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SLR: 12 Miles Piney Branch

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

First and most important: It would appear the cooler and drinks last week were stolen from SLR some time between when Hope dropped them off at 8 AM and when the first group of people got back at 10 AM. If anyone saw anything, came back between those times and noticed something, or took it home themselves by mistake, please let me know! We're hoping this was an innocent mistake and not the start of a pattern. The weather tomorrow looks like the perfect spring morning, with temperatures in the mid-50s and little wind. This may be one of the last cooler SLRs of the season and we will be moving back to our summer 7 AM starts within the next few weeks (but not this week, and we'll send out plenty of notice both the Wednesday and Friday ahead of time before it happens). Now let's get into it:

The Route: We're heading back into Rock Creek Park this week to explore Piney Branch (strava, pdf, gps) which is newly renovated after a couple years of closures. I like to think of Piney Branch as the cooler younger sister of Ross Ridge: she goes out in Dupont Circle, runs through the gorgeous Meridian Hill Park, and then comes back down Rock Creek just like her big sister.

Want Something Shorter? Aside from the usual out and back option, another way to shorten this route to around 8 miles is to take a left onto Connecticut Ave at Dupont Circle and follow it to Calvert Street. Take a left on Calvert and an immediate left on Shorham Drive to go into Rock Creek Park and continue along the RCP Trail as the original route states.

Need a Longer Route? My personal favorite way to add onto this that isn't "out and back on the canal" is to take a right instead of a left when you get into Rock Creek Park and add on a Ross-Ridge loop to make this route 17 miles. Otherwise, just adding on to Pierce Mill is another option for a few more miles!

Thirsty? Unfortunately the only option for water on this route is the fountain at the Lincoln Memorial around mile 1.7. This route does not go all the way to Pierce Mill, so unless you want to add on some miles there is no water in Rock Creek Park. The fountains at Meridian Hill Park are also not turned on (and neither is the cascading fountain for that matter). This is all to say: please bring water tomorrow! It's also Kristine Gift's last SLR tomorrow before moving to Minneapolis so she's clearing out her car of all the leftover waters she had from the last time she brought drinks! Thanks Kristine and enjoy exploring chain of lakes and the river parkway!

Need a Bathroom? Those are also a bit few and far between tomorrow. There are some portopotties that may be available at the Lincoln Memorial depending on the construction. The Dupont Circle CVS is also a good bet in a pinch at mile 3.5. Otherwise there are plenty of businesses on 16th street that may be available, but your mileage may very.

The next club happy hour is Thursday May 23rd at Four Courts (time coming as soon as I remember to ask Nate)! It's also not too early to start planning for the Bunion Derby, signups are now open for the first few races, including the Women's Distance Festival on June 9th.

Happy Running!
Anna

SLR - 15 Miles National Arboretum

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

All those March showers seem to be paying off, as we're in for a treat tomorrow! Temperatures will be in the mid-50s and we'll get some sun towards the end of the run, so come prepared. Now let's get into it:

The Route: We're pulling an audible this week because peak bloom in the National Arboretum (strava, gps, pdf) came early this year! For those who haven't been, the National Arboretum (whose website is coincidentally down when I'm sending this out) has one of the best collections of azaleas in the area and it's worth a trip up there once a year! We'll head across the Mall and up via Maryland Avenue and Bladensburg Avenue to get to the Arboretum, where it's a big of a choose your own adventure once you're inside. Head right and follow signs for the azaleas (you should be able to see the color on the hillside) for the shortest route, which is around 15 miles.

Want Something Shorter? If 15 miles is too long for you this weekend because you just ran a marathon on Monday, there's a few options for a shorter route that will still get you some time in the gardens. For 10, hop on the metro at the Capitol South when you get back to the Capitol for a $2 train ride back to Rosslyn. If you'd like a little bit longer, the Smithsonian station is at 12!

Need a longer route? Get some great hill training in with more loops of the Arboretum. The route map we use is an 18 miler that inclues another few loops, but it's hard to get too lost and easy to find some cool plants. Head up to the Asian gardens, which should also be blooming at this time of the year or stop by the Capitol Columns! 

Thirsty? Some of the Mall water fountains are back on for the summer! There's also a water fountain immediately in the Arboretum inside the same building as the bathrooms (take a right when you enter)! We're getting to the season of drink volunteers, help out the club and knock out some volunteer credit!

Need a Bathroom? The Arboretum has a great one! The Washington Monument has a less-great one, but is an option. The bathrooms that are set up next to the Lincoln Memorial have also been a good option lately, and should stay around for quite some time during construction.

No major club events in the next month, but the Bunion Derby is quickly approaching and signups are open for many of the races!

Happy Running!

Anna