The Athlete's Lawyer

Potomac River Running is proud to present the 2009 Loudoun Race Series. The series includes six premier events in Loudoun County:3/28: Van Metre 5-Mile Run for Children’s Hospital

4/19: LAWS Run for the Shelter Half-Marathon & 5K

6/27: Potomac River Running Twilight Festival 4-Miler

8/9: Harris Teeter Presents YMCA Loudoun County Leesburg 10K & 20K

10/17: Stone Ridge 5K Race for Education

11/21: Freeze Your Gizzard 5K Cross Country Race

Participants in all six events will receive a commemorative short sleeve technical t-shirt. Have a conflict and can’t do all six? No problem, participate in four series races and earn a commemorative medal. And if you make it to five races, add a $10 =PR= Gift Certificate to the medal. (All 6 events gets you the shirt, medal, and gift certificate!)

Also, accumulate points for your performance and qualify for series-wide performance awards. The more races you run, the better your chances to win.

The series results are AUTOMATICALLY tabulated based on participation in series events. You DO need to register for each event in which you want to participate. You DO NOT need to register specficially for the series.

For more details, visit: Loudoun Race Series

Senior Night, Friday February 6th, 2009 at the Reston Ice rink was an exciting end to the regular season for the Herndon Hornets Hockey club. Several members of the high school, including Senior Captain and Defenseman Andrew Norman, were playing their final league game. With the score see-sawing, Herndon took the lead for good in the closing minutes. This was to be Coach Jim Norman’s final regular season game as well, after coaching in Herndon and Reston for over 10 years. Coach Norman, (in the baseball hat) celebrated after the game with Herndon injury and disability lawyer Doug Landau at Champs in Reston. Coach Norman is also a highly decorated JAG officer, who has retired from the Navy. On this high note, the Herndon Hockey team heads into post-season play. Stay tuned !

Mud, ice, corn husks – Doug Landau realized 500 meters into the 8 km., 4-loop course, that good traction was critical at the 2009 National Cross Country running championships.  2004 Olympic men’s marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi won his third national cross country title while Emily Brown won her first at the USA Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood, Maryland.  The men’s winner had 1/2 inch spikes on the front of his shoes and 3/8th spikes in the back.    Landau got to watch some of the other racing, including the Junior Girls competition (shown below at left) and see the Collegiate teams, including from New York City’s Columbia University, for whom his sister ran in the 1980s.

Highlights of the 2009 USA Cross Country Championships will be televised on February 15 during ESPN coverage of the Tyson Invitational. The championships consisted of six cross country championship races for men’s and women’s categories with national titles on the line for junior, masters and open divisions. The nation’s premier cross country event, the Championships featured $47,000 in prize money.  In addition to individual prizes, there were also team competitions, with the Herndon Reston area sports injury and disability lawyer racing as part of the DC Road Runners Club (DCRRC).  For more information on the 2009 USA Cross Country Championships visit www.usatf.org.

While looking over the rules for the upcoming National Championship races coming to the D.C.metropolitan area, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau came across the following drug testing information on the National governing body’s site:

“The use of nutritional or dietary supplements is completely at the athlete’s own risk – even if the supplement label says “approved” or “verified.” USADA’s drug reference resources DO NOT provide information about dietary supplements.” (Drug Reference Line 1-800-233-0393)

Our prior post about the Kicker Vencil case is instructive…

Major USA Championships are Coming to the Nation’s Capital Region !

While you may think the excitement surrounding the nation’s capital came to an end after last month’s Presidential inauguration; the running/track & field communities have much to be excite about as two of USATF‘s premier championship events come to the area in the coming weeks.  Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau will be lining up with the best cross country runners in the country tomorrow, as a member of the DC Road Runners Club team and then competing at the Indoor Masters Track & Field Championships in March at the Prince Georges County Sports & Learning Complex by the Redskins Football Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

USA Cross Country Championships – Feb. 7th, 2009
The USA Cross Country Championships will be held February 7 in Derwood, Maryland.  Derwood is located 28 miles from Washington DC.  Six championship races will be contested (Open Men 12 km, Open Women 8 km, Junior Men 8 km, Junior Women 6 km, Masters Men 8 km, Masters Women 8 km).  The Open and Junior races will serve as the sole qualifying event for the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships (March 28, 2009 in Amman, Jordan).  The championships are being hosted by the Montgomery County Road Runners.  Stay tuned !

