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Hi, everyone!
As we enter the third week of this strange new world, I find myself missing you more than ever. I was happy to see that many of you got out and ran the 10 Miler course yesterday and I was pleased to learn that most of you were running well apart from one another. I know you’re getting tired of hearing about social distancingbut, as your coach and, more importantly, as your friend, I can’t stress enough, the critical importance of this. So, please, if you must run or walk with a friend, please do it on opposite sides of the road. Even sidewalk or trail exercising, unless with a housemate, can be too close for comfort! ****IMPORTANT: I’ve been hearing from many of you that the motivation to continue training hard with weekly workouts, longruns and higher weekly mileage, has left the station. I don’t blame you! It’s so hard to keep training at such an intense level when there are no races scheduled for the foreseeable futureAND you’re running all ALONE! So, I’ve got the following four options laid out for you: 1. Speedsters and anyone else in BB who was not originallytraining for a marathon but would like to still keep up the training: I’ll be sending out two suggested workouts each week. I will continue to make the Wednesday runs fartleks or hill workouts to encourage social distancing and the Saturday run will continue to be your long run with the option of some light pickups in the middle. 2. Those of you who were in training for the Boston Marathon:With the April race now postponed to possibly September,I’d look at the next several weeks as “break” time, as you will need to start ramping it back up starting in mid-May. I’d suggest weekly mileage in the 25-30 range with long runs in the 8-12 range or less for now, unless you feel motivated to do more. All should be at AHR. I know it stinks that you have “nothing to show” from a winter of hard training but, trust me when I say, it will serve you well down the road. Keep thinking of how much fun you had training with one another as you pushed and pulled eachother to greater fitness. 3. Those who were training for a May marathon: If your event hasn’t yet been canceled and you DO want to keep trainingas if it’s still on, then please get in touch with me by text and I’ll be happy to send you your workouts and mileage for the next few weeks. If by some miracle this virussituation disappears by late April or early May, Leah and I will host a very early morning sanctioned marathon down at Riverview. Odds are this will probably not materialize, based on where we’re at right now. 4. Everyone else, simply keep getting out the door and doing what best works for your current situation. AHR base mileage is great and if you feel like adding a bit of pizazz to one or two of your runs each week, go ahead and do alight fartlek in the middle of your run. Otherwise, be content with keeping it relaxed and easy. The key is to keep moving! I dearly miss seeing you and really do hope you and your families are safe and well. And a huge tip of the cap to all of our fellow runners who are working in the hospital setting right now. We thank you for your selfless work in having our community’s back! And a big thanks to Harry and Leah for all their help each and every week. Please stay in touch, everyone! With a huge hug, Coach Mark 962-1694 (text) p.s. Happy Birthdays to Katie W. (4/3) and Darren (4/4)!. MONDAY March 30 Relaxed AHR miles WEDNESDAY April 1 Cameron Crazies or find a half mile hilly loop in your neck of the wood to do the same kind of circuit. Run 6 circuits, surging the uphills and being active on the flats and descents. Make each one faster than the previous. SATURDAY April 4 Long AHR run with the option of 10 x 30 seconds fast (sub 2 mile pace)-30 seconds slow jog in one of the latter miles of the run. Flatter course if you can.
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Oh, my gosh am I ever missing all of you! This is a strange new world we’re all adjusting to but, as would be expected from this hearty, tough and ever positive group, you’re all finding a way to find good in this time of crisis. Silver linings are everywhere, you just need to have the attitude to find and appreciate them and you, my wonderful athletes, are doing just that.
