Hello Saturday Long Runners!
If you've been stalking the website and memorizing the route weeks in advance (hi Nate!) then this one may come as a surprise. I went on a recon run for Long Bridge Park (the original route for this week) on Wednesday and the good news is that the part on Boundary Channel Drive where you run under 395 will now have a massive sidewalk and great pedestrian access, the bad news is said sidewalk is currently a bunch of rocks with giant vehicles around it and not very runnable. So instead we'll get a wonderful taste of fall this weekend along the Capital Crescent Trail (and an out-and-back for those who are fans)! The weather tomorrow looks as good as it can get in early September and I look forward to seeing everyone at 7! Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be doing a classic out and back on the Capital Cresent trail (strava, gps, pdf), which if you read the cue sheets closely you'll notice has been part of our repertoire since back when the Capital Crescent wasn't even fully paved! This is one of the best places to run in DC in the fall and my personal favorite part is the Dalecarlia Railroad Tunnel we'll hit around mile 5.3! The 14 mile route will turn around at River Road around the 4.5 MM on the trail, or whenever your watch beeps at 7 miles, whichever comes first ;).
Want Something Shorter? Out and backs are perfect for that! The half mile marks on the trail roughly correspond to mile marks, so for 12 miles turn at 5.5MM, 10 turn at 6.5 MM, and so on.
Need a Longer Route? Take these old train tracks up to Bethesda for any number of extra miles. Like shortening the route, for longer just go a mile marker further for every two miles you'd like to add (so 3.5MM for 16 and so on).
Thirsty? Thank you to Bonnie for post run drinks! We'll also see Bill Wheeler and Julie Powell out on the CCT just before mile 5 with mid-run drinks (they'll be at the turn we normally take to get to Battery Kemble Park). Also be sure to wish Bill good luck as he takes on the Erie marathon next weekend!! There is also a water fountain at Fletcher's Boathouse at mile 3.5 and another couple along the CCT depending on how far you go out.
Need a Bathroom? Fletcher's is your best bet for bathrooms around mile 3.5. Otherwise there are some gas stations just off the CCT that may work out, but not a lot of other public options.
The next club race is the National Capital 20 Miler and Janet Braunstein 5 Milers on September 24th! This is a great way to get a good tuneup in for your fall marathon while getting real practice with water stops and course amenities. We also need plenty of volunteers to make this race go smoothly and it's your last chance to get Bunion Derby credit! The book club will meet next weekend on the 10th to discuss Des Linden's book Choosing To Run! It's a great read and there is sure to be some fabulous discussion!
Happy Running!
Anna
