Name: Tanya Senanayake

Self-described age group: F 35-39

Residence: D.C.

Occupation: Attorney specializing in campaign finance litigation

Volunteer roles in the running world: I love mentoring other runners, especially women and those new to running. I also created an Instagram account (@oaktreerunner) to bring attention to mindful running and women’s running, and to connect with women of color runners, since a meaningfully diverse representation of runners encourages even more people to try out this great sport. And I assist Coach Wilson Komen with his outreach and community partnerships building.

Why you run: Running makes me feel stronger, builds my resilience, and gives me space to find stillness. There is something about running that makes me really attentive to my surroundings, like the sounds of gravel crunching underfoot and the presence of roots and rocks and frogs, but also lost in a flow state at the same time. This is meditative and healing for me.

When did you get started running: I started running after I turned 30, during my first year in D.C. On a whim I decided to organize a team at work for the Lawyers Have Heart 10K. At the time, I couldn’t run more than a few blocks, but I printed a 10-week Hal Higdon plan that I found online. I crossed out Weeks 6 and 8 because there wasn’t enough time (mistake!) but ended up loving the feeling of camaraderie and friendship that come with training for a race and the feeling of accomplishment at running a half mile without stopping, then a mile, then two miles, and eventually the race.

Read More

• The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has named four local coaches Coach of the Year for their respective states:
  • Virginia – Marc Hunter, along with his wife Joan, guided Loudoun Valley’s boys team to its second straight Nike Cross Nationals title.
  • D.C. – John Ausema’s Gonzaga team won its third straight D.C. title.
  • D.C. – Emily Farrar guided the Woodrow Wilson girls to their first, and a public school’s first, D.C. title this fall.
  • Maryland – Northwood alumnus Giovanni Reumente returned to his alma mater and guided his boys’ team to county and regional championships and took two runners to Nike Cross Nationals.
• A WTOP reporter rescued a runner who fell into Broad Branch Creek and nearly drowned Sunday, Jan. 13.
• Lisa Reichmann and Julie Sapper of Run Father and Faster are producing a podcast during the approach to the Boston Marathon. Listen to it on iTunes here.
• Gaithersburg High School alumnus Ian Torrence is conducting a survey on treadmill use. Take it here.
• Lake Braddock alumna Kate Murphy appeared on the Citius podcast to talk about her injuries.

Can’t stand the treadmill? Me neither. You want to run outside after snowfall? Here’s a look at what (mainly paved) paths are looking like.

With melting and refreezing, particularly in shaded parts of paths, conditions will be a crapshoot. I want to make it very clear RunWashington is not guaranteeing your safety if you do go for a run outside. That said, thanks to some observers who were out on Sunday and Monday and the policies maintained by local governments, we can give you an idea what to expect out there.  .

In Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Capitol is cleared and salted rigorously.

The D.C. Department of Public works cleared the Metropolitan Branch Trail Sunday morning.

We are currently clearing the Metropolitan Branch Tral #WinterReadyDC #bikDC @DDOTDC pic.twitter.com/2yeuxKxIWh

— Vision Zero DC (@DCVisionZero) January 13, 2019

Foot traffic around the Mall has likely cleared a lot of the snow.

East Potomac Park, as far south as Buckeye Drive, is likely clear and sees limited traffic. The Hains Point loop south of Buckeye has likely not been cleared.

However, if you’re hoping to do some cross training in a DC DPR pool, you’re out of luck, because they’re closed Monday.

In Virginia

NovaParks has cleared the W&OD Trail.

It’s the end of the workday and the trail from MM 0 in Shirlington, east to Smiths Switch Rd in Ashburn, has been blown. Tomorrow, the west side… pic.twitter.com/ngiHTcH5Fc

— The W&OD Trail (@WODTrail) January 14, 2019

Arlington County clears the Custis Trail, Four Mile Run Trail, Bluemont Junction Trail and Route 110 Trail concurrently with residential streets. Some areas of these trails have frozen again, however.

The Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail Snow Patrol Team will be clearing between LBJ Memorial Grove to the 14th Street Bridge from 1 p.m – 6 p.m. Monday.

Arlington County’s rec centers are closed.

In Maryland

Montgomery County plowed its portion of the Capital Crescent Trail

Word is that the Millennium Trail in Rockville is “mostly clear” along Wootton Parkway.

Name: Bryan Steverson

Self-described age group: 40s

Residence: Loudoun County

Occupation: Federal Employee

Volunteer roles in the running world: (as applies) I’ve helped with a few local 5ks and am on a steering committee for a new to be announced local race in LoCo

Why you run: To eat! Actually I’ve been running since I was in middle school, so its just a habit that has taken over my life (in a good way). Cooking is a hobby of mine so running helps me think I’m justifying some of the food I’m cooking (I like to cook french food).

When did you get started running: 6th Grade – I was a miler at first. Then I switched to run the 400 meters and relays. Relay races are where I did the best and had the most fun. I always enjoyed running with a team and competing with other teams – takes the burden off of myself a bit. Plus there is just something about running with a baton and trying to beat your competition to make the handoff that drives me to run faster.

Read More

Former American University coach Matt Centrowitz returns to talk about his new gig at Manhattan College and work with Tom Brumlik with the District Track Club. They also let DTC athlete David Timlin speak briefly.

