RunWashington July/August 2014

100% OF NET PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE OUTER BANKS RELIEF FOUNDATION AND THE DARE EDUCATION FOUNDATION. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US HELP OTHERS.

LETTERS / CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4OFF THE BEATEN PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6MILITARY RUNNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9OUR MARATHONERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12IN IT TO TIE IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14WINTER BLUNDERLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO BOSTON . . . . . . 22UPCOMING RACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28MSTFNSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31FUNDRACERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35THE DOJO OF PAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38ON PAPER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42WHAT IT TAKES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46RUNSPRINGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51HAVE SHOES WILL TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54YOU MUST BE THIS OLD TO RUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56STRAIGHT OUT OF NOVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59WERE MAKING EXCELLENT TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60TED LAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62CELEBRATE RUNNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

2 | RUNWASHINGTON | RUNWASHINGTON.COM | JULY AUGUST 2014

COVER PHOTO: AL NAVIDI, veteran of 47 marathons, after an easy Saturday morning run. RUNWASHINGTON PHOTO BY MEAGHAN GAY

JULY AUGUST 2014 | RUNWASHINGTON.COM | RUNWASHINGTON | 3

PUblisheRKathy DalbyRunWashington Media LLC

editoR iN ChiefCharlie [email protected]

seNioR editoRDickson [email protected]

CReAtiVe / PRodUCtioNAZER CREATIVEwww.azercreative.com

sAles diReCtoRDenise [email protected]

CUstomeR [email protected]

bRANdiNgORANGEHAT LLC

The entire contents of RunWashington are copyright 2014 by RunWashington Media, LLC. All rights reserved, and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, results, or other materials are welcome but are not returnable and are preferred via electronic communication to [email protected]. Please inform yourself of applicable copyright and privacy laws before submitting for publication; if we decide to publish your submitted material we conduct no such checks and you alone will ultimately be responsible for any violations of any laws including infringement and copyright. Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher, advertiser, or sponsors.

Back issues are available for $5.00 for each copy to cover postage and handling. RunWashington is published six times yearly by RunWashington Media LLC, 4544 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304. Complimentary copies are mailed to subscribers, area businesses and events.

Be advised that running is a strenuous sport and you should seek the guidance of a medical professional before beginning an exercise regimen.

J U L Y | A U G U S T 2 0 1 4

/runwashington

@runwashington

What is a marathon? Websters defines it as a footrace run on an open course usually of 26 miles 385 yards, but Ive found its much more.

Not least of which is frustrating. Anecdotally, they seem to go wrong more than they go right. Personally, my first three included hallucinating from overheating in Chicago then dropping out of Marine Corps three weeks later with a mile to go (see photo above). Severe apathy seized me and convinced me Id get a ride back in a golf cart from a medical crew (I didnt).

It wasnt until my fourth, and impulsive, marathon, dubbed Operation Wild Pitch for my grip-it-and-rip-it approach to race planning, that I both ran well and enjoyed the experience. With no pressure and no buildup, there was no difference from a typical long run; it would just last a little longer. In fact, I am not sure when I want to reopen my relationship with the distance, for fear of tarnishing its legacy for me.

But taking that chance is what makes success that much sweeter. Ashley Vaughan, who has run marathons with her friend Alana Miller (page 14) appreciates the unknown that comes with pushing your body for so long.

What attracted me to the marathon initially was not knowing if I could do it, she said. I dont think we have many things in life that we start out at the beginning and not know if we can finish.

While researching for this issue, I scoured the 2013 U.S. marathons looking for locals. What a thrill to look at the Rockin K Trail Marathon in Kansas and find Jessica Donnelly from Hyattsville in the results. I didnt even know where Andover, Kansas, was!

It was a thrilling search, like a 625-piece puzzle. Some races and timing systems, particularly in the Midwest, didnt track the residences of their runners. So I know I missed some numbers and potential stories. But, I came out of it with a better understanding of our national marathon anatomy and what is out there.

I ruminated on the nature of the event. I thought about the five-day marathon series, which typically have repeated one-to-twomile loops, a blessing if youre coming from an indoor marathon on a 200-meter indoor track (which, in fairness to the event, is air conditioned).

While most people focus their training for months on one event, I met people aiming to hit 50 states and throw a few curveballs along the way, like Glen Marumoto from Hawaii, who was in the area for the Queen City Marathon on a Saturday and hopped in the Runners Marathon of Reston the next day to knock out another state while he was in the neighborhood.

We have all kinds of marathoners here: the blazingly fast Olympic Trials qualifiers (page 46) and leaders who break the tape (page 59), runners who close the race down (page 62), some who put themselves through 26.2 miles purely to help others know how fast they should be going to run a certain time (page 60). They come in all ages (page 56) They hit speedbumps on the way to their races (page 22), train while raising money for causes that are important to them (page 35). Then they enjoy themselves when their work is done (page 51).

If you have fall marathon plans, I hope they go smoothly. If you dont care for the marathon, I hope you still find something to appreciate in these stories!

See you out there,

Charlie

Photo by CheRyl yoUNg

Natalie DiBlasio is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Shes been running since her first track practice in second grade and just completed her second marathon in up in Burlington, Vt., her college town. When shes not running, shes blogging at RunnersBreakfast.com DaviD PittmaN recently began writing for Politicos Pro eHealth publication.

If you like the photographs in RunWashington, consider hiring one of our photographers.

sara alePiN (MSTFNSH, Something Happened on the Way to Boston, Have Shoes, Will Travel, Ted Last) teaches at the Washington School of Photography, in addition to her work as an audio-visual technician at the Philips Collection and her own photography business, Photos from the Harty. www.photosfromtheharty.com.vlaDimir Bukalo (On Paper) specializes in and portraits, editorial, sport, adventure and corporate event photography. www.photobukalo.com.Bruce Buckley (Fundracers, Upcoming Races) shoots portraits and sports photography with Swim Bike Run Photography. www.brucebuckleyphotography.com.meaghaN gay/swim Bike ruN PhotograPhy (Cover) is the studio manager for Swim Bike Run Photography. www.swimbikerunphoto.com.DustiN whitlow/D. whit PhotograPhy (Dojo of Pain) Specializes in sports, concert and wedding photography. www.dwhitphoto.com. CONTRIBUTOR MARATHON TALLyCharlie Ban 3, Jamie Corey 8, Natalie DiBlasio 2, Jim Hage 75+, Dickson Mercer 11, Dustin Whitlow 4

4 | ruNWASHINGTON | ruNWASHINGTON.COM | JULY AUGUST 2014

thank you for the best of issue! it is now my goal to run every race highlighted in this issue either this year or next! i have the marine corps marathon in october so that will kick things off! thanks for the inspiration and motivation!

Christine CassarGainesville, Va.

youre welcome! Thanks again to everyone who nominated and voted in the Best of Washington Running 2014. Check out our website www.runwashington.com for the full listing of nominees.

hi there charlie,

i just picked up your magazine for the first time as i was excited to see the best of information.i dont always read the editors note but decided to since i am new to this magazine.i was a bit perplexed by the mistakes and lack of attention to detail in making sure your sentences were all complete. hopefully the magazine was just having a bad day. :) anyway, i look forward to checking out the trails and such but wanted to share my observations in case you hadnt come across them yet.

thanks,

Michele HarcarikVienna, Va.

you were perplexed, but I was embarrassed. In the rush to move onto something else before printing, I didnt catch that we used an old version. you wont see anything like that again.

Please send feedback to [email protected], so we know

how were doing!

Falls Road Running Storebaltimorerunning.com

Fleet Feet Gaithersburgfl eetfeetgaithersburg.com

Fleet Feet Annapolisfl eetfeetannapolis.com

Fleet Feet Baltimorefl eetfeetbaltimore.com

Hudson Trail Out ttershudsontrail.com

If The Shoe Fitsiftheshoefi ts.biz

Pacers Running Storerunpacers.com

FEEL WHAT CRAZYIS ALL ABOUT.

Falls Road Running Storebaltimorerunning.com

Fleet Feet Gaithersburgfl eetfeetgaithersburg.com

Fleet Feet Annapolisfl eetfeetannapolis.com

Fleet Feet Baltimorefl eetfeetbaltimore.com

Hudson Trail Out ttershudsontrail.com

If The Shoe Fitsiftheshoefi ts.biz

Pacers Running Storerunpacers.com

LETTERS CONTRIBUTORS

CORRECTIONS

On page 30, the Best Group Run listed Pacers as the winner, the winner was specifically Pacers Logan Circle.

On page 33, Rebecca Fritchmans name was cut off and appeared as Rebecca Fritchma

On page 36, the runners up were not listed. They were New years Day 5k and Love the Run youre With 5k

On page 48, Makenzie Mazin was incorrectly referred to as Makenzie Martin.

The Conquest has 50% more cushioning material than standard running shoes. Learn more at hokaoneone.com

ITS A CRAZY LOOKING RUNNING SHOEBUT ITS CRAZY FOR A REASONBECAUSE CRAZY ISNT CRAZYCRAZY IS SMARTCRAZY CANT GET ENOUGHCRAZY IS CHANGING THE GAMECRAZY IS CONTAGIOUSCRAZY NEVER QUITSCRAZY LIVES THE DREAM

The Conquest has 50% more cushioning material than standard running shoes. Learn more at hokaoneone.com

CRAZY LIVES THE DREAMCRAZY LIVES THE DREAM

Mantra_ADS_fullpage_v2.indd 6 6/3/14 7:11 AM


Fort Dupont Park during the D.C. State High School Cross Country Championships.

