RACES
The highly coveted and rarely awarded GRC Athlete of the Week goes to Kieran for his outstanding performance at Clarendon Day. In the 5k, Kieran ran 14:35, which is a new club record and a gigantic PR, and he came back a few minutes later to win the 10k in 31:42. Kieran is in the midst of training for the Philly RNR half, and that he was able to break the club record at a distance that is well outside of his wheelhouse without having done any speedwork is proof positive that he has an excellent shot at qualifying for the Olympic Trials in Philly. Well done, young fella!
There were many other fine performances at Clarendon Day. Katie won the women's race in 17:21, which was her fastest 5k since the Clinton administration, and puts her third on the GRC all-time list. Susan ran a very solid 18:08 in her season debut. For the men, former club record holder Witty made a promising season debut in 14:48, and considering that Ryan has only been running workouts for a few weeks, he will have an excellent chance of reclaiming the club record later this fall. Also of note in the 5k, Tom ran a big PR of 15:29. In the 10k, Mike made his season debut in 32:17, and we'll certainly see much faster times from him as the season progresses, and Kerry continued her comeback from injury with a solid 39:40.
Clarendon marked the GRC debut of three members of the GRC class of 2015, Kyle Wagener, Lukasz Olenginski, and Greg Olenginski. Kyle, who ran 15:39, is a recent graduate of St. Olaf, and he will be looking to make his mark in the 5000 and 10,000 on the track. Luk and Greg, who both recently graduated from Franklin and Marshall, were standouts at 800 and 1500 meters in college, and they will be looking to improve at 1500 while transitioning to the 3000 and 5000. Welcome aboard!
Last but not least, Maura ran a PR of 36:13 at the Great Race in Pittsburgh. Maura is in excellent shape, and we're going to see more PRs from her in the weeks and months ahead.
WORKOUT
We're ON THE MALL on Wednesday. Meet for the warmup at 6:30, and we'll get started as promptly at 7:15. I'll be out there by 6:30 to watch your stuff. As always, we will use the interior loop between 4th and 7th Streets, and we will muster on the 7th street side, on the north corner of the loop. If you're driving, there is ample parking on the roads around the mall. If you're taking metro, the Smithsonian stop is a few blocks to the west (exit on the mall and walk towards the Capital, cross 7th street, and the meeting spot is on the north side of the loop). If you're taking the red line, go to Gallery Place, exit at 7th street, and proceed south towards the mall. I'll send the women's workout separately.
I'll see you on the mall on Wednesday.
Jerry
Monday, September 28, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
TUESDAY workout, September 22
RACES
We got the season started in earnest with some very strong performances at the Navy 5 Miler and Half Marathon. The performance of the day came from Stewart, who won the 5 mile in 25:14, which was a 25 second PR. Stewart is in the best shape of his life, and he's going to keep the PR train rolling in the coming weeks. Also in the 5 mile, Luke was second in 25:22, Sam was third in 25:31, Cabell was fourth in 25:59, Tex Paul was seventh in 26:13, Balmer was eighth in 26:19, Outlaw was ninth in 26:29, and Dave O was eleventh in 27:41. I was particularly pleased with Sam's solid run as he continues to return to form after injury, and Cabell's very comfortable effort as he begins the encore to his huge breakthrough season in the spring.
The women were led by Hannah, who was second in 29:38, followed by Frances Loeb in third in 29:44, Kerry in fifth in 31:18, Keely in eighth in 32:18, and Mary Grace in 34:25. Rumor has it that Beth also ran, but since she isn't in the results, perhaps I just imagined seeing her run in the 31:30 range. Frances and Keely made their GRC debuts, and they both showed why they are going to be great additions to the team. Frances had an outstanding career at Johns Hopkins, where she was a 6-time All-American, and by the end of the spring I would not be surprised if the name Frances occupies the top 2 spots on the GRC all-time list in every distance on the track. Keely will be a major contributor to our marathon and road groups, and she has a bright future ahead in GRC blue.
