UPDATE: Meyer leads GRC in strong showing at Army Ten-Miler

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In his first major race in a GRC singlet, Luke Meyer led the men with a head-turning time of 50:23 this morning at the Army Ten-Miler. Meyer got out hard and by mile 2, he had tucked in behind the chase pack. 


"Luke showed why he is a national class athlete.  He'd be the first to admit that he's nowhere near fully fit, yet he ran an outstanding race today." said Coach Jerry Alexander. "With our other new stars joining Luke on the starting line, GRC is going to make a major splash at the USATF 12k and Clubs XC."


Sam Luff ran his best race of the fall with a time of 51:31. Luff passed through 5-miles in 25:27. 


"Sam ran very well, and is quickly regaining fitness.  He will be ready to go when the big races come around in the next few weeks," said Alexander.


Paul Balmer continued his string of strong performances and ducked in a few seconds under 52 minutes.


"Paul ran much of the race totally solo but still broke 52, which was his goal coming in," boasted Alexander "so that was mission accomplished, despite less than optimal racing conditions for him."

It was also a strong performance by our senior set, as Dave Wertz ran an outstanding race, and Dave O'Hara dipped under 55 minutes.  

Brian Young ran a very stellar 58:25.

Beth Young and Lindsay O'Brien led the women with sub-60 minute efforts. 


"Beth did not have her A game today, but she still ran a 15 second PR," noted Alexander. "She is fit to go through 10 miles at that pace in the Wilson Bridge Half, and we will see some massive performances from her this fall."

Lindsay has been battling injuries as of late and also looks forward to competing at Wilson Bridge.  
Julie Tarallo and Kerry Allen ran personal bests of 1:01:02 and 1:01:07, respectively.

"Julie ran a very nice PR, and though she would have liked to break 61, this was an excellent run from an athlete who is getting better every week," said Alexander. "Kerry also had a nice PR at a time when her confidence was a little shaky.  Now that Kerry is back on the right track, we're going to see some excellent performances from her this fall."




DEVELOPING...


RESULTS:


15. Luke Meyer - 50:23

24. Sam Luff - 51:31

29. Paul Balmer - 51:58

34. Dave Burnham - 52:47

37. Dave Wertz - 53:05

40. Matt Hassett - 53:10

43. Sean Barrett - 53:45

62. Dave O'Hara - 54:59
83. Chris Bain - 55:59
148. Brian Young - 58:21

12. Beth Young - 59:41 

14. Lindsay O'Brien - 59:46 

16. Julie Tarallo - 1:01:02

18. Kerry Allen - 1:01:07

O'Connor, Carroll Win St. Rita 5k

Alexandria, VA -- Kieran O'Connor and Maura Carroll each won their respective divisions this morning at the St Rita 5k at Four Mile Run Park. O'Connor ran a personal best of 15:15 (unofficial). Kevin McNab placed second with a time of 15:35 while Jake Klim finished in 4th in 15:55. Carroll's time was 18:05. She was followed by Meghan Lockett, Avril Kaplan, Susan Hendrick and Heather Jelen.

DEVELOPING...

GRC to deploy team at the Army Ten-Miler

On Sunday, the Georgetown Running Club will send a squad of women and a platoon of men to do battle at the Army Ten-Miler in Arlington. All told, sixteen GRCers will race in one of Washington, D.C.'s finest fall events. 

"It's not an exaggeration to say that our crew for Army is as strong as any lineup for any race in GRC history," boasted Coach Jerry Alexander. 

Lindsay O'Brien, the GRC 10-mile record holder, will lead the women's team, but Beth Young, who is running personal bests at every corner, won't be far behind. 

"Beth is in phenomenal shape, as she showed at the Philly Half, and she's rested and ready after a couple of weeks off courtesy of our track-loving Congress," Alexander said . "She and Lindsay are going to run aggressively, and Lindsay's team record of 57:47 could be at risk." 

Julie Tarallo, who ran 1:22 for the half marathon in Philadelphia last month, and Kerry Allen, who ran 1:24 in that same race, will also be toeing the line.

Twelve GRC men will race on Sunday, including Mike Franklin, Luke Meyer, Sam Luff, Dave Burnham, Sean Barrett, Brian "Breezy" Young, Patrick Murphy, Dave Wertz, Dave O'Hara, Lavar Curley, Paul Balmer and Matt "Fridge" Hassett. 

"Mike will be making his 10 mile debut, and based on his recent workouts, he could threaten the club record of 49:07, said Coach Alexander. "Luke is not going to threaten his PR of 48:26, as he is still working his way back into shape, but he is ready to make a strong showing." 

Luff and Barrett could threaten their personal bests while young guns Balmer and Hassett are both looking to break 52:00. 