Not having our Wednesday and Saturday groups runs have been big sacrifices but your safety and well-being mean so much more. Thanks for your patience. If you’d like to keep working out, I’ve included my normal week of suggestions. And I continue to remind you to PLEASE do it alone (or with member/s of your household) or, at most, keep it to pairs or VERY small groups of three, with plenty of adequate distance between you. If you don’t want to “workout”, I don’t blame you a bit. Simply keep on moving at some level. Cynthia and I have been finding peace and relaxation with a daily two-hour brisk walk each morning. Not since our hike across England have we been able to spend such quality time together. It’s been one of those silver linings. Keep on top of your daily rolling and stretching and core work too. Sitting leads to tightening! In closing, I want to thank all of you who have so thoughtfully supported our family business during this challenging time. I never, ever talk about Ragged Mountain in my weekly email message but we have been so overwhelmed with kindness over the past 10 days, that I felt moved to send a word of gratitude. It has meant the world to our family. Thanks! Be safe…be happy…keep moving! Coach Mark 434-962-1694 (text) WEEK of MARCH 23 ***Please note: This schedule is for those of you who would like to keep “working out and training”. All others, who want to simply maintain some assemblance of fitness, feel free to run as many relaxed AHR miles that comfortably fit your schedule. **If you do choose to run in pairs or VERY small groups, please maintain safe distance. *Speedsters = 20-30 miles MONDAY March 23 *Speedsters = 4-5 miles at 75-80% of 10 mile pace with 4 x 12 second flat surface form surges with a slow 48 second recovery in between each. WEDNESDAY March 25 ***Please note, that due to our new world of social distancing, road work will be our best mode of “working out”, as the track encourages social clustering. Please: pairs or small groups of three, with lots of spacing! I’ve also found, that for most people, it’s also much less mental to “workout” on the road than it is on the track. Suggested Fartlek courses (I’m trying to find you courses where you don’t have to be on sidewalks to avoid clustering): *Sugar Hollow Road along the Three Bridges course *10 Miler course from the 2 mile mark near AFC up McCormick to UVa Chapel. Back and forth *On the rolling paved path along the John Warner Parkway downtown *Huntington Road off Rio *Running back and forth along Railroad Avenue from Downtown Crozet to Mint Springs Park *Running from Beaver Creek Dam parking lot along Brown’s Gap Turnpike in Crozet *Green Springs along the East Jack Jouett Road section *Keene…any section *On the wide paved sidewalk along the new connector road from Hollymead Town Center to Sam’s…this is quite hilly but good for social distancing. *Speedsters = Fartlek: 6-8 x 3 minutes starting at 98-100% of 10 mile pace with a 90 second recovery in between each 3 minute pickup. I’d suggest breaking it up into 3-4 sets of two and try to get faster with each set. Base the number of sets of 3 minute pickups you run on how you’re feeling. Rolling course but not too hilly (see suggested courses above). SATURDAY March 28 *Speedsters = 7-8 miles as follows: -2 miles at AHR -4 miles as a “progression” run, starting at 100% of 10 mile pace and getting faster with each mile. Last two miles should be at 104-107%! Flatter course. -1-2 AHR miles as a cooldown To my beloved athletes,
This is a strange and dramatic moment in our world and each of us are having to make tough personal decisions. And, with the situation quickly evolving, as your coach I’m also trying to make the prudent and right decisions for the overall health of everyone in our running group. That’s why I’m not going to have us meet as our usual large group this Wednesday morning. This is so hard to do, not only for you but also for me, as Wednesday mornings are truly my favorite time of the entire week…the joy of seeing each of you having such a good time together, making one another run faster, puts me on a high for the rest of the day. So, I’m sad to miss this but I’d be much, much sadder if someone was to get really sick because of us meeting together in our large group setting. And this is from a guy who intensely thrives on constant social interaction!! We all need to play a role in slowing down the progression of this virus and this is one small way of doing so. As far as smaller groups go, I leave it up to you as to whether you personally feel comfortable doing that. It’s your personal call. But, if you do choose to do so, I implore you to keep the appropriate physical distance between one another. This is very, very important! The other thing is, what you all personally decide to do with all of our March and April races now being cancelled or postponed. Here are some options: 1. Keep training and hope that the virus dissipates in the coming month. If it does, I, along with the help of Leah and Dr. Wilder and others, will be offering, some alternative “make-up/substitute” events for you Marathoners and 10 Milers, Half Marathoners and 10K racers in mid to late April. These would be very small and organized events open to Speedsters and Boston Bounders. And on another note: Boston Marathoners, looking to run the BAA’s postponed race in September, might consider racing the Half (instead of full) in April, if we have it, because of the quick recovery turnaround between April and September. 