of speed work this fall. Dickson ran a strong 25:54, and Fridge continued his recovery from illness with an encouraging 27:13.

WORKOUT

If anyone wants to do a workout on Wednesday (or tomorrow for that matter) I'm available, so give me a shout if you'd like to come out to BCC.

Looking ahead, we'll be on the track next Wednesday for our last hard workout before Clubs, then we'll get on the grass on December 6 to stretch our legs and make sure those xc spikes you haven't taken out of the closet since 2012 still fit, and we'll do a final shakeout at BCC on Tuesday December 9.

Good luck to all who are turkey trotting.

Jerry

Rothman 8k Results

Official results from Philadelphia:

Ryan Witter - 24:31
Sam Luff - 25:09
Evan Jurkovich - 25:19
Dickson Mercer - 25:54

DEVELOPING...

FLASH: .US 12k Results

Kristin dominated the open race, beating the nearest woman by 20 seconds! Luke, Ryan, and Pat Kulhmann all had very solid performances.

Kristin Johnson - 43:51
Lucas Meyer - 36:35
Ryan Witters - 38:07
Patrick Kulhmann - 40:21

USATF 12K Supporters' Run

Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. I'm meeting Outlaw in Alexandria at the intersection of the GW Parkway (North Washington Street) and Montgomery to do a few easy miles (i.e., not hard training) along the course and watch the race. Show up or post up if interested.

Ban PRs in Richmond

GRC Newswires report that Chuck (as he is known in Richmond circles) Ban sets a 20 second PR in the Richmond Half Marathon this morning, with an unofficial time of 1:10:56. Going out controlled in the first two miles, he slowly ratcheted down the pace to hit splits roughly in the 5:20 range for the remaining 11.1 miles of the race. Even more impressive, the effort was largely solo.

Hopefully this performance is a harbinger of things to come for the GRC the rest of the weekend!

Defending the home turf: .US National 12k comes to town

In the wee hours of Sunday morning, many very talented runners will dart out-and-back on the GW Parkway in an attempt to prove their dominance over the D.C. running scene. For the second straight year, the .US National 12k is being hosted in Alexandria and the GRC couldn't be hungrier to take on the stiff out-of-town competition. Leading the way is Luke Meyer, who earned an invitation into the elite field based off of his 36:56 from last year. Yeah, I don't really know what 12k times mean either. Regardless, Coach Jerry Alexander thinks Luke is ready for a good one. Brimming with confidence, Coach Alexander reports,  "While Luke was disappointed with his race at Wilson Bridge Half, his training has been going great, and he's looking forward to mixing it up with the pros up front."

Also competing for the men will be Ryan Witters and Pat Kuhlmann. "Ryan got a very late start to his season, but he's rounding into excellent form," said Coach Alexander. "While 12k is at the far end of his range, he's looking to run hard and compete. Conversely, 12k is on the short end of Pat's range, but he's ready to measure himself against the best masters in the country."

It's not just all about the guys: Kristin Johnson will also toe the line on Sunday. "Kristin is fully recovered from her excellent performance in the half at Raleigh two weeks ago," Coach Alexander explained, "and she's ready to start focusing on shorter races as she prepares for Clubs."

Check back here on Sunday to see how these all-stars fared!

Wednesday Workout, November 12

RACES

While we had some excellent results from our large crew at the Veterans Day 10k, the top performance of the weekend was Kieran's club record of 46:49 at the Stockade-athon 15k in Albany, on a hilly course. Kieran placed third in a deep field, and although he was disappointed that he was unable to respond to the winning move with a mile to go, he is extremely fit, and will be ready for some major PRs in the weeks to come. In other non-Vets day races, Phil ran a solo 19:23 for 4 miles at a race in Tulsa that offered the option of stopping for a beer halfway through. Whether Phil availed himself of that option, and how much faster he would have run if he hadn't, will remain a mystery. Closer to home, Outlaw ran a solo 1:12:01 on a very hilly course at the Battlefield Half in Winchester. Outlaw is making his marathon debut in Sacramento in 4 weeks, and he will be ready to make some noise. Finally, Susan won the Bay Bridge 10k in 38:35. The course was not conducive to running fast because, as the name suggests, the athletes crossed the Bay Bridge, which meant a major climb and extremely strong winds. Susan explained her reasons for running this challenging event to the media throng during her standing-room-only press conference, and this muckraking reporter is poised to launch a full investigation of the obviously suspicious claims she made regarding her background.

