Running in the Nation's Capital

Was in DC the entire week for work training, again living out of a hotel, but at least this week I could for the most part keep 10 hour days instead of 16. Actually was camped out in Tysons Corner, not the worst area, but not exactly interesting, full of malls and chain restaurants. About 70% of the people I was with were from overseas, so they found much more novelty in the Cheesecake Factory than I did. I also had real work that I was doing in between the training, so not a lot of leisure time.

I was surprised to find that there was no good running path or area around the hotel. It faces Leesburg Pike, a sort of mini-highway with no sidewalks, and not a lot of shoulder, so that wasn't an option. The first day I did not run (oh, come on, I'd run a 1/2 the day before, I can take a break!), but during class I met a woman from Detroit who also brought running gear, and we agreed to a 6 am run on Tuesday. Up early, HOT and humid even at that hour, we struck out to find someplace safe to take a lap. I had a little map from the hotel, an idea of a good route, and no sense of direction, so off we went.

And so the poor internal GPS paid off. We run behind the hotel and down to an office park on the next block, which at first seemed to be a dead end, but revealed a path in the back. We jogged along it, first finding ourselves on a super-short loop (like, 100 yards. Get real), then on another path that had us leaping over fallen trees and dead-ending into a creek. So, back we went, and tried one more offshoot, which led us to a winding neighborhood - success! Interesting mix of McMansions and established ranches, wide streets and no traffic. We ran out a bit, came to a T at a major road, and turned back, still giving us about 3 miles. Drenched with sweat, we headed back to the hotel.

I ran the same path alone two other days, each time exploring further into the side streets, finally finding on the last day a long winding street with good hills and quiet houses, taking it out 2 miles before time and the rising heat turned me back. I looked like I had been standing under a sprinkler by the time I got back to the hotel, but in a good "damn I've done something" kind of way.

Probably no runs this weekend - flew from DC to Providence to Liz and family, and US Air decided that it would be best if my luggage stayed behind. I've got enough clothes to get me through, but my running shoes did not make it (along with my damp, skanky running clothes from yesterday morning). Ah well, I can run when I get back to NY tomorrow...

Ciao babies.