2. ***IMPORTANT: If you do choose to keep “training” I must remind you that there’s a decent amount of research out there that tells us, that when running with long miles or harder workouts, you can tax your immune system. So, even though training harder can make us “fitter” it also makes us “more tired” and more vulnerable to sickness. Something to think about as we enter this “new territory”. 3. Back off the regimented training and simply get in some relaxed miles for the coming weeks. In other words, cut back on the “work outs” and total weekly mileage and stick, for the most part, to good old fashioned AHR miles. If you do decide to go this route, make sure to stay on top of your rolling and stretching, as down-time is the quickest way to get really tight, especially our hamstrings and ITB’s! 4. Not sure what to do? Then please feel free to give me a shout if you have any questions at all regarding what personal decisions to make about your personal running. As you know, I’m always happy to give you my two cents worth! 5. And, above everything else, be safe and stay positive and take stock of the special relationships we share. A very small group of Tobacco Road folks, last minute, asked me to resurrect the old Three Bridges course, as a make-up for their cancelled race, and six of them (with good distancing) had excellent performances on our old certified half and full marathon courses yesterday morning. Congrats to Ben (2:56!), Chris B. (2:59 first sub 3!), Darren G. (3:21!), Andrew (1:41!), Hannah G. (1:54…a huge 7 minute p.r.!) and Matt E. (1:50…p.r.!). ***I’ve included my son Adrian’s latest weekly newsletter he just sent out to his Albemarle track athletes. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did. In closing, I’d like to say how much I cherish my relationships with each of you and how I’m truly going to miss seeing you face to face for the time being. Please stay in touch by texting, calling and sending photos. I’ll look forward to that time when I can give you all a big hug again! Be safe… With a virtual high five, Coach Mark 434-962-1694 (text) WEEK of MARCH 16… ***PLEASE NOTE: This in only for those looking to keep “working out”. ***Remember: if you feel like it’s overfatiguing, please back off! *Speedsters = ~20-35 miles MONDAY March 16 ***For those looking to still ”workout” *Speedsters = 4-6 miles at 75-80% with 5 x 12 second flat surface surges with a slow 48 second recovery in between each. WEDNESDAY March 18 ***Please note that we will NOT be meeting as a group at our normal 5:30am time. If you still feel like you want to meet at different times and locations, please do so in much smaller groups and with adequate distance between one another. Your personal choices. I’ll miss you terribly, as this is my favorite time of the week! Some SUGGETED COURSES for the Fartlek circuits: -Bellair by starting at the entrance and using the upper loop (that goes left down Old Farm Road and turns right at the pond and then right again up Canterbury. -Riverview in figure eights by running a mile loop on the flat river path (run along the lower path and turn left to head back to the parking lot on the upper path) and then head out to do one of the those hilly loops up Market and back down Chesapeake (you can turn off Market at either Riverview Avenue or 18th street, depending on how far you want to run on the hilly section) -Towe Park by doing a combo of running along the paved path by the river and then up to the main shelter at the top of the parking lot -The UVa Park by doing a combo of running around the perimeter loop and then up the hill to the three way stop sign at Arlington ***For those still looking to workout: *Speedsters = Fartlek on the road as follows (rolling to hillier terrain): -4 x 2 minutes at 106% or faster with a 60 second recovery in between each (including a 60 second recovery after the 4th one) -4 x 30 seconds at 110-112% with a 30 second recovery in between each Run this 16 minute circuit a total of 2-3 times (depending on how you feel) but faster with each one. Take a 30 second recovery after each circuit. Try to run it on a loop or out and back course to keep the terrain consistent for each 16 minute circuit. SATURDAY March 21 ****For those still looking to workout: *Speedsters = 10 miles total with 2 x 3 miles (flatter course) as follows: -1st one at 96-100% of 10 miler pace -2nd one faster! Take a slow 5 minute recovery in between each Wow! Despite the tough headwinds and monster hills many of you had excellent races at the MJ8K yesterday morning. Here’s just a small sampling: Jeffrey, Jordan, Peter, Lauretta, Kim, Rachel, Analisa, Carrie, Sarah, Kristen, John T. and Steve Light, who ran a 34:32, knocking off almost 3 minutes off his time from last year! Plus, our Age Group champs: Larry, Jenn F., Sean, Elizabeth, Kate J. and Jeanine! And a huge thanks to all of you, who came out to help me with race day logistics…as cliché as it may sound, I could not have done it without you! Bill P., Paula, Ellen, Megan, Billie, Bronwyn, Marti, Henry, Becky, Paul H., Michelle, Carol and Craig. Much appreciated! Happy Birthdays to Marissa (Monday), Sean (Wednesday) and Jaime (Sunday)! I hope to see many of you on Wednesday morning. Let’s keep this rolling! Coach Mark 434-293-3367 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of MARCH 9 *Speedsters = 25-40 total miles (85-90% AHR/10-15% faster) MONDAY March 9 *Speedsters = 4-6 AHR miles