Expect members from both the women and men's team to secure a spot in the "Top 5 All-Time" lists: 

1. Lindsay O’Brien - 57:47 - Broad Street Run 2013 
2. Drea Garvue - 58:50 - Army 10 Mile 2011 
3. Michelle Miller - 59:20 - Cherry Blossom 10 Mile 2011 
4. Anna Holt-Gosselin - 59:22 - Army 10 Mile 2011 
5. Beth Young - 59:45 - Cherry Blossom 10 Mile 2013 

1. Chris Raabe - 49:07 - GW Parkway 2009 
2. Karl Dusen - 50:06 - Cherry Blossom 2011 
3. Sam Luff - 50:45 - Cherry Blossom 2011 
4. Jerry Greenlaw - 50:55 Cherry Blossom 2011 
5. Jake Klim - 50:56 - Cherry Blossom 2010 

On Saturday, a small contingent of GRCers will race the St. Rita 5k in Arlington including Kevin McNab, Kieran O'Connor, Jake Klim, Maura Carroll, Heather Jelen, and Avril Kaplan.

A reminder - please remember to update your race plans in the team's race calendar HERE.

DEVELOPING...

Saturday Shop Run 9 a.m.

Anyone up for a few easy pre-A10 miles from the Gtown store Saturday at 9?  Maybe we could also work in a couple of strides and perhaps even a few laughs too?  Comment or email if interested. 

Dutch Paul runs a 2:22:17 in Marathon Debut

GRC friend and on/off again training partner raced this morning in Holland and placed 21st overall and was second among countrymen.

Closer to home, Matias won the PTOS Innovation 5k by more than 2:30 in 16:51 while pushing Leo in a stroller, and Susan won the abbreviated Boo! Run for Life 10k (it became a 5k) in 18:46.

Kristie and Elyse went 1-2 at the Nova 5k in Bluemont Park, running 18:53 and 19:42.

Anyone Down for a Monday Run at The Line at 9?

?

The Line at 9

Luff, Dusen and Klim are meeting there and then. Klim is looking to run 15, Luff 10. We will start on the Western Ridge Trail and attempt to avoid the slop.

Comment if we should wait for you.

Ban is Repeat Winner at Great Allegany Run

In other weekend action, Charlie Ban was the repeat champion in the Great Alleghany Run in Cumberland, MD. He won the 15k in a time of 49:37, a 5:20/mile average.

Jurkovich - 2:30:42 @ US Marathon Champs!

FLASH RESULTS FROM MINNEAPOLIS:

Evan Jurkovich - 2:30:42 - PERSONAL BEST!
Chris Bain - 2:37:11
Dickson Mercer - 2:38:17

GRC Expat Reaves is married

Reaves married longtime girlfriend Valerie in San Francisco

GRC Go 1-3 @ Mason, Balmer leads men @ Paul Short

GRC swept the Mason Invite with Mike Franklin, Sean Barrett and Luke Meyer going 1-2-3. Times were slow and the course was extremely difficult, perhaps "the most difficult college course I've ever seen," quipped Coach jerry Alexander, "but it was an excellent performance for Luke in his GRC debut, and Mike and is still undefeated in a GRC jersey." 

Mary Grace Pellegrini placed 11th. 

 In Lehigh, Paul Balmer led the GRC at the Paul Short Run.

 18 Paul Balmer 4:56 25:37 5:10 Grc
 34 Paul Guevara 4:56 25:58 5:14 Georgetown R C
 43 Samuel Luff 4:54 26:05 5:15 Georgetown R C
 68 Matt Hassett 4:57 26:27 5:20 Georgetown R C

Mercer, Jurkovich, Bain to Compete in USATF Marathon Championships

Two Wednesdays ago, Dickson Mercer, Evan Jurkovich, and Chris Bain started their fourth and final 1600m repeat with a sense of urgency. One lap in, it was clear that they were really going for it and by 800m Jerry was calling the splits in a tone that conveyed encouragement, not just information. It was the kind of interval that causes guys doing their cooldown to stop and cheer.  

Finishing a workout on a high note is never a bad thing, but this was not just any workout. That 1600 was the last interval of the last workout of Mercer, Jurkovich, and Bain’s 2013 fall marathon cycle. The easy, easy, medium, hard 4x1600m repeat workout has become a time honored final effort that many a GRC runner has used to cap off a marathon cycle. That final all out 1600 leaves marathoners with the confidence that weeks of high mileage have not dampened their speed and that the bumps and bruises sustained along the way are nothing the taper can’t fix.