http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/annapolis/ph-ac-cs-bay-10k-111014-20141109%2c0%2c3667372.story

Our Vets Day crew was led by Mike in 31:42, followed closely by Matt Rand in a strong 31:43, and Stewart in a big PR of 31:54. In college, Stewart focused on the 1500, and for him to run so well in a distance that is outside of his comfort zone was a major step forward. Speaking of milers running PRs, Tom ran a huge one--his 32:29 is another big breakthrough in his epic fall season, and he will be a force to be reckoned with when he gets back on the track. Wertz, Balmer, and Sean O'Leary ran solid times of 32:23, 32:25, and 32:38, respectively, followed by Sebi in 33:17 and Dave O in 33:56. I was extremely pleased with Sebi's performance as he continues to make great progress in his recovery from hip surgery.

WORKOUT

We're at BCC for a 7:15 start on Wednesday, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.

Jerry

Vet's Day GRC-Extravaganza

The GRC men had a huge crew out in force on Ohio Drive this morning, and was just barely edged out by Pacers in the 3-man team competition...

Veteran' Day 10k
3. Michael Franklin - 31:42
4. Matt Rand - 31:43
5. Stewart Reich - 31:54 (PR!)
8. David Wertz - 32:23
9. Paul Balmer - 32:25
10. Tom Kelly - 32:29 (Huge PR!)
12. Sean O'Leary - 32:38
15. Otto Kingstedt - 33:09
16. Sebi Devlin-Foltz - 33:17
22. Dave O'Hara - 33:56

Tom Kelly's performance can be solely attributed to Paul Balmer's pre-race instructions. When Tom announced that he was aiming to run 33:30, Paul "suggested" that he run 32:30 instead.

Flash - Wing-footed Witters Wins Wedding Race

Ryan Witters took top honors at the Happy Runner 5k in VA. American flag shorts were worn.

Oh yea, and Murph got married. Wed 'em!

Wednesday workout, November 5

RACES

Congratulations to Teal for her outstanding 1:19:29 in the Raleigh Half Marathon, a PR of over two minutes, which earns her the highly coveted but rarely awarded GRC Athlete of the Week. This was a major breakthrough for Teal, particularly considering that the course was hillier than advertised, and it was quite windy. After enduring a lengthy absence due to injury in 2013, Teal has returned better than ever, and she is poised for another huge breakthrough in Sacramento in December. Well done!

There were several other fine performances this weekend. Kristin ran an excellent 1:19:21 at Raleigh, an 80 second PR. In her two half marathons this fall, Kristin has improved her PR by over 7 minutes, and there's more left in the tank. Kristin will turn her focus to shorter races for the remainder of the fall before tackling the marathon in the spring, so we're going to see more big PRs from her in the coming months. At the Parks 10k, Luke tempoed a comfortable 31:30 in preparation for the USATF 12k, Witty got his season going in earnest with a solid 31:53, and masters phenom Pat Kuhlmann ran a strong 34:05. At the Stache Dash 5k, Kevin ran 15:27 on a slow course, and was disappointed to be outkicked in the last 400, but he'll be back to his winning ways next time out. Dave O ran a strong 16:36, and Elyse continued on her steady progression back to race fitness. And at the National Race to End Women's Cancer, Chuck guided visually impaired athlete Matthew Rodjom to the win in 18:12. Rumor has it that Big City was so enamored of road racing that he's forgoing track season to train for Cherry Blossom, so look for a tall, skinny dude in shades up front with the Kenyans.


WORKOUT

We're at BCC this week for the normal 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.

Jerry

Weekend Results 11/2

Solid times across the board on a very blustery Sunday morning...

Stache Dash 5k
3. Kevin McNab - 15:27
6. Dave O'Hara - 16:36
27. Elyse Shimada - 20:12

Run for the Parks 10k
4. Lucas Meyer -31:30
5. Ryan Witters - 31:53
7. Pat Kuhlmann - 34:03

Raleigh Half Marathon
9. Kristin Johnson - 1:19:21
10. Teal Burrell - 1:19:28

WEEKEND PREVIEW: GRC Prepared to Scare the Competition

Looks like we're all in for a treat, as the men and women of GRC have more than a few tricks up their sleeves this coming weekend...

