Hello Saturday Long Runners!
The heat has broken and has made for a wonderful false fall and some nice (compared to the rest of the summer) weather for tomorrow's run! Though the temps will be cooler, the humidity is supposed to be very high, so be sure to bring water and plan to be a little sticky! Now let's get into it:
The Route: You've seen the maps around the Custis and W&OD trails, now run it for yourself! That's right it's Arlington Triangle week (strava, gps, pdf)!! The Arlington Triangle combines the four major trails of Arlington: the Mount Vernon Trail, the Four Mile Run Trail, the W&OD Trail, and the Custis Trail to form a 16 mile loop completely on paved bike trails. It's a wonderful reminder of the incredible biking and running infrastructure we have in the DC area and gives you a true tour of the Arlington area!
Want Something Longer? My personal favorite way to add onto the loop is to add an extra out and back along the W&OD before turning onto Custis, which allows you to get any number of extra miles. If you're in the mood to make it "real" Arlington Triangle (and maybe go after a Fastest Known Time ;) you can continue down the Rosslyn Hill past Roosevelt Island and return by coming up the same way you go out by the cemetery for an 18 miler.
Need a Shorter Route? For around 14.5 miles, instead of coming back along Custis take the Bluemont Connector trail (which is a different bike trail about a mile before the turn for Custis). This will take you to Wilson Boulevard, which you can take into Court House and hop down to the park from there! Otherwise there are some options for more complex loops, but the least mentally taxing will definitely be an out and back. Turning around at the turn onto the Four Mile run will get you 10 miles and getting to the W&OD will run you 14.
Thirsty? Thanks to Steven P. once again for post run drinks! Mrs. Big Guy will also be at the Weenie Beenie parking lot at Mile 7 with mid run drinks! Otherwise the Arlington Triangle has a nice collection of water fountains: mile 4.4 on the MVT by the airport, 7.2 at the trailhead of the W&OD, 8.8 after crossing Columbia Pike, 11.1 at the corner of Custis and W&OD, and 13.3 midway through Custis! Although these are great options (and all of them are on last I checked!!), the humidity tomorrow looks brutal and brining water is a great idea!
Need a Bathroom? Like water fountains, there some good options! There are plenty of portopotties at Gravelly Point at mile 3, though their cleanliness is always questionable. There are also some great ones at mile 10.6 near bluemont park (there are both some in the park, which adds a bit of mileage, as well as just before the Wilson Boulevard bridge, which are closer to the route.
The next club race is this Sunday August 6th! The Steve Thompson 8K provides a great opportunity for a fast almost-five-miler to kick off your fall racing season! If you're too tuckered out from SLR, consider volunteering and helping the club out!
Happy Running!
Anna
