SDR for May 31, 2015

Happy Saturday, friends! We’re looking forward to our Sunday Distance Run tomorrow, May 30, at 7:00 a.m. We’ll be meeting at our normal spot – in front of the CB2 store on M Street NW in Georgetown – and will have a variety of distances and paces. All are welcome!

See you out there!

WRC Happy Hour – a great time had by all!

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FRONT ROW: Lauren, Kirk, Julia, Jerry, Walter    BACK ROW: Charlie, Ben, John, Pat, Julia, Meghan

On Wednesday, May 27, WRC members gathered for a happy hour at Circa in Foggy Bottom. The weather was hot but the beers were cold – just what we needed to celebrate a great spring racing season. We were even joined by Walter, a fellow runner hailing from Florida, who is running the Marine Corps Marathon this fall!

Stay tuned for our next happy hour!

 

Julia, John, Pat, and Ben enjoy a fun evening out with a bunch of runners!

Julia, John, Pat, and Ben enjoy a fun evening out with a bunch of runners!

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John, Meghan, Charlie, and Julia know the importance of keeping hydrated!

A final group photo to end a great evening!

A final group photo to end a great evening!

 

WRC Gives Back Over Memorial Day Weekend

The Washington Running Club may be known for running, but many of our members want to give back to the community and make a difference. Memorial Day Weekend was the perfect mix of both running and giving back – and having fun while doing it!

Post-long run carbs n’ coffee at Dog Tag Bakery
Dog Tag Bakery, located just off Wisconsin Ave NW in Georgetown, is a non-profit that sells baked goods with all proceeds going to work-study programs for disabled vets and caregivers. WRC met at Dog Take Bakery following our long runs to support this excellent cause. If you haven’t been, it’s a cute cafe with delicious baked goods and friendly service.

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WRC runners refuel from their long runs at Dog Tag Bakery in Georgetown

Dumbarton Oaks Trail Clean Up

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Mission complete: the fence around invasive species in Dumbarton Oaks Park.

As if running wasn’t strenuous enough, several WRC-ers spent Sunday afternoon building a fence around invasive species that have taken over fields near the Dumbarton Oaks running trails. Led by the Dumbarton Oaks Conservancy, the fence will allow for the safe removal of invasive species that threaten other trees, plants, and flowers in the area, and will be replaced with native species – the way the original planners of Dumbarton Oaks Park intended.

Many thanks to our volunteer coordinator, Pat, for organizing this great event, and to John, Bonnie, Kirk, and Lauren for giving their time to improve one of our favorite running trails!

Check out more photos of the event below:

Background information on the project.

Background information on the project.

Kirk hard at work installing the fence!

Kirk (right) hard at work installing the fence!

Lauren learning the ropes of fence installation.

Lauren learning the ropes of fence installation.

Pat showing the rebar who is boss!

Pat, our fearless leader, showing the rebar who is boss!

Bonnie is all smiles after a job well done.

Bonnie is all smiles after a job well done.

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Thanks Pat, John, Kirk, Bonnie, and Lauren, for your help!

SDR for 5/24, New Start Time, and Giving Back!

Memorial Day Weekend may be the unofficial start to summer, but for WRC, it’s an opportunity to give back to both the military and our city – and that’s what this holiday is all about.

Sunday Distance Run ***note new start time***
First off, we’ll burn off all (or most) of our hamburgers and hot dogs at our Sunday Distance Run. We’ll start at 7:00 a.m. (NOT 8:00 a.m.) just in front of the CB2 store on M Street in Georgetown. Distances will vary from 5-15 miles, with three pace groups of 7:00-7:30 min/mile; 8:00-8:30 min/mile, and 9:00-10:00 min/mile.

Two Opportunities to Give Back

1: Post SDR coffee/carbs at Dog Tag Bakerythis bakery is located on Grace Street NW, just a bit south of the M St NW/Wisconsin Ave NW intersection. The bakery is a non-profit that supports veteran’s with a work/study program that prepares them for the work force. Our former president, Kirk, took one for the team and taste tested their baked goods – and he approved! It’s a great combination of eating well and giving back to an important cause.

2. Cleaning up Dumbarton Oaks: our volunteer coordinator, Pat O’Keefe, will be at Dumbarton Oaks for a trail clean-up.

When: Sunday, May 24, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Top of Lovers Lane on R Street NW (map)
What: trail clean up and repair – – – THIS IS STRENUOUS WORK. Please come ready to lift objects and be on your feet for a long time. Dress appropriately – closed toe shoes only. Gloves, tools, training, water, and snacks will be provided.

—> To sign-up for the Dumbarton Oaks Clean-Up, contact Pat at pg.okeefe@gmail.com

SDR for May 17 / New start time starting NEXT week

Join the Washington Running Club on Sunday, May 17 for our weekly distance run. We’re meeting at 8:00 a.m. in front of the CB2 store in Georgetown, followed by coffee, carbs, and conversation at Dean & Deluca.

We’ll have three groups, including a 7-7:30 min/mi group, an 8-8:30 min/mi group, and a 9-10 min/mi group. Our regular loops can easily be made shorter or longer depending on the distance you need to run.

IMPORTANT: this is the last week of 8:00 a.m. start times. Starting Memorial Day weekend (5/24) through Labor Day weekend, we’ll be starting at 7:00 a.m. to beat the heat (as much as we can, anyway). Enjoy your sleep!

Come on, get happy!

It’s time to get happy – happy hour, that is!

That’s right, the next WRC happy hour will be on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Circa in Foggy Bottom. We’ll celebrate another great season of racing and being a part of an awesome running group in general.

We hope you can make it!