Photo by RogeR Colaizzi


Consider Fort Dupont Park D.C.s neglected running spot.

While dozens, if not hundreds, of runners dart up and down the National Mall, Rock Creek Park or the Capital Crescent Trail every day, Fort Dupont Park is the all-too-often-forgotten-about enclave of nature in Southeast D.C.

It is 400 acres of National Park Service land lined with quiet roads, running trails, and, yes, bathrooms and water fountains. Yet on a spring Saturday morning with nearly perfect running conditions of mid 60-degree weather and little humidity there was not a running soul seen through the park. That changes in the fall, when it plays host to D.C.s championship cross country meets.

Granted, the neighborhoods surrounding the park dont have the best reputations in and around the city, but Fort Dupont has plenty to offer runners from across Washington.

The park is named after an old Civil War fort that protected the vulnerable watershed of the Anacostia River from Confederate attacks. In fact, former fortifications and earthworks remain today near the picnic area off Alabama Avenue.

While barracks and guns eventually gave way to what is todays park, runaway slaves also found shelter here, too, according to the National Park Service.

Visitors can find 10 miles of trails including the seven-mile Hiker/Biker Trail that runs from Fort Mahan just north of East Capitol Street to Fort Stanton off of Branch Avenue. The trail connects six former Civil War fortifications and runners can stop for some of the few

water fountains or restrooms that dot the trail when nature calls.

The most runner-friendly aspect of the park might be the tall pine trees and heavy foliage that are ubiquitous and provide constant shade. Theres no need to worry about the sun beating down on you during the dog days of summer.

The Hiker/Biker Trail is mostly gravel with solid footing and wide enough for two side-by-side runners. Dont come looking for a flat terrain. Expect mostly rolling hills with a few steep inclines.

The trailhead is accessible from either the Minnesota Avenue or Benning Road Metro stations. There is limited parking within Fort Dupont if driving from Pennsylvania Avenue from the other side of the Anacostia River or I-295 from the south. But like this writer, plenty of major roads nearby are bike-friendly enough to make it on two wheels. Its open from dawn until dusk.

Fort Dupont contains several paved roads that wind their way throughout the park. And like Rock Creek Park and its popular Beach Drive, the National Park Service closes gates from nearby roadways on the weekends and holidays, creating a safe and quiet network of roads and trails for runners.

The park offers plenty besides a runners haven. Summer concerts are popular in its amphitheater. It has recreational fields, tennis courts, a basketball court and a baseball diamond.

But its runner-friendly hiking and running trails and roads make it an ideal location for runners from D.C.s east side and throughout the city to log their miles.

By DaviD PittmaN

295

big run big sights big nish

October 26 Nations CapitalRegister Now

www.marinemarathon.com

USE CODERUN2015

FOR $5 OFF

April 4th, 2015charlottesvillemarathon.com

April 4th, 2015


Deployment means dramatic changes, not least of all an interruption of a service members running routine. Shadow runs, often held in conjunction with races in the United States, provide some kinship with runners at home. And even though the races are often held in the same place runners normally log their miles, the events give a much-needed morale boost.

Camp Phoenix, an Army installation in Kabul, Afghanistan, has held many shadow runs and other races since its first in 2007. Conditions at Camp Phoenix can be challenging for runners, with 6,000-foot elevation, uneven gravel roads, dust and pollution. The Capitol HIll Classic 10k held a shadow run there in May, with a total of 99 runners, 43 walkers and two bomb-sniffing dogs.

One of the benefits of living in an area of less than one square mile is that you know the course really well, said Air Force Lt. Colonel Jesse Arnstein, a New Jersey National Guardsman stationed at Camp Phoenix, who ran the Capitol Hill Classic shadow run. He serves as the public affairs officer for the 435th Combined Joint Interagency Task Force (detainee operations).Despite going out too hard, in what he described as just a fair race, Arnstein finished third.

Army Sgt. Wade Coleman is deployed to Camp Phoenix as a paralegal non-commissioned officer. A serious runner back home, he runs to stay connected with fellow runners while also benefiting from the physical and mental boost that running provides.

Deployment scuttled his Boston Marathon plans. Instead, he finished first overall in the Capitol Hill Classic run. He plans to try and qualify for Boston again when he gets home.

Army Staff Sgt. Julia Mendez was the top female in the Capitol Hill Classic shadow run. Mendez is on her fourth deployment and serves as a movement control non-commissioned officer. She ran a number of races while deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, and plans to compete in a triathlon on Kiawah Island, S.C. once she returns home.

Though she is used to the conditions at Camp Phoenix, Running on the rocks is challenging, she said. If you wear lighter shoes, your feet feel like meat after.

Coleman, her training partner, helps motivate her.

He is always pushing me to run faster,

pick up the pace, open my stride, she said. This type of teamwork exemplifies the military and what helps many service men and women deal with the challenges of deployment.

The soldiers stationed at Camp Phoenix are far from home and family, said Jason Levine, race director for D.C.s Capitol Hill Classic. Our hope is that, just as the classic brings together the entire Hill community for a morning, perhaps a shadow classic at Camp Phoenix can do the same there and let them know that were appreciative of the hard work theyre doing.

Two days after the Capitol Hill Classic shadow run, a shadow run for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon was held at Camp Phoenix in conjunction with the race held that same day in Fredericksburg.

Army Capt. Aurlbrio Fennell, of Charlotte, N.C., finished first overall in 1:31:54. A track and cross country runner at East Carolina University, Fennell currently serves as the aide-de-camp to the Commanding General, 435th Combined Joint Interagency Task Force (detainee operations) at Camp Phoenix.

Fennell considers himself a pseudo athlete when it comes to running. Its just something I like to do in my spare time, to ease my mind, he said. Capt. Fennell plans to run his fifth Army Ten-Miler this year after returning home from deployment.

Army Capt. Janaire Brown, who serves in the 48th Brigade Combat Team, finished first in the half (2:09:50) among women. She also finished third female overall in the Capitol Hill Classic shadow run.

Brown plans to do another half, mostly likely the Rock n Roll Half in Savannah, Ga., when she returns from deployment. And if I feel bold enough, Ill step it up to a full marathon, she said. Brown also runs the Peachtree 10k with her dad and husband every July when she is at home in Georgia.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. David Platz, who serves as the executive officer of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, finished second overall in both shadow races, running the half in 1:32:40.

Also running the Marine Corps Historic Half Shadow Run, Army Lt. Aaron Dermon was happy to have finished his first half marathon. Since this race is twice as long as Ive ever run, my goal was just to have a heartbeat at the end, he said. Knowing that his wife was running the same race back home

By ERiN MastERsoN


in Fredericksburg was additional incentive to finish. I definitely couldnt quit, no question about that, he said.

Running the race was also a way to show solidarity for his wife, who currently works as a civilian staffer for the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment in Quantico.

Obviously, Im a soldier, and shes a soldiers wife working for Marines, so this is a great opportunity for me to kind of represent what shes doing over there as well, he said. To do the same event, on the same day, while being a world apartIn a few more months well be back together, and this will help us get there a bit quicker.

Camp Phoenix has a long history of supporting races on base. In 2007, Army Lt. Col. Shane Elkins, of Alexandria, was deployed to Camp Phoenix. He noticed that a

Marine Corps HistoriC Half sHadow run top Male finisHers 1 Captain aurlbrio fennell- 1:31:54 2 lieutenant Commander david platz - 1:32:40 3 Joel Morton- 1:37:33 top feMale finisHers 1 Captain Janaire Brown- 2:09:50 2 sarah Haas- 2:23:00 3 Cheyenne stokes- 2:25:15Capitol Hill ClassiC 10K sHadow run 10K run Male 1 sergeant wade Coleman (united states army) 2 lieutenant Commander dave platz (united states navy) 3 lieutenant Colonel Jesse arnstein (united states air force) 10K run feMale 1 staff sergeant Julia Mendez (united states army) 2 specialist alexis Hernandez (united states army) 3 Captain Janaire Brown (united states army)

number of soldiers in his unit were struggling with motivation and low performance on their physical fitness tests.

Elkins, a member of the Northern Virginia Running Club (NOVA) in Alexandria, recruited NOVA Coach Jerry Alexander to develop workouts and a training plan for his unit. They decided to train for a full marathon and run the race on base at Camp Phoenix.

At the time I was working with the Camp Phoenix runners, the war in Afghanistan was not getting a lot of attention in the United States, Alexander said. It was a major boost for the morale of the runners to know that someone cared about what they were doing.

A total of 10 participants completed that marathon, held on Aug. 31, 2007. Maj. Jim Seeley won the race in 4:01:36.

Running at Camp Phoenix is not for

Photo coURtesy of Mike thoMPsoN


the faint of heart. Said Elkins of his time training on base, The track at Camp Phoenix is about 815 meters long. Theres a mark at approximately 400 meters and the start and finish for one mile and two miles but thats it.

The team was once forced to skip a training day because insurgents bombed the embassy convoy down the street.

Camp Phoenix also held the Some Gave All 5k shadow run May 10. The race is held in honor of Maj. Kevin Michael Jenrette of the Georgia National Guard, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Jenrette died on June 4, 2009 near Kapisa, Afghanistan of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.