at 75-80% with 4 x 12 second flat surface form surges WEDNESDAY March 11 ***Please meet me outside the UVa track at 5:30am for the following workouts. We will start with a very slow (AHR…please) 2 mile warmup, which will be followed by 4-5 minutes of dynamic drills (make sure to start gently, so as to let your fibers safely loosen up) on the track. I will then get you into your pace groups based on your current fitness level and your race goals. Remember to make the first 200 of your first repeat the very slowest, so as to ease into the meat of the “workout”. After your workout is completed, cooldown (off track, on the magic carpet or on the very outside lanes of the track) at AHR for at least a mile. *Speedsters = 3 x 800 with a very slow 3 minute recovery/3 x 200 with a very slow 200 recovery/3 x 800, at a faster pace than the first set of 800’s, with a very slow 3 minute recovery. I’ll have Leah post on the blog my suggested paces for the 800’s…run the 200’s at a fast but relaxed pace. The 800’s should “feel hard”, as my suggested paces will be on the fast side! Take them one at a time and have confidence in your fitness. Focus on form: nose over toes! SATURDAY March 14 *Speedsters racing the 10 Miler = 14-18 mile long AHR Run with 1 mile fartlek in middle to tire your legs a bit for the latter portion of the run. For example, if you go 15 total miles, run it as follows: -9 miles at 75-80% of 10 mile pace -1 mile of 30 fast-30 slow fartlek -5 miles at 75-80% of 10 mile pace *Speedsters NOT racing the 10 Miler = 10-12 miles total at 75-80% with 1 middle mile of 30-30 fartlek SUNDAY March 15 ***Please come join us for 4-5 social and relaxed miles at 6:45am at Greenberry’s.  Hi, everyone,
I’m getting this out early to you, as we’ll be in Atlanta for the Olympic Marathon Trials and won’t be back home until late Sunday evening. Here’s wishing our Charlie, Jenny and Rachel and all our other local friends a successful marathon on Saturday! ***I’ll be posting live updates, with photos and videos of our locals, to our Ragged Mountain social sites throughout the race. https://twitter.com/coachzoni https://www.instagram.com/raggedmountainrunning -And all the best to those of you racing at Sugar Hollow on Saturday. ****IMPORTANT Volunteer request: I still need about 15 more folks (I’ve only heard from four of you thus far) to help me with the Haven 8K on March 7th. This is a cause very near and dear to my heart, as I was on the original board of directors that opened the doors to this special building. Please help, if you can (just text me). Thanks so much! Also, please enter the Haven 8K if you haven’t been already done so. We still need 50 volunteers too, if you have a loved one that can help us on race day. Thanks. ***Time Trial Day for our Speedsters and BB folks (not in training for a marathon) this Wednesday. Don’t shy away from a very cool opportunity to see what you can do for a mile (and maybe the 800 too). I hope to see a bunch of you then! Coach Mark 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of MARCH 2 *Speedsters = Recovery mileage week, so please drop your current weekly mileage by at least 30%. (85% AHR/15% faster) MONDAY March 2 *Speedsters = 4-5 miles at 75-80% of 10 miler pace with 5 x 12 second hill form surges (moderate hill) with a slow 48 second recovery in between each. WEDNESDAY March 4 **Please meet me outside the UVa track at 5:30am for the following workouts: *Speedsters = Time Trials Day!! After a 2 mile warmup and lots of dynamics and strider surges you will be ready to start your mile time trial: -Mile (4 laps): As a gauge, you can estimate that your mile time should be at least 25-30 seconds faster than your 5K pace. From there, know that you will need to run the first half lap slower than that mile pace. So, ahead of time, do the calculations for what you need to be at 50 meters, 100 meters, 150 meters and 200 and 300 meters (I will have cones at each mark). After the first 300 meters you can begin to start picking up the pace. After the half way mark (800) you want to be really pushing the pace! I’ll be starting you in broader pace groups. For those of you wishing to go for a fast 800 time too: Take a 20-25 minute slow recovery after the mile and then run more dynamics before starting your 2 lap time trial. ***If you absolutely, positively don’t want to do the mile time trial (which I would encourage you to try) you may do the following workout: 12 x 400 in 3 sets of four. Run the first set at 103-104%/ 2nd set at 107-109%/ 3rd set faster! Take a 90 second recovery in between each 400 and a 2 minute recovery in between each set. SATURDAY March 7 *Speedsters = two choices (I would much prefer that you run the Haven 8K as it will give you that much valued “race” experience and will also give you a VERY accurate read as to what your current fitness level is going into the race season). A. The Haven 8K as a hard and fast progression run. Start at 98-100% of 10 mile pace and pick it up with each mile, keeping in mind that the ascents will obviously be slower. 8-9 miles total with 2-3 mile warmup and 1 mile cooldown. B. 8 miles total as follows: -2 mile warmup at 75-80% of 10 mile pace -5 mile progression run on a rolling course (no Riverview!), starting at 98-100% and getting faster with each mile. Really push the pace over the last 2 miles. -cooldown for 1 slow mile SUNDAY March 8 **Please come join us at 6:45am for 4-5 relaxed and social miles from Greenberry’s Hi, everyone!
