Active Life DC: Featured Blogger Erin Masterson

See the link to a an article on Active Life DC, featuring blogger (and NOVA Social Media Director) Erin Masterson: 

Active Life DC: Featured Blogger Erin Masterson

Train for Your Sport: The Importance of Flexibility and Strength Training for Runners

See the link to an article on Active Life DC by NOVA Social Media Director Erin Masterson.

The Importance of Flexibility and Strength Training for Runners

NOVA Racing Team at the Navy Air Force Half Marathon

The NOVA Racing Team is back!  We are working on fielding a team at the Navy Air Force Half Marathon on Sept. 14th.  If you are racing it already and want to be added please let team captain Justin Buenaflor know and he will put you on the team.  If you have not registered and want to run please register as an individual and then let Justin know and he will get you added to the team.  The team is coed, and we must have a minimum of 4 members and we can have a maximum of 8 runners on the team, but we  do need at least 1 female to be able to score.    If you have any questions, email team captain Justin at justinbuenaflor@Hotmail.com.

For more information on the race or to register visit the website at:

https://myffr.navyaims.com/wbwsc/nrndwmarathon.wsc/wbsplash.html

From Erin

By Erin Masterson
NOVA Social Media Director

My apologies for neglecting you, NOVA blog. My efforts in this forum have been distracted as of late, with my attention on other articles and writing pursuits, though of course none is more important than what I do for NOVA. The blog is special to me because it represents my start in writing and an opportunity to engage our running community more broadly outside the time we spend at the track each week. I am grateful for the opportunity to reach as many people as possible in this way, and hope to continue the upward momentum we have seen the past few months through our enhanced online presence, greater variety of activities, and a more engaged NOVA community overall. 

Since taking over as NOVA Social Media Director in January (a position graciously and creatively imagined for me by NOVA Prez Justin Buenaflor), I've been surprised and happy to discover the enormous depth of community that resides within our club. Though we all have busy, full, complex lives, by choosing to spend time on the track each week, every NOVA member demonstrates a commitment to their personal fitness and to the club itself. Though we do see ebbs and flows in turnout each week, in the long run we are seeing a new wave of runners, combined with the ever consistent presence of some long-time members, that is forming the new face of NOVA. For that, we thank you all for your welcoming attitude, recruitment efforts, and hard work out there on the track. 

By choosing to become a member of NOVA, I personally feel a sense of obligation to show up to practice every week, or as often as possible. Though work and other commitments sometime intervene, I know that I ALWAYS feel better after having completed a workout, and I think the others feel the same. What's changed for me in the past few months is not only do I now feel better physically, for having completed a tough workout, but also totally invigorated by the emotional energy and camaraderie created by our club. We care about each other, and it's obvious from the cheering, teamwork, and encouragement of our fellow runners out there. 

Justin and I both observed over the past few weeks that we are now truly looking like a track club that provides something for everyone - to include our newer crop of more elite runners that pace each other hard each week, our solid Group 2 pace group, and a consistent influx of new runners looking to train for their first race. This is what NOVA strives to be - a group where everyone can train for their specific running goals and find great coaching and support along the way. 

Anyways, today is a milestone for me personally. I'm two-thirds finished with my 30 races planned for 2013, hitting my 20th today with the Annapolis 10 Mile, and I'm on track to meet my goal by early December. August has been quite the month - five races in total, one each for the past four Friday nights at Bluemont Park for the Pacers Lost Dog 5k series and the A10 today. Some of my other experiences so far in this quest have included:

• Winning the Fort Belvoir Couples Run 5k on Feb 16 (a Valentine's Day race) with my friend Robert Winschel; getting featured in the Fort Belvoir Eagle newspaper
• Racing the Boston Marathon in April 2013, finishing in 3:20 and witnessing the bombing and its aftermath 
• Taking 3rd place in the Semper Fi 5k in DC on May 18 (and writing a feature article for RunWashington for that race)
• Winning the Marine Corps Historic 10k in Fredericksburg the next day on May 19, (breaking the tape!) and getting interviewed for the Fredericksburg Post
• Taking three 2nd place and one 1st place finish in the Pacers Lost Dog 5k series, every Friday in August
• Winning my age group in the Pacers 4 Courts 4 Miler; Georgetown Running Club's Father's Day 8k, Run for the Achievable Dream 8k, and Pacers Let Freedom Run 5k 

My remaining races include the Clarendon Day 10k, Army 10 Mile, Marine Corps Marathon, and Annapolis Half Marathon. My 30 in 2013 race quest has been an amazing but challenging experience; involving a lot of lonely early morning races, running through various hip and foot injuries after Boston, and racing back to back with no rest and often on dead legs. I am enjoying the experience though because it's proven to me what kind of long term endurance I have (physical and mental). I also like that it's a year-long goal that has gotten me consistently out the door to race, allowed me to meet some amazing people, and have some really fun experiences. The support of NOVA and Coach Jerry has surely contributed to this being a successful experience, and I thank you all for it. 