Jenrettes wife Shannon started the Some Gave All Committee to honor her husbands legacy, and has held a 5k race

every year since his death in their town of Lula, Ga. on the second Saturday of May. This date commemorates when Maj. Jenrette graduated from Ranger School in May 1996.

Army National Guard Captain Abby Walker, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, used to work with Maj. Jenrette. When Capt. Walker realized that her deployment to Camp Phoenix would prevent her from running the race in Georgia this year, she asked Shannon if they could hold a shadow race.

This is a way for us to keep his memory alive and tell the soldiers here what type of person Major J was, and why he was important to us, she said. Its a way for us to tell his wife that we wont ever forget him.

Thanks to Army Capt. Mike Thompson and Raul Valmeo at Camp Phoenix for their assistance with this story.

BALTIMORE BALTIMORE

WASHINGTON DC

ARLINGTON


In 2013, D.C.-area marathon runners accounted for:

More than 15,939 fi nishes in 300 domestic marathons.

More than $1.7 million in race entry fees, by a conservative estimate.

D.C. has 3,738 fi nishes, Maryland had 3,458 and Virginia had 8,743.

Outside of D.C., Arlington was the most-represented hometown, with 2,182 fi nishes. Silver Spring led Maryland localities with 579 fi nishes.

49.6% of domestic marathons featured at least one D.C.-area fi nisher.

The 50 most popular marathons for D.C.-area runners accounted for 92% of fi nishers.

68 races had just one local fi nisher.

Statistics were compiled primarily based on results available via Marathon Guide, with more detailed information coming from individual race result websites and assistance from the Richmond Sports Backers and the New York Road Runners. Of the 625 domestic marathons listed on Marathon Guide, 160 did not list residency information. Of those, 15 featured at least one D.C.-area runner, possibly more.

BALTIMORE MARATHON

B&A TRAIL MARATHON

GRANT-PIERCE INDOOR MARATHON

MARINE CORPS MARATHON

ABEBE BIKILA DAY INTERNATIONAL PEACE MARATHON

POTOMAC RIVER RUN MARATHON-MAY

POTOMAC RIVER RUN MARATHON-NOV

RUNNERS MARATHON OF RESTON

NORTH FACE ENDURANCE CHALLENGE SEVERNA PARKSEVERNA PARK

ROCK N ROLL USA

GEORGE WASHINGTONS BIRTHDAY MARATHON

C&O CANAL TOWPATH MARATHON

CROSS COUNTY TRAIL MARATHON


Marine Corps 6,638 23,513 Rock n Roll USA 1,627 3,552 Baltimore 524 3,093 Potomac River Run- May 138 312 North Face Endurance Challenge 110 222 Runners Marathon of Reston 110 163 Potomac River Run- November 101 210 George Washingtons Birthday 70 198 Lower Potomac River 42 173 Abebe Bikila International Peace 40 86 B&A Trail 24 181 Grant-Pierce Indoor 12 51

MORE THAN 50 LOCAL FINISHERS

2-49 LOCAL FINISHERS

ONE LOCAL FINISHER

Richmond 828 Walt Disney World 540 Philadelphia 538 New York City 515 Boston 468 Chicago 378 Shamrock 302 Pittsburgh 142 Steamtown (Pa.) 96 Wineglass (N.Y.) 92 Freedoms Run (W.V./Md.) 77 Lehigh Valley (Pa.) 74 Gettysburg 72 OBX 70 Twin Cities 70 Air Force (Ohio) 69 Flying Pig (Ohio) 65 Charlottesville 64 Country Music (Tenn.) 63 Miami 60 San Francisco 53 Grandmas (Minn.) 51

BY CHARLIE BAN

Marine Corps 6,638 23,513 Marine Corps 6,638 23,513 Rock n Roll USA 1,627 3,552 Rock n Roll USA 1,627 3,552 Baltimore 524 3,093 Baltimore 524 3,093 Potomac River Run- May 138 312 Potomac River Run- May 138 312 North Face Endurance Challenge 110 222 North Face Endurance Challenge 110 222 Runners Marathon of Reston 110 163 Runners Marathon of Reston 110 163 Potomac River Run- November 101 210 Potomac River Run- November 101 210 George Washingtons Birthday 70 198 George Washingtons Birthday 70 198 Lower Potomac River 42 173 Lower Potomac River 42 173 Abebe Bikila International Peace 40 86 Abebe Bikila International Peace 40 86 B&A Trail 24 181 B&A Trail 24 181 Grant-Pierce Indoor 12 51 Grant-Pierce Indoor 12 51

MORE THAN 50 LOCAL FINISHERS

2-49 LOCAL FINISHERS

ONE LOCAL FINISHER

Richmond 828 Richmond 828 Walt Disney World 540 Walt Disney World 540 Philadelphia 538 Philadelphia 538 New York City 515 New York City 515 Boston 468 Boston 468 Chicago 378 Chicago 378 Shamrock 302 Shamrock 302 Pittsburgh 142 Pittsburgh 142 Steamtown (Pa.) 96 Steamtown (Pa.) 96 Wineglass (N.Y.) 92 Wineglass (N.Y.) 92 Freedoms Run (W.V./Md.) 77 Freedoms Run (W.V./Md.) 77 Lehigh Valley (Pa.) 74 Lehigh Valley (Pa.) 74 Gettysburg 72 Gettysburg 72 OBX 70 OBX 70 Twin Cities 70 Twin Cities 70 Air Force (Ohio) 69 Air Force (Ohio) 69 Flying Pig (Ohio) 65 Flying Pig (Ohio) 65 Charlottesville 64 Charlottesville 64 Country Music (Tenn.) 63 Country Music (Tenn.) 63 Miami 60 Miami 60 San Francisco 53 San Francisco 53 Grandmas (Minn.) 51 Grandmas (Minn.) 51

BY CHARLIE BAN


by ChaRlie baN

alaNa MilleR and ashley VaUghaN finish the Napa Valley Marathon.

Photo by MaRathoNFoto


Late into the Napa Valley Marathon, Alana Miller was hurting. She typically starts out strong, but fades after 15 miles. Beside her, Ashley Vaughan delivered a steady stream of consciousness that kept her friend focused on the miles ahead.

She came up with these ridiculous stories to tell me, Miller said, as if I dont know everything about every moment of her life already.

Those coworkers, friends and now marathon partners got to that finish line.

I heard someone say that distance running is a truth serum, I think thats right, Vaughan, of Falls Church, said. Over the course of dozens of miles together, you share things you didnt think youd share with anyone.

Putting themselves through a marathon together has worked for more than a handful of runners and added a layer to their friendships and relationships.

It has for Carl and Edie Belso. The Centreville residents have paired up to run 26 marathons together, side by side. Usually Edie learns more about Carl, more than she probably wants to know.

I just babble a lot, he said. I have a little more lung capacity, so I go until she tells me to stop.

He doesnt know when to shut up! Edie said with a chuckle.

I just usually talk about work Im an IT geek so the conversation is less than entertaining, he added.

That hasnt stopped them, as they work their way through all 50 states. Theyll run at least one in each state together, though sometimes, usually at Marine Corps, Carl lets loose and runs ahead. Its a commitment, one that may involve holding back for a partner having a bad race or throwing every conversation topic in the book out there to maintain contact with reality as the race takes its toll.

Theyre much more enjoyable when we run them together, at least for me, Carl said. Edie agreed, though she admitted it wasnt always fun and smiles.

We barely talked during Rhode Island, Edie said about the couples October 2013 race at the Newport Marathon. That distinction is important, because Newport was their fourth marathon in nine days, following the New Hampshire, Maine and Hartford. It was a long nine days, and we were so happy to be done. You know that feeling you get when you just want to cry at the end of your first marathon? Thats how we felt finishing number four.

It was absolute sheer misery and pain, Carl said.

Its safe to assume theyre Marathon Maniacs, a fraternity of runners who hit multiple marathons in short stretches of time.

Years ago they were out of shape, and Edie started running more seriously until Carl

realized, while cheering at one of her races, that he could run, too. It took some work for him to get up to speed.

I used to end every marathon puking and needing an IV, he said.

Edie would comfort him. Id sit there and hold his hand, she said, while drinking a beer.

But its not all about the race, just like how a race doesnt overshadow the work it took to get there.

Its just great, Edie Belso said. We travel together, spend time with each other. Its going on an adventure with somebody. Sometimes we discuss problems and stuff, but when youre running, its hard to stay mad and those issues dont seem so bad.

Carl summed it up, the running sucks more than the problems do.

Milestones all AroundLast fall, Dan and Mike McDonnell ran the

Jackson Hole Marathon with their mother, Pat. Dan, of Oak Hill, had run his first marathon

at his moms suggestion Steamtown back in 1997. In 2013, Reston-resident Pat was closing in on her 50th state in Wyoming and Dan decided to run it with her. Younger brother Mike, who lives in D.C., came along to do his first marathon.

We had a blast, Dan said. Mom and I knew it wasnt going to be like any marathon we had done before.

Mom loved it.They were doing cartwheels along the

course, and just having a great time, she said. It was at elevation and we didnt have time to acclimate, so we just ran together and enjoyed it. They were pricing farms and discussing what theyd trade to get cattle. They just kept encouraging me; they kept me entertained. We didnt have any bears or moose chasing us, but you wouldnt know it from listening to them.