In an attempt to escape the creepy cold front approaching D.C., the women are sending a top notch squad of Kristin, Teal, and Julie down to the Raleigh City of Oaks Half Marathon. Coach Jerry Alexander reports that he's spooked by the possibility of how fast they will run.

"Kristin is ready for another major PR.  She broke the 60 minute barrier at Army, and while I don't like to make predictions, I think she'll break another significant barrier on Sunday," he boasted. "Teal and Julie will be running hard in their final tune up for Sacramento.  They're both sharp and ready to roll, and we should see significant PRs from both of them."

Closer to home, Luke, Sam, and masters stud Pat Kulhmann plan to lay the ol' hocus-pocus on their competition at The Parks 10k. "Luke is preparing for all-out efforts at the USATF 12k and Clubs," Coach Jerry reports, "so he's using this as a hard tempo, which will work out well for Sam, as the two of them should be able to work together for significant portions of the race." A short broomstick ride away will be the inaugural Stache Dash 5k in Arlington, where Kevin, Dave O., and Elyse will all be aiming to raise the dead with some fast times.

Perhaps most notably, Chuck "Big City" Kascur will be guiding visually impaired athlete Matthew Rodjom in the National Race to End Women's Cancer 5k. It might take a strong potion or spell to get Big City through a race many times longer than his norm, but Alexander has the utmost faith that Big City will make it through.

Clearly, big things are brewing in the cauldron for this weekend, so be sure to check back here for the latest!

Sunday Long Run

Luke, Sean, and I are meeting at Greenbelt tomorrow at 11:00 (late, for those who want to do some MCM spectating). We'll be hitting the trails for about an hour and fourty-five minutes.

NOTE: We are going to meet in the parking lot in the center of the park - shoot me an email if you are unsure of where to go.

Wednesday workout, October 22

RACES

The clock was Kevin's only opponent at the St. Rita's 5k on Saturday, in more ways that one. Due to a lengthy delay on the yellow line, Kevin arrived on the starting line less than a minute before the gun went off, and had no warmup. But once the race started it was smooth sailing as Kevin ran unchallenged for the win in 15:10, which was a course record. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if Kevin had been able to warm up, and if there was someone within 90 seconds of him, Kevin would have run a tad faster. In the women's race, Tina ran a very solid 18:31, and Elyse made her long awaited return to racing. While Elyse's result was not stellar, it was a welcome first step in her comeback from injury. Finally, at the Gettysburg XC Invitational, Dickson returned to the scene of his collegiate glory to run a strong 27:20.

WORKOUT

We're at BCC this week for our normal 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.

We'll have practice on Saturday, and the plan is to transition to actual workouts on the grass, as opposed to tempos. The big races are sneaking up on us fast, so it's about time to get down to business.

I'll send the women's workout separately.

See you out there on Wednesday.

Jerry

FLASH: Dutch Paul Dutch national marathon champion

2:21:58

ONTWIKKELING...

FLASH: Bain takes Silver at Baltimore Marathon

It was the second time he has run 2:39 in as many weeks.


Pos. Name City, State Bib Sex Age Pace Time Diff
1 Brian Rosenberg (US) Mechanicsburg, PA 2 M 37 5:51/mi 2:33:26.69 +0:00
2 Christopher Bain Takoma Park, MD 3507 M 37 6:06/mi 2:39:57.15 +6:30.46
3 Jacob Gilden (US) Washington, DC 1499 M 26 6:09/mi 2:41:37.77 +8:11.08
4 Stephen Olenick (US) Ellicott City, MD 3 M 38 6:11/mi 2:42:21.45 +8:54.76
5 Miles Aitken (US) Washington, DC 531 M 30 6:17/mi 2:45:03.52 +11:36.83
6 Ashish Rathee (US) Ellicott City, MD 314 M 38 6:32/mi 2:51:20.78 +17:54.09
7 Matt Gatti (US) Rockville, MD 1468 M 20 6:37/mi 2:53:53.97 +20:27.28
8 Curt Forst (US) Baltimore, MD 1392 M 27 6:40/mi 2:55:00.70 +21:34.01
9 John Kent Werner (US) Columbia, MD 3364 M 35 6:41/mi 2:55:38.77 +22:12.08
10 Mark Swanlund (US) Bowie, MD 3145 M 50 6:47/mi 2:58:17.47 +24:50.78

The Power of No Negative Self Talk

Teal has a great blog. Any of her posts would be worth cross-posting here.

