Hello Saturday Long Runners!
We've officially entered the dog days of summer and tomorrow should be another warm one! Training in these conditions sucks, but there's no greater feeling than crushing a run on the first 50 degree day of the fall after working hard all summer. Remember to bring water, be okay with slowing down a little, and that nutrition is twice as important in the summer as it is any other time of year. Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be doing the classic Pentagon Army Navy route (strava, pdf, gpx), which will take us around National Landing (does anyone actually call it that?) via Army Navy Drive before coming back along the Four Mile Run and Mount Vernon Trails. On our way by the Pentagon we'll also pass by LBJ Memorial Grove, where LBJ used to go to escape the city (and also an excellent view of the National Mall). Also don't forget to cross at South Meade Street when crossing Glebe Road, that's a bit of a tricky intersection and safety is always the priority!
Want Something Shorter? For al ittle over 11 come back through the cemetery instead of going all the way up to Rosslyn (this also saves you from my least favorite hill by Roosevelt Island). If you want an even shorter run, come up South Eads Street off of the Four Mile Run and take the 27 Trail back for around 10.5 miles!
Need a Longer Route? To add another mile, take a trek over any of the bridges into DC and come back along one of the further ones. Adding an extra out and back on the Mount Vernnon Trail towards Alexandria can also get you any number of extra miles. In the summer, however, I usually recommend people do an earlier add-on for routes instead of during the run, just because the sun does get stronger throughout the day and the temperatures will creep up on you.
Thirsty? There's a water fountain along the Mount Vernon Trail just past the metro bridge right before mile 7 and one up near Roosevelt Island at mile 11. We've also got both mid and post run drinks this week! Thank you to Russ (and Baby Theo) for mid run drinks, they'll be at the intersection of South Eads Street and the Four Mile Run trail at exactly 6 miles. Gina is also providing post-run drinks once again! We don't have any volunteers for future weeks, so please sign up (send me an email)!
Need a Bathroom? There are portopotties at Gravelly Point at Mile 8 (maybe even some nicer ones left over from the fireworks). There's also some portopotties at Roosevelt Island at Mile 11.
Bonjour! La prochaine course du club est le Jour de La Bastille Quatre Miler le 14 julliet! If you haven't been taking French on Duolingo, that means the next club race is the Bastille Day Four Miler on July 14th! This is a fun race every year with French wine, croissants, and the canal! If you can't race, volunteer here. The red singlets are also still available for a little while longer, make sure to grab yours before they're gone!
Happy Running!
Anna