In the half, Chris ran a very nice PR of 1:14:21. Chris has shown tremendous potential for improvement in his short time with GRC, and we're going to see many more PRs from him in the future. Kieran ran a very controlled 1:10:19 for second, and our fall marathon crew of Pat, Dickson, and Fridge used the race as a workout, finishing in 1:13:23, 1:17:29, and 1:17:58, respectively. They're all training well, and we're going to see breakthrough performances from them in the coming weeks.
EVENT FOR NINA
Mary Grace learned of an event in honor of Nina that will take place at Bicycle Space on September 28, which is next Monday, and it would be great if we have a strong GRC presence. This is the invitation to the event:
Please join us on Sept 28 at 7:30 for yoga in the Adams Morgan shop. This will be a special class, held in honor of Nina Brekelmans, who took classes with us at our 7th Street location, and perished in a fire in June in Dupont. She was a remarkable and accomplished woman, and we miss her spirit in class. More information on her here: https://ccas.georgetown.edu/brekelmans-scholarship-fund. BicycleSpace yoga classes are offered on a "give what you can" basis, and all proceeds raised over the summer will be donated to Nina's memorial scholarship fund on September 28. We will teach our regular "all levels vinyasa flow" class, followed by the donation of the funds to the representatives of the scholarship fund. Anyone who wishes to remember or speak in her honor Nina is welcome. To join us for class, please arrive by 7:30. To join for the reception, please arrive at 8:30.
WORKOUT
We're set for our normal 7:15 start on TUESDAY at BCC, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.
I'll send the women's workout separately.
Jerry
Monday, September 21, 2015
FLASH (ish - one day delay) - Navy Air Force 1/2 Marathon & 5 Mile Results
Summer is drawing to a close, but it doesn't seem like the GRC is going to be cooling down anytime soon. Sources indicate that the 'Skins dominating win yesterday was inspired by the clean sweeps from both the men and women in the various team competitions.
1/2 Marathon (Men)Kieran 1:10:19 2nd
Pat 1:13:23
Chris 1:14:21 PR
Dix 1:17:28
Fridge 1:17:58
5 Mile (Men)
Stewart 25:14 1st (PR)
Luke 25:22 2nd
Sam 25:31 3nd
Cabell 25:56 4th
Tex Paul 26:13 7th
Balmer 26:19 8th
Outlaw 26:29 9th
5 Mile (Women)
Frances Loeb 29:44 3nd (GRC debut)
Kerry 31:18 5th
Keely 32:18 8th (GRC debut)
Monday, September 14, 2015
Wednesday workout, September 16
RACES
We had several fine performances this weekend at various distances, but the top story occurred off the track when Jake announced that he is retiring from racing. When the history of GRC is written, Jake will be featured prominently, both for his achievements as an athlete, which were impressive, and for his multitude of contributions to the team behind the scenes. It's not an exaggeration to say that Jake's vision and persistence formed the foundation of GRC, and we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his years of hard work and dedication. I urge all of you to read Jake's blog post, and to find inspiration in his story. I'm certain that I speak for the entire team when I say that he will be missed.
http://jakeklim.blogspot.com/2015/09/hanging-up-flats-spikes.html
As for the racing, we had a strong crew at the Parks half marathon, led by Kieran's 2d place finish in 1:11:40, Sam in 6th 1:13:17, Sean O in 7th 1:13:21, and Jake in 9th 1:15:43. Parks is a challenging course, and our guys ran it as a workout, so these results bode very well for fast times when the real racing starts. Phil got an excellent start to his fall season by finishing 4th at the Dartmouth XC Invitational, where he ran 24:31 for "8k." Phil is sure the course was a tad short, and he thinks his time is worth about 25 flat for the full distance, but that is still a very promising performance on a hilly course. Stewart is already in mid-season form, as he proved by winning the Frederick Market Street Mile in 4:15. Finally, Katie was second in the Shoebox Shuffle 5k in Baltimore in a very strong 17:52 on a hilly course.
