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Welcome to the DCRRC Wednesday Night Track Workouts. In conjunction with our year-round distance-specific training programs, and our regular Saturday Long Runs, these workouts aim to give runners of all abilities the fitness to reach their goals. For the novice or casual runner, these workouts will challenge you to a higher level of running fitness. For the competitive runner, track workouts are an essential means to reaching personal bests and to succeed at whatever level you are competing.
Where & When
Unless otherwise noted, workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School in Arlington. We meet near the concession stand (northwest corner) at 6:45pm and start the workout at 7:00pm. Warmups, drills, etc. are on your own.
Philosophy
Our workouts focus on two of the three forms of speed work used by distance runners from the 5K to the Marathon: Stamina Training (10K race pace or slower) and Interval Training (around 5K race pace). We also do a limited amount of Speed Training (faster than 5K race pace) especially during the summer.
Do not worry if this is new to you, and especially if you feel that track workouts are for "fast" runners. Our posted workouts are suggested "maximums," and can be individually tailored to your current level of fitness and specific running goals. Our coach, Ed Grant, has been leading these workouts for 20 years, and is happy to customize a workout plan to meet your needs.
Paces
To get a sense of how fast you should run during these workouts, we encourage you use the McMillan Running Calculator. You can plug in a recent race time and a goal race time, and the Calculator will churn out Training Paces (click on that term) for everything from long runs to speed paces. We recommend applying Mark Hadley's temperature + dew point adjustments in warm and humid weather. Temperature and dew point forecasts are available from the National Weather Service.
Restarting Track Practice as a Group
As with most of you, we've been eager to return to our running routines, including our weekly track practices. The DC Roadrunners are going to try to ease back into running in groups based upon the latest CDC guidelines released last week. If you would like to join us, you will have to follow these four simple steps:
1. Agree to strictly comply with the new CDC guidelines, found here: . This includes wearing a mask when gathering in groups where you are not fully vaccinated. While your coaches are vaccinated, and therefore could dispense with masks outdoors under the CDC guidelines, we will be always wearing masks except when in motion running and would ask the other vaccinated team members to join us in this preventive measure. Of course, if you are feeling at all sick or have come into contact with a sick person, please use common sense and skip ten days of working out and contact with others.
2. Agree to comply with any additional State or Arlington Country requirements. At the present time, the State and Arlington align with the CDC guidelines, so this should not add any additional measures beyond complying with the rules of track use.
3. Agree to follow Coach Ed's "Track Etiquette Rules" and the directions of your coaches.
4. Agree to waive any liability on the part of your Club and Coaches, as you will be assuming the risks still present despite trying to comply with CDC and government guidelines. The SLR group will be sending out an email with more details on this requirement.
We are excited to see you all, and to welcome you back to Club life! As we know from many studies, group activities such as organized running builds our immunity to all disease by getting us in better shape.
If you agree to follow these four steps, we will see you back for Thursday Morning Breakfast Crew track practice on Thursday May 27, 2021 at 6 AM. Until Arlington changes the rules at W&L, which do not allow us to gather on the track at our usual time on Wednesdays, we won't be restarting Wednesday night organized practices till Arlington changes the W&L Track schedule. In the meantime, you Wednesday Night Hawks are warmly welcomed to our Thursday morning practices!
Coach Ed, Coach Big Guy, and Coach Rich
4 to 5 x 100m in 5k Pace, 400m jogs
Wednesday Night Hawks
The weather tonight will be lovely, with temps in the mid 60s, very low humidity, and little wind. W&L Track is still technically closed tonight, although some will jump the fence, but you are welcome to run at Yorktown and it seems that McLean and Falls Church HS tracks are also open.
May 12, 2021 – 4 to 5 x 1000m at 5K ("Interval") Pace, w/400m easy jogs in between
Water breaks are important ALL year round, even when it will be nice like tonight, so remember to hydrate before, during and after your runs - tonight each time we finish at our usual start place!
NOTE: I expect to see your heart rates in the mid to high 80% of Maximum range, but if your rates are higher, you need to slow down!
Fastest Runners: 5:30 to 6:30 Pace, 5 x 1000m Intervals
Fast Runners: 6:15 to 7:15 Pace, 5 x 1000m Intervals
Intermediate Runners: 6:45 to 7:45 Pace, 4 to 5 x 1000m Intervals
Others/MTP Trainees: 7:45 to 10:00 Pace, 4 x 1000m Intervals
This week's workout is a strong speed workout, but given the distance, also an endurance workout. Focus on form, eyes front, knees higher, arms at side lifting the knees, hands relaxed, on toes. This is about a 5k race for most of you, so take it easy on the recovery jog/walk/water legs of 400m, and if you are feeling frisky, put it into the last 1000m interval, perhaps in 3k pace.
Happy Running!
Coach Big Guy
Directions to Track
Track workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School.
From Washington DC: take I-66 east to the Glebe Road exit, turn right on Glebe, right on 15th Street for about 0.4 miles, to Stafford Street, turn right and cross over I-66 and the school is on your left.
From Vienna and points west in Virginia: take I-66 east to the Fairfax Drive exit, follow Fairfax Drive for about 0.8 mile to Stafford Street, turn left for about 0.3 miles and the school is on your right.
From Alexandria: take Glebe Road going north until turning right on 15th Street, and proceed as from DC.
Metro: Washington-Liberty is a short walk from both the Virginia Square and Ballston Metro stations (Orange/Silver lines).
Track Resources
Upcoming Events
| Alexandria Turkey Trot Thu, Nov 28th, 2024, @9:00am |
| DCRR Gar Williams Half Marathon Sun, Dec 1st, 2024, @9:00am |
| DCRRC Bread Run 10K & Gingerbread 2-Miler Sun, Dec 8th, 2024, @10:00am |
| Book Club Sun, Dec 8th, 2024, @4:00pm |
| DCRRC New Year's Resolutions 5K Wed, Jan 1st, 2025, @12:00pm |
| DCRRC Al Lewis 10-Miler and 5-Miler Sun, Jan 5th, 2025, @8:00am |
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The DC Road Runners Club is a member of the Road Runners Club of America and is also affiliated with USA Track & Field. We provide a year-round schedule of running events that offer everyone a chance to participate regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. |