That's all from me for now. See you out there!

- Erin 

Evening Tempo Run and Yoga with Kathryn

Photo: mindbodygreen.com

Kathryn Taron
Photo: Kathryn Taron

This Thursday August 15, 2013, 6PM at Bluemont Park, NOVA Club member Kathryn Taron has offered to host a Yoga class to go along with our Thursday Tempo run!  Yoga will be held simultaneous  to Tempo so come out and have your choice of running or participating in the Yoga Class.  The class will be open to all levels and will be slow paced and focus on the muscles most used in running, working on both strength and flexibility.  All attendees should bring a towel and mat to participate.  For those that want to come and participate in both activities, Kathryn has offered to run a mini session following Tempo to stretch those worked muscles.  We are excited to have Kathryn offer this to all members of the club.  For those who have not been to Bluemont here is the address you can plug into Googlemaps to get directions: Tennis courts, 601 N Manchester St, Arlington, VA . 

Future dates will be determined so keep an eye out for more details. For more info on this week’s class, please reach out to me at justinbuenaflor@hotmail.com.

NOVA Mentor Program

In our ongoing efforts to provide more opportunities for engagement within the NOVA community outside of the weekly track workouts, NOVA Running Club is rolling out a new initiative called the NOVA Mentor Program. Interested runners, please see details below! We will have a sign up form at Tuesday practice, and you can contact NOVA President Justin Buenaflor or Social Media Director Erin Masterson for more information. You can also sign up here.

What is the NOVA Mentor Program?

• The NOVA Mentor Program is a new program whereby NOVA runners are matched with more experienced NOVA team members for guidance, through a more formal process than simply meeting up at the weekly track practice.
• NOVA runners seeking guidance (mentees) pair with more experienced NOVA team members (mentors) in order to gain knowledge, skills, experience, information and advice. Anyone at any level in their running career may participate and benefit from this mentoring relationship.

Purpose

• The purpose of the NOVA Mentor Program is to create opportunities for new or less experienced runners to be formally matched to a specific mentor within the NOVA Running Club.

Why Mentoring? Why Now?

• Personal Development - Whereas the NOVA track workouts and other programs provide a structured training framework for NOVA runners, a mentor can provide focused and specialized development as well as overarching  guidance for a mentee.
• Coach Supplement - Coach Jerry generously donates his time to NOVA, both during weekly workouts and providing individualized focus to NOVA runners as needed. While this is appreciated and works well for many runners, he cannot do it all, and a more personalized approach and individualized guidance from someone with specific experience matching a runner's needs may be helpful. 

How does it work?

• All levels and experience of runners are encouraged to participate in the NOVA Mentor Program. Anyone can be a mentee and/or a mentor.
• Participation is voluntary and strongly encouraged.
• Mentors should take the responsibility of their role seriously.
• Mentors and mentees determine between themselves the format, level, and frequency of communication. This program is self directed and self guided.
• Either the mentee or mentee can end the relationship at any time if it is determined to no longer be beneficial to either party.

Next Steps: Interested Mentors

• Sign up for the NOVA Mentor Program using the form at the Tuesday night track workouts, or in the Google Spreadsheet found here
• Include a list of your experience or skills in running to let potential mentees know what you are comfortable offering.
• Set the number of mentees you can reasonably accommodate.
• If you do not wish to provide your contact information in the spreadsheet, please contact Justin Buenaflor (JustinBuenaflor@hotmail.com) or Erin Masterson (erincmasterson@gmail.com). When a mentee is interested, you will be put in contact with him or her through Justin or Erin.
• When you are contacted by an interested mentee, determine if you would like to serve as a mentor.
• Respond to your new mentee and determine your preferred method and frequency of communication.