WORKOUT
We're set for our normal 7:15 start at BCC on Wednesday, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.
I'll send the women's workout separately.
Jerry
We had several fine performances this weekend at various distances, but the top story occurred off the track when Jake announced that he is retiring from racing. When the history of GRC is written, Jake will be featured prominently, both for his achievements as an athlete, which were impressive, and for his multitude of contributions to the team behind the scenes. It's not an exaggeration to say that Jake's vision and persistence formed the foundation of GRC, and we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his years of hard work and dedication. I urge all of you to read Jake's blog post, and to find inspiration in his story. I'm certain that I speak for the entire team when I say that he will be missed.
http://jakeklim.blogspot.com/2015/09/hanging-up-flats-spikes.html
As for the racing, we had a strong crew at the Parks half marathon, led by Kieran's 2d place finish in 1:11:40, Sam in 6th 1:13:17, Sean O in 7th 1:13:21, and Jake in 9th 1:15:43. Parks is a challenging course, and our guys ran it as a workout, so these results bode very well for fast times when the real racing starts. Phil got an excellent start to his fall season by finishing 4th at the Dartmouth XC Invitational, where he ran 24:31 for "8k." Phil is sure the course was a tad short, and he thinks his time is worth about 25 flat for the full distance, but that is still a very promising performance on a hilly course. Stewart is already in mid-season form, as he proved by winning the Frederick Market Street Mile in 4:15. Finally, Katie was second in the Shoebox Shuffle 5k in Baltimore in a very strong 17:52 on a hilly course.
WORKOUT
We're set for our normal 7:15 start at BCC on Wednesday, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.
I'll send the women's workout separately.
Jerry
Stewart in the FNP
Stewart Reich and his soon-to-be-wife Stephanie Bryan got some nice press after each winning the Market Street Mile in Frederick in 4:15 and 4:59.
Stewart told the Frederick News-Post: "My whole fall is planned out, then, my season stops. My spring is an open schedule. Hopefully, we'll be running happily every after.
Stewart told the Frederick News-Post: "My whole fall is planned out, then, my season stops. My spring is an open schedule. Hopefully, we'll be running happily every after.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Wednesday workout, Sep 9, ON THE MALL
RACES
The men got into action this weekend with victories at Kentlands 5k, National Press Club 5k, and the Larry Noel 15k. At Kentlands, Mike, Kieran, and Stewart went 1-2-3 in 15:17, 15:18, and 15:19, with Sam 5th in 15:47, and Sean 6th in 16:04. This was Mike's first race of 2015, and he looks none the worse for wear after injury limited him in the spring. Indeed, Mike appears to be in better shape at this point in the season than in his previous two years with GRC, so we're going to see him make up for lost time this fall. Kieran is gearing up for his shot at qualifying for the Trials in the half, and his very comfortable effort on Saturday is more proof that he's on schedule for a major breakthrough in October. Stewart is already in mid-season form, and he's going to be ready for some big PRs in the coming weeks. Sam is also working his way back into shape after some nagging injuries hampered him in the spring, and this controlled effort was another step in the right direction. Sean is taking a patient approach in his training, and he will be ready to roll when the real racing starts. At the Press Club 5k, Pat K led from the gun, winning by over a minute in 16:33. Pat is getting ready for a big PR in Chicago, and while he was hoping for some competition on Saturday to push him, his training is right where he wants it to be. Dickson was equally dominant at the Larry Noel 15k, which he won by 4 minutes in a very controlled 54:33 on a hilly course. Dix is also in full marathon prep mode as he gets ready for a big effort at MCM.