Dan: Spectators were handing out beer, so we were drinking beer along the way. We were taking it all in for mom.

The running bug is hereditary. The trio packed up with Dans 12-year-old son, Gavin, to run the Rock n Roll USA Half Marathon in March 2014. Now, Pat is eyeing the 2015 Marine Corps Marathon.

Running has been such a big part of my life, Pat said. It was special to have them with me when I finished number 50, just like it was special to be there for Gavins first big race.

Last Chance to Bail OutMarathons have also been testing

grounds for developing relationships.Matt McCoy started dating a runner,

Maura, and slowly her pastime drew him in as their relationship developed. He found himself


running halves and aspiring to the marathon. A month before their wedding, they

ran the Triple Lakes Trail Marathon in North Carolina, a bold move, considering their lack of trail running experience. Though the humid conditions made them focus more on finishing than running fast, they managed to endure and come out the other side ready to tackle marriage, though his finish was not a prerequisite.

I never doubted that wed be able to get through it, Maura said. I just didnt know how long it would take. It was muggier than we expected in October.

The couple is in grad school and, with limited time off, they aimed to find a race within driving distance from their home in D.C.

There were different parts when one of us was doing better than the other, so we just had to lend that support and now our turn would come when we needed help, Matt said.

They werent as chatty as the Belsos. Matts ipod died in the middle of the race in the middle of a Car Talk podcast, but he found himself enjoying the sounds of his fiancees footsteps.

She stuck to her own ipod.

A Little Help?Lark Dunham, formerly of Bethesda and

now of Boulder, ran the St. George Marathon in Utah in hopes of pacing her friend, Anny Rosenthal, then and now a Bethesdan, to a sub-4.

Their strategy was non-negotiable avoid going out too hard at the beginning of a drastically downhill race and keep pushing when the courses punishment caught up to Anny.

Shes gone out too fast in the beginning, so my main goal was to keep her in check, Dunham said.

Dunham kept a steady stream of encouraging words flowing throughout the race, peppered with reminders of how they would attack the course.

After a while, we talked to cut through the delirium, Dunham said. As we got to

the end, I started to make a fool of myself, jumping around and yelling you can do this.

Though Rosenthal fell short of her goal, she set a seven-minute PR.

Im proud of her, Dunham said. Toward the latter parts of the race, the course flattens out and your quads are beaten up from going downhill, but she never gave up. She pushed the whole way.

Chatty PalsSince early on in their tenures at the

Government Accountability Office, Vaughan and Miller were lunchtime running partners.

When Vaughan was in a boot, recovering from a stress fracture in her ankle, she felt the itch to run a marathon. She found her mark, or, rather, partner, in Miller.

She was limping around in a boot, I couldnt say no, Miller said. A marathon was the last thing I wanted to do I like my knees.

But they found that though running was tough on the body, it was good for the soul, Miller added.

They first traveled to the Memphis Marathon in 2011, but Vaughan moved ahead in the second half of the race when Millers friends showed up. They tried another trip to Napa in 2013 and planned to stay together the whole time.

We spent the first seven miles talking about what were grateful for, Miller said. That got us started on a good note.

Vaughan said that discussion was representative of the insight the pair gets from each other on their runs.

We come from very different religious backgrounds, but over the course of our runs we found a lot of common ground in our spirituality, she said.

A Last Bit of NormalcyCaroline Krewson was listening to a

walkman radio while she and her partner, Amy Dunning, ran the Chicago Marathon. It was Oct. 7, 2001, three weeks after 9/11. The news of Operation Enduring Freedom

All I want to know will you come with me?

It sounds simple run 26 miles together but its not. Some of our runners share their secrets to success running as a team:

Have shared expectations for race day. - Ashley Vaughan. Know if you are both in it for the long haul, when the wall has been hit, the pace slows and discomfort creeps in.

Know when to stop talking. Carl Belso

If youre helping someone to a goal, know where theyve had trouble before and help prepare them. Was it hydration, motivation, going out too fast? Lark Dunham. If youre helping a less-experienced runner, bring some expertise, and clarity of thought, to the race for feedback and reinforcement.


CaRl and EdiE BElso running the Hartford Marathon.

Photo By CaPstoNE PhotogRaPhy

in Afghanistan came over the radio into Krewsons ears. Dunning heard people ahead of her talking about it.

There were people waving American flags the entire 26.2 mile course and I felt like I was running in a parade, Krewson said. It was overwhelming patriotism.

As they closed in on the last miles, they knew their lives would be changing. Both were reservists, Krewson with the Marine Corps, Dunning with the Air Force, and they would be deployed soon. Before they crossed an ocean, they had to finish their trip through Chicago. It was Krewsons first marathon, and Dunning had been her running guru, thanks to her six marathons of experience.

Krewson started off biking along while Dunning ran, then started running, working her way up the distances until Chicago.

Dunning held back in the race for Krewson, but with less than a quarter-mile to go, she took off sprinting.

Even though I had never run more than 17 miles before Chicago, I felt like the crowd kept propelling me forward. I never stopped running the entire marathon except for one brief restroom visit, she said. We ran the whole marathon together except for the final tenth of a mile It is the only marathon we have run where I finished first. Amy helped me the whole way. She taught me so much for my first marathon that when it came time for the race, it went very smoothly.

The couple now lives in Alexandria, and trains together.

Its quality time, Dunning said. We both have busy professional lives, so being able to spend time together outdoors, which we love, is important.

They do take some time apart for themselves.

We start off running races together, and then I go ahead, Dunning said. It works well that way.

Like at last years Munich Marthon. Dunning ran ahead after 10 miles, but when Krewson crossed the finish line, her partner was there waiting with a cold bottle of chocolate milk.

After all, you dont have to run the whole race together.

CM

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

LV_14_RunWashington_fullpg_July.pdf 1 6/19/14 12:13 PM


PHOTOS BY BEN RICHTER

BY JAMIE COREY


received in the past 30 years.Nine out of the past 10 winters have

seen less than 13.6 inches of snow, besides the record 56.1-inch year (in 2009), Liggitt said. [We] had about seven bouts of snow. They have been more persistent, along with much colder air.

With record snow and ice covering the running trails, several races were postponed or cancelled, including George Washingtons Birthday Marathon, which was scheduled for Feb. 16.

We were watching the weather daily once Marathon Sunday crept into the ten-day forecast, race director Ben Richter said. We knew well in advance that wed have to make a go/no-go decision. Things were looking pretty bleak late Thursday afternoon, which was pretty much the last chance to notify our suppliers of a cancellation without paying penalties.

Richter was beginning to receive emails from worried out-of-town runners who had to commit to travel plans and reservations.

With snow on the ground and several nights of hard freezes forecast, the responsible course of action was clearly to cancel the race, he said.

And Richter said runners were unanimously supportive of the decision.

We had to go up to Greenbelt on Sunday anyway to retrieve signs from the residential areas through which the course runs, Richter said. This gave us an opportunity to take pictures of actual course conditions. We posted them on Facebook for all to see.

With snow on the trails, ice on the sidewalks and paths and low windchills, many runners resorted to the treadmill for long runs.

Cold is pretty easy to deal with but once it got icy and snowy, thats when I had to get my run done indoors, said Dawn Hong, who was training for the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Despite multiple attempts to try to push her long run off during one harsh winter week, Hong had to complete 15 miles on the treadmill.

It was very painful, Hong said. But it helped I had an iPad and was able to watch two movies. When I was done with that I watched a few TV episodes. But it was a really long time to be running on a treadmill. When I finally stopped, I was staggering. I could barely walk.

Keith Freeburn of Centreville said he, too, relied quite a bit on the treadmill this winter.

In the summertime and spring, I very rarely ever use it, Freeburn said. If I ever did a run on a treadmill, it would only be about five to seven miles. I cant even count how many 10-mile runs I did on the treadmill just

Though its hard to believe in the dead of summer with scorching temperatures and an irritable amount of humidity anyone could have complained about temperatures cooler than these.

It happened just a few months ago.The polar vortex and a spate of snowfalls

cancelled races, put the fear of wind in many runners and forced many marriages of convenience to treadmills all over.

But despite the harsh winter, Washington-area marathoners were resilient. Thousands still lined up for their spring races, like the Rock n Roll USA Marathon or the Shamrock Marathon, fully prepared long runs accounted for and muscles prepped.

I didnt skip anything, said Centrevilles Gina Hamilton who trained for her first marathon Shamrock in Virginia Beach. I was absolutely driven to get it done.

She didnt plan on training through the winter until her daughters gymnastics schedule forced her to defer her original plans to run Richmond. But when she made her contingency plans, she actually thought a spring marathon would have its benefits.

I thoughtthe weather will be cooler, Hamilton said. But oh my gosh, I had no idea what I was in for. I knew it could be cold here, but this was insane. I found myself coming home from work in the afternoon and driving by all my running routes. Id think, Is there still snow there? Is there still ice there? Is that going to be gone by the morning? Is it going to rain? Is it going to snow? I turned into a psycho person.

Despite suffering with Raynauds disease, with symptoms including numb limbs in the cold, Hamilton powered through her entire training plan brutal windchill and frozen temperatures and all.

The shorter runs, you sort of suck it up and deal with it, Hamilton said. But there were a couple of times there was snow or ice that I just stood at the door kind of crying, I cant believe I have to go out there again.