But I think her latest post, in which she recaps her Army Ten-Miler experience, is a particularly good one: not just because she averaged faster than her 5k PR and set a 10k PR on the way to a new personal best for TEN miles ... but because it really exemplifies the power of persistence and positive thinking - or, as Teal puts it, No Negative Self Talk.

"Anytime I thought I couldn’t do this, couldn’t keep this pace, couldn’t keep running, I would just bat it away. Bury that thought somewhere else. Because most of the time when you think that, you are still doing it: still running, still keeping the pace. Often, it’s only after you tell yourself you can’t that it becomes true."

Read it, kids.


 

Wednesday workout, October 15

RACES

It was a huge weekend for the GRC women as they successfully defended their team title at the Army 10 Miler on the strength of several excellent performances. Kristin ran 59:40, which puts her 5th on the all time GRC list, and proves once again that she is a superstar in the making. Kristin's improvement over the last 6 months has been nothing short of remarkable, and she's just getting started. Teal ran a humongous PR of 60:19, which is unquestionably the best race of her career. Teal had a great training cycle in the spring and was disappointed to have an off day at Boston, but her performance on Sunday demonstrated that she is in the best shape of her life, and that her big breakthrough in the marathon is coming in Sacramento in December. Julie ran a very nice PR of 60:50, and she too will be ready for a major PR in Sacramento. Amy's 61:02 was not a PR, but she went out hard and hung on tough, and she will have much better days in a GRC singlet. Also for the women, Emily won the Glory Days 5k xc in a solid 19:25.

There was some very nice performances by the men over the weekend as well. At Army, Sam led the way in 51:39. Sam is still showing the affects of some nagging injuries, and was not able to sustain his aggressive early pace in the later miles, but he is working his way back to full fitness, and will be ready to impress later in the fall. Sean O'Leary made a successful 10 mile debut in 53:00, and he will continue to improve as the season progresses. Evan, who has been hindered by some nagging injuries, was close behind in 53:03, followed by Dave Wertz in 53:21. The best performance of the day on the men's side may have come from Tom, who ran a huge PR of 54:21, and set 8k and 10k PRs on route. Tom is a miler, but based on his recent massive improvement in the longer distances, we may have a new addition to our esteemed track 5000 group. In non-Army results, Ryan kicked off his fall season with a a very comfortable win at Glory Days in 16:07, followed by Charlie in 16:48, and Dave O in 17:07. Finally, Kieran ran 1:07:59 at the Mohawk Hudson Valley half marathon. The early pace was quite slow, leading to a huge negative split, and by Kieran's estimation he ran the last 6 miles in approximately 30 minutes, which is certainly a testament to his fitness.

WORKOUT

We're at BCC tomorrow for the normal 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.

See you at BCC tomorrow.

Jerry

Weekend Results

Along with Bain's strong marathon performance, here are a few weekend race results

GLORY DAYS 5K

1. Emily Young - 19:25

1. Ryan Witters - 16:07

3. Charlie Ban - 16:48

5. Dave O'Hara - 17:07

ARMY 10

GRC Women Defend their Team Title!

13. Kristin - 59:40

Teal - 60:19

Julie - 60:50
Amy - 61:02

Sam L - 51:39

Sean O'Leary - 53:00

Evan - 53:03

Wertz - 53:21

Tom K - 54:21

Murph - 57:25

MOHAWK HUDSON VALLEY HALF

Kieran O'Connor - 1:07:59

BAIN- 2:39!

Chris "Silent Thunder" Bain rolled to a 2:39:50 in today's Hartford Marathon, good for 17th. Bain ran a characteristically disciplined race, going through the half in 1:19-mid and maintaining pace for the rest of the race. Early reports indicate Bain was setting up a negative split but his efforts were frustrated by GI issues.

Weekend Preview: GRC Women Defend a Title, Franklin Fights a Typhoon, Witty Relives his Glory Days

The leaves have started to change, there's a slight chill in the air, and the Redskins are already playing like garbage.

It must be October.

For many a DC runner, that means its time to build off the countless miles trudged in the summer swamp and get to real racing. The men and women of GRC are no exception, as the squads will take to roads and trails near and far in search of solid mid-season marks.


