Alphabet Soup: WRC, NJ, PR, BQ, HH

Last Sunday, WRC members Patrick O’Keefe and Rachel Morris ran their hearts out at the NJ Marathon! Both had fantastic days – Pat had a BIG PR of 3:20:08, finishing 34th in his age group, while Rachel ran a BQ of 3:34:27 in her marathon debut!!

We could not be more proud of Pat and Rachel! Congrats!!

Now that spring marathon season is over, it’s only right that we finish with yet another acronym – HH! That’s right, the next WRC happy hour is being scheduled over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for details!

 

SDR for Sunday, April 26

Hi folks!

As always, WRC will be meeting on Sunday, April 26 at 8:00 a.m. in front of the CB2 store in Georgetown. Drinks and carbs will follow after.

We’ll have runners running distances of 6-15 (ish) miles at varying paces – maybe a little less for the folks who kicked butt at Boston this past Sunday! In any case, we hope to see you out there!

WRC Runners Compete in New Jersey Marathon on 4/26!

WRC runners Pat O’Keefe and Rachel Morris are heading to the Garden State for the NJ Marathon this weekend! Like their Boston Marathon compatriots, they worked through a tough winter to come out strong for this race. Read their bios as we wish them all the best for the NJ Marathon!

PATRICK O’KEEFE

Capitol Hill Classic 2014 (1)

All smiles after the Capitol Hill Classic!

Q. Why did you decide to run the NJ Marathon?
A. I signed up for the race based on feedback from other Club members.  They indicated that is was flat and fast which are both appealing features.

Q. What are your goals for the race?
A. I’m really hoping to run a sub-3:25:00 but anything under my most recent finish time would be great.

Q. What’s one thing you learned during this training cycle that you didn’t know before?
A. This cycle made it clear that I prefer training in the summer vs the winter.  As difficult as it is to run 70 miles a week in 90 degree weather, it’s not as bad as running through a foot of snow!

Q. And now for a fun question: of the following television shows set in New Jersey, which do you relate to best and why? Choose from The Sopranos, the Real Housewives of New Jersey, or Jersey Shore?
A. The Sopranos, for sure!


 

RACHEL MORRIS

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Rachel (left) and her friend showing off their New Jersey pride!

Q. Why did you decide to run the NJ Marathon?
A. The NJ Marathon was the obvious choice for my first marathon. New Jersey is where I grew up, where my family still lives, and where I competed in cross country and track all through high school and college. The Jersey Shore–where the race will take place–is also my old stomping grounds. I spent many summer weekends long running with my friends along the boardwalk, and then enjoying the beach afterward. I am looking forward to having the support of my amazing family along the course, as well as some of my college teammates who will also be competing in the half and full marathon.

Q. What are your goals for the race?
A. My main goal is to not go out too fast, run a smart race, and finish the marathon strong and excited to do another one. Although I have a few time goals lingering in the back of my head, I am trying not to let them consume me. Because this is my first marathon and because I am currently in “law school shape” I recognize that I need to be more realistic with my goals right now.

Q. What’s one thing you learned during this training cycle that you didn’t know before?
A. How much fun it is to go out on a 18–20 mile run! I had such a great time chatting with fellow WRCers over the course of my longer runs, as well as exploring all of the beautiful places to run in DC. I am also really enjoying the excuse to be able to have a snack while you run, even if it is GU!

Q. And now for a fun question: of the following television shows set in New Jersey, which do you relate to best and why? Choose from The Sopranos, the Real Housewives of New Jersey, or Jersey Shore?
A. Bruce has actually gotten me through quite a few training runs, so picking one song is tough for me, but I will be cliché and say “Born to Run.” Bruce Springsteen grew up in the town next door to where I grew up. The morning after Thanksgiving, my high school teammates and I had a tradition of running the Born to Run 5 miler in his hometown (instead of hitting the mall down the road).

GOOD LUCK GUYS!!