Next Steps: Interested Mentees

• Sign up for the NOVA Mentor Program using the form available at the Tuesday night track practice, or the Google spreadsheet found here.
• Choose from the list of mentors to find one who offers the type of skills and experience you are looking for as a runner
• Contact the mentor directly (if contact information available) or through Justin Buenaflor or Erin Masterson
• If/when the Mentor agrees to serve in this role, determine your preferred method and frequency of communication.

NOVA: Who We Are

Northern Virginia Running Club (NOVA)

by Erin Masterson

The Northern Virginia Running Club, affectionally known as NOVA by its members, has been a fixture in the DC area running community since the early 1970s. Some of NOVA's current members have been around since the club's inception, and have their ancient team jerseys to prove it. This loyalty is emblematic of the close-knit NOVA community, and the solid friendships that are formed through the club are often the reason many of the NOVA members keep coming back, year after year. 

A member of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), NOVA welcomes runners of all levels and ages. The club is a diverse group made up of local elite athletes, former collegiate competitors, top Masters runners, long time members, and new runners training for their first race. NOVA serves to fill an important niche in the running community for serious runners who seek to train under the guidance of a professional coach in the company of a friendly, welcoming community of dedicated runners, all of whom also recognize the importance of balancing running with full professional and personal lives. 

The club is best known for their weekly Tuesday track workouts at TC Williams or Wakefield High Schools in Alexandria. This interval workout, which can be tailored to each runner's fitness level, is designed and supervised to help NOVA runners increase strength, endurance, and race fitness. Separate pace groups allow all runners to feel comfortable training at their own speed, but with a healthy level of team support and camaraderie to push themselves out on the track. 

NOVA benefits from having a professional, experienced coach to guide the workouts. NOVA Coach Jerry Alexander, a former Division I collegiate Track and Cross Country Coach at American University and the University of the District of Columbia, has been coaching NOVA runners since 2005, and has also guided the elite athletes of the Georgetown Running Club (GRC) since 2010. A dedicated, caring, and responsive coach, Alexander has helped many a NOVA athlete achieve (and often exceed) their running goals. He does this by taking an individualized approach to each runner, and says, "I've learned over the years that coaching is not a one-size-fits-all proposition...the benefit of having a coach is that the coach can determine what works for you, and what does not. I'm experienced enough to know that a realistic assessment of each athlete's strengths and weaknesses greatly increases his or her chances for success." Read more about Coach Alexander here.

NOVA runner Dave Wertz says, "NOVA strikes a nice balance between being competitive and being social and fun, and I have always thought that NOVA is a caring group." More than one relationship and marriage have found their start in the club, and many NOVA members have benefitted from the support of the club through all variety of life transitions; the routine and challenge of a weekly track workout with peers always serving to keep things grounded and moving forward.  

In addition to the weekly Tuesday night track workouts, other NOVA activities include Thursday evening tempo runs at Bluemont Park in Arlington and weekend long runs in DC during marathon training season. NOVA also hosts an annual 5k race (this year scheduled for Saturday, September 21), parties and social events, and a monthly happy hour held after Tuesday track practice at Capitol City Brewing Company in Shirlington. 

To show appreciation for the W&OD Trail, where many of the NOVA activities and races are held, NOVA hosts a biannual trail cleanup for the club's sponsored 2 mile portion of the trail, from Columbia Pike to Bluemont Park in Arlington. NOVA members get together to collect trash and beautify the trail, helping to keep the trail and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed clean. See a writeup on the latest cleanup effort here.

Within the greater Washington DC running community, NOVA is active in the team race competition, placing second overall in last December's team division for the Pacers Jingle All the Way 8k, and is planning several team races as well as volunteering opportunities this coming fall.  

A dedicated leadership board, led by NOVA President Justin Buenaflor and Vice President Amanda Williams, in addition to a weekly newsletter and active social media presence, help to keep NOVA members updated on team race results, upcoming races, running trends and news of interest, and the latest blog post or featured article by NOVA Social Media Director Erin Masterson.

Interested members can join NOVA for a run or track workout before signing up for membership. Contact NOVA President Justin Buenaflor  (justinbuenaflor@hotmail.com) or NOVA Social Media Director Erin Masterson (erincmasterson@gmail.com) for more information.

See NOVA featured in a recent Washington Post article here.

Membership: Annual membership $25, students $20, families $35
Website: www.novarun.com
Blog: http://novarunningclub.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northern-Virginia-Running-Club-NOVA/214799064342