Here in the Nation's Capital a band of GRC women are out to defend their 2013 team title at the Army Ten Miler. As the second of three fall military sponsored road-races in the DC area, Army Ten always brings in fast fields and good completion, along with an absolutely ENORMOUS main pack. GRC's female contingent is anchored by a strong crew of road race vets in Teal, Maura and Julie, and bolstered by a new(-ish) members Kristin and Amy. Coach Jerry has high hopes for the women, quipping that "Maura, Julie, and Teal are all looking to run big PRs" and that "Kristin and Amy both have a good chance to move into the GRC top 5" all-time.

 The men meanwhile bring together a diverse group of event specialists, borrowing Evan and Murph from the marathon crew and Sam, Wertz, O'Leary and Fridge from the shorter distance squad. Sam will build off of his strong showing last week at Paul Short to take a crack at his PR, and the ageless Dave Wertz looks to be in PR shape. After a strong string of shorter road races, Sean O graduates to the big leagues with his 10 mile debt. Exciting things to come.

Several time zones away, Mike Franklin will grab the sash and take on some of Japan's best collegiate distance runners as a member of the Ivy Alumni team at the Izumo Ekiden this Monday. This uniquely-Japanese road-relay race pits several top universities against each other in a nationally televised throwdown, and has included an Ivy Alum team for the past few editions. Mike joins Luke, Sam and Phil as former Heps greats chosen for the Ivy Select team, and this year's squad looks primed fro a strong showing. For a more in-depth preview check out this article on japan running news. Mike was originally gearing up for Army 10, so he's hoping for one the longer legs in the mixed-distance medley.

Potentially complicating matters for the race is this:

 a storm only recently downgraded from "super typhoon" status bearing down on mainland Japan. Wuh oh.

Across the Potomac at Bull Run Regional Park, our friends at PR Racing host the Glory Days Grill Cross Country Invitational. The men send a crack squad of Witty, Charlie, Karl and Dave O, while the women are led by the duo of Sara and Emily. Witty will make his season debut on the grass, and Karl makes his return to racing after a long layoff and a successful pacing job last weekend at Wilson Bridge. Jerry is excited for Sara's race as she "is quickly getting into shape and will be ready for a strong effort."


Up North, Kieran "K-Dot" O'Connor will hop in the Albany Half as a hard-training tempo in preparation for longer races to come.

Now everyone, relax, roll up your short-sleeves and reminisce about the Glory Days

Keep it here for results and updates all weekend long.

Saturday Shop Run

Murph and I are going an easy 45 minutes from the store if anyone wants to join in. You can go further, but that's your own business.

Wednesday workout, October 8--ON THE MALL

RACES

We had some strong performances on the roads and on the grass this weekend, in several time zones. On the roads, Paul Balmer made a successful marathon debut, running 2:35:53 in his native Portland. Paul lacks experience at the longer distances, but he is not lacking in talent and youthful enthusiasm, and you can expect to see continued progress from him in the months and years to come. Closer to home, Luke and Kyle were in action at the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. Luke ran 1:07:29, and although he was the second American, this qualifies as a poor race by Luke's lofty standards. But not to worry, Luke has been training extremely well, and he will be at his best at the USATF 12k and Clubs. Kyle ran 1:16:28, which is not indicative of his fitness. Kyle was running well through 9 miles, but he suffered from hamstring problems at that point and slowed appreciably. Kyle will bounce back, and be ready to show what he can do in the coming weeks.

Karl also ran Wilson Bridge, but he was not racing.  Rather, Karl served as a guide for visually impaired runner Matthew Rodjam, and he led Matt to the visually impaired national championship and a big PR of 1:20:54.  In our continuing effort to give back to the running community, GRC has furnished guides to elite visually impaired athletes at Wilson Bridge each year of the race's existence, and every one of our athletes who has volunteered for this service have raved about the experience.  It's something that I'm proud to be a part of, and which I know we will continue to do in the future.  As for Karl, we will see him back racing in the near future as he continues his comeback.

On the grass, we had a crew at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh.  Sam, running on his home course, led the way in a very strong 25:07.  Sam has been limited by nagging injuries for the better part of the last 18 months, but his performance on Saturday proves that he is well on his way to full fitness.  Stewart made a successful Lehigh debut in 26:10, and bolstered his dark horse candidacy for a shot at the A team at Clubs.  James ran a solid 26:40, and after a very slow first mile, Dickson ran a strong second half of the race to finish in 27:07.  Finally, Phil ran 25:29 at the Chile Pepper Invitational at University of Arkansas on a challenging course.  Phil has rebounded from some injury issues, and in his words is "getting his legs back under" him, which bodes extremely well for the future. 

