Blog Base Building

As anyone who has ever blogged knows (really, that's, like, everyone, right?), managing a blog is a constant process of adding and subtracting all manner of features until a reasonably functional publishing platform emerges, ready to compete with the rest of the blogosphere.

Trust us, we're (always) getting there.

From time to time, when we add new features, and are reasonably confident that they work, we'll post a brief update, alerting all of you to what these features are and how they will enhance your reading experience.

For now, just a few basic items:

• We have set up a dedicated blog feed that should be compatible with whatever reader technology you choose to use.
• We have posted some stable contact information in the lower right margin.  If you have questions about joining the Coach Kiprunning group, there is a link in the margin that will take you directly to the contact information on Wilson Komen's website.  Beneath that link is a stable email address for all Coach Kiprunning blog inquires.

In other news, DC's usual January thaw is happening.  Here's to hoping for a few days of sunny, less icy running!

SNOW UPDATE 1/27/16: DMV Biking, Running, and Walking Trail Conditions

The cleanup from the recent DC blizzard is still very much happening. As a result, local trail conditions are highly variable, subject to intermittent cleanliness--and messiness.

One of the easiest ways to stay informed about trail conditions is to monitor the RunWashington and BikeArlington Twitter feeds. The people behind the controls at those places are doing a great job of posting and retweeting updates as they have them.

As always, be especially cautious in the early morning and evening hours, when visibility is poor, and the temperature can drop just enough to create lots of black ice.

Stay safe.

 

Running . . . after the Storm

Launching a running blog in the dead of an East Coast winter might be somewhat foolhardy, what with all the snow and ice and cold.  Nevertheless, I can assure you that it was purely coincidental that we began this enterprise right as Winter Storm Jonas clobbered us with unprecedented amounts of snow.  I've been in DC for nearly seventeen years, and I have never seen this much snow dumped all at once.  Believe me, the streets are pretty well buried.

For runners, the winter months always pose unique challenges--what to wear, when to run, where to run?  Snow days can make these questions all the more complicated, because in many cases, it seems that there just is nowhere to run, rendering the questions about timing and fashion moot.  And that can be a problem for anyone training to run, say, the Boston Marathon, which falls right after large chunks of the rest of the country--but not New England--have thawed out.

Writing for Runners World, Jennifer Van Allen offers some excellent tips for winter exercise and for treadmill running.  Give 'em a read . . . by the fireplace.

Stay safe out there.

May your clothing be bright and your shoes dry.

Welcome! Join Us!

Welcome!  The Internet is a big place, we know, and we are so happy that you found us.

This is the official blog of Coach Kiprunning.  Wilson Komen, Owner, is a longtime DC resident and is one of the area's top running coaches.  His website offers a thorough overview of his running philosophy and the training services that he offers.  Please consult it at your leisure.

This blogspace will function as a supplement, of sorts, to Wilson's official site.  As such, this blog will serve two primary purposes.  First, it will offer general information about running, road racing culture, training methodologies, nutrition, and--we dearly hope--injury avoidance.  (On that last item, please consult our disclaimer.)

Second, our blog will work to build a greater, more committed community among Coach Kiprunners.  The DMV--Washington, DC; Maryland; and Virginia, as we collectively call them here--is home to a legion of passionate competitive runners.  We at Coach Kiprunning are in the process of formalizing a running club that we intend to compete alongside of the area's top teams.  To that end, we intend this blog to be mechanism by which we can share our progress.  Our ultimate goal, of course, is for you to join us as well.  We'd be thrilled to have you!

Before we proceed any further, we should emphasize that Coach Wilson works with runners of all ability levels who want to compete in any road racing distance (see our ever-expanding list of races for a summary of our collective experience).  The core objective that Wilson has for all of his runners is for us to achieve our goals, whatever they might be, with the joy and fulfillment that come from maintaining a disciplined training regimen.  The rest of Wilson's trainees can function as a support mechanism in that endeavor.  Believe me, we all know the joy (?) of cold, dark morning tempo runs on Hains Point.  We can get you through that, I promise.

Once again, welcome.  It will be a fun run, for sure.

If you have any immediate questions or concerns about Coach Kiprunning, feel free to contact Wilson through his website's Contact page.  We'll look forward to hearing from you.

Almost Up and Running

We're still warming up and stretching out.  Watch this space.  More posts will be coming soon.