Hello Saturday Long Runners!
I think it's supposed to be 20 degrees colder tomorrow morning than it is today, so enjoy the sunshine and warmth while it lasts! Get prepared to bundle up once again tomorrow, winter is here for a while. Now let's get into it:
The Route: A new addition to our repertoire two years ago that no one has complained too much about yet is Holiday Card Lane (strava, gps, pdf). Which takes us down to Del Rey's famous Holiday Card Lane, a neighborhood tradition where people paint giant holiday cards and put them in their front lawns along East Luray and East Alexandria. We’ll head down to Del Rey via Commonwealth Ave. (which may look familiar if you’ve run the Turkey Trot) and then back up to North Meade Park via the Mount Vernon Trail. Rumor has it Miss Cindy Lou Hoo (occasional SLR host Nate's) adorable new dog will be making an appearance, which is absolutely worth the mileage. Head's up, this route is honestly pretty smack in the middle of 14 and 15 miles (14.6 if you follow the strava route exactly), so if you're an even-mileage fiend be prepared for either a little walk back or a couple loops around Iwo Jima.
Want Something Shorter? To see the cards, but avoid all the miles you can hop over to Potomac Ave Metro for about 9.5-10 miles. Crystal City (11 miles) is another great option for the metro as well. Otherwise for a 12 miler, follow Pentagon Army Navy like normal (and miss the cards), or switch to a shorter out and back for even less mileage.
Need a Longer Route? Continuing down Commonwealth will take you into Alexandria, where you can hop back on the Mount Vernon trail to add on some mileage without doing an out and back. Otherwise add on along the Four Mile Run or the Mount Vernon trail for any number of extra miles!
Thirsty? It's winter, which means most fountains are turned off, but this should be the last year of that, as FotMVT hit their fundraising goal and are bringing new fountains to the Mount Vernon Trail! Bring some water (and hope it doesn't freeze)! In a pinch I believe the fountains at Highlands Park in Crystal City are turned on all year, but that's not a gamble I'd take.
Need a Bathroom? The bathrooms at Gravelly Point aren’t the best option, but are always an option in a pinch. Otherwise Virginia Highlands Park also has bathrooms that should be open. There are a host of restaurants and rec centers in Del Rey that also may take pity on you. Nate's apartment is a little of the beaten path, but I'm sure he'd let you in if you want more dog pets.Â
The next club race is the Predicitons and Resolutions 5K at noon on January 1st! Start your year off right with a race on Custis, so that every 5K for the rest of the year you can say "at least I didn't have to run on Custis". Better yet, volunteer to help out, we need at least 7 more for this race. Happy Holidays and I hope everyone has a wonderful SLR wherever they are!
Happy Running!
Anna
