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8 - 10 x 600m in 5k, 200m jogs

Fellow Endorphin Junkies –

            The weather tomorrow will be warmer, with Temps upper 50s and with higher humidity at 91%, and some wind at 10 MPH. Despite the good weather, you should still remember to bring fluids because you need them whenever you run – tomorrow after every other interval! Accordingly, the Thursday Morning DCRRC Track Practice in Arlington will begin at the Greenbriar Park around the corner from Yorktown High School at 6:00 AM sharp, with announcements before 6 - so please get there early to warm up – say by 5:40 AM.  Coach Big Guy will be in London for the launch of his Buddy Holly book and the Who benefit concert, so tomorrow’s TMBC will have a Special Guest Coach – Coach Chris Walsh - who will kick things off – tomorrow’s Workout as follows: 

April 3rd, 2025 – 8 to 10 x 600m in 5k pace, with 200m jog recovery in between

• Stallions: 5:15 to 6:30 Pace, 10 Intervals
• Wolf Pack: 6:15 to 7:00 Pace, 9 to 10 Intervals
• Gazelles: 6:45 to 7:45 Pace, 8 to 9 Intervals
• Coyotes/MTP Trainees: 7:30 to 9:30 Pace, 8 Intervals

This is a speed workout guaranteed to build both strength and stamina for your spring races!  These are tougher than they look, so try to finish strong - push that last 100, and make sure you focus on form, so you run efficiently, effectively, and injury-free.  Biggest area of improvement needed for most is to lift your knees higher, while dropping your arm swings to your waist.  Be careful about crossing your arms across your chest, as this rotates your core and slows you down. 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.  If you are running Cherry Blossom, you want to slow these to 10k pace and only run about six of these to sharpen for Sunday – feel your strength – you are ready! 

In Club news from Coach Big Guy ...

            I did not hear from anybody this week, and did not see anything on Strava, so no report this week – Please drop me a line (bigguy at dcroadrunners.org) to let me know when you are racing this spring!

Happy Running!

Coach Big Guy will be in London in the AM, So Coach Chris will get you started!

3 to 4 x 1600m in 10k 400m Jogs + 2x 400m in 5k, 200m jog

Fellow Endorphin Junkies -

The weather tomorrow will be cool, with Temps in the mid-40s and some humidity at 80%, with some wind at 6 MPH, but still remember to bring fluids because you need them whenever you run – tomorrow after every other interval! Accordingly, the Thursday Morning DCRRC Track Practice in Arlington at Yorktown track in Greenbriar stadium at 6:00 AM sharp, with announcements before 6 - so please get there early to warm up – say by 5:40 AM. Workout as follows:

March 27, 2025 – TMBC: 3 to 4 x 1600m in 10k Pace, with 400m jogs between, then 2 x 400m at 5k pace, 200m in between

Stallions: 5:45 to 6:30 Pace for 1600s, 4 intervals, then 5 to 10 seconds faster on 400s

Wolf Pack: 6:30 to 7:15 Pace for 1600s, 3 to 4 intervals, then 5 to 10 seconds faster on 400s

Gazelles: 7:15 to 8:00 Pace, for 1600s 3 to 4 intervals, then 5 to 10 seconds faster on 400s

Coyotes/MTP Trainees for 1600s: 8:00 to 10:00 Pace, 3 intervals, then 5 to 10 seconds faster on 400s

When your track intervals lengthen to a mile, it is sometimes difficult to remember that you really want to change your form, style, cadence, etc. from your standard runs, but you really should. It makes a big difference if you switch your form from long distance form to speed work form – focus on lifting your knees, getting up on your toes, and using your arms in sync to lift the opposite leg. Don't fall into the trap of lengthening your stride (aka "Overstride") – cadence should increase measurably on the track as opposed to the road and trail. Instead, keep your core still and relaxed, and do not cross your arms over your body mid-point – this will swing your core (thus not still) and throw your stride off. On these longer intervals, mentally break them down – for example, on Lap 1 focus on form – "Am I up on my toes and lifting knees?" Lap 2 – "Am I relaxed – am I pushing while not getting too tense?" Lap 3 – "How is my breathing – through my nose and mouth - deeply?" Lap 4 – "Let's Finish strong" – but remember to pace yourselves no your final interval is quicker than your first interval – "Last Set, Best Set!" - remember to work towards negative splits! In this workout, those 400s give you a chance to flash your speed for the "Best Set!"

... and the Coach Big Guy Report –

Our own Chris Walsh recently ran the New York City Half Marathon, and while it was not quite a PR, it was a superb 1:26:58 and Chris' best Half in 5 years – way to go Chris!

Meanwhile, a number of TMBCers ran the Club Belle Haven 8K, with great results:

33:12 Anna Staats – 3rd overall and 1st Woman

34:31 Ken Strazzeri – 7th Overall and 1st M45-49

38:55 Yuko Takakusaki – 1st F55-59

43:22 Priscilla Sandoli – 1st F50-54

44:02 Paul Ryan 1st M70-74

51:45 Anne Coia 3rd F55-59

Happy running!

Coach Big Guy will see you at Yorktown Track at 6 AM after warmup tomorrow!