Tomorrow morning, these three runners will compete in the 2013 USATF Marathon Championships at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. And if this training cycle is any indication, they are in for terrific races. Mercer ran 1:12 at RNR Philly last month and although the result was not what he was looking for, he was encouraged to be able to sustain a fast pace with relative ease on the first part of the course. And Jurkovich, who will be making his GRC debut tomorrow, ran 1:09:24 last month at the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Duluth.

None of the runners intend to change their gameplan because this race is a highly competitive championship event. Bain’s running style is the embodiment of self-control and self-awareness and you won’t see him getting pulled out faster than he is comfortable. And Jurkovich thinks that the championship environment will help him run a better race because he knows that “there will be good guys around regardless [of the pace]” and feels “more comfortable sticking to my game plan and being confident I’ll be able to run my race and have guys that are there to push me when I need it.”

Coach Jerry thinks that all three runners are in excellent form from weeks of the hard training and will run terrific races, if not PRs.  In 2010, Jurkovich ran 2:32:10 on this course and is looking to improve. Tomorrow will give Mercer the rare opportunity to run well on a relatively flat course. His PR of 2:29:06 has been on the books for a while, but that is due in large part to the fact that he is the sort of runner who thinks that the marathon is about the performance -- not just the number on the clock -- and as a result has competed on very challenging courses such as Frederick, Gettysburg (where he took first place), and Boston last spring. Bain is a tough and experienced marathoner and, if conditions are right, will be in a position to improve on his PR of 2:31:03.  Matt Lehner, of the Capitol Hill Distance Project, is running in the open wave of the marathon and is also looking to PR.

Go get ‘em, guys.

Difficult Run at 9:30am

UPDATE: I am meeting Karl tomorrow then/there.

See you then if you're interested...

GRC Harriers to Hit the Grass and Mud Tomorrow!

Coach Jerry Alexander monitors members of the Georgetown Running Club during a recent cross country practice

On Saturday, Sam Luff will lead a quartet of GRC harriers in the 40th Paul Short Run in Lehigh, Pennsylvania. The race is a tune-up - a chance to put on the spikes in real competition - before the team heads to Bend, Oregon later this year for the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships.

Joining Luff on the course will be the pistol-wielding, sombrero-donning "Texas" Paul Guevara, Matt "Fridge" Hassett and Paul Balmer. 

Lehigh is arguably one of the fastest, and most contested cross country courses in the land, so if the weather is good, and the competition ripe, expect to see fast times over the 8 kilometer course.

Also on Saturday, closer to home, Luke Meyer will make his long awaited debut at the Mason Invite. Meyer was a 2-time All American at Yale, in cross country and track, and ran the 3,000m steeplechase in the 2008 Olympic Trials and the marathon in the 2012 Olympic Trails, where he recorded a time of 2:20:21. In 2011, Meyer was the top American at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, with a time of 48:26.

"Luke is an athlete with truly superb credentials," said Coach Jerry Alexander. "His PRs are on a whole different level than any of our runners, and when he returns to full fitness, he will take the team to new heights.  We are extremely fortunate to have him on board."

Joining Meyer in the 8 kilometer race will be Mike Franklin, currently GRC's top runner and Sean Barrett.

Mary Grace Pelligrini will represent the women's team.

DEVELOPING...

UPDATE: ROCHE WINS HALF MOON BAY HALF

Although the federal government may be shutting down, the GRC is open for business.  On Saturday, nine runners will be hitting the roads of Virigina in the Clarendon Day 5k and 10k, put on by our friends at Pacers Events.  In the 5k, Kristie Nunes will race for the first time in nearly two years.  Since tearing her achilles tendon in 2011 during her second race with the team, the former Nittany Lion has marked some significant milestones -- getting married, having a daughter, handing out water at the Father's Day 8k -- but missed out on the reason we have this club: to run and race.  She's back, and looking to get after it.  Susan Hendrick will run along side her in the 5k together with GRC first-timers Mary Grace Pellegrini and James Frick.  Beth Young (fresh off a 13.1 PR in Philly), Kerry Allen, Sean Barrett, Kieran O'Conner, and Tom Kelly will be sending it on the fast and flat, out-and-back 10k course.  I plan to watch the race while doing some easy running tomorrow along the course on Wilson Boulevard so comment if you want to try to link up. 

UPDATE- CLARENDON DAY
5k
4.  Kristie Nunez 18:14
5.  Susan Hendrick 18:36
6.  Elyse Shimada 18:58
7.  Mary Grace Pellegrini 19:07

5.  James Frick 15:36

10k
3.  Kieran O'Connor 31:08
4.  Sean Barrett 31:49
14.  Tom Kelly

3.  Beth Young 37:13
4.  Kerry Allen 37:50

On the West Coast, reigning USATF 10k Trail Champion David "Bad Moon" Roche will be making his GRC debut at the Half Moon Bay Half Marathon.  As told in this press release, Roche will be running the race with his fiance, whom he will see for the first time since their engagement in August.  Says Coach Jerry Alexander, "David has tremendous potential on the roads, and it will be a lot of fun to watch his development."