WORKOUT

We'll be on the mall on Wednesday for a 7 pm start, so meet for the warmup at 6:15.  I'll be out there to watch your stuff during the warmup.  We'll meet at the same spot as normal, which is the 7th street side of the loop.  If you have any questions about logistics, let me know.

I'll send the women's workout separately.

I'll see you Wednesday on the mall.

Jerry
           

Weekend Results

 

 

FLASH: Balmer runs 2:35 in his debut at the Portland Marathon!

At the Pauly Short XC Invite in Lehigh:
Sam Luff - 25:07
Stewart Reich - 26:10
James Frick - 26:40
Dickson Mercer - 27:07

Wilson Bridge Half:
8. Luke Meyer - 1:07:29
Kyle Cooke - 1:16:28
Karl Dusen - 1:20:54

Portland Marathon:
6. Paul Balmer - 2:35

In other news, Charlie Ban extended his streak of Great Allegany Run victories to three, winning the 2014 edition by over 7 minutes in 49:05 for the 15k course.

FLASH: Big City Engaged

Yesterday Chuck "Big City" Kascur popped the question to his girlfriend Kate Burke. And that question was NOT "what's your 800 meter PR?" Instead, the Chuckwagon asked Burke to marry him, to which she signed on for a life of big city living and said "yes."

Wednesday workout, October 1

Duly inspired by Brian "Baruch" Young, I wish a happy and healthy 5775 to all. Shana Tovah!

RACES

We had some excellent performances from the men on Saturday at Clarendon Day, led by Kevin's dominating victory in the 10k in a solo 30:37.  Kevin's win was even more impressive given the fact that he was still feeling the affects of winning a hilly 10k in Baltimore 6 days earlier, so Kevin wins the coveted shtarka of the week award.  Also in the 10k we had strong performances from Matt Rand, who ran 32:11, and Sean O'Leary, in 32:45.  In the 5k, Mike celebrated the new year with a solid 14:52, and he undoubtedly would have run faster if he hadn't had that last piece of kishka at Rosh Hashanna dinner the night before.  Bless him, that boychick can eat!  Dave Wertz ran an excellent 15:19, a road PR, followed by James in a very solid 15:30.  The two most noteworthy performances in the 5k, however, came from two of our track specialists, Tom and Shaun, who ran 15:31 and 16:49, respectively.  Three weeks ago, Tom's PR was 16:14, and in two races he has improved by a remarkable 43 seconds.  Shaun is still in the early stages of his comeback from serious injuries he incurred in a car accident in 2012, and this performance was a big step in the right direction.  In non-Clarendon news, we had an excellent performance from Sebi, another athlete on the comeback trail, who won the Freedom 5k in 16:40.  Sebi's recovery from hip surgery is coming along well, and he's looking to be back to full strength in 2015.  Abi gezunt, Sebi!

We also had strong performances this weekend from Susan and Sarah.  Susan ran a very controlled 18:27 at Clarendon Day, and Sarah won the West Chester Stomps Cancer 5k in 18:45.  Susan is in excellent early season shape, and we're going to see more strong results from her this fall.  Sarah is well on her way to returning to full fitness, and she will continue to improve every week.  

Ed. Note: Self-deprecating update from Coach Jerry, also this link may be helpful for my fellow goy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Yiddish_origin

I've earned the dreaded schmendrick of the week award by omitting Maura's 36:47 at the Pittsburgh Great Race 10k.  Maura has run some solid early season performances, and we're going to see some PRs from her later this season, starting at Army.

ADMINISTRATIVE

Much to the disappointment of my Yiddisha mama, I'm not a doctor, but my lack of medical training notwithstanding, I strongly recommend that you all get flu shots in the near future.  A flu shot now could go a long way towards keeping you healthy this winter, thereby eliminating unwanted breaks in your training.  I know that a nice matzo ball soup can work wonders when you're under the weather, but let's try to eliminate the need for resorting to such drastic measures by not getting sick in the first place. 

WORKOUT

We're at BCC this week for our normal 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.

I'll send the women's workout separately.

See you Wednesday at BCC.

Jerry

McNab nabs First Place at Clarendon Day 10K

Three GRC runners broke into the top ten yesterday afternoon at the Clarendon Day 10K.