WORKOUT
On Wednesday we will be ON THE MALL for a 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30. The long-promised specifics are that we use the interior loop between 4th and 7th Streets, which is very, very close to 800 meters (it may not be exact, but as we like to say in that part of town, it's close enough for government work). The drill is that we muster on the 7th street side, on the north corner of the loop. If you're driving, there is ample parking on the roads around the mall. If you're taking metro, the Smithsonian stop is a few blocks to the west (exit on the mall and walk towards the Capital, cross 7th street, and the meeting spot is on the north side of the loop). If you're taking the red line, go to Gallery Place, exit at 7th street, and proceed south towards the mall. It's less than a 10 minute walk. I will be there at 6:30 to watch your stuff during the warmup.
I'll send the women's workout separately.
See you on the mall on Wednesday.
Jerry
The men got into action this weekend with victories at Kentlands 5k, National Press Club 5k, and the Larry Noel 15k. At Kentlands, Mike, Kieran, and Stewart went 1-2-3 in 15:17, 15:18, and 15:19, with Sam 5th in 15:47, and Sean 6th in 16:04. This was Mike's first race of 2015, and he looks none the worse for wear after injury limited him in the spring. Indeed, Mike appears to be in better shape at this point in the season than in his previous two years with GRC, so we're going to see him make up for lost time this fall. Kieran is gearing up for his shot at qualifying for the Trials in the half, and his very comfortable effort on Saturday is more proof that he's on schedule for a major breakthrough in October. Stewart is already in mid-season form, and he's going to be ready for some big PRs in the coming weeks. Sam is also working his way back into shape after some nagging injuries hampered him in the spring, and this controlled effort was another step in the right direction. Sean is taking a patient approach in his training, and he will be ready to roll when the real racing starts. At the Press Club 5k, Pat K led from the gun, winning by over a minute in 16:33. Pat is getting ready for a big PR in Chicago, and while he was hoping for some competition on Saturday to push him, his training is right where he wants it to be. Dickson was equally dominant at the Larry Noel 15k, which he won by 4 minutes in a very controlled 54:33 on a hilly course. Dix is also in full marathon prep mode as he gets ready for a big effort at MCM.
WORKOUT
On Wednesday we will be ON THE MALL for a 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30. The long-promised specifics are that we use the interior loop between 4th and 7th Streets, which is very, very close to 800 meters (it may not be exact, but as we like to say in that part of town, it's close enough for government work). The drill is that we muster on the 7th street side, on the north corner of the loop. If you're driving, there is ample parking on the roads around the mall. If you're taking metro, the Smithsonian stop is a few blocks to the west (exit on the mall and walk towards the Capital, cross 7th street, and the meeting spot is on the north side of the loop). If you're taking the red line, go to Gallery Place, exit at 7th street, and proceed south towards the mall. It's less than a 10 minute walk. I will be there at 6:30 to watch your stuff during the warmup.
I'll send the women's workout separately.
See you on the mall on Wednesday.
Jerry
Monday, September 7, 2015
Rollin' Down the Road to MCM
Saturday, September 5, 2015
5k Saturday - Victories at Press Club and Kentlands
Pat Kuhlmann coasted to victory this morning in the Press Club 5k in 16:33.
Emily Dufton, mother of GRC mascot Bruno, continues to discover the benefits of doing the hard training and finishes 4th in 21:42.
In Richmond, Charlie takes 8th overall and is top alum -- would've been No. 2 man for his alma mater -- in the Richmond Spider Alumni Open.
And in later breaking news, Franklin, Kieran and Stu went 1-2-3 in the Kentlands 5k in 15:17, 18, and 19. Sam was 5th in 15:47 and Blur was 6th in 16:04.
This story is no longer developing. It is finished.
Emily Dufton, mother of GRC mascot Bruno, continues to discover the benefits of doing the hard training and finishes 4th in 21:42.
In Richmond, Charlie takes 8th overall and is top alum -- would've been No. 2 man for his alma mater -- in the Richmond Spider Alumni Open.
And in later breaking news, Franklin, Kieran and Stu went 1-2-3 in the Kentlands 5k in 15:17, 18, and 19. Sam was 5th in 15:47 and Blur was 6th in 16:04.
This story is no longer developing. It is finished.