2012 NRRL Season is Underway!

The Race to Stop the Silence 8k kicked off the National Road Racing League season for the 2nd year in a row, with NRRL runners finishing very well in the overall field of 500 runners as they set the tone for a competitive season.

The NRRL is all coed this year, with each team scoring its first 2 males and first 2 females across the line.  At the Stop the Silence 8k, the Capital Area Network (CAN) took first place, led by captain Natalie Allgeier, who beat all other female NRRL runners to the finish line.  Three other CAN runners came across the line next for the females, including 2nd place finisher Susannah Still.  Chris Roetlin and John Pigman represented CAN and delivered the 1-2 punch on the men's scoring side.  

Mike Dhunjishah from DC Running Coach (DCRC) takes the early lead in the individual male rankings, although he was not factored into the team scoring due to DCRC taking a bye week (runners from incomplete teams can score in the individual rankings, but do not influence the team scoring for that race)

Second place in team scoring went to last year's female champions, Kinetic Fitness, while Evolution's team of trainers and clients took the 3rd spot.  Potomac River Running, Athletes Without Limits, and DC Running Coach are lying in the weeds, having taken this first race as their bye week, which each team must do at some point in the 10-race schedule.

Full team scoring and individual rankings can be found on the NRRL results page.

The next race on the schedule is this Saturday on Cinco de Mayo, the Bulldog 5k in Chevy Chase circle.  NRRL runners register at a discount.

Congrats to everyone who ran on Sunday! 

Stay tuned!

Mike

American Odyssey Relay - A Great Team Event

Get ready for another installment of the American Odyssey Relay (AOR) this April, as teams of 12 runners cover 200 miles from Gettysburg, PA to Washington, DC...as fast as they can!

There are more and more races and events being built into the running calendar that offer runners a unique experience, and no doubt a memorable experience.  Piling into a van with your teammates and covering some spectacular terrain and sites offers nothing short of a great weekend.

Elyse Braner, a well-known local DC runner, offered her perspective on the AOR event:

"This is my 3rd year competing in the American Odyssey Relay, the previous two times we had a team that was looking for something different...something fun for running.  It's a social event.  This relay differs from other relay-type events in that it is more personalized in many ways, perhaps because it's a smaller race.  This is great because there are less rules to deal with, less stress of race logistics, but it's still definitely a spirited race!  The volunteers add to the spirit of the AOR and make it a fun event.  Once you also factor in the unique course over historical battlefields and an awesome party at the finish, our team is definitely going back again!"

Check out the American Odyssey Relay online and give your running club or coworkers something unique in terms of fun and competition!

United Social Sports - More Socializing & Competition!

When the National Road Racing League was founded, the idea came from recognizing that there is a competitive and/or social league for every sport out there...except running!  The United Social Sports league is one of the leagues in the DC Metro Area that offers many of these sports, in both a fun spirit and catering to those that thrive off a bit of competition.

From skeeball to volleyball, from dodgeball to softball, and even foosball, this league has it all!  If you're unfamiliar with some of the sports or are even surprised some of them have official rules(!), there is a FAQs page.  The entry fees and registration are also quick and painless.

DC is a transient city, so as you come and go, be sure to meet new people in a fun environment and get into something that has an element of team competition.  Needless to say, it is leagues like USS that are an inspiration to the NRRL!

So all you runners who need some more hand-eye coordination should consider one of these fun sports.

Good luck!

Mike

NRRL Happy Hours - Registration Discounts

The NRRL will be holding 2 Happy Hours this winter leading up to the first race of the season.  At each of these Happy Hours, individual runners will have the opportunity to register on-site and receive a discount on their league entry fee.

Captains of NRRL teams receive free registration!

All Happy Hours will take place at Penn Social (801 E St, NW, Washington, DC 20004 - corner of 8th & E St, blocks from multiple Metro stations)

Here is the Happy Hour schedule:

Friday, February 22nd, 5:00 - 7:00pm (*$10 off NRRL registration)

Friday, March 15th, 5:00 - 7:00pm (*$10 off NRRL registration)

*$6 drinks and plenty of specially priced food, TV's, and tons of games! 

Come out and meet the league founder, team captains, and other runners.  "Free agents" welcome!  RSVP to Mike, or just show up and ask for NRRL seating.

We hope to see you there!

Mike

Post-season party & captain interview

As the NRRL season came to an end last month, we celebrated with a party at Lululemon Georgetown on November 12th.  Check the Facebook page for more photos coming soon!

As we move into 2012, a few things are certain:

1) The team trophy you see pictured above, with Kinetic Fitness captain Becca, will continue to get larger!

2) More teams are slated to join the NRRL!

3) With more teams comes more competition and more social activities for local runners!

2011 was an experimental year, I think the experiment worked.  I am thankful to everyone who showed a vote of confidence and supported the league this year.  It will most definitely become a national phenomenon in a matter of years.

Here are a few highlights of what VIDA Fitness team captain, Dan, had to say:

What were your initial thoughts when you heard about the NRRL?

I thought it would be a great way to stay motivated throughout the year and give some 'meaning' to each race instead of having each race be an individual event.

What was your team's approach to the NRRL race schedule?

Initially we tried to schedule weekly group runs with minimal success.  After the first month, it came down to me sending out emails to nail down who was available for each race.

Did having a set race schedule help the runners with their approach to training and racing?

I think it kept people motivated. Most of our runners were already fit enough to run the race distances, so it was more about maintaining fitness than building up.

What was the highlight for your team/ runners?

My highlight was the feeling of community I had at the last race.  It was a very different feeling to go to a race where I knew so many people as opposed to something where I showed up, completed, and went home.

What are your thoughts on future expansion of the NRRL into other regions of the Mid-Atlantic?

I'd like to see our local chapter grow foremost, but am excited to watch NRRL as a whole expand. Creating a cross-team community would be something I'd like to see more of in future seasons.