Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Capital Area Runners Training Program?
The Capital Area Runners Training Program is a year round program for runners of all ability levels that provides expert coaching within a supportive team environment. The program offers organized workouts 5 days per week. Whether you are a beginner looking to compete in your first race or an experienced marathoner looking to qualify for Boston, with Capital Area Runners you will find the coaching expertise and training partners you’ll need to assist you in achieving your goal.

Who are the program participants?
Most of the Capital Area Runners Training participants are fairly experienced runners who are seeking a more structured approach to their training with the goal of improving their personal best times, but there are also a large number of first time marathoners who train with the program. Most participants join the group with the goal of training for a marathon. During the 2009 calendar year, more than 40 program participants qualified for the Boston Marathon and over 30 runners completed their first ever marathons.

When does the program begin?
The program has organized workouts 52 weeks a year. New members can join at any point during the year.

Who is the coach of the program?
George Buckheit is the head coach of Capital Area Runners. He was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American during his collegiate days at Bucknell University and had an outstanding post-collegiate career, representing the United States in international competition. He has posted lifetime bests of 13:43 for 5,000M and 28:39 for 10,000M. George began his coaching career in 1979 as an assistant coach at Bucknell, and in more recent years he has coached many of the DC area's elite distance runners including Marine Corps Marathon champions Mary Kate Bailey (2004) and Kristen Henehan (2007). George has brought a comparable level of success to his non-elite athletes with more than 90% of his marathon runners recording personal best times over the past three years and dozens of runners qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

What is the basic training philosophy?
Half the battle in preparing for a target race is to get to the starting line healthy and fit. With that in mind, we avoid excessive amounts of high intensity/high volume training and instead focus on training consistently and steadily. Two hard workouts per week, along with a few days of easy running, are sufficient to attain race-ready fitness, and 2-4 long runs in the 20 mile range are adequate to prepare yourself for a marathon. To minimize injury risk, we do most of our long runs on the packed dirt surface of the C&O Canal Towpath so that we can avoid the excessive pounding associated with running on concrete and asphalt. Most importantly, we try to have fun with the training so that everyone in the group always looks forward to coming to practice. The tremendous success of the CAR training programs has come from the sound coaching advice of George Buckheit and the supportive team dynamic and camaraderie that exists among the members of Capital Area Runners.

Why speed train for a marathon?
The interval training and tempo runs that we do as part of the CAR Training Program are intended to improve your physiological and mechanical efficiency as a runner. By incorporating speed work into your training, your body will improve its ability to utilize and deliver oxygen to the muscles that need it during exercise and you’ll be “waking up” your fast twitch muscle fibers that you don’t normally employ in your everyday running. The end result will be that running at any pace or distance, whether it be a mile or a marathon, will become easier as your body’s efficiency improves.

Where/when will the group be meeting?
As a member of the program, you will have access to organized training sessions 5 days per week with CAR’s head coach George Buckheit. Tuesday interval workouts will be run at Washington-Lee HS at 6:30 AM and 7:00 PM, tempo runs will take place at WLHS on Thursdays at 7:00 PM and Fridays at 6:30 AM. The weekend meeting times are seasonally adjusted with 7:00 AM being the normal summer meeting time and 9:00 AM being the typical winter meeting time. Saturday hill workouts will start from Roosevelt Island and Saturday and Sunday long runs will usually start from Fletcher’s Boathouse on the C&O Canal Towpath.

What other benefits are associated with the program?
Other benefits of the program include our popular weekly newsletter with training tips, inspiration and advice from George Buckheit, as well as discounts on shoes, apparel and accessories at our retail partner, Road Runner Sports of Falls Church, VA.

What is the cost of the program?
Although there are fees involved in participating in this program (see fee structure below), we will never exclude anyone from participation in this program due to an inability to pay. If you are a full-time student you are welcome to participate in the program free of charge. If you have some other legitimate financial burden that makes the cost of the program prohibitive for you, please send a note to George@capitalarearunners.com with an explanation. The cost of the program for new members is $200 for a 3 month session, $350 for a 6 month session, or $75 per month for those who prefer to participate on a month-to-month basis. Memberships must be paid in advance.

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How do I get more info?
For more information about Capital Area Runners and our training programs, contact George Buckheit at george@capitalarearunners.com. ext