Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Summer has come back to us and it's going to be a bad one out there tomorrow morning. Bring water, take advantage of the fountains along the Mall, and take care of eachother! Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be doing a DCRR-once-a-year classic: Mock MCM (strava, pdf, gps). This is the perfect opportunity to test out your fitness on 16/26ths of the Marine Corps Marathon course while getting a nice tour of DC. We'll head in through Georgetown, down Rock Creek to Hains Point and make a loop, back over to Lincoln via the Tidal Basin, then around the Mall and Washington Monument before returning over the 14th Street Bridge. For those following along at home that means we'll miss the dreaded Rosslyn hill, an out and back in Rock Creek Park, and some twists and turns in Crystal City from the true course.
Want Something Shorter? Luckily, the MCM organizers have made a lot of great opportunities to cut serious mileage off this route (just don't try it on race day). Cutting off Hains Point will save you over 3 miles for around 12.5, Skipping the out and back to the Capitol will also give you around 2.5 less miles, and cutting off that (in my opinion, rather annoying) out and back to Lincoln will cut off a little less than 2! Luckily any twists and turns you're confused by today will be well marked come race day, so don't worry too much if you find yourself taking a slightly different path than the cue sheet says.
Need a Longer Route? Hains Point gives a lovely option for adding on mileage in multiples of 3! Running south along the Mount Vernon trail after crossing the 14th street bridge is another excellent way to get a few more miles and a bit of a taste of the latter stages of the marathon.
Thirsty? The water fountains along the Mall are flowing properly this year and give plenty of options for stops along the way. Thanks to Anne Coia once again for post-run drinks!
Need a Bathroom? There are a few decent options to choose from! There are some great ones outside the Lincoln Memorial which we'll pass a few times throughout the morning. Additional bathrooms can be found at the Washington Monment when we pass it around miles 9.5 and 12, though these ones aren't nearly as nice. Hains Point also generally has some options, but which ones are unlocked depends on the day (though I generally have luck with the ones by the picnic area and playground at the end of the point).
Thanks to everyone who came out and ran or volunteered at Bluemont on Wednesday! The next club race is the annual 3 Mile "Cross Country" Race and Club Picnic next Saturday, August 23, at Nottoway Park out in Vienna. Please register ahead of time so we can get an accurate count on food! Calling this cross country would make some coaches roll over in their graves, but we're Road Runners after all!
Happy Running!
Anna