Even up until marathon day, the temperatures didnt let off for Hamilton.

The weather was calling for high winds and rain, Hamilton said. I thought, come the heck on!

Come the heck on seemed to be the consensus throughout the greater Washington-area running community this winter. And for good reason.

According to ABC7s meteorologist (and avid runner) Alex Liggitt, D.C. received 32 inches of snow between January and April the fourth highest snowfall the District has


to keep my mileage up this winter. It really takes it out of you. But it was the only way of getting mileage in. I had one 77-mile week and 60 of the miles were done on a treadmill.

The record snowfalls not only made for a logistical nightmare in terms of where to run, but also when to run.

Freeburn said his two kids had more than two weeks off due to snow days. He and his wife, also a runner, had to plan accordingly.

Along with the treadmill, many runners found another way to get their mileage: running groups. Hong said training with the Capital Area Runners helped motivate her to get her long runs done.

I knew that if I wasnt there by 8 a.m., the group was going to leave anyway and Id have to do a long run all by myself, she said. Id much rather have people to run with. So that was my motivation to get myself out of bed and get out there.

Alexandra Goldstraw of Falls Church also looked to running groups this winter to get her out the door.

I really got through the winter because I had training buddies, said Goldstraw, who trained for the Rock n Roll USA Marathon with a local chapter of Moms RUN this Town, said. I had people to do long runs with me, and people as stupid as me to run in those temperatures.

The winter not only marked Goldstraws first time training for a marathon, but also marked her first time training for anything.

I never stepped outside the door to run in my life ever, Goldstraw said.

The winter didnt help her get off to a great start with the sport: a heel injury (from walking in the wrong snow boots), an ankle injury (from slipping on ice during a run) and an asthma attack (thanks to the cold).

Despite her training roller coaster, she never lost sight of her marathon goal and kept pushing through a frigid winter.

My husband told me Im completely mad, but Im determined, she said. When I decide to do something, I do it. But I did fight. I remember running 17 miles outside on a day with sleet and freezing rain. I just did it. It was pure determination.

And theres always a silver liningeven in the worst of situations.

It was actually the freezing cold weather that made me realize how important and essential yoga is, Goldstraw said. I picked up yoga in January because I was concerned about the impact of cold weather on my muscles. I dont think I could [go without it] now. Its part of my routine.


by JacqUeliNe Klimas


Some Boston Marathon hopefuls had to deal with heartbreak long before they reached the eponymous hill in Newton.

While Boston always carries a special significance, runners this year were even more determined to prove the running communitys resilience after two bombs went off at the finish line in 2013. Some, however, were sidelined by injury after months of training and anticipation for what they expected to be one of the most emotional and memorable marathons of their lifetime.

It wasnt until I signed up and was registered that I started to really feel the impact of how special an opportunity it would be to run this year with everything that has happened and just how emotional and special itd be this year, said Phoebe Markle, an Alexandrian who was set for her first Boston. To be a part of that, I dont take that for granted.

She made it through 13 weeks of training when she ran a 22-mile long run a little too fast and felt some pain in her calf. She tried to push through, not wanting to miss out on training so close to the race. But eventually, she had to confront the reality that she may not be able to run. She went to the doctor and the problem was diagnosed as a strained calf.

Whether she would run was up in the air until just a few days before the race, when her physical therapist told her not to run, worried it could be a stress fracture. Discouraged, she felt like all the hours and miles logged were for nothing.

That was my priority, training through the winter. I got in every workout through the polar vortex, in the ice, wind, snow, she said.

She has already qualified for the 2015 Boston Marathon and said she will try again then and train smarter.

With plans to drive to Massachusetts with her boyfriend and stay with friends, Markle was, financially, just out her entry fee. Others werent so lucky and had far less flexible travel plans. When Emory Ford of Kensington got hurt about a month before the marathon, he forfeited his entry fee and the cost of his travel plans and hotel for the weekend.

It was an expensive choice to not run and to cancel my plans, he said.

Ford was skiing with his son in West Virginia when he landed wrong and injured his back.

Something I probably shouldnt have done a ski jump, he said. I landed on my back. Ive been having issues with my sciatic nerve, its hard to stand up and sit down and it causes my calf muscles to tense on the left side.

He wasnt able to run at all with the injury and realized he would not be able to do the marathon, though he said hell likely try to run it next year.

Its too bad I couldnt go this year, though, because Im sure its going to be extra special, he said.

For Mike Gorfinkle, running Boston this year was about finishing what he started in 2013. He ran for a charity in honor of his cousin who died of cancer and was about half a mile from the finish line when the the bombs

Phoebe MaRkle ended up sidelined weeks before the Boston Marathon.

RUNWASHINGTON PhoTo bY SaRa alePIN


went off. Now an Ellicott City resident, he grew up in Boston watching the race, and was one of 5,000 runners who couldnt finish last year and was invited back in 2014, but ran into trouble when he strained his Achilles tendon playing with his daughter after a long run.

Any other race, I would just wait for the next one and get better, he said. But for this race, Im not by any means a professional athlete, but its like playing in a big game.

His doctor told him that under any other circumstances, he would advise Gorfinkle not to run, but that he understood this was a once-in-a-lifetime race. Determined to run the race, Gorfinkle abandoned his sub-four hour goal and planned on taking walking breaks every two miles.

I figured Ill run as far as I can until I cant anymore, and then Ill drop off at a medical tent, he said before the marathon. Normally when I run races, theres some competition to it, but for this race, its more about being there for the day and celebrating and remembering what happened last year.

Gorfinkle finished the marathon in 5:46. He said it was very difficult to run through his injury and even had to stop at a medical tent along the course to ice his Achilles tendon for about 20 minutes.

But I made it, he said.Arlingtons Daryle Lademan also managed

to cross the finish line in Boston, despite battling injuries for almost three months. In February, she was out of training for about three weeks with shingles, then just a few weeks later, starting having pain in her IT band. Though her coach didnt approve, she made a last-minute decision to run, because it was Boston.

While she initially just flew in to pick up her number and maybe run the B.A.A. 5k two days before, she ended up on the bus to the starting line in Hopkinton the morning of the marathon.

I had a $20 bill in my sports bra. I figured, worst case, I pop out at the halfway point and take the T back to Boston, she said. I got to the halfway point and (her IT band) was doing alright; it probably was adrenaline. I just sucked it up and went all the way to Boston.

In addition to wanting to participate in this years marathon to take back the finish line, Lademan had the added motivation of having to pull out of last years marathon two weeks before the race with another injury.

I thought No, damnit, Im not sitting this one out, she said. I was bound and determined to pull out all the stops to make it happen it year.

She went out without a time goal and ended up finishing in 3:42 not a personal best time by any means, though it was definitely a personal best race experience.

It was absolutely the hardest race, but also the most life-affirming race Ive ever run, she said. The thought that I might have not run it, or might not have given it a try because I wasnt well trained, or I wasnt going to PR, my heart just breaks thinking about that because I wouldve missed out on the best running experience of my life.

An Achilles tendon injury put Mike GoRfiNGles Boston plans in doubt, but he forced his way through it.

RUNWASHINGTON PHoTo BY BeCCA SCHWARTZ

The All RunWashington new balance 5000 XC Spike THIS CUSTOM SPIKE IS THE ONLY SPIKE OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD, LIKELY THE UNIVERSE. BUILT EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE

MEMBERS OF THE ALL RUNWASHINGTON XC TEAM, THE AREAS TOP HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETES, THE WAY TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS SPIKE IS TO EARN A SPOT ON THE SQUAD. THIS TEAM, SELECTED BY A PANEL OF TOP AREA

COACHES, WILL BE ANNOUNCED AUGUST 17 AT A SPECIAL REVEALING EVENT AND IN THE NEXT EDITION OF RUNWASHINGTON. WANT TO CATCH A GLIMPSE BEFORE THEN? CHECK THEM OUT AT PACERS RUNNING STORES STARTING JULY 15.

Compete at the inaugural DCXC Invite. Learn more at DCXCProject.org

The All RunWashington The All RunWashington new balance 5000 XC

@DCXCProject

On September 27, thousands of superheroes will compete in the heart of Washington DC in a mythical place transformed as the streets of a comic book city a city torn by urban decay and terrorized by villains seeking to destroy the sport of cross country. These thousands of athletes will compete in a cross country invitational unlike any ever produced, nevertheless in our nations capital. News is already spreading of this epic battle and is attracting teams and superhero athletes across the Mid-Atlantic.

DCXCINVITE

PAC-RW Ad_DCXC.indd 1 6/24/14 6:00 PM

The All RunWashington new balance 5000 XC Spike THIS CUSTOM SPIKE IS THE ONLY SPIKE OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD, LIKELY THE UNIVERSE. BUILT EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE

MEMBERS OF THE ALL RUNWASHINGTON XC TEAM, THE AREAS TOP HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETES, THE WAY TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS SPIKE IS TO EARN A SPOT ON THE SQUAD. THIS TEAM, SELECTED BY A PANEL OF TOP AREA

COACHES, WILL BE ANNOUNCED AUGUST 17 AT A SPECIAL REVEALING EVENT AND IN THE NEXT EDITION OF RUNWASHINGTON. WANT TO CATCH A GLIMPSE BEFORE THEN? CHECK THEM OUT AT PACERS RUNNING STORES STARTING JULY 15.

