ACF Walk to Run Training Newsletter #16

Walk to Run Trainees:


Welcome to the sixteenth week of our program.


1) Heat alert!


Both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, the afternoon high temps will be
in the 80's, the low temps will be in the 50's. and the temps at the
time of the training run, or Sunday's race, may be anywhere from the
50's to the 70's, the warmest temps we have had since we began training
in January.


Please dress accordingly! You may need nothing more than socks, shoes,
shorts and a shirt or singlet while running. As much as possible of
the above should be a wicking fabric. [The wicking will spread out
perspiration, leading to quicker evaporation and cooling effect.]


You may need a pullover or jacket to keep you warm before you start the
run, but be ready to doff this after you start running. You may need
to adjust your pace downward, to adjust for the heat. And make sure
your hydrate!


This weekend could be a foretaste of Summer running (and training) in
DC. The saving grace may be lower humidity than we would have in July
or August.



2) We meet Saturday, April 18 at 9AM, for the last time in the parking
lot for Columbia Island Marina, in LBJ Park.


Our training distance is again 4 Miles., and we will run the same route
as last week, up and around the Iwo Jima Memorial before heading back to
home base. Our route may be found at:


http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2731864


[The route is actually 4.29 Miles, but the view from Iwo Jima makes up
for the extra .29 ]


When you are running up and around the Memorial, on the roads which
circle it, please remember to run on the left side of the road, facing
traffic.


As we did last week, our modality will be four minutes running, one
minute walking (4:1).


All those running the Parkway Classic on Sunday are welcome to join us
on Saturday, but you really shouldn't run more than a mile or two. Out
to the start of Memorial Bridge and back is your maximum.



3) Target Races


Here's my best wishes and good karma to the eight of you are running the
GW Parkway Classic on Sunday. Please get your bib at Pacer's
Alexandria between now and Saturday. Please also remember, this is a
point-to-point race, so unless you're getting a ride to Belle Haven
Sunday morning (which is not recommended), you'll need to park in Old
Town Alexandria and catch the bus from there to Belle Haven. Review
all the instructions at:


http://www.gwparkwayclassic.com/RaceInfo/Overview.html#4


Your coach is going to attempt the near-impossible, and drive toward
Belle Haven from the west early on Sunday AM. If I can find parking
within a mile of Belle Haven, I will try to find you prior to the start,
to give you a last minute pep talk.


The Parkway Classic was the last race on the original list of target
races I sent you two months ago. But, as I noted in last week's
newsletter, there are some 5K races in early May. If you still need to
run a 5K, and have a question about any race, please let me know.



4) Activities on May 2


On Saturday, May 2, we will meet for one last time at *10:00 AM* at
Belle Haven Marina for a victory lap on the Mount Vernon Trail. We will
be joining the "fun run" on the day prior to the Potomac River Run
Marathon and Half Marathon.


This means your running mates may be marathoners out for a light run the
day before their long race. Or you may be running with a brand-new MCP
trainee coming out for his or her first run. Either way, don't push
yourself, run at a relaxed pace, and enjoy the run.


More about the suggested turn-around point for you on the trail next week.


Later that afternoon, at the Courtyard by Marriott, 2700 Eisenhower Ave
in Alexandria [Yellow Line Metro], we will have MCP orientation sessions
at 1, 3, and 5 PM. If you need any more info about the various MCP
programs (reviewed in last week's newsletter), the sessions are free and
carry no obligation.



5) Next Steps (part 2)


A) Group Runs from Running Stores


Whether you are training for any particular distance, or merely running
to stay fit, the weekly runs conducted from the area's running stores
are a great, and free, option for runs of 2 to 6 miles, with others who
run at your pace.

Realize, of course, that the stores have a vested interest in having you
come out to their establishment and set foot inside before and after the
run. That's why they organize the runs, provide bag storage and
restrooms, and sometimes even offer prizes or subsidized happy hours for
participation and/or longevity of participation. Many offer
merchandise discounts to participants in their group runs (though those
discounts are usually the same as you would get if you belonged to a
formal running club, like ACF/MCP, anyway).

What should you look for in a running store group run? Here are a few
suggestions:


- close to where you live or work.