GRC alumnus Patrick Reaves will be running his last race as a single man at Half Moon Bay's marathon.

UPDATE- HALF MOON
ROCHE CAPTURES FIRST!  1:12:13.
FIANCE WINS WOMENS' RACE!

In Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania natives Charlie Ban and Maura Carroll habitual visitor Sam Luff, plan to drop their competitiors like they drop their "ing's" during the Great Race 10k.  All three ran well at this race last year and are looking to do somethin' special on Sunday.  Closer to home, Kevin McNab (aka "Johnny Running"), an All-American steeplechaser at Texas A&M, will take to the streets of Baltimore for the Run for Kids 10k.  This course appears to be tough, but Alexander thinks that "Kevin is in great shape, and he will be a force to be reckoned with this fall."  

UPDATE- GREAT RACE
7.  Luff 31:51
7.  Carroll 36:30
17.     Ban  32:59

GRC On Cover Of Official A10 Race Program

The Army Ten Miler is just 24 days away.  Get excited!

Vying for the nickname Big City...

GRC debutante Heather Jelen ran 5:13 at the Fifth Avenue Mile, averaging 5:13 per mile.

Sunday: The Line @ 9am

Patrick Murphy and I are meeting then and there. Comment if you are interested...

Breaking News: Beth Blasts PR in Philly!

(photo by Lavar Curley)

Beth Young finished the RNR Philadelphia Half Marathon in 1:18:36, which is a three-minute PR! This comes five months after a 20-minute PR at the marathon distance.

Dix finished in 1:12:19, Chatty Cathy Campbell finished in 1:22:53 in her 13.1 debut, and Kerry Allen in 1:24:15. Julie Tarallo finished in 1:22:02.

Sunday: The Line at 9

Anyone interested?

Franklin, May Win Navy 5 Miler in WDC

(L to R) Franklin, Luff, Witters, Guevara

See more of Cheryl Young's photos here

Mike "Risky Business" Franklin, running for the first time in a GRC singlet, won the Navy 5 Miler this morning in Washington, D.C. with a time of 24:52. Meanwhile, Hilary May bested all females with a winning time of 30:12. Both set event records.

Sam Luff finished 3rd in 25:28 while Ryan Witters and Paul Guevara finished 4th and 5th, at 25:43.

Dave Wertz and Charlie Ban ran 26:23 and 27:40.

A few GRC athletes were left behind when the gun went off 10 minutes earlier than advertised.

Kieran O'Connor and Paul Balmer missed the start of the race, but ran 25:14 and 25:50.

Maura Carroll also started almost two minutes late. She finished fourth in 31:49, though she covered the course in 29:57.

In the half marathon, Evan Jurkovich (1:10:00), Dave Burnham (1:10:03) and Matt Hassett (1:10:07) finished 3rd, 4th and 5th, all averaging a tick or two above 5:20 mile pace.

Hassett PR'd by almost 3 minutes - a major breakthrough for sure.

(L to R) O'Hara, Burnham, Jurkovich, Hassett

Dave O'Hara ran 1:13:59.

Patrick Murphy tempo'd a 1:16:58, Brian Young ran 1:19:26 and Scott Koonce ran 1:21:46.

DEVELOPING...

GRC Races into Fall Season this Weekend

The GRC Race Team last weekend at the Lauren Woodall Roady Memorial 5k

PHOTO - Peter Silverman

Although autumn won't officially start until September 22, the Georgetown Running Club's fall season will begin in earnest this weekend. After a long summer of build-up and workouts, the GRC will finally race in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. 

In downtown Washington, David Burnham aims to defend his title at the Navy-Air Force Half Marathon. Last year, the Dartmouth graduate won the race with a time of 1:10:10, nearly 3 minutes ahead of the next closest competitor, GRC's Matt Hassett. 

"(Burnham) better keep an eye out for young Hassett, who is very fit, and looking to move up to the top step of the podium this year," said GRC Coach Jerry Alexander. "If I were a betting man, I'd call this one even money." 

Also running in 2013's edition of the race is Dave O'Hara, who underwent surgery on a pair of hernias in June as well as all around good guy Brian "Breezy" Young. 

In addition, a handful of GRCers will be racing Navy's 5 Miler, including Michael Franklin, who will be making his debut in the blue and white singlet. Last spring, Franklin turned heads after he won both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Heptagonal Outdoor Track & Field Championships. 