Compete at the inaugural DCXC Invite. Learn more at DCXCProject.org

new balance 5000 XCnew balance 5000 XCnew balance 5000 XC Spike

@DCXCProject

On September 27, thousands of superheroes will compete in the heart of Washington DC in a mythical place transformed as the streets of a comic book city a city torn by urban decay and terrorized by villains seeking to destroy the sport of cross country. These thousands of athletes will compete in a cross country invitational unlike any ever produced, nevertheless in our nations capital. News is already spreading of this epic battle and is attracting teams and superhero athletes across the Mid-Atlantic.

DCXCINVITE

PAC-RW Ad_DCXC.indd 1 6/24/14 6:00 PM


FRIDAY, JULY 11MIDSUMMER NIGHTS MILERockville, Md.

SATURDAY, JULY 12LATINAS LEADING TOMORROW 5KArlington, Va.PET WALK JOG RUNCentreville,Va.

SUNDAY, JULY 13POTOMAC RIVER RUNNING BIRTHDAY BASH 5KFairfax,Va.PRINCE GEORGES INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALLargo, Md.

MONDAY, JULY 14BASTILLE DAY FOUR MILERWashington, D.C.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16BLUEMONT 5KArlington, Va.TIDAL BASIN 1500/3K/5KWashington, D.C.

SATURDAY, JULY 19ROCKVILLE ROTARY TWILIGHT RUNFEST 8KRockville,Md.

SUNDAY, JULY 20SWEATFEST MELT UNDER THE SUN 5 MILE Lorton,Va.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23D.C. ROAD RUNNERS TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPArlington, Va.

SATURDAY, JULY 26CRYSTAL CITY TWILIGHTER 5KArlington, Va.MONROE FAMILY 5KTriangle,Va.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 02CRIME SOLVERS 5KFairfax,Va.FRIENDS OF THE W&OD 10KVienna,Va.


SUNDAY, AUGUST 03RILEYS RUMBLE HALF MARATHONGermantown,Md.SUMMER STRIDES 5KArlington, Va.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 05STEVE THOMPSON 8KSpringfield, Va.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 06LOST DOG 5K SERIESArlington, Va.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 09GOING GREEN TRACK MEET Bethesda,Md.D.C. ROAD RUNNERS CROSS COUNTRYBethesda,Md.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16COMUS RUN CROSS COUNTRYComus,Md.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17MARYLAND TRAIL RUNNING FESTIVALGermantown,Md.LEESBURG 20K AND 5KLeesburg,Va.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19PAUL THURSTON 4.5 MILERFairfax Station, Va.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20TIDAL BASIN 1500/3K/5KWashington, D.C.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23EASTERN COUNTY 8K Silver Spring,Md.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24RUN! GEEK! RUN! 5KFairfax,Va.SOUTH LAKES 10KReston,Va.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28ROOSEVELT RUN 5KArlington, Va.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30KENTLANDS/LAKELANDS 5KRockville,Md.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31THE FALLS 5K McLean,Va.LARRY NOEL 15KGreenbelt, Md.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 06ARLINGTON 9/11 5KArlington, Va.COPS AND ROBBERS RUNWashington, D.C.BEAT THE DEADLINE 5KWashington, D.C.RECTIFY: THE RACE 5KCollege Park, Md.EX2 OFF-ROAD HALF MARATHON/10KTriangle,Va.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 07FINISH 2B FIT 20K OR 10KTriangle,Va.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13BULLDOG-EAGLE CROSS COUNTRY 5K Washington, D.C.GLOWRUNWashington, D.C.RACE FOR EVERY CHILDWashington, D.C.2014 NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION 5KVienna,Va.ABEBE BIKILA DAY INTERNATIONAL PEACE MARATHON / HALFWashington, D.C.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14NAVY-AIR FORCE HALF MARATHON/ 5 MILERWashington, D.C.PARKS HALF MARATHONRockville,Md.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TIDAL BASIN 1500/3K/5KWashington, D.C.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20LAKE NEEDWOOD CROSS COUNTRYDerwood, Md.FORT MEADE RUN SERIES- FOOTBALL FANFARE 5K/10KFort Meade,Md.ROCKS 5KFairfax Station, Va.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21HYDROCEPHALUS 5KWashington, D.C.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25FAIRLAND FALL 5K/10K/10 MILE TRAIL RACEBurtonsville,Md.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27OKTOBERFEST 5KPotomac,Md.CLARENDON DAY 5K/10KArlington, Va.FALL IN LOVE 5KWashington, D.C.

POTOMAC POINT WINERY 5K/10KTriangle,Va.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28CABIN JOHN KIDS RUNSPotomac,Md.MANY HOPES BREAKING GROUND 5KArlington, Va.NATIONAL CAPITAL 20 MILER/5 MILERCarderock, Md.ELLENS RUN 5KChevy Chase, Md.TEDDY BEAR 5KFalls Church, Va

Join Pacers and the Crystal City BID for the areas favorite summer twilight race! The Twilighters flat and fast course, competitive team prize structure and incredible post race party make it the hottest 5K in town!

REGISTER TODAY AT RUNPACERS.COM

July 26, 2014 CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIACRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA

PAC-163 RW Ad_Crystal City Twilighter.indd 1 6/18/14 10:30 AM


For most people, running remains a hobby at the end of the practice, the end of the race, the end of the day.

Not for David Finland.Running was a key thing for me, he

said. I didnt have anything to do. [Life] was kind of boring.

Hes now completed five marathons, including the ING New York City Marathon and the vaunted Marine Corps Marathon.

Finland, of McLean, was four or five when his autism was diagnosed. The familys doctor prescribed medications, but the drugs caused bouts of Tourette syndrome.

They seemed to undermine his natural body rhythms, said Glen Finland, Davids mother.

The family had also begun reading about research that detailed the positive effects of exercise for autistic children. Glen enrolled her son in soccer because his two older brothers played. The game didnt stick.

But boy could he run, Glen said. A beautiful runner. It surprised us all. We decided to drop the meds he was on.

They called the new regimen David Unplugged.

At McLean High School, Finland served as a

By DUstiN ReNwick

DaviD FiNlaND, near the Tidal Basin.

RUNWASHINGToN photo By saRa alepiN


water boy for the football team. The track coach noticed Finland sprinting on and off the field.

The speed he had, Glen said, it was a natural grace.

The best medicineAt its core, autism is a disease of brain

development that also affects motor skills.The American Psychiatric Association

released a new edition of its diagnostic manual in 2013 and officially changed the definition and criteria for the condition. Autism disorder spectrum, now referenced as autism spectrum disorder, better encompasses the range of symptoms and severity individuals express.

Autism is not static, Glen said. It changes all the time. Theres always some new battle to fight.

Running allowed Finland to become part of the mainstream society at the high school, an immense step for anyone who seeks a niche within the social groups of that formative time period.

He competed for the varsity cross country team and ran several distance events for the track team.

It was huge, Glen said. This was his first taste of being a regular guy and all the personal freedom that went along with running.

Running didnt cure everything, though.Kids still noticed some of his muscle ticks.

Teammates started calling him Crazy Dave.That made me sick at heart, Glen said.

He said the nickname made him cool.Despite any negative encounters related

to the sport, Finland continued to run. He moved on to marathons in the years after his high school running debut. His first event was Marine Corps.

I was really nervous and really not sure if I actually wanted to be there that day, he said. It was overwhelming. Mile number eight I started to feel more comfortable, and toward the end I realized, Hey, I really like doing this.

When he trained for marathons, Finland ran eight to 10 miles in the evenings.

My favorite run is along the Potomac River and running along the National Mall, he said.

Hes planning on running New York this fall, but also wants to continue racing 5ks and 10ks, with a potential half marathon in the mix. Hes cut his training to five- and six-mile runs, plus stair workouts.

This type of routine seems commonplace for most active runners in the area, but the sport has created exceptional benefits for Finland. Running is the medication that keeps him at his best.

My whole mind is clear, he said. It feels like a brand new start for me. After Im done, Im not thinking at all. My head is empty.

That vacancy disappears on days when he cant work out.

It doesnt feel good at all, he said. Im a little bit angry. Im a little bit confused. Im a little stressed. Theres too much going on in my mind. I cant concentrate.

And if running were taken from him completely, that would ruin my life right

there. I wouldnt be the same again.The need to runPhysical activity for anyone with a

disability can become a challenge, one that negatively affects overall well-being.

A February 2014 study published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal looked at weight issues and learning disabilities. The study evaluated data from 9,600 people ages 12 to 17, with and without disabilities, from 2008 to 2010. Researchers found that nearly one-third of adolescents with autism qualified as obese.

And the problem could escalate.Researchers have not yet been able

to explain the rising numbers of autism diagnoses in this country. For instance, the current estimate of autisms prevalence in the U.S. population is based on 2010 census data for 8-year-old children. Those children are identified under the pre-2013 definition of the disease, when a diagnosis referred to separate conditions such as Asperger syndrome. Although improved detection could contribute to the recent surge, that explanation does not rule out an actual increase in cases.

Academic research has shown that kids with ASD typically have fewer options for recreational physical activity, but the


disease doesnt preclude children from exercise. Underdeveloped social skills can limit participation more than physical impairments. For example, schools often host team-based athletics that rely on social cues and constructs.