10k
1.  Kevin McNab (30:37)
4.  Matt Rand (32:11)
8.  Sean O'Leary (32:45)

On this Rosh Hashanah weekend, David Wertz, who nearly missed a PR, and Lashaun Smith, who ran his best race since a serious car accident, started the new year off right and made formidable cases for Coach Jerry's highly coveted "GRC Mazel Tov of the Week." Notably, Tom Kelly schlepped home a 45-second PR, which also put him in the running. 

5k
2.  Michael Franklin (14:52)
6.  Dave Wertz (15:19)
6.  Susan Hendrick (18:27)
7.  James Frick (15:30)
8.  Tom Kelley (15:31)
10.  The Fridge (16:04)
19.  Lashaun Smith (16:49)

Cheers to Pacers Events for putting on this race, which all agree was truly a mitzvah.

Wednesday workout, September 24

RACES

If any further proof were needed, we received confirmation yesterday that long races and high humidity are a bad combination.  Our crew at the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon encountered very difficult conditions, and unfortunately the times reflect those conditions.  But the day was not a total loss, as Amy made her official GRC debut in a very respectable 1:21:49.  Amy is a superstar in the making--she was a soccer player at UVA who had no background in running, and essentially untrained she ran 59:36 at the GW Parkway 10 mile in April.  With a few months of consistent training under her belt, there's no telling what Amy will be able to achieve, so keep an eye on that young lady going forward.  We also had a solid performance from Pat Kuhlmann, who was second master in 1:12:18.  The rest of our crew, Sean Barrett, Outlaw, Charlie, and Teal, were all hampered mightily by the heat, but their fitness will show down the road. 

Closer to home, Kevin defended his title at the Race for Our Kids 10k in Baltimore, in a very controlled 31:27.  Kevin will be back in action on Saturday at Clarendon Day 10k, where he'll be looking to continue his winning ways.

WORKOUT

We're back at BCC this week for our normal 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.  The school may be closed, so it might be necessary to find bathrooms elsewhere.

I'll send the women's workout separately.

I'll see you at BCC on Wednesday night.

Jerry

Big City, Big Plans

Chuck "Big City" Kacsur is beginning his tenure on the alumni board of directors at his alma mater, California State University of Pennsylvania.

Big City, seen here lounging, will be a great addition to the board, bringing his metropolitan ways to an ambitious little branch of the Pennsylvania State System for Higher Education, without disrupting the rural character of the campus, tucked away in Washington County on the Monongahela River.

Wednesday workout, September 17--ON THE MALL

RACES

We had a big weekend of racing, highlighted by the Navy 5 miler and half marathon, and there were many outstanding performances.  The undisputed race of the day, however, was Kristin's 1:20:40 in the half, which was a humongous 6 minute PR.  This was a major breakthrough for Kristin, and while it was not unexpected given that she ran superb workouts all summer, it's one thing to run well in practice, and quite another to run well in races, and Kristin delivered when it counted.  Kristin executed her race plan perfectly, which was to stay comfortable through 10 miles, and she would have run much, much faster if she had opened it up earlier.  We're going to see many, many more major breakthroughs from Kristin in the weeks and months ahead.

There were other notable performances at Navy, including but not limited to (as we lawyers are so fond of saying) the following:

Sara's GRC debut in the 5 mile.  Sara had a fantastic senior year at Dickinson, where she was a D-III All-American in cross country and outdoors, placing 4th in the 10,000 at Nationals, and ran PRs of 4:33 for 1500, 16:53 for 5,000, and 35:40 for 10,000.  Sara is going to have a shot at rewriting the GRC record book on the track this spring, so keep an eye on that young lady.

Maura's meet record in the 5 mile of 30:03.  Maura missed the start of the race last year, but she was on the line when the gun went off this time around, and ran a strong race considering that she was solo from the mile mark.

Paul Balmer's half PR of 1:10:59.  Despite running the second half of the race totally solo, Paul PR'ed by a minute, which was a very encouraging sign as he prepares to make his marathon debut in Portland on October 5. 

Kerry's very controlled 1:21:20 in the half.  Kerry is just starting her training cycle for the California International Marathon in December, and she showed that she is ready to get down to business as she prepares for a major PR in Sacramento.

Emily's excellent half debut of 1:24:46.  Emily has almost no experience with longer distances on the roads, and her goal was to break 1:30, so we can call that mission accomplished.