Excellent workouts in Bellair last Wednesday. I was very impressed with how everyone seemed to negative split as they progressed with their hilly 3K loops around the challenging Bellair neighborhood. Cynthia did many of her workouts on that iconic loop in preparation for the 1984 Trials and so did Rachel Ward, as she prepped for the 2012 and 2016 Trials and now Charlie and Rachel B. have done the same for their run at the 2020 Trials this coming weekend. Each would agree that it doesn’t build your ego but it sure as heck builds your mental toughness and hill strength. So, if it’s good enough for our Olympic Trials athletes, it’s good enough for my Speedsters and Boston Bounders! Now, back to the track this week! *I’m still looking for folks to help me with the Haven 8K on March 7th. Racing? Great, but then maybe a loved one can lend me a hand. Please let me know. Thanks! *Reminder: Next Wednesday (3/4) is our Mile and 800 time trials! This will be for Speedsters and BB folks (not training for a spring marathon). Here’s your opportunity to see how fast you are. *NEW? Feeling lost? Can’t figure out what my workout lingo means? Then please, by all means, get in touch with me before Wednesday as I really want you to have a positive experience with this group training. *Racing this weekend? Then please see the important note under Wednesday’s instructions. I love that Sugar Hollow 5K and 10K and it’s all in support of our wonderful Whitehall neighbors, who are so generous to us throughout the year by allowing us to use their great parking area! Happy Birthdays to Andrew Z. (Monday), Bonnie (Wednesday) and Jason B. (Thursday)! I hope to see another huge crowd of you again this Wednesday. Temps and footing look great! Let’s keep it rolling! Coach Mark 434-293-3367 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of FEBRUARY 24 *Speedsters = 25-35 miles or more (85% AHR/15% faster) MONDAY February 24 ***Skip the surges if you’re prone to calf, Achilles or hamstring issues. *Speedsters = 5-7 total miles with 5 x 12 second hill form surges with a slow 48 second recovery in between each. Moderate hill (not too steep)… focus on using your core to lift your knees. WEDNESDAY February 26 ***Please join me at the UVa track at 5:30 am for the following workouts IMPORTANT: Those racing at Sugar Hollow on Saturday should skip the Spartan and simply run 8 x 200 at race pace with a slow 200 recovery in between each. ***Those headed to Atlanta to watch the Trials and then race on Sunday should do the following: -200s if you’re “racing all-out” on Sunday -run the Spartan (or a portion of it) if you’re running the Half marathon as a “workout” *Speedsters = “Spartan” as follows: -1600 on the track at 98-100% of 10 mile pace -800 off track at 91-93% of 10 mile pace -1200 on at 102-103% -800 off at 93% -800 on at 104-107% -800 off at 93% -400 on at 108-110% or faster -800 off at 93% -200 on at a fast but relaxed pace! THURSDAY February 27, 5-8 PM Annual Membership Party & Awards Ceremony Timberwood Grill, 3311 Worth Xing, Charlottesville, Virginia 22911 Please join us for a fun, casual night at Timberwood Grill (the 29 N location). Celebrate everyone's running achievements, get psyched for upcoming races, see old friends, make new ones, and enjoy food and drink. Awards such as "most improved runner" and "outstanding community member" will be presented. We'll have a buffet of heavy appetizers and everyone will get one drink ticket. The event is FREE for CTC members (including members who sign up that evening) and $10 for non-members. SATURDAY February 29 ***All the best to our teammates Rachel B., Jenny G. and Charlie, to Winslow’s daughter Olivia and to all of our local friends, who will be racing in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta today! ***And all the best to those of you racing the Sugar Hollow 5K or 10K! *Speedsters = 14-17 miles or add 1-2 miles to your most recent long AHR run. This should be a very relaxed AHR run at 75-80% of 10 mile pace. If you’re not racing anything beyond 10K this spring, then I’d recommend going 10-12 miles. Hydrate and replenish electrolytes throughout the run. Please do not run this on a totally flat course.  Hi, everyone,
I hope you all have had a great weekend. Despite the cold temps, yesterday morning turned out to be a beautiful time for your long runs. I’ve been hearing great reports and I continue to be psyched that the footing has been clear enough for us to have safe and relaxed runs week after week. Hope it stays this way until spring! *Sneak Preview (3/4) for the Speedsters and any Boston Bound folks not running a marathon this spring: Mile and 800 time trials on March 4. The perfect opportunity to see just how fast you are! ****IMPORTANT Volunteer call out: The racing season is about to begin and I really could use some help at the Haven 8K on March 7. If you’re racing, then maybe a loved one can lend a hand or if you’re not racing then please let me know if you can help. Thanks a bunch! *Please call on me if you need to change your schedule around, at the first sign of a new pain, if you’re feeling over-fatigued or any other questions related to your training thing. As your coach, I’m here to help. *A huge thanks to Leah