"I'm really excited for Michael Franklin's GRC debut, said Coach Alexander. "Mike is a superb talent who will continue his meteoric rise in a GRC singlet. Mike has already made his presence known in workouts, and having him around has already made the other guys better." 

Middle-distance specialist Ryan Witters will also be racing on Saturday. Like Franklin, "Witty" has the potential to better the course record of 25:13. 

GRC Runner of the Year (2011 and 2012) Sam Luff will race for the first time this fall after a nagging injury precluded him from training earlier in the summer. He's now healthy and hopes to return to the racing scene with gusto. 

Also racing Saturday's 5 miler will be Brian Faherty, Paul Balmer, "Texas" Paul Guevara and Charlie Ban. Hilary May and Maura Carroll will represent the women in the 5 miler. 

On Sunday, a trio of women will descend on the City of Brotherly Love to race in one of the most ballyhooed half marathons around - the Rock n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. 

"If the weather cooperates, we could see some big PRs in Philly," boasted Coach Alexander. 

Distance runners Beth Young, Kerry Allen and Julie Tarallo, who all ran marathons this past spring, will aim for personal bests this weekend. 

Said Coach Alexander, "Beth is in the best shape of her life, and she's looking to have a breakthrough in the half commensurate with her huge marathon breakthrough in Eugene in the spring. Kerry and Julie also look great, and are ready to build on their success in the spring." 

Catherine Campbell, who recently left the Washington-area to pursue an education in dentistry, will run her last race in a GRC singlet. 

Sean Barrett, a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, and Dickson Mercer, a speechwriter for the Department of Transportation, will also lace up their flats for the half. Later this fall, Mercer will head out west to contest the Twin Cities Marathon. 

"Sean has been training extremely well, and if all goes well, he will be ready to challenge his personal best," said Alexander. "Dix will be running his final tuneup of the US Marathon Championships in 3 weeks, and he's ready to run PRs in both the half and the full." 

It will undoubtedly be a big weekend for the GRC. Stay tuned to the GRC blog, GRC Twitter handle and/or the GRC Facebook page for breaking news updates. 

DEVELOPING...

WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY

The new smash hit of summer.

Don't Mess with the GRC Women's Team

Elbows, the heals of the hands, and knees... these are some of our best weapons for defending ourselves, especially if you are a bony distance runner.

On Sunday, ten members of the women's team took a two-hour course on self defense, taught by Marine Sergeant Laurie Porsch and her much-abused assistant, Andrew. A colleague of GRC runner, Sean Barrett, Laurie is an Instructor of Combat Conditioning and Martial Arts in the Marine Corps, and teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the Femme Fatale Fitness Boot Camp at the Academy for Body Efficient Tactical Arts (BETA Academy) in NW DC.

The course revolved around the three basic principles of self-defense:

• Whenever possible, avoid situations/ people that might put you in danger.
• Do not protect your property. (It can be replaced.)
• If attacked, respond violently with the intent to escape. Do whatever you can to avoid being taken to a "secondary crime scene," where the attacker has full control.

Per the final point, Laurie and Andrew walked us through a series of drills to practice the best way to fight off an attacker. As they donned pads and mouth guards, we elbowed, kneed, and fought our way through the morning. Though there is no way to predict how an attack might happen, they guided us through scenarios wherein we were grabbed from behind, choked, and knocked to the ground. We learned the best ways to regain control in these compromising (and terrifying) situations. Laurie emphasized that we should aim for our attacker's vision, ability to breathe, or ability to walk, in order to aid our escape. And the key is escaping, whether or not we injure our attacker or ourselves in the process.

Laurie taught us valuable skills that (though we hope we will never need them) may save our lives one day. Yet, despite the underlying seriousness of the course content, we had a solid workout, found our (often unseen) inner aggression, and the exercises frequently ended in peals of laughter.

For more pictures, see our Facebook Album.

JOHNNY FOOTBALL SUSPENDED -- JOHNNY RUNNING STILL RUNNING

It has been widely reported that Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (also know as "Johnny Football") received a half-game suspension for an "inadvertent violation regarding the signing of certain autographs."  Readers of this blog should rest assured that GRC newcomer and recent Texas A&M graduate "Johnny Running" has in no way been implacted in this scandal.  As of this writing, there is no evidence that either Johnny Running or any other GRC athlete has accepted money in exchange for an autograph or has otherwise improperly allowed the use of their likeness for financial gain.  Coach Jerry Alexander has decreed that violators of the GRC Code of Conduct will be required to sit out the first kilometer of the upcoming Kentlands 5k.    

Dix Wins XC Race at Alma Mater

Normally a long distance specialist who races the roads, GRC's Dickson Mercer won the Gettysburg XC Alumni Race this past weekend.