Strong races in the 5 mile from our contingent of recent graduates.  Sean O"Leary ran a very solid 25:49, followed by Stewart in 25:56, James in 26:27, and Kyle in 26:38.  Sean and Stewart rebounded nicely from less than stellar 5ks in early September, and they will continue to improve as the season goes on.  James had not run a race that long in almost two years, and we will see continued progress from him on the roads as he builds his strength for track season.  Kyle's training has been limited by a minor injury the last two weeks, but we'll be seeing much more from him this fall, and beyond.

Strong races in the 5 mile from our contingent of grizzled veterans.  Jerry Outlaw sharpened up for the Philly half in 25:42, followed by Dickson in 25:51, Dave O in 27:18, and Patrick in 27:21.  This was Dickson's best performance in recent memory, and his focus on shorter races this fall is starting to pay off. 

In non-Navy news, Dave Wertz successfully defended his title at the Navy Federal 5k, and Tom ran a 5k PR of 16:13, not only winning the Race for Schools, but also beating a world record holder in the half marathon in the process.  That 10 year-old thought he could use his strength to wear Tom down, but he didn't factor in Tom's superior finishing kick. 

WORKOUT

Due to another conflict at BCC, we're on the mall again this week.  The drill will be the same as last week--we'll meet at 6:15 on the 7th street side of the loop, and I'll be there to watch your stuff while you warm up.  We'll get rolling at 7:00.  If you need additional information on logistics, let me know.

I'll see you on the mall on Wednesday night.

Jerry

Maura, Wertz, & TK Break the Tape

"From the start, the Run for the Schools 5k was all Tom Kelly. He ran to win, and win he did," a giraffe reported after Kelly won the Falls Church event in 16:13.

Maura, meanwhile, won the Navy 5 Miler in an event-record time of 30:03, while Wertz defended his title at the Navy Federal 5k.

The race of the day at Navy 5 Miler and Navy Air Force Half, however, said Coach Jerry, was Kristin's 1:20:40 in the half -- a humongous six-minute PR.  

More from coach:

This was a major breakthrough for Kristin, and while it was not unexpected given that she ran superb workouts all summer, it's one thing to run well in practice, and quite another to run well in races, and Kristin delivered when it counted.  Kristin executed her race plan perfectly, which was to stay comfortable through 10 miles, and she would have run much, much faster if she had opened it up earlier.  We're going to see many, many more major breakthroughs from Kristin in the weeks and months ahead.

There were other notable performances at Navy: Namely, Maura's meet record in the 5 mile of 30:03.  Maura missed the start of the race last year, but she was on the line when the gun went off this time around, and ran a strong race considering that she was solo from the mile mark.

Sara's GRC debut in the 5 mile.  Sara had a fantastic senior year at Dickinson, where she was a D-III All-American in cross country and outdoors, placing 4th in the 10,000 at Nationals, and ran PRs of 4:33 for 1500, 16:53 for 5,000, and 35:40 for 10,000.  Sara is going to have a shot at rewriting the GRC record book on the track this spring, so keep an eye on that young lady.

Paul Balmer's half PR of 1:10:59.  Despite running the second half of the race totally solo, Paul PR'ed by a minute, which was a very encouraging sign as he prepares to make his marathon debut in Portland on October 5.  

Kerry's very controlled 1:21:20 in the half.  Kerry is just starting her training cycle for the California International Marathon in December, and she showed that she is ready to get down to business as she prepares for a major PR in Sacramento.

Emily's excellent half debut of 1:24:46.  Emily has almost no experience with longer distances on the roads, and her goal was to break 1:30, so we can call that mission accomplished.

Strong races in the 5 mile from our contingent of recent graduates.  Sean O'Leary (Blur) ran a very solid 25:49, followed by Stewart (Stu) in 25:56, James in 26:27, and Kyle in 26:38.  Blur and Stu rebounded nicely from less than stellar 5ks in early September, and they will continue to improve as the season goes on.  James had not run a race that long in almost two years, and we will see continued progress from him on the roads as he builds his strength for track season.  Kyle's training has been limited by a minor injury the last two weeks, but we'll be seeing much more from him this fall, and beyond.

Strong races in the 5 mile from our contingent of grizzled veterans.  Jerry Outlaw sharpened up for the Philly half in 25:42, followed by Dickson in 25:51, Dave O in 27:18, and Patrick in 27:21.  This was Dickson's best performance in recent memory, and his focus on shorter races this fall is starting to pay off. 

Awww - thanks, coach.

Kristin, center, on the way to a breakthrough performance. Cheryl Young took this photograph and many more.