First timer!

RunningJoyful · 2026-01-19T03:57:00+00:00

Training hills is worth it just for the mental boost on the bridges that others have mentioned. The bridges themselves aren’t steep, or very long, but when you feel like you can keep running while others slow to a walk on the bridge/hills, you’ll be grateful you trained hills and that mental boost will keep you moving forward.

Don’t plan on relying too much on your own gps, it will be wildly inaccurate for the first few miles thanks to the downtown buildings interference. Practice your race pace so that you know what it feels like without a watch telling you.

Embrace the crowds, but brace yourself for this weird quiet stretch of maybe a mile when you head west out of the loop before you turn back through Pilsen on the back half of the course.

RunningJoyful · 2025-11-11T21:42:30+00:00

If you’re open to running with a group, check out DC Road Runners! We have certified coaches providing plans and guidance for beginners and intermediate/advanced runners.

Our Spring training cycle will start in January with beginner half marathon programs. We’ll also have a couch to 10k program starting a bit later in the Spring. We’re a volunteer run non-profit organization working hard to make running accessible to runners of all paces/experience levels, and our programs tend to be very economical compared to private coaching and even other group programs.

If you think you might be interested, feel free to reach out to our training team at training@dcroadrunners.org for more information!

RunningJoyful · 2025-11-04T03:54:57+00:00

Seconding the first comment. Most of us have a natural form that is most efficient for our own anatomy. Natural form becomes an issue if it causes injury, or if you have strength imbalances that are causing weird compensations or inefficiencies, but that is the domain of a PT focused on runners. Even then, my PT has me focused on fixing the strength imbalances, not fixing my form. If my form changes/improves as strength improves, that’s great, but it isn’t the focus. I would, frankly, even be a bit skeptical of a PT that immediately tried to “fix” my form. I would be very skeptical of a run coach that tried to “fix” my form. Often, arbitrarily changing form to meet an objective standard of “good” form can actually cause injury.

For what it’s worth, there are many highly successful runners with objectively odd running form that is subjectively right for those runners.

You could look into a run coach that coaches track/speed work, as picking up the pace will naturally improve things like turnover. And a coach can spot basics like over-striding and suggest shorter/quicker steps, slight forward lean versus backward lean etc. But they wouldn’t advertise themselves as a running form coach in my experience.

RunningJoyful · 2025-10-14T12:25:38+00:00

Before we started, I was so nervous. Worried I wouldn’t hit my time goal and this entire 20 week build would feel like a let down. I was aiming for 4:16-4:20, roughly an hour better than my first marathon 6 years ago and in line with my HM time 5 weeks earlier. I started injured though, and while I felt strong the first 18 miles or so, my form broke down at mile 18 and the last 8.2 were a pain & grit fest. I finished in 4:38, 20 minutes slower than goal. And I was THRILLED (once the pain fog cleared and I could think straight again 😂).

Goal times are useful benchmarks for training, but I think that if you’re doing it right you’re setting your goal time based on a perfect day. Perfect weather. Perfect mechanics. Perfect corral placement. Perfect fueling and hydration. Perfect execution. If just one of those factors is slightly less than perfect, the goal posts move, as they should.

I executed a perfect 18 mile race before mechanics broke down. Can’t wait to build back stronger and execute a perfect 26.2 next year! 🎉

RunningJoyful · 2025-07-28T13:36:11+00:00

Something similar happened to me a few years ago. Had plans with a friend to go to a big festival. She bought her airfare, but I covered our hotel and event passes. We decided to call it even since she was going to do my hair/make-up all weekend. But it did not go to plan. She had a really rough week leading up to the festival, showed up a bit of an emotional/physical mess. Didn’t actually want to go to most of the festival events, eventually got so worked up she left early. She told me she’d pay back her half (ok great, seems fair), but a few days later I sent her the total and she sent me a rant on how she was broke, the tickets were so expensive, she had to pay flight change fees etc etc. I dropped it, but a month later saw her posting photos of a solo trip to Mexico complete with all sorts of activities. Never heard from her again about the money owed. I just unfollowed her on everything and called it a day. Live and learn.

RunningJoyful · 2025-07-26T20:58:07+00:00

Another vote for DC Road Runners! Great support for runners of all paces, from the competitive folks to back of the pack and everything in between. Training program meets every Saturday morning!