- easy access by transit and/or easy parking

- runs on courses good for your particular goals and druthers (scenic,
easy or challenging, on sidewalks or off-road, clear landmarks, options
for longer or shorter mileage, etc.)

- people who run at your pace.


Generally, the larger the group, the more likely it is that one or more
persons runs at your pace. For me, a runner toward the back of the
pack, the presence of any group of walkers (vis. runners) in the group
indicates that a slower runner would be welcome.


Wherever you live or work, call up the local running store and check out
their morning, evening or weekend run. Even if you train with a formal
program on weekends, a weeknight run from your local running store is a
great way to get in your midweek mileage in a group setting.


Two of the programs I am familiar with are:


- Pacer's Alexandria (King and Payne Street)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 PM
3 to 6 mile runs on sidewalks of Old Town and Del Ray Streets
Laura and Bev have joined me running these over the past month


- Pacer's Arlington (Clarendon and Highland Streets)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 PM
4.3 and 5.7 Mile runs on the Custis Trail (lots of hills!)
I ran these runs for two years, and the hills *do* make you stronger


Pacer's also does 7 PM runs from its Fairfax and Silver Spring Stores.


Other stores to check out include the Georgetown Running Co., Fleet Feet
(Adams Morgan), Potomac River Running (Ashburn, Burke, Reston,
Arlington), RNJ (Bethesda, Gaithersburg), and Metro Run and Walk
(Springfield, Tyson's). And I'm sure there are other stores out there
with group runs that I simply don't know about, yet.



B) Running Clubs


As much as I think that ACF/MCP has one of the strongest distance
running training programs around, I do realize that there are other
running clubs out there, and I do belong to one of them, DCRRC.


Geographically-based running clubs sponsor local road races, training
programs, group runs on many days of the week, and may offer
close-to-home running opportunities that complement a more specialized
weekend training program.


Here are some clubs I know about:


1) DC Road Runner's Club (DCRRC). A club with members and activities
in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Lots of local races. A good
speedwork training program for advanced runners Wednesday evenings on
the track at Thomas Jefferson High School in Arlington.


2) Montgomery County Road Runners (MCRR). One of the largest and
best-organized running clubs in the country. Multiple weeknight
training runs, multiple training programs, at least one race every
weekend. If you live in Montgomery County, you have to check out this club.


3) P.G. Road Runners Club (PGRRC). Smaller, local to P.G. County
running club.


4) Annapolis Striders


5) Howard County Striders


6) D.C. Striders - not really a running "club"; more like a loose
network of folks who get together for impromptu group runs and socializing


Look up these clubs on the web to see everything that they offer. If
you buy two pair of running shoes every year, the club discount on them
may equal the annual membership cost of the running club. Many clubs
offer free or nominal entrance fees to club races, so you may recoup
your membership in race fees if you race as little as every other month.


There are even more running clubs out there, that I know little or
nothing about. Find one, and tell me all about it. 


And sometimes, the group run you may find is not really an organized
activity of a running store or a running club. It may be a group of
runners from this year's or last year's training program, who found they
all lived near each other, and now have a small, informal running group.
They may not socialize at any other, but they run together every
[fill-in-the-day-of-the-week].


And, of course, some of those trainees might be the folks you've been
running with the past 15 Saturdays, or could be running with this Summer
in MCP!


Whether you stay with Walk to Run Phase II, or the other MCP programs in
2009, or go off to explore other opportunities, I do hope you keep
running this Summer.


If you've done all the training, put in the mileage, and completed your
5K race, you now have the tools to be at least a recreational runner or
casual racer for the rest of your life. And you have the building
blocks to go on to more advanced training. Remember, distance training
is safer, and perhaps more satisfying, for first year runners than
speedwork.


You live in an area rife with runners, support for runners, local races,
and great places to run. Stay healthy, stay fit, and have fun! The
rest of the running world awaits, one step at a time.


So........for one last time in this Walk-to-Run program, I hope to see
everyone down at the Marina on Saturday!


But if you have any questions before then, please write back, or call me
at 703-371-5171.


Happy Trails!


Coach John


John H. Steitz
RRCA Certified Running Coach
USATF Level 1 Certified Track and Field Coach
Arlington Cooperation Foundation
703-371-5171
http://www.marathoncharitypartners.org/walktorun/