2012 Spring Half Routes

Written by Lauren Bullis

Sunday, 04 December 2011 20:10

Week 2 December 10 - 5 Miles - Washington Monument Out & Back

This week is the Washington Monument 5 Miler.  It is a fun (aren't they all) out and back along the Potomac to the Lincoln Memorial along the left side of the Reflecting pool and back along the South side of the reflecting pool and back to GRC the way we came

  1. Start at 34th street under the Whitehurst
  2. Go along the Potomac towards Sequoia
  3. Go past the Ikea (Swedish) embassy and left at the boathouse
  4. At Rock Creek turn right continue with Watergate & Kennedy Center on your left
  5. Contiinue to Lincoln and run along left side of reflecting pool to the Washington Monument
  6. Run around the Monument and back on the other side of the reflecting pool
  7. Return the way you came.  Well done!!!

Week 3 December 17 - 5 Miles - Christmas Tree Route

This week we are doing the seasonal Christmas tree route.  This will take us to the Washington Monument, across Constitution, through the Christmas tree, back to Constitution, to Virginia Avenue and back to GRC.

  1. Start at 34th street under the Whitehurst
  2. Go along the Potomac towards Sequoia
  3. Go past the Ikea (Swedish) embassy and left at the boathouse
  4. At Rock Creek turn right continue with Watergate & Kennedy Center on your left
  5. Contiinue to Lincoln and run along left side of reflecting pool to the Washington Monument
  6. Cross Constitution at 15th ST and enter the elipse
  7. Run around the Elipse... enjoy the tree, Minora and Yule log... back to Constitution
  8. Turn right on Constitution and immediately turn right on Virginia Ave.
  9. Take Virginia Avenue back to Rock Creek and return to GRC along the Potomac

Week 4 & 5 December 24 & 31  - 6 Miles - Bridge to Bridge route

This week we are again visiting the Washington Monument for the 3rd and 4th straight week.  There are certainly worse places for us to visit 4 weeks straight.  We will be running around the monument, over Memorial bridge, along the Potomoc (North) to Key bridge and back to GRC

  1. Start at 34th street under the Whitehurst
  2. Go along the Potomac towards Sequoia
  3. Go past the Ikea (Swedish) embassy and left at the boathouse
  4. At Rock Creek turn right continue with Watergate & Kennedy Center on your left
  5. Contiinue to Lincoln and run along left side of reflecting pool to the Washington Monument
  6. Run around the Monument and back on the other side of the reflecting pool
  7. Cross over Memorial bridge on the South side (left side as you cross)
  8. It gets tricky here, turn left after crossing, cross over the exit from 110/GW Parkway BE CAREFUL
  9. Stay left and pick up Mt Vernon trail heading North (Potomac on your right).
  10. Continue on trail through Roosevelt Island parking lot up to Lynn St.
  11. Turn right on Key bridge returning to GRC

Week 6 January 7  - 7 Miles - MLK 7 Miler

This week we are going to check out the new MLK monument on the inaugural MLK 7 Miler.   

  1. Start at 34th street under the Whitehurst
  2. Go along the Potomac towards Sequoia
  3. Go past the Ikea (Swedish) embassy and left at the boathouse
  4. At Rock Creek turn right continue with Watergate & Kennedy Center on your left
  5. Run in front of the Lincoln Memorial and continue on Ohio drive along the Potomac
  6. Turn left into the MLK memorial...pause...take it in
  7. Continue clockwise around the tidal basin in front of Jefferson (if open)
  8. Continue up path to 14th street bridge & cross - Narrow and noisy...sorry...watch out for bikes
  9. Heat North on Mt Vernon Trail up to Key Bridge - Cross & back to GRC
Week 7 January 14 - 7 Mile Zoo Run!!!!!

Best run ever!  We get to head up to the Zoo today for your first real taste of hills.  The Zoo Run is my favorite route, a big hill with a petting zoo... what more could you want

  1. Start at 34th street under the Whitehurst
  2. Go along the Potomac towards Sequoia
  3. Go past the Ikea (Swedish) embassy and left at the boathouse
  4. At Rock Creek turn left on Rock creek
  5. Continue on Rock Creek until the Woodly Park hill - Take the far right choice (only downhill choice)
  6. Continue to tunnel - Turn left at tunnel and enter zoo at first chance
  7. After about 100 yards take a left into the petting zoo - enjoy the goats, cows and alpacas
  8. head up the big zoo hill - go slow and try not to stop
  9. Turn left on Connecticut ave - cross the street when you can safely
  10. Turn right on 24th street and enter rock creek in 100 Yards - If you cross over a bridge you are lost - turnaround!
  11. Follow Rock creek back the way we came out back to GRC

Week 8 January 21 - 8 Mile Custis Hill Run

You will hate me but we are doing 8 miles of Custis hills today.  Take it nice and easy today, nothing to prove.  Slow and steady wins the race. 

  1. Cross over Key Bridge
  2. Turn right on Custis trail and begin the hills
  3. Run to turnaround point clearly marked in chalk 

Week 9 January 28 - 9 Mile Roosevelt Custis Hill Run

So we missed out on the Custis due to ice and snow, so we are going to hit it this Saturday instead.  To give you a respite from the hills we are going to have a bit of a detour to start.  We will be going onto Roosevelt island for a loop and then heading up the Custis and back.  The route is:

  1. Run over Key bridge - left onto Mt Vernon Trail
  2. Run through Roosevelt Island parking lot
  3. Cross over the bridge onto the island - go clockwise one loop - stay together
  4. Return over bridge back to the start of the Mt Vernon Trail
  5. Keep straight along Lee highway on the Custis trail
  6. Go to Glebe Rd and turnaround
  7. Cross back over Key Bridge

Week 10 February 4 - 10 Mile Capitol Run

We are headed to the capitol this week.  It is all flat except for the hill up to the Capitol, but after last week it will be a cake walk.  We essentially will be runnung to Lincoln, along the mall around the Capitol and back to Lincoln (on Independence just before WWII) over to Virginia and back along the Mt Vernon trail to Key bridge... and to GRC!  The route is:

  1. Start at 34th street under the Whitehurst
  2. Go along the Potomac towards Sequoia
  3. Go past the Ikea (Swedish) embassy and left at the boathouse
  4. At Rock Creek turn right continue with Watergate & Kennedy Center on your left
  5. Continue to Lincoln and run along left side of reflecting pool all the way to the Capitol
  6. Run up the left side of the capitol to 1st st NE, turn right and run around the Capitol
  7. Return past the Washington Monument returning to Lincoln along Independence ave
  8. Cross over Memorial bridge on the South side (left side as you cross)
  9. It gets tricky here, turn left after crossing, cross over the exit from 110/GW Parkway BE CAREFUL
  10