“Variety is the spice of life,” and a little spice can really add some zest to a meal, however, too often I have seen athletes try something new or spicey right before a major competition, only to regret it later.  “Go with what you know” when it comes to pre-race nutrition and hydration.  Do not experiment on the race course and expect to have a personal record.  Save experimentation for training days when you know what your digestive system can and cannot handle under the stress of intense exercise.

I have been a big fan of “Generous George’s Positive Pizza Place” (where “Everything Spicey is Nicey“) for over 28 years and am delighted that they have opened a restaurant serving their signature “pastas on a pie,”  We used to have our Old Town Alexandria office staff meetings at the original restaurant on Duke Street.  WHile we all enjoyed their pasta on a pie, pizza and salads, I would save such scrumptious fare for AFTER the race.

Shown here after an ABRAMS LANDAU staff meeting at the new Generous George’s Positive Pizza Place in Herndon (703-793-3338) are, L-R, Beatrice Vargas, Dianna Meredith, Lauren Holtzman and Doug Landau.

Sometimes the stuff we like to think about the least proves to be important before a major event.  Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau was impressed by the number and placement of the portapotties at recent New York Road Runner Club (“NYRRC“) events.   The NYRRC has races with several thousands of runners on many winter weekends.  Nevertheless, they have portajohns, road closure signs, computer chip timing grids, PA systems and mile markers  set up with efficiency.  Just as when we prepare for trial at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., we try to take care of the the important planning and less glamorous details for a successful trial for our clients.   Knowing where the bathrooms are before trial at the Courthouse or a running race, can sometimes be an important consideration.  Sometimes it is not necessary.  But at the Landau Law Shop in Herndon, Virginia, we would rather not have to take the chance.  Don’t you agree ?!!?

The United States Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships will be contested in the D.C. Metro area March 20-22, 2009. Inspired by the performances at the 102nd Millrose Games in New York City, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau is signed up to compete in middle distance events and is a Gold Sponsor. More than 1,000 competitors between the ages of 30 and 100+ are excepted to compete at the 2009 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships. The championships will be held March 20-22 at the Wayne K. Curry Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Maryland. At last year’s championships in Boston thirty seven (37) American records and seven (7) world records were set. The Herndon Reston area Athletes Lawyer hopes to use this indoor meet to gauge his “top end speed” and see if his running form has any chance of success this summer. To enter the championships or to view a current list of entries visit the meet website.

New York area Maccabiah triathlon qualifiers met up at Union Square in New York City today to discuss the 18th Quaddrennial Games in Israel this summer.  Open and Age Group athletes came together to compare notes on training, international travel and what to expect when competing against athletes from around the world.  At a brunch arranged by the New York athletes, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau was able to talk about his Maccabiah experiences and foreign competition strategies.  These talented and committed athletes will represent the United States magnificently this summer.   Good luck to the Big Apple multisport athletes and all the American Maccabiah athletes.

Just like some people like to run in “Turkey Trots” before their annual Thanksgiving meal, thousands of people run in the New York Road Runners Club annual Gridion Classic.  Prior to this 4-mile run through Central Park, there was a football throwing contest, where the women’s winner tossed the pigskin 45 yards, and the men’s winner, a former Brown University quarterback, heaved the ball 60 yards !  As a boy in New Jersey, Doug Landau participated in the “Punt, Pass & Kick” competitions.  Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau managed to overcome the cold to finish 312th out of 5,256, in the top 10% of male finishers in just under 7 minutes per mile pace.

Landau finds it extremely difficult to compete in cold weather, as his forte his hot and humid conditions.  Nevertheless, the lawyer who helps injured athletes, participates in winter events like this in order to build up his pre-season fitness.  He also intentionally “overdresses,” so that his body will become accustomed to overheating during competition.  It takes years of practice and training, but it is hoped that this strategem will again lead to success in 2009.  Stay tuned…