Hello Saturday Long Runners!
SLR will be starting at 8 AM this week and every week from now until spring! Figured I'd get that news out of the way early. The weather looks very mild for this weekend, but we might see some showers on the run so be prepared for a little rain! Also I'd like to give a very loud good luck to everyone racing Chicago or Army 10 Miler this weekend. If you're looking for the perfect Army 10 Miler shakeout, this route will run us very close to Stadium Armory (where the expo and packet pickup are located) at right around 6 miles. Come for a pre-race jog, grab your packet, and take the Metro back to North Meade Street! Now let's get into it:
The Route: I'm not sure how I convinced the board to let me do a 22 mile long run, but man am I excited for it (and you should be too)! North Anacostia (strava, gps, pdf), as I'm calling it will take us to the northern part of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail all the way through Bladensburg, MD before we traverse our way back into DC and down the Metropolitan Branch Trail. This gives us an opportunity to see some parts of the city we don't normally get to see on our long runs and will be a bit of an adventure! Pay attention to the turns between the Riverwalk and Monroe Street, there aren't many of them and they aren't particularly confusing, but it is a new area which provides every opportunity to get turned around. When in doubt, follow signs for Catholic University and DC! If you're not already sold, the northern part of the riverwalk when we'll run through Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is one of my absolute favorite places in the DC area and I'm really excited for everyone to get a chance to see it!
Want Something Shorter? The best way to cut off distance is to take the metro back to the park (and we're even starting at 8, which means that you can also take the metro to SLR and just grab a train home if you're near a station)! For around 15.5 miles, take the train back from the Brookland-CUA station. After that there are stops roughly every half mile to mile along the MBT, in addition to Union Station at mile 18.5 and Smithsonian around mile 19.5. As I mentioned in the intro, if you want a lot less mileage and need to pick up your bib, cutting off from the group at Lincoln Park and making a beeline for Stadium Armory is an excellent move!
Need a Longer Route? If you insist. Coming back up along the Mount Vernon trail instead of by the cemetery will add an extra mile to make it 23, and traversing the 14th street bridge instead of Memorial can also add another extra mile to your run for 24.
Thirsty? We've got two mid-run drinks in store for this weekend because of the longer route (and lack of water along the Anacostia Riverwalk)! Deborah Magraff and Lisa Towell will be at Lincoln Park at mile 5 and will stick around if anyone is doing a shorter out and back version of the route (just let them know when you pass them the first time!). Jack Phillips will be along the Anacostia Riverwalk between miles 9-11 depending on the parking situation! He's also providing post run drinks which leads to me begging and pleading for folks to sign up for the next few weeks! The weather is getting cooler, but hydration is important year round! Other opportunities for water will come along the Mall (which fingers crossed will stay on for at least a few more weeks, but their time is dwindling), at the Bladensburg boathouse at mile 12, and along the MBT at Alethia Tanner Park around mile 17.
Need a bathroom? There are bathrooms along the Mall at the Washington Monument (which _should_ be open), some at the Bladensburg Boathouse around mile 12, and a few portopotties scattered along the MBT (the Dew Drop Inn has them blocked off, but they aren't locked and fences can move for a reason). Union Station has also finished their remodel and provides another good option around mile 18.5!
I am once again asking for SLR drinks support! As a reminder you can be reimbursed for any purchases made and it greatly benefits the club and your fellow runners! Any volunteering you do from now through the spring will also count towards Snowball Series volunteer credit! Get it out of the way early and focusing on crushing your age-group enemies throughout the winter!
Happy Running!
Anna