and Harry for helping to get my weekly message out to you and for letting you all know about Saturday group runs. I hope to see many of you on Wednesday morning. Let’s keep this rolling. Coach Mark 434-293-3367 (day phone) 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of FEBRUARY 17 *Speedsters = 28-35 total miles or more (~65% AHR/35% faster) MONDAY February 17 ***Please note to skip the surges if you’re prone to Achilles, calf or hamstring issues. *Speedsters = 5-7 miles as follows: -2-3 at 75% (AHR) -2 at 100% of 10 mile pace -1-2 back to 75% Try to add 4 x 15 second flat surface surges focusing on upper body form using your arms, backside and gut to lift your legs. Take a 45 second recovery in between each surge. WEDNESDAY February 19 **Please join me at 5:30 am outside the UVa track. ***EVERYONE (except March marathoners): Most of you (see below) will be doing your workout in Bellair and if you don’t want to run so far back after the workout? Then park in the medical clinic lot (next to Bellair Market), which doesn’t open until later, and meet us down at the start of the workout. We will be starting our 3K repeats workout at the top of Bellair (close to the entrance) this week. I’ll explain in detail before we head out from the track and there's a course map attached. *Speedsters = 2-3 x 3K with a very slow 5 minute recovery in between each. Experienced Speedsters should go for 3 repeats and those newer can choose between 2 or 3 depending on how you feel. As a point of reference, 3K is 7.5 laps on the track (200 meters shy of 2 miles). Run the first 3K around 98-100% of 10 mile pace and see how it goes from there. The goal is to make each 3K faster than the previous. Remember to factor in the hills as this is one hilly course (very much like the 10 miler course), so slower on the ascents and faster on the descents! FRIDAY Post your long run plans on the Speedsters Facebook Group SATURDAY February 22 *Speedsters = 9-10 miles with a 6 mile pace progressive run as follows, at Sugar Hollow or some other relatively flat course (park at the Whitehall Community Center): -2 miles at 75-80% -3 miles out to the base of the dam at 97-100% of 10 mile pace -3 miles back faster! -1-2 mile cooldown at 75% SUNDAY February 23 **Come join us for 4-5 relaxed social miles at 6:45 at Greenberry’s. All abilities welcome. ___________________________________________________ SAVE THE DATE Annual Membership Party & Awards Ceremony Thursday, February 27 from 5 PM – 8 PM Timberwood Grill, 3311 Worth Xing, Charlottesville, Virginia 22911 Charlottesville Track Club members - please join us for a fun, casual night at Timberwood Grill (the 29 N location). Celebrate everyone's running achievements, get psyched for upcoming races, see old friends, make new ones, and enjoy food and drink. Awards such as "most improved runner" and "outstanding community member" will be presented. We'll have a buffet of heavy appetizers and everyone will get one drink ticket. The event is FREE for CTC members (including members who sign up that evening) and $10 for non-members.  Hi, everyone,
Way to execute your Spartan workout last week… I was very impressed! A few quickies: *Remember my 24 hour rule: Please get in touch with me within 24 hours of first noticing a new pain cropping up, especially if it’s only on one side of your body. *Work on your upper strength core work at least 3-4 times/week…. even I do! *Please carefully read my workout instructions each week, especially my suggested paces. Some of the new folks were saying at the workout last week that they were “confused”, which is the opposite of what I’m trying to accomplish for you, my athletes. Please use Adrian’s pace calculator to figure out your paces ahead of time and if you still have questions please text or call me BEFORE Wednesday morning. I’m happy to help clear things up! *Looks like our warmest Wednesday morning in a while this week (~50-53 degrees as of now). Maybe even shorts weather. Please bring a water bottle (I’ll transport to the course) and don’t forget your headlamps, as we’re back out on the road. *Happy belated 50th to Marti’ and wishing happy ones this week to Kristin S. (Monday), Ben (Tuesday), Rob M. (Thursday) and Macy (Saturday). I hope to see many of you out to join us on Wednesday! Coach Mark 434-293-3367 434-962-1694 WEEK of FEBRUARY 3 *Speedsters = Recovery Mileage Week, so drop your currently weekly mileage by ~20-25% (55% AHR/45% faster) Remember: your AHR should be ~75% of your 10 miler pace *BB March = ~50 miles or more (60% at AHR/40% faster) MONDAY February 3 ***IMPORTANT: Skip the “surges” if you’re prone to Achilles, calf and hamstring issues. *Speedsters = 5-6 miles at 75-80% of 10 miler (AHR) but with 2 of those miles at 95-100%. Then add 5 x 12 second flat surface form surges with a very slow 48 second recovery in between each. These surges are a form of upper body strength work, as you focus on engaging your core (backside, gut and arms) to lift your legs. WEDNESDAY February 5 ***IMPORTANT: Please bring your head lamp or flashlight, as we’ll be back out on the road again (all groups except BB March, who will be on the track). ***Please join me at the UVa track at 5:30 am for the following workouts: *Speedsters = “Rolling Road Repeats” (RRR’s) as follows: -warmup for 2 slow and very relaxed AHR miles (start the warmup with 2 laps on the track in pace groups before heading out onto the road) - meet me at the corner of Emmet and Lewis Mountain Road after the warmup -we will do our dynamic drills in the Alumni Hall parking lot -Then run the following loop 3 times: Go up Lewis Mountain Road (uphill), turn right onto Cameron (steep downhill), then left on Minor (hard uphill), then left on Alderman (slight up and then down… please stay on the sidewalk) and then turn left onto Thomson (long gradual all downhill) and proceed all the way down to Emmet (finish of loop). -First loop (~1 mile) at 100-102% of 10 mile pace -2 nd loop at 102-103% or faster -3 rd loop faster! Take a brief 60 second recovery in between each loop. **Please note, that I’ll have Leah send you my map of the course and I’ll have cones at the 200, 400, 800, 1200 and 1600 marks along the loop, so you can gauge your pace as you proceed over this hilly course. FRIDAY February 7 ***IMPORTANT: Thanks for getting your group run location on Facebook speedsters group - http://facebook.com/groups/cvillespeedsters (if you made a request to join the private group last week and it wasn’t accepted please try again, thanks!) SATURDAY February 8 *Speedsters = Please meet me at Riverview at 7:00 am, all warmed up and ready to go for the following pace workout: -1/2 hilly mile out of the park (on road) at 95-100% of 10 miler pace -1 flat mile loop in the park at 103% Run this loop a total of 3 continuous times (no break after each 1.5 mile loop) and try to get faster with each loop. I’ll have the course marked for you. SUNDAY Come join us for 4-5 relaxed and social miles at 6:45 am at Greenberry’s. All paces welcome! Wow! Was your coach ever impressed with how well all of you did, on Wednesday, with our tough hilly Bellair workout and in such frigid conditions. You all looked so good out there and all of you had such positive attitudes. I really appreciate that I didn’t hear one single person complain or state the obvious (how cold it was). Love it! The no-drama Wednesday morning theme lives on! Plus, everyone followed directions beautifully (headlamps, single file on Old Ivy Road, etc.). this all makes me smile. Let’s keep this going!
See you Wednesday for your #1 voted favorite workout! Coach Mark 434-293-3367 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of JANUARY 27 *Speedsters = 25-35 total miles (~90% AHR/~10% faster) MONDAY January 27 ***No surges if you’re prone to Achilles, calf and hamstring issues! IMPORTANT: Use your core to engage your knees on the hill surges. The less you use your legs to lift your knees, and the more you use your upper body, the more efficient you’ll be and Wow! Was your coach ever impressed with how well all of you did, on Wednesday, with our tough hilly Bellair workout and in such frigid conditions. You all looked so good out there and all of you had such positive attitudes. I really appreciate that I didn’t hear one single person complain or state the obvious (how cold it was). Love it! The no-drama Wednesday morning theme lives on! Plus, everyone followed directions beautifully (headlamps, single file on Old Ivy Road, etc.). this all makes me smile. Let’s keep this going! See you Wednesday for your #1 voted favorite workout! Coach Mark 434-293-3367 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of JANUARY 27 *Speedsters = 25-35 total miles (~90% AHR/~10% faster) MONDAY January 27 ***No surges if you’re prone to Achilles, calf and hamstring issues! IMPORTANT: Use your core to engage your knees on the hill surges. The less you use your legs to lift your knees, and the more you use your upper body, the more efficient you’ll be and reducing the risk of injury! *Speedsters = 5-6 miles at 75% of 10 miler pace with 6 x 15 second hill (moderate hill…not too steep) surges with a very slow 45 second recovery jog in between each. Use your torso/core to lift your knees and drive up the hill. No straining! WEDNESDAY January 29 ***Please join me at the UVa track parking lot at 5:30am for the following workouts. Please use Adrian’s Pace Calculator, by plugging in either your goal 10 Miler or marathon time. *Speedsters = “Spartan” as follows (I’ll explain in detail again on Wednesday morning): -1600 on the track at 98-100% of 10 miler pace -800 off the track (I’ll have the road course marked) at 93% -1200 on at 102-103% or faster -800 off at 93% -800 on at 104-107% or faster -800 off at 93% -400 on at a fast but relaxed pace! ***Please note: More experienced Speedsters can run the extra 800 off /200 on SATURDAY February 1 *Speedsters = 10-13 miles at 75-80% of 10 miler pace. Add 1-2 miles to your most recent long run. Rolling course please. SUNDAY February 2 **Come join us for 4-5 social miles at 6:45am at Greenberry’s. Newcomers are encouraged to join us for this fun recovery run.Cville Speedsters <cvillespeedsters@gmail.com>6:05 PM (2 minutes ago) to me Wow! Was your coach ever impressed with how well all of you did, on Wednesday, with our tough hilly Bellair workout and in such frigid conditions. You all looked so good out there and all of you had such positive attitudes. I really appreciate that I didn’t hear one single person complain or state the obvious (how cold it was). Love it! The no-drama Wednesday morning theme lives on! Plus, everyone followed directions beautifully (headlamps, single file on Old Ivy Road, etc.). this all makes me smile. Let’s keep this going! See you Wednesday for your #1 voted favorite workout! Coach Mark 434-293-3367 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of JANUARY 27 *Speedsters = 25-35 total miles (~90% AHR/~10% faster) MONDAY January 27 ***No surges if you’re prone to Achilles, calf and hamstring issues! IMPORTANT: Use your core to engage your knees on the hill surges. The less you use your legs to lift your knees, and the more you use your upper body, the more efficient you’ll be and reducing the risk of injury! *Speedsters = 5-6 miles at 75% of 10 miler pace with 6 x 15 second hill (moderate hill…not too steep) surges with a very slow 45 second recovery jog in between each. Use your torso/core to lift your knees and drive up the hill. No straining! WEDNESDAY January 29 ***Please join me at the UVa track parking lot at 5:30am for the following workouts. Please use Adrian’s Pace Calculator, by plugging in either your goal 10 Miler or marathon time. *Speedsters = “Spartan” as follows (I’ll explain in detail again on Wednesday morning): -1600 on the track at 98-100% of 10 miler pace -800 off the track (I’ll have the road course marked) at 93% -1200 on at 102-103% or faster -800 off at 93% -800 on at 104-107% or faster -800 off at 93% -400 on at a fast but relaxed pace! ***Please note: More experienced Speedsters can run the extra 800 off /200 on SATURDAY February 1 *Speedsters = 10-13 miles at 75-80% of 10 miler pace. Add 1-2 miles to your most recent long run. Rolling course please. SUNDAY February 2 **Come join us for 4-5 social miles at 6:45am at Greenberry’s. Newcomers are encouraged to join us for this fun recovery run. Hi, everyone, Just a few quickies… How great was that to have so many new folks join us last week?! We hope you all come back again this week! -And speaking of, if you are brand NEW, then please consult with me prior to Wednesday morning, so I can help you find the best path for a safe and enjoyable way to engage with the group. -Need to CHANGE your Saturday run to Friday? Then please get in touch with me before Wednesday, so we can appropriately scale back your mid-week workout, to avoid injury from compressing your two biggest days. -The most important days of the week are the non-running days, when you should be rolling and stretching. The other very important days are your recovery run days, when you should be deliberately running extra SLOW! -Happy Birthday to Meg T. and Lauretta (both on Tuesday)! And a belated one to our Mark F., who I totally spaced on recognizing at our group run last Wednesday. Mark is a Wednesday morning stalwart, as he has one of the best attendance records over the past five years. So, Happy Birthday, Mark! I hope to see another huge crowd on Wednesday! Coach Mark 434-293-3367 (work phone) 434-962-1694 (text anytime) WEEK of JANUARY 20 **Speedsters = ~25-30 miles (~70%AHR/30%faster). Remember that AHR is ~75% of 10 mile pace MONDAY January 20 ***IMPORTANT: Skip the “surges” if you’re prone to hamstring, Achilles and calf issues. *Speedsters = 5-7 miles at AHR but with the middle 2 miles at and 4 x 12 second flat surface form surges with a slow 48 second recovery in between each. WEDNESDAY January 22 ***IMPORTANT: please bring a headlamp or flashlight as Bellair has no street lights. It’s also helpful to motorists. ****REMINDER: please refer to Adrian’s “Pace Calculator” for % paces -Please join me at the UVa track parking lot at 5:30am for the following: *Speedsters = Bellair circuits x 2: We will meet, after a long warmup, down at the four-way intersection on the bottom of Farm Road (left side as you enter Bellair…refer to my map) to do our dynamics and then split up into our pace groups. Run the first flatter section of the loop at 20 seconds fast (~116-118% of MP and 111-113% of 10 mile pace…fast but relaxed) followed by 20 seconds slow. Then surge up the three hills along the rest of the loop, by using your upper body strength to lift your knees. After cresting the top of each hill “actively” recover on the downhill on the other side. This is a continuous workout with no breaks. Try to run the second loop faster than the first (each loop is about 1.3 miles in length). -Refer to enclose amp for details. **Please be very careful along Old Ivy Road and crossing over 250, as you warmup down to Bellair. Run single file and against traffic. SATURDAY January 25 ****REMINDER: please refer to Adrian’s “Pace Calculator” for % paces. PACE CALCULATOR **Hydrate during these “long workouts” *Speedsters = 8.5 miles total as follows (on a flatter course, as you already ran a hilly course on Wednesday): -2 miles at AHR -half mile at 93-96% of 10 Miler pace -2 miles at 100% of 10 Miler pace -2 miles faster (~102-103% or faster) -1 mile back to 100% -1 mile at AHR SUNDAY January 26 **Please come join a pile of friendly fellow Speedsters and BB folks for 4-5 recovery miles at 6:45am at Greenberry’s  |
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