CAPTION: Dickson Mercer (Class of 2004) takes his 3rd individual title and leads the (Gettysburg) Alumni to their second consecutive victory at Gettysburg College. 

Expat Marren has Baby Girl

News out of Burlington, VT...

GRC alumnus Jake Marren (aka Jack Manner) and wife, Ella, welcome a little baby girl into the world - Cora Hazel Marren (5lbs, 2 oz)

Tommy Ten Mile

Tom Kelly, in what was his longest race ever, ran 57:26 at the Annapolis Ten Mile this morning for eighth place. He is typically a mid-distance runner and had never raced longer than 8k.

SHOP RUN

9 a.m. tomorrow at the store?  I'm going long but am happy to add on if others are keeping it shorter.  Comment or just show up if interested. 

FLASH: GRC Sweeps at Leesburg

1. Sean Barrett 2. Kieran 3. Evan...is he part of GRC?

1. Sean 1:06:13
2. Kieran 1:06:40
3. Evan 1:08:24
7. Dickson 1:13:36

Sunday: The Line at 9

Anyone interested?

ESPN's Nine for IX: Runner

Tomorrow night is the debut of "Runner," an ESPN documentary about American distance runner Mary Decker and her collision with Zola Budd in the 3000m finals of the 1984 Olympics.  I haven't seen the film but it would be difficult to make a documentary about this race that is not worth watching and it appears that the director, Shola Lynch, was a past Millrose Champion.  Budd was initially disqualified but race officials rescinded her disqualification only an hour later.  This piece published by Runner's World last spring argues that Budd got a bad rap for this race and with respect to charges that she did not speak out against the apartheid policy of her native South Africa.  At any rate, this seems like a cool show and I for one will likely be talking about it at BCC on Wednesday night.

Sunday Long Run

Sounds like most people went long today but I'm planning to do 15 tomorrow @ 8am, probably from The Line (but I'm flexible on location.)

UPDATE: Saturday - Edward's Ferry @ 8am

UPDATE: due to the weather, Dickson and I are NOW meeting at Edward's Ferry at 8am on Saturday for 20 miles. 

As most of you know, the loop we're running is 10 miles, all of which is on natural terrain - we'll do it twice.

If anyone else is interested in the full 20 or wants to run part of it let us know.

Sunday Run: Pennyfield Lock at 8:30am

Karl, Dix and I are meeting at Pennyfield Lock - (http://goo.gl/maps/P2Lqx) tomorrow at 8:30am for a relatively flat, EASY hour of running. We'll probably run north towards Riley's Lock.

Comment if you're interested in linking up OR if you plan on running somewhere else and want company...

Hey everybody!

Sam and Murph are planning to run from the Georgetown Store (M and 34th) and 9 a.m. Saturday. Join them!

Great article: Teal wrote this!


It was Brian Young's birthday last week. Think about the future you're building for him.

Stefan got engaged to his girlfriend, Sarah.
Married life may take away from his current passion:
equestrian.
(photo via Wiggyleaks)

GRC Ex-Pat Matt Ernst also recently got engaged

The team race calendar is updated. Fill out your races 

GRC Race calendar

Barrett Leads GRC at Crystal City 5k

Sean finished 5th in 15:31.

Justin Snair ran his first race in a GRC singlet and finished in 15:57.

The GRC finished 2nd in team competition:

2. 1:22:16 Georgetown Running Club ( 16:28)

========================================
  1    15:31   5250 Sean Barrett        M 
  2    15:43   5254 Paul Balmer         M 
  3    15:57    488 Justin Snair        M 
  4    16:42   5253 Brian Faherty       M 
  5    18:23   5249 Kerry Allen         F 

Sunday Run

I'm fairly certain I will be running at The Line tomorrow at 9:00am. I will be looking to run 10-13.

Comment if you're interested.

Shop Run Saturday

I'll be running from the Gtown store at 8 on Saturday if anyone would care to join. 

~Patrick

Flash: Wiggy runs 4:17 mile

4:17.18 for second place at the DC Road Runners Track Championship.

More photos by the DC Road Runners

GRC at Midsummer Night's Mile

(Photo by Ken Trombatore.)


Joey Wiegner, paced through 800 by Tom Kelly, set a new Montgomery County Road Runners Club record of 4:19.1 to win the Midsummer Night's Mile on Friday night at Rockville High School. Avril won the women's division in 5:06.6.

Shop Run Saturday

I'll be running from the Georgetown Store at 9am. Comment if you plan to join. 

~Patrick

Sunday long run

I'm looking to get in 12-13 before it gets too hot, preferably some shady. Anyone interested?