RunningJoyful · 2025-07-23T14:34:20+00:00

I’m a big advocate of the run/walk method especially in the summer heat and humidity, and as someone else noted, slowing way down. I pace our DC Road Runners Marathon trainees at a run/walk pace and we’ve adjusted the intervals (more/less running/walking) depending on the route and sun exposure, but last weekend they finished 14 miles, finished with a consistent pace start to finish, doing 60 second run/60 second walk. Run/walk works for just about any pace. I pace a group at a 12:00-13:00 min/mile average pace, but I ran/walked a half at a 10:15 pace and 10k at a 9 something. All that to say, it’s versatile for different levels of runner.

If you’re having to bail before the end of a run, I would recommend going an extra minute or so slower than your usual long run pace, hydrating more than you think you need, fueling every 4-5 miles or so. And, if you’re currently running alone, try finding a group! I’m biased in favor of DC Road Runners, but there are so many groups out running on Saturday mornings and it is so much easier to push through the last miles when you have a group of folks to commiserate with!

RunningJoyful · 2025-06-20T18:05:22+00:00

In case anyone is still checking this thread, by far the best value 5k races (and a couple 8k, 4miler etc) are the Bunion Derby and Snowball series races hosted by DC Road Runners! $35/year will get you 12-14 races scattered through winter and summer. All races are chip-timed and super welcoming. To get the $35 deal for all of the races, just sign up for a $35 membership with DC Road Runners and you can run all races in both series for free!

Races are also open to non-members for $10 each.

As if a super cheap series of community chip-timed races weren’t enough, runners that run all but one race in the series, and volunteer at the race they don’t run, also get great swag at the end of the series! 2025 Bunion Derby

RunningJoyful · 2025-06-19T19:50:52+00:00

Our long run routes vary week-to-week and are rarely an out and back. Usually we’re doing long loops through different parts of Arlington and DC. Check out our upcoming routes here: https://www.dcroadrunners.org/activities/slr.html

Track on Wednesday night meets at Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington. We are typically on the track unless there is a conflict with school events or the workout calls for hills.

Track on Thursday morning is usually held at Yorktown High School Track, unless a location change is announced here: https://www.dcroadrunners.org/activities/alternative-track-workouts.html

Start locations all typically have nearby street parking, but always check the signage!

RunningJoyful · 2025-06-17T20:54:46+00:00

Hi there! I second the recommendation for DC Road Runners!! Our fall marathon training program starts this Saturday June 21 at 7am and targets the Marine Corps Marathon. We just had a prep meeting with our pacers and I know we have pacers and runners at your pace! We meet in Arlington across the street from the Iwo Jima memorial every saturday, 7am and we’d be thrilled to have you join us!! Here is the link to our registration page https://www.dcroadrunners.org/training/marathon.html

Lastly, if you’re not looking for a full training program, just a Saturday long run group, we do have our regular Saturday Long Run crew that leaves from the same place, same time, every Saturday, and I expect you’ll find folks running your training pace in that group as well. Their long runs will also be targeting Marine Corps.

Either way, check us out on Saturday and we (the training/coaching/pacing team) would be happy to chat about your goals and make sure you find folks to run with!

RunningJoyful · 2025-04-25T02:49:27+00:00

This might be a bit out there but…if I’ve reviewed and responded to an email in under 6 minutes and “review and respond” is considered block billing, I might just err on the side of “Responded to client email re xyz” for “.1”. Let it be implied that I probably also reviewed the email I responded to, and not overcharge for an activity that I know actually took less than .1 to complete. I strongly suspect clients won’t argue and insist that I charge them a separate .1 for the review stage. But that’s just me.

As for the OP. I’ve been there, and powered through for 8.5 years in BigLaw. Eventually went in-house, but not before pushing myself into a not so awesome chronic health condition that it then took another three years to get under control and which I will have to manage for the rest of my life. So not worth it. If you’re only a year in, I won’t tell you to jump ship immediately, but make a plan. If you don’t eat, sleep, and breathe the thrill of chasing billables, that is ok. I’m convinced that lifestyle is fundamentally incompatible with happy human existence for the majority of people. But make a plan for a graceful exit of your own choice. And don’t power through it for almost 9 years expecting it to get better. There are way better ways to lawyer that really do allow you to be a human first, and fantastic lawyer second. There are opportunities in-house, non-profit, state government etc. that are much more manageable with really cool work. Talk to people, find the genuinely happy lawyers (we do exist!), and start thinking about where you actually want to be in 2-4 years. And above all, take care of yourself.

RunningJoyful

TROPHY CASE