With a new year comes a new slate of races for RunWashington’s runner rankings. We’ve shuffled some around, added some, shed a few others.

Each of these races is run on a certified course (but it’s up to you to make sure you don’t run too far). To be ranked for the year, runners must run at least six races, three before July 1 and three after. Why? It’s the most fair (and manageable) way to help put together a list of the runners who have made a commitment to road racing in the Washington, D.C. area.

There are at least 51 events in each half of the year, giving you plenty of opportunities to get in the races you need to be ranked. We’re still confirming a few dates for races. Keep in mind, races may be removed if they encounter course trouble, but we will try to replace them if something is removed.

Read More

Allison Bourg Sauntry works in social media marketing for a hospital and has been writing for RunWashington since 2019. She dissected road race t-shirt design earlier this year.
Read more of her work here.

Name:  Allison Bourg Sauntry

Self-described age group: One year away from being able to run in the Masters category

Residence: Edgewater, Md.

Occupation: Social media marketing for a local hospital; freelance writer as time permits

Volunteer roles in the running world: I’m an ambassador for Rip It Events in Howard County, helping to spread the word about our races on social media and volunteering at events, too.

Why you run: It’s a stress release, it’s a way for me to set goals outside of work and I think it’s really fun!

When did you get started running: In my 20s, I ran on the treadmill and took aerobics classes to stay in shape, but wasn’t particularly serious about it. When I moved to Annapolis in 2011, I joined a local gym (coincidentally, I met my husband there while he was training for his first marathon!) and religiously hit the treadmill every day as an escape from my stressful job as a newspaper reporter. However, I was intimidated by running outside and thought that was something “real runners” did. In 2012, my friend Staci wanted to do a Halloween 5K, so I signed up for that with her. I had a blast and registered for a Turkey Trot in my hometown the next month. The following year, I decided to run the Annapolis Ten Mile Run, which was the first “big” race I had ever done. That race has a special place in my heart for that reason. Now, I run outside more than I do on the treadmill.

Have you taken a break from running:  Nope! Hope I never have to!

Training shoe: Brooks Ghost

Coach or training group: 5 Peaks Martial Arts Academy in Millersville, Md. — I’ve been taking kickboxing classes there for five years, and my friends from there and I run a lot of races together, too.

The hardest race you’ve ever run: The Asheville Half Marathon in North Carolina. I think that whole race was uphill.

Most adventurous decision you’ve made with your running: I think choosing to run my first marathon (the 2015 Pittsburgh Marathon) was an adventurous decision. It was never something I thought I would do– 26.2 miles is really far! As mentioned above, I met my husband at the gym while he was training for the Baltimore Marathon, and he clearly remembers me telling him “I could never do that.” But I did! And now I have run seven marathons, including Boston.

Running mentors: My friend Matt, owner of 5 Peaks, has been a huge source of encouragement to me throughout my running journey (as well as to many others in our school). This extends beyond running — he and his wife Kree, another close friend of mine, even talked me into doing my first triathlon this summer and were there to support me throughout my training and on race day!

My favorite place to run in the D.C. area is:  The C&O Towpath is a really nice place to run when I am in D.C.!

Favorite local trail:  B&A Trail in Annapolis, Quiet Waters Park, also in Annapolis

My best race was: The 2017 Rehoboth Seashore Marathon. I went in with a goal of getting a Boston Qualifer for 2019 and I ran 3:35:00, five minutes faster than my qualifying standard of 3:40. It was the kind of race where EVERYTHING went my way. Awesome weather, I felt great, and I think I even ran a negative split. It was the perfect marathon.

Favorite local race: Annapolis Ten Mile Run, hands down, no question. I look forward to it all year.

Ideal post-run meal: Varies, but I love a nice cold craft beer after running.

Favorite flavor of gel, gu, etc: Gu’s Toasted Marshmallow!

Pet peeve: Drivers who honk at me when I am running! If I know you, half the time I can’t tell who you are anyway. And if I don’t know you…. don’t honk at me.

Goals: Right now, I have my sights set on a sub-1:40 half (sub-1:40 by 40 is my new motto), and a 2021 BQ at Coastal Delaware Running Festival in April.

Your advice for a new runner: Don’t worry about your speed and try not to compare yourself to others. Just get out there. New to racing? Finishing is the most important part! Improvement comes with experience.

Favorite running book: I really enjoyed Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Fascinating story and would recommend to any runner, whether you are new to the sport or have been running for years.

Song in your head during a run: When I am running outside, I don’t listen to music, but Living on a Prayer sneaks into my head a lot– it’s a good running anthem. On the treadmill, I listen to a lot of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, ’90s R&B and Earth Wind and Fire…… I’m not the biggest fan of most of today’s music, haha!

Have you dealt with a major injury: Nothing major, though I did strain my calf last fall and was out for a few days. I’ve been lucky with injuries and I think my cross-training at kickboxing helps with that.

Running quote: Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. Applicable to all areas of life, not just running!

Why is the D.C. area a great place to be a runner: Lots of races to choose from, good competition and people here love to run and stay fit and motivate others to do the same — it’s just a great community to be a part of!