Saturday Shop Run

Is anyone interested in a shop run tomorrow at 9? I'm planning to go long - but we can work out a common distance.

UPDATE: Rusty the Red Panda RECOVERED!

UPDATE: Rusty has been recovered!

To those who might be running through or around Rock Creek Park this afternoon, please keep a look out for Rusty the Red Panda who went missing sometime last night or early this morning.

Reports indicate he might be hiding in a tree. A series of tweets from @NationalZoo provide guidance in case one goes looking for, or sees, Rusty.

Please help us keep an eye out for Rusty. Remember: red pandas are wild animals, & will bite if cornered or scared.

— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) June 24, 2013

If you do see Rusty, don’t try to approach him. Stay where you can safely keep an eye on him & alert the Zoo (202.633.4888) immediately.

— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) June 24, 2013

Red pandas typically spend the warm daytime hours resting, so it’s likely Rusty is somewhere in or near the Zoo hiding in a tree.

— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) June 24, 2013

Sent & Spent

I stole this from Brian Young's FB feed...

Sent and spent. The Race Director and Medical Director of the Eugene Marathon rush to the aid of Elizabeth Young after an all out performance.

Komen- 2:24:21!

Georgetown Running Company's Wilson Komen notched a 2:24:21 this morning at Grandma's, which was good for 28th.  His splits were 33:03 and 1:10:16.  Later this morning, CHDP runner Evan Jurkovich went 1:09:24 at the USA Half Marathon Championships (16:21 and 32:47).

Sunday at The Line

Any interest?

I'm likely only running 10 miles, but might add on a couple of extra miles around the fields after if I'm feeling up for it.

Saturday Long Run

Dickson and I are meeting tomorrow at Edward's Ferry at 9:00am for what I call the "Large Animal Loop," because you run past NIH's large animal research center.

We'll run the first 8 miles of the "Duel Ferries" loop, which is 100% on natural terrain, before turning off and traversing a 6+ mile section that rolls up and down over the streets of Poolesville. It's about 14.5 miles, but we might add on after if needed.

As most of you know, Edward's Ferry is a hike, so if there is considerable interest we could meet at the Starbucks parking lot (where we usually go post-run) to carpool the remaining distance.

Comment if you're interested.

NOTE - run is on Saturday, not Sunday.

Wednesday Workout, June 19

RACES

Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make the Fathers Day 8k an unqualified success.  There's plenty of credit to go around, but special thanks go to our dedicated and tireless Board, Patrick, Sam, Charlie, LTO, and Maura, without whom the race would not have come off as seamlessly as it did.  Others too numerous to name also played a major part in the race.  It's a really special event, and thanks to the tremendous team effort, it gets better every year. 

On the running front, Witty gets special commendation for not only defending his title, but doing so on a night when he struggled mightily with the heat.  As Witty said so eloquently in Dickson's article on the race, which I encourage you all to read, Fathers Day holds great significance for him, and he was not going to let the heat stand in his way.  That Witty was able to run 25:47 on a slow surface after stopping twice to due to heat illness shows just how fit he is at the end of his very long and successful spring season.  We'll be seeing more from that young man in the future.  Avril also deserves credit for a very solid performance.  8k is at the high end of Avril's range, but she hung tough despite the difficult conditions.  When Avril gets on the track in a couple of weeks at her preferred distance, we're going to get a full demonstration of just how far she's come this season, as the guys who have tried to avoid getting dropped by her in recent workouts can attest.

Last but most definitely not least, Meghan had a major breakthrough this weekend at the New Balance High School Nationals, where she ran PRs of 5:00.1 for the mile and 10:53 for 2 miles.  Meghan's tactics in both races were perfect, and she is getting better every week. When Meghan runs the World Youth Trials in 2 weeks, we will be looking at another big PR.  Well done!

ADMINISTRATIVE

If you have not updated your bio, please do so.  

Please send me your weekly training updates.

My sources report that the men's weekend group runs have not been well-attended recently.  The more of you who can meet up for runs on the weekends, the better, so remember to read the blog on Fridays to check the plan for the long run, and if you can join in, please do so.

As more of you return to training, it's a good time to think about a low key summer race or two.  Our friends at Pacers have invited us to run against them in the team competition at the Crystal Twilight 5k on July 27.  There is team prize $$ to be won, and we will be able to get some comp entries, so I'd like to get a crew together.  Let me know if you're interested in running. 

WORKOUT

We'll be at BCC on Wednesday for a 7:15 start, so meet for the warmup at 6:30.  I expect a relatively large turnout, including several of you who will be running your first workout in several weeks.  If you plan to come out, please let me know, and I'll put together a plan that will allow us to keep as many of you together as possible, while we keep the workout relaxed.  See you Wednesday.

Jerry

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Father's Day 8K Results

Congratulations to the 2013 FD8K winners Ryan Witters and Claire Hallissey, both defending champions.  Full results are posted here.

UPDATE:  Dickson's article about the FD8K is now posted to Run Washington.

Sunday: The Line at Nine

Karl, Sam and I are meeting then and there.

Comment if you're joining/we should wait.

Saturday Shop Run

We'll be having a run from the Georgetown Running Co. on Saturday morning at 9AM to scout the course, clear brush, and review the water stop and turnaround. The first 2.5 miles out on the canal will be somewhat slow, then we'll add on to however far people want to go. If you can make it, great, and if not we hope to see you on Sunday at the race. 

 

2013 Father's Day 8K Release

Defending champs and free cupcakes all promise to return at 6:30 p.m. June 16 for the fourth annual Father’s Day 8K, which also offers a Kid’s Kilometer Fun Run.

Held on a flat-and-fast, out-and-back course on the C&O Canal Towpath in Georgetown, the GRC Racing Team-produced event has a tradition of providing families with the perfect outing to cap the holiday. The event is perfectly timed with Men’s Health Week, part of a month-long campaign to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and women.

“We’re excited to host another Father’s Day 8K on Sunday,” Race Director Patrick Murphy said.  “The event has really developed into a family-friendly evening in Georgetown with fathers racing the 8K with their sons and daughters, kids running the Kid’s Kilometer, and everyone celebrating with a well-deserved Georgetown Cupcake at the finish.”

Most of the racing team’s members volunteer for the Father’s Day 8K rather than race. The event is GRC’s chief fundraiser, ultimately allowing members a modest stipend to travel to professional competitions and national championships to represent the team and regional running scene.

All participants will receive a technical race shirt. Awards will be presented at a post-race happy hour at Chadwick’s to the top three men and women, the top men and women in each 10-year age group, and to the top Father-Son and Father-Daughter teams.

Claire Hallissey, a U.K. native who has lived in Arlington, VA since 2010, will return to defend her title. Hallissey won last year in 27:14 en route to representing Britain in the London Olympics marathon, where she finished 57th in a time of 2:35:39. She recently won the Lawyer’s Have Heart 10K in the District.

Hallissey will be challenged by GRC’s Avril Ogrodnick, making her Father‘s Day 8K debut. Native to the Canadian province of Alberta, Ogrodnick was the three-time high school Canadian champion in the 1500 and placed second in the US National Scholastic Indoor Championships. She later excelled at Georgetown University, and now works in the International Health Division at Abt. Associates Inc. Her personal bests are 2:08.4 for 800, 2:48.23 for 1000, 4:19.24 for 1,500 and 4:48.43 for the mile.

Ryan Witters, who won last year’s Father’s Day 8K in 25:20, is coming off another solid spring track season during which he lowered his 5K personal best to 14:31. A 2011 graduate of the University of Evansville, Witters now works as a consultant for the LitCon Group. His personal bests include 1:54.3 for 800, 3:53.6 for 1500, and 31:17 for 10K.

I’m looking forward to another great event on Sunday,” said GRC Racing Team Coach Jerry Alexander. “It’s a low-key but competitive event in a beautiful setting, and it’s always a fun night for everyone.”

The race will start and finish on the canal towpath in Georgetown at Potomac and Grace Streets, NW and the turnaround is near Fletcher’s Boathouse. Water will be available at the midway point.

After the race, participants will be able to enjoy refreshments from our featured sponsors, cupcakes provided by Georgetown Cupcakes, and meet with representatives of the Men’s Health Week Campaign. And after the post-race celebration and awards ceremony, all participants are invited to a happy hour at Chadwicks (3205 K Street NW, D.C) for beer and appetizer specials.

2013 Fathers Day 8K Sponsors:

•    Georgetown Running Company

•    National Men’s Health Week

•    Georgetown Cupcake

•    Chadwick’s

•    D.C. Foot and Ankle

•    Battley Harley-Davidson Motorcycles

•    Thomas Sweet

To register – and for more about information – go to www.fathersday8k.com. On race day, registration will held at the Georgetown Running Company (3401 M Street NW, D.C.) from 2-4 p.m., and at the start/finish at Potomac and Grace Streets from 5-6:15 p.m.

To enter the father-son and father-daughter competition, e-mail fathersday8k@gmail.com.

Greenbelt on Sunday

Anyone up for at least 12 miles Sunday morning at Greenbelt Park, with some brunch at Plato's to follow? 9 am? Comment if you're interested and how far you'd like to run

Murph punches ticket to Boston, finishes fourth

His 2:43:46 at the Rock n' Roll San Diego Marathon this morning does thejob.