Running to DC

Last weekend I took the Amtrak to DC to see several close friends and celebrate their birthdays. Great company, a lot of fun, some excellent food, and a life-size David Hasselhoff. Do I have to say more? That was Saturday.

The plans for Sunday included the joy of a 20-mile run, my second one in preparation for the Boston Marathon, the loss of one hour to the Daylight Savings Time, and the speedy train ride back to Boston. The up-side was that Eric was running a couple of miles along with me, and we were taking the train together part way. Losing an hour was definitely a downside—I came all the way to DC only to spend an hour less there then I would have any other weekend!!!

Expecting a warm and sunny day and completely unprepared for 20-30 mph winds, Eric and I lost all feeling of our toes and fingers by the time we found the tunnel leading to the Capital Crescent trail near the Bethesda metro station. The trail was paved over an old train track, and ran through wooded areas leading down to the Potomac and Georgetown University. The winds were high, and the morning was chilly, but we soon warmed up and the blue skies made up for the few initial discomforts. Bidding goodbye to Eric after a couple of miles, I continued slowly down the trail downhill towards Georgetown.

The trail ended in Georgetown, and the true adventure began. My first goal was to run by the White House. I followed K Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, until I reached the barricades. As I ran past the White House I was definitely attracting the attention of a group of Japanese tourists.
I turned right at the next corner heading south towards the Mall, and the second target of my run—the Lincoln Memorial. A few minutes later I was gliding along the reflective pool through mile 11, the Washington Monument and the Capitol behind me, and Lincoln Memorial looming in front of me. Goal accomplished, I headed north. Passing some colorful rowhouses on the 25th Street, I turned back on K Street, and soon found myself back on the Capital Crescent trail.

You would think the adventure was over, but I still had about 7 more miles to go. Enjoying the smooth trail, I did a 2 mile dash which also helped my aching IT band. (Why, why, why did I stay on the side of the trail on my way from Bethesda!!!) At one point, I turned the corner, and a herd of deer dashed by me. Luckily we were separated from each other by a fence. Otherwise, it was unclear who was more scared. Up and up, I climbed back into Bethesda.

By now, the sun has come out in full, and so did the people. I hit the 20 mile mark before entering the tunnel, so I walked along a busy shopping street back to the Bethesda Metro station. Compared to my last 20-mile run attempt 3 weeks prior, Sunday’s run was definitely triumphant. However, if you are wondering why my running log has not included any runs this week, it is because I have been spinning my legs on the elliptical machine while I nurse my aching IT band back to health.