Thats the beauty of running, Susan Pereles said. You can do it as a solo activity. You can do it as a group. Pereles is the field development director in the National Capital Area office for Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization that funds research and awareness activities.

Researchers have also identified positive attributes of an activity like running, including the fact that the rhythms match repetitive motions sometimes associated with autistic individuals and that the sport remains available to people throughout their lifetimes.

Even if an autistic person doesnt always run with a group, he or she can take part in warm-ups, cool-downs and stretching.

Running with a lot of people doing the same thing Im doing is kind of a thrill for me, Finland said.

Hes tried a few running groups, but he still prefers to train alone.

I find it easier to run when youre alone, he said. Youre not distracted by whos

running with you.Still, he hasnt abandoned the prospect of

having someone to match him stride for stride.Hopefully one day Ill have a running

partner, he said.Until then, what Finland has acquired

through running is a concrete sense of self-sufficiency. Youre the only person you are in charge of. You dont have anybody to tell you what to do or where to go. Youre running at your own convenience.

That autonomy was something his mother both wanted and feared.

Its helped me learn to let him go, Glen said, to trust him more on his own.

She wrote about that process including her sons first solo Metro rides and his pursuit of a drivers license in a memoir called Next Stop.

On one hand, she said, Im pushing him to do it. On the other hand, Im crouching behind saying careful, careful. Parents of special needs kids find it a little more difficult because the stressors, the challenges are different.

Many people contend that the car represents the quintessential American freedoms of movement and expansion. Runners might match their sport with the car. Finland accomplishes a bit of both.

His license plate reads MST FNSH.

VALIDATED GARAGE PARKING NOW AT PACERS CLARENDON!**With purchase; see website for details.

RUN WITH US.

SHOP WITH US.TRAIN WITH US.

runpacers.comrunpacers.com

ALEXANDRIA1301 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314703.836.1463

ARLINGTON3100 Clarendon Boulevard Arlington, VA 22201703.248.6883

FAIRFAX10427 North Street Fairfax, VA 22030703.537.0630

LOGAN CIRCLE1427 P Street NW Washington, DC 20005202.506.2029

PENTAGON ROW1101 South Joyce Street #B12 Arlington, VA 22202703.415.0277

PAC Pacers Store House Ad_Full Page_No_SS.indd 1 12/16/13 11:30 AM

www.hebrew-home.org/homerun for more information and registration

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Benefiting

LANDOW HOUSE REVITZ HOUSE RING HOUSE

HEBREW HOME OF GREATER WASHINGTON COHEN-ROSEN HOUSE HIRSH HEALTH CENTER

LANDOW HOUSE REVITZ HOUSE RING HOUSE

HEBREW HOME OF GREATER WASHINGTON COHEN-ROSEN HOUSE HIRSH HEALTH CENTER

10K, 5K, and Fun Run

Join the Fleet Feet

training program: information at

fleetfeetgaithersburg.com


Boston, New York, Marine Corps, Chicago. Getting into one of these marathons is half the battle. Year after year, missed qualifying times and bad luck with lotteries are the source of much heartache for runners. To some, racing on behalf of a charity offers a back door to the starting line when all else fails.

But these charity runners will tell you its not about the race bib.

Melissa Wilf, then of New York and now living in D.C., was willing to limp her way through the 2007 Rock n Roll Phoenix Marathon as a member of Team In Training (TNT), raising $6000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She was hoping to qualify for Boston and her training suggested she would be able to but a mysterious injury sent a shooting pain through her knee only two miles into the race.

I cant come home without finishing this race, she remembered thinking. She was determined to honor her friend with blood cancer and her TNT family. And even though it was a rare 30-degree day in Phoenix and the bands and crowds had left the course in the later stages of the race, Wilf finished with her teammates walking by her side.

For Adam Gutbezahl it all began with a finish. After crossing the line at the 2012 Marine Corps 10k, the D.C. resident was about to collapse. But take a look behind him in

RobeRt McMaNMoN runs the Rock n Roll USA Marathon with his wife, MaRy.

RUNWAShINGToN photo by bRUce bUckley

by Maggie lloyd


have some faith in me, he remembered thinking. That was a screw the weather type day. On days he didnt run, Norman shoveled snow. That alone raised a couple hundred dollars.

The London marathon claims to be the largest annual fundraising event in the world, with one-third of this years 36,000 participants running for a charity. Historically, about one-fifth of Boston marathon participants are charity runners.

Meaghan, who asked that her last name not be used, first noticed a lump on her throat in August 2012, which turned out to be stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma, a blood cancer that affects the lymphatic and immune systems.

She underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy, which meant biweekly IV drips to kill the cancer. She was mentally ready for the fight, but worries lingered.

I could wrap myself around the chemo, but I had a really hard time worrying that I wasnt going to recognize myself, she said, adding I was nervous because I had no idea what my new normal was going to be.

I didnt want to be Meaghan with cancer, I just wanted to be Meaghan!

By 2013, she was a quarter of the way through her chemotherapy and relied on short-term disability leave from work. Her hair began to thin, and it took longer and longer to recover after each treatment.

In April, an unexpected package arrived. A young woman named Kristina, who had heard of Meaghans battle with cancer through family friends, wrote that Meaghan was her inspiration for running the inaugural Nike Womens Half Marathon with TNT. Inside the package was a silver necklace in a Tiffanys box, which Kristina had earned as a finisher.

I wore that necklace every day, Meaghan said.

She also joined TNT and registered for Nikes 2014 half marathon.

I chose to run because someone somewhere selflessly chose to run for me. The odds of me being here wouldnt be what they were without people like Kristina whose run for complete strangers to make cures and breakthroughs.

#TeamWorkBitch was born. Meaghan and her friends Kendall Semidey, Cassie Whiteside, Martina Payne, and Jenn Young raised nearly $11,000 for LLS. They relied on emails and social media to spread their message, asked for corporate donations, held happy hours, sold team shirts and used March Madness brackets to raise money.

TNT became another family for Meaghan: They accepted me for who I was, she said.

On the Friday before the race, Meaghan spoke at the VIP fundraising dinner for TNT. She said it was one of the best nights of her life.

Though she used to have trouble talking

his race photos and you see a racer with a prosthetic leg.

He looks completely fine, Gutbezahl said. While he didnt know if his anonymous idol was a veteran, it inspired him. These people have served our country and have gone through so much and still keep pushing.

His involvement in the Wounded Warrior Project is his way of showing appreciation for service members, and in 2013 he decided to become a 50-state marathoner and raise $50,000 for the charity, which supports injured service members and their families. Its a long-term goal he plans on running two to three marathons a year but one that he said will hold himself accountable for his fundraising efforts.

Last April, he knocked one of his first states off his list with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and a new PR of 3:43:43. Severely dehydrated in the final miles, he stopped at a water station, where a volunteer took notice of his Wounded Warrior top.

He told me, Come on, Adam, youre doing this for an awesome cause. Im proud of you. Thank you for doing this. It was just the thing I needed at the moment, Gutbezahl said.

He raised $1500 for his Oklahoma race, more than his $1000 goal. The support largely came from emails and social media posts that connected him with contacts from college, law school and work.

Eyes eastward, Elliot Norman tried to stay injury-free as he prepared for the London Marathon.

The former Londoner, now living in Vienna (Virginia, not Austria) was running on behalf of the UKs World Jewish Relief, which raises funds to reduce worldwide poverty, an opportunity revealed in a chance conversation his mother had.

Although thousands of miles separated Norman from his team, he kept in touch through video conferences. He remembers the look the eight novice runners gave him when he listed his five marathon finishes since 2009. With a 3:42 marathon PR, his teammates across the pond sent him emails in the months before the race to ask him questions about training and race-day logistics, which Norman said motivated his training even on the worst days of winter. Though an injury kept him from running to his potential, he raised about $4,600, exceeding his goal by about $1,200. And it gave him a sense of unfinished business that he will take care of next year in England.

A little over half of his funds came from UK sponsors. A donation of more than $800 from a whiskey club across the globe fired Norman up enough to head out for a run in below-freezing temperatures.

I need to run because these people clearly


about her experience with cancer, she then felt entirely comfortable sharing her story with this group of strangers once TNT helped her find her voice.

Ive always wanted to talk, but I just had to wait until I was ready.

#TeamWorkBitch finished the race together.Crossing the finish line with my

teammates was the best feeling and natural high of my life. I was so proud of myself, not just for completing the race, but for what it symbolized. It was the ending I needed in this chapter of my life. She calls it her take that, cancer moment.

Doctors have confirmed that Meaghan is in remission. Body scans since last July repeatedly reassured her that things were okay.

Over 100 organizations offer a guaranteed entry into the New York marathon, about 70 for Marine Corps, 30 for Boston and 10 for Chicago. But the world of running isnt strictly divided into those who run for charity and those who dont.

Experiencing Boston as a charity runner motivated me to set a goal of qualifying in the next few years, said Alexandrian Robert McManmon, adding that hed like to fundraise again, too.

He grew up in Newton, Mass., not from the race course. Every third Monday in April, the McManmons would watch runners tackle Heartbreak Hill, and McManmon said he always wanted to run the iconic marathon. In 2012 he did just that while raising about $5,000 for the American Liver Foundations Run for Research team, which supports research efforts for the prevention, treatment, and cure of liver disease. He was part of a team of about 150 runners, mostly based in the Boston area, who collectively raised more than a million dollars.

Temperatures in Boston that day reached the 90s, which means charity runners starting at 11 a.m. battled the heat from start to finish. While McManmon said it was a very challenging course, the support from Boston crowds helped him get to the finish.

So many people were out along the course the entire 26 miles and they just wouldnt let you stop. As youd start walking they really encouraged you to get going, he said.

About half of his donations came from fundraising events. Wherever he went, McManmon asked businesses if they would support his cause. That scored him a number of prizes, including a luxury wine tasting in Virginia, to raffle off at a happy hour.

I was surprised by the generosity, he said. Friends of friends arrived at a pub crawl he hosted in Old Town, which turned out to be his most successful event. He said he wanted these get-togethers to be an opportunity to support the American Liver Foundationthe second largest charitable organization

at Bostonand to bring people together to learn more about the organization.

As part of the marathon training, one weekend, McManmon went up to Boston to join his team for its first 20-miler along the course.

It was really inspirational to go up there and listen to some people who offered some stories about dealing with and living with liver diseases, he said. I also got to meet and run on behalf of a brave child that received a liver transplant at a young age. It really made it a more meaningful experience.

For Max Lubarsky of Arlington, the courage of a young girl has inspired his training since 2011.

His sister Nicolet first ran the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon in 2010 because their grandmother was a regular supporter of the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, which funds the research and treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. When his sister posted a message about her fundraising efforts on social media, she received a message from Leticia Ramirez, whose daughter Arianna was a St. Jude patient in Memphis. The two families became quick friends, forming Team Rae of Hope in honor of Ariannas middle name, Rae.

After Ariannas brain cancer diagnosis at three, doctors told her family that the prognosis was grim. Princess Arianna, as she became known in the halls of her hospital, recovered and relapsed, but kept a positive attitude through it all.

It was really a roller-coaster, Lubarsky said. Last fall tumors appeared in her scans

again, and the disease developed too quickly for her treatments to save her. She passed away before her eighth birthday in March.

One of the things we did on her eighth birthday that I think well continue doing is doing eight random acts of kindness, Lubarsky said. Whether they left flowers for co-workers or picked up the tab for a strangers coffee, Ariannas friends and family passed on cards with her story as a way to live out her legacy of kindness.

They chronicled the project on Twitter with the handle #RaeofHope.

A few days later, a barista paid for Ariannas fathers coffee, not realizing that she was bringing the movement full circle until he explained how much it meant to him.

Last year, Team Rae of Sunshine raised close to $20,000 for the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. This year, Team Rae of Sunshine upped the ante to run the full marathon in Memphis and doubled their fundraising goals, which they hope to meet by selling team shirts, offering tickets to Nationals games, and hosting happy hours.

Really, their family has become our family, Lubarsky said.


RUNWASHINGTON PHOTO BY DUSTIN WHITLOW

BY DICKSON MERCER


Cue an early scene from Karate Kid. The kid himself walks into Cobra Kai

dojo and discovers that his nemesis is the top student. If that wasnt intimidating enough, the kid also encounters a meathead instructor, or sensei, as hes laying out some raw facts.

Pain does not exist in this dojo, the sensei yells out, does it!

No sensei!And so on.I thought that was kind of the greatest

scene when I was grow up, said Dan Yi the same Dan Yi who, at 16, snuck out of his house in Fairfax County one morning to run the Marine Corps Marathon.

Yi ran in high school and college, and said he at one point held the Virginia state marathon record for juniors. I always sort of felt like the two-mile and three-mile were not very well suited to me, he said.

As a law student, Yi worked as a summer associate in Washington, D.C. This firm had a good deal, too. If an attorney took a summer associate to lunch, the firm would pick up the tab. So Yi started doing a lot of lunchtime runs with an attorney named Alan Pemberton, and afterward they would eat a lot of free sandwiches.

After law school, Yi moved back to the D.C. area (he now works at the Department of Justice and lives in Alexandria) and resumed training runs with Pemberton. They started running in the early morning, though, to beat the heat, and because it was more convenient.

With jobs as lawyers, Pemberton, of Silver Spring, said, its so hard to keep up a regular schedule running at lunchtime, because you never know who is going to need you for a meeting or a call. But if you do it in the morning before the business day starts, its a lot easier to keep to a good schedule.

That was the only way I could run, Yi added.

Soon they were joined by other lawyers-slash-athletes interested in competitive distance running. Most live in the District.

Yi chose a club name: The Dojo of Pain. And as far as the dojo (a Japanese term for martial arts studios that literally means place of the way), the runners - mostly lawyers working in D.C. - found Hains Point. Or, as Pemberton referred to it, several miles of uninterrupted, no cross traffic, good asphalt, which was good for long tempo runs and interval workouts and marathon training.

Theres a lot pain in our dojo, Pemberton said.

Lactate StackersThey met on a Tuesday morning at the

entrance to Hains Point, by the holly tree across from the Tidal Basin.

It was little more than two weeks after the Boston Marathon, and eight dojo members who ran it were in attendance. So was D.C.s Rachel Clattenburg, two weeks after running 2:57:58, a 13-minute personal best, to win the New Jersey Marathon.


Marathon.Other members at the workout included

Ryan Johnson, coming off a 10k personal best of 34:01 at Pikes Peek. He was on the track team in college, except he was thrower.

There was Jeff Redfern, who led many of the intervals and is focused on the 5k. And there was journeyman and Aspen Hill, Md. resident Yukun Frank Fung, coming off a 3:07:08 in Boston.

For the women, Megan Haberle was 9th at last years Woodrow Wilson Half Marathon. Stephanie Selmer, Jenny Paul, Laura Jennings, and Marissa Piropato all ran Boston, led by Pauls 3:15:47 finish. Jennings ran a personal best of 3:24:40.

As for Boston, the general consensus was that the experience inspired while the race humbled. Moore, Pemberton, and Brian Savitch, a 2:41 marathoner, all had rough days.

But that was already a distant memory, it seemed. A new Pemberton training calendar had arrived. Fresh runners highs were taking hold; new goals, new dreams, were forming.

Its been so valuable to have a group of people to train with, to push me in workouts, Clattenburg said. Trying to keep up with my teammates has made me run harder than ever And Alan and Dan are great team leaders who have provided me with valuable training and racing guidance.

Then there is Chris Pruitt of Sandy Spring, Md., a standout college runner at Penn State. But he struggled a bit transitioning from shorter races to the marathon.

Upon joining the dojo, Pruitt took on a new style of marathon-specific training.

In preparation for last years Marine Corps Marathon, Pruitt did 12-mile tempo runs and workouts, like four times one and a half miles and nine times a mile at half marathon pace. Prone to injury, he capped his peak mileage at 70 to 75 miles per week with one day off, which is less volume than most marathoners his speed.

But the consistent Tuesday-Thursday workouts and quality long runs got me in good aerobic shape, he said.

His plan was to go out slowly and focus on hydration and taking his gels, which he had practiced in training.

Then came the race. Pruitt was in 15th place then 12th then 10th.

He finished 8th in 2:29:42, a new personal best.

It was incredible to watch, Yi said. You see this singlet that you designed way back in the day, and this guy is wearing it. And its kind of like the culmination of all the dreams we had for where this thing would go.

Does pain exist in this dojo?Yes, sensei.But the system - as Pruitt and others are

proving - works.

Pembertons workout - a rust-buster - was what he called lactate stackers: one minute fast, two minutes of jogging, repeat. Thursday is typically a workout day as well.

[Pemberton] - who designs the training calendar for each season - is essentially the coach of our group, said Yi, who is 34 and was the top American at the 2013 Comrades Marathon, an ultra-marathon in South Africa.

But Yi, who trained with Kenyans while on a Fulbright scholarship, has always had sort of a scientific attitude towards running, said Pemberton, who started running in his 30s and last year won his 60-64 age group at both Marine Corps and Boston.

Combine the training philosophies of Pemberton and Yi, throw in the Hansons Marathon Method used by a professional team, and you start to get a sense of what the Dojo of Pain is up to.

We have a very linear training schedule, Pemberton said. If you know what Tuesday is one week, you know what Tuesday is the next week. It is a little bit more, a little bit longer. You either are doing the same speed or we shift from interval speed to threshold speed. But that interval is going to get a little longer each week if you are doing marathon training, and you are going to be adding miles. Its predictable, but I think people like that sense of progress.

The core philosophy always remains the same, Yi added. Speed work early, strength work later.

Joining the dojo is easy. It is basically just, email me and well add you to the listserv, Yi said. You come out and you decide for yourself if it works for you.

The runners for whom it works are a mixed bag of ages and speeds and running backgrounds. What binds them is a shared appreciation for testing themselves, for seeing how fast they can run while still being good lawyers and parents.

And the dojos numbers are growing. In its early years, only a handful of people attended workouts. Members cycled in and out. Lately, though, members only seem to cycle in, and the group has developed a womens team. Yi chronicles the clubs performances on a blog, and members now sport singlets featuring the three stars and two bars of the D.C. flag. And a fist.

Rounding the tip of Hains Point, Jim Moore, a father of three and new to Washington, D.C., shared his running story:

It was six years earlier, he said. His son, Henry, then less than a year old, would only stop crying if he was pushed in a stroller, so Moore spent countless hours pushing a stroller through the neighborhood.

Then he bought a jogging str

Documents

RunWashington July/August 2014