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Return to Yorktown! Ladder Sprints

Fellow Endorphin Junkies -

RETURN TO YORKTOWN!!! The Yorktown track resurfacing is finally completed, and boy is the track bouncy! You are going to love workouts on the new track! Please arrive at Yorktown Track – actually named Greenbriar Park and right around the corner from the High School - early so you can warm up prior to our 6 AM start of speed intervals – say by 5:40 AM. The weather will be better than today (Yikes!) after the overnight thundershowers but still warm - with temps in the high 70s, higher Humidity - 81% humidity - and a little bit of wind – so the "Misery Index" Number will be 148 (77 degrees plus Dew Point 71), so be cautious and monitor your heart rate! Unless your training calls for it, I would choose the two sets of intervals in these conditions for almost all, and three only if you are a "Beast" Stallion. When conditions are like this, bring plenty of fluids to hydrate! I expect heart rates in the high-80 percent range, and if it gets higher, slow down!

August 29, 2024 – 200-400-600-600-400-200 set in 5k pace, with 200m jog recovery in between, except 400m in between 600m intervals and between sets (slower between sets) – two sets for most, three if you are feeling it

· Stallions: 5:15 to 6:30 Pace, 2 to 3 sets

· Wolf Pack: 6:30 to 7:15 Pace, 2 sets

· Gazelles: 7:15 to 8:00, 2 sets

· Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 8:00 to 9:30, 2 sets

This is a tough speed/endurance workout guaranteed to build both strength and stamina for your fall races. Since these are quite quick, short intervals, your form becomes even more important! Get up on those toes, lift your knees higher, and do NOT cross over with your arms, rotating your trunk. Your arms are meant to lift your knees higher – check videos of Shalane Flanagan and Usain Bolt and remember the Olympics. Running every interval just a little faster will help you learn to control your pace, which is very important in shorter races from 5k to the half marathon – and essential tool in your repertoire.

In Club news from Coach Big Guy ...

The Club Picnic was last week, and a wonderful 3-mile cross country race was run – and the TMBC took home many honors:

Anna Staats – 18:24 - 2nd OA Runner, 1st Overall Female, 1st AG

Ken Strazzeri – 19:30 - 7th Overall, 1st AG

David Meeks –20:01 - 9th Overall, 1st AG

Elise Mullinax – 22:52 14th Overall, 1st AG

Paul Ryan – 25:38 – 21st Overall, 1st AG

Priscilla Sandolli – 25:41 - 22nd Overall 1st AG

The next Club race is the Bastille Day 4 Miler, now rescheduled for Sunday September 15th at 9 AM. Details for all races are on the Club website https://www.dcroadrunners.org/.

Happy Running!

Coach Big Guy will be at Yorktown in the AM, although just running Tempo miles as he is back on the DL!

3 to 5x 2000m, 400m jogs

Fellow Endorphin Junkies:

As much as I wanted to be back at the Yorktown track this week, some of the resurfacing and line painting continues, so we must again move TMBC to the W&L track this Thursday – I checked today, but the Yorktown track is at least a week from completion – although they are finally painting lines and finishing it! Washington-Liberty High School is located at 1301 N. Stafford Street, Arlington VA 22201, just a couple of blocks away from the Ballston Metro. This morning the Stafford gate was open by 5:40, but you never know – remember that you can hop the fence on the Quincy Street gate VERY easily and got your warm up laps in – hopefully we will have one gate open by 5:40.

The weather Thursday morning will be terrific for August, with temps in the mid-50s (Oh, Boy!!!!), high humidity at 89%, and just a little wind. Under these conditions you should still bring plenty of fluids! Water breaks are important ALL year round, even when it is nice like tomorrow, so remember to hydrate before, during and after your runs – after each interval, if possible, but at least every other interval!

August 22, 2024 – TMBC: – 3 to 5 x 2000m in Cruise Interval Pace (10k pace) with 400m easy jogs in between, final in 5k pace if You Feel Frisky

Water breaks are important ALL year round, even when it cooler like tomorrow, so remember to hydrate before, during and after your runs - tomorrow after each interval!

NOTE: I expect to see your heart rates in the Mid 80% of Maximum range, and if your rates are higher, you need to slow down!

Stallions: 6:00 to 6:45 Pace, 4 - 5 Intervals

Wolf Pack: 6:45 to 7:15 Pace, 4 Intervals

Gazelles: 7:15 to 7:45 Pace, 3 - 4 Intervals

Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 7:30 to 10:30 Pace, 3 Intervals

This week's workout is again a base workout, aimed at building strength and endurance for your Fall marathons. As always, don't go out too quick on the first one, and try to make each interval a bit faster than the last. Since these intervals are pretty long, its important to maintain a good but not insistent stride and pace until the last 400, where you can slowly accelerate to finish strong. While you can mentally divide each 2000 into 5 parts – it's probably easier to start these like a Tempo run and accelerate to 10k pace, holding it for the first 1600, and for last 400, accelerate slowly to finish strong! Again, as with the 1600s a few weeks ago, remember to leave something in the tank for your last interval, as these segments can be very challenging, even at 10k pace. If you are feeling frisky after 3 or 4, try to run the last one closer to 5k pace

Here is the Coach Big Guy Club News this week:

At the Club's Steve Thompson 8k race we had a number of great performances:

Ken Strazzi 33:10, 6th OA, 3rd M 45-49

David Meeks 33:37 7th OA, 1st M 60-64

Yuko Takakusaki 41:20 1st F 55-59

Paul Ryan 42:14 2nd M 70-74

Pricilla Sandolli 43:30 1st F 50-54

Eunja Rao 46:23 3rd F 55-59

Anne Coia 48:27 4th F 50-54

Dara Schulman 49:36 1st F 45-49

Lisa Towell 52:49 5th F 55-59

The next club race is the Club Picnic Cross Country 3 Miler on Saturday August 24th. The Picnic is at Nottoway Park at 5:15 PM, and there will be fabulous Mexican Food – please make sure you check out the details for this great event on the DCRRC Homepage at dcroadrunners.org.

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy will be in New Orleans teaching AI Law, so Coach Anna will ably take over at W&L tomorrow!