Boston results Are in: WRC Women’s Masters Team places 7th; overall impressive day

The 2015 Boston Marathon may have been cold…it may have been windy…but that didn’t stop the WRC Women’s Masters team from kicking some serious butt! Julia Taylor, Lydia Pelliccia, and Shinobu Kusakabe put their heads down and fought till the finish line for an outstanding 7th place finish among the Women’s Masters Team competition. Check out their results below:

Lydia Pelliccia...........3:21:44
Julia Taylor..............3:25:58
Shinobu Kusakabe..........3:29:06
TOTAL TIME................10:16:48

The team trained through a harsh winter only to be greeted by less-than-optimal race conditions, but that didn’t stop them from performing their best. We couldn’t be more proud!

We’d also like to recognize several other WRC runners who ran unattached but with all of the passion of a true WRC-er.

John Kendra..............3:06:54
Hillary Tipton...........3:50:44
Kendall Tucker...........3:51:57

Impressive times for sure! Congrats on a great race, guys!

We’d also like to recognize our fellow DC Metro area compatriots, the Montgomery Country Road Runners, who WON the Women’s Masters competition with an impressive total time of 9:44:55. Way to represent the Nation’s capitol!

Boston Marathon Runner Spotlight: Shinobu Kusakabe

Shinobu Kusakabe is another all-star on our Master’s team for the Boston Marathon. She’s represented our club at several races and we’re just as excited to have her proudly wear our jersey once more. Good luck to you, Shinobu!!

Here’s more about Shinobu:

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Boston qualifier: heck yes!

Q. How many Boston Marathons have you run? Total number of marathons?
A. I’ve run Boston three times and full marathon nine times. I’ll be running my tenth marathon on Monday.

Q. What are your goals for the upcoming race? 
A. To keep calm and run on.

Q. Do you have any tips from your last training cycle? 
A. Avoid injury. I injured my knee at the end of last summer, missed all the races I entered in fall and winter and had to wait to resume my training. It wasn’t fun. A good side of that was I got to spectate and cheer for my friends.

Boston Marathon Runner Spotlight: Kendall Tucker

She might hail from and live in Boston, but Kendall Tucker will always be a WRCer to us! Kendall first joined WRC a few summers ago just as her running career was taking off – it was probably the humidity that hooked her. In any case, she’s a great marathoner and we’re sure that her commitment to running will carry her through that coveted finish line!

Here’s more about Kendall:

Kendall Running May 2014-2

Kendall proudly wearing her WRC jersey!

Q. How many Boston Marathons have you run? Total number of marathons?
A. This will be my second marathon but my first Boston.

Q. What are your goals for the upcoming race? 
A. My goal for the race is to hit a 3:40 (10 minutes faster than my PR), but more importantly it’s to have fun, see friends along the route and celebrate a remarkable city. I never dreamed of running even a 5k two years ago, but this city has inspired a nation. I can’t wait to be part of the celebration.
Q. What are you looking forward to the most about being in Boston?  
A. I think the best part of the race (other than the beer afterwards) is going to be seeing the Citgo sign. The Citgo sign reminds me of home.
Q. Do you have any tips from your last training cycle? 
A. (1) Running in snow is a bummer (a huge, 3 foot deep bummer), but running with friends makes it fun. My advice is to take snowy runs slowly, be careful about your safety and bring friends along for commiseration. (2) Most people say training for marathons is cold, dark and lonely and I agree, these last few months have definitely been cold and dark, but they have never been lonely. I’m grateful to everyone who supported me along the way.

SDR for April 18, 2015

Hey all!

All this Boston commotion made me forget to post about our Sunday Distance Run! We’re ON for tomorrow – same time, same place – 8:00 a.m. in front of the CB2 store on M Street in Georgetown. We’ll have a variety of distances of paces so all are welcome to join!

After the run, we’ll meet for coffee at Dean and Deluca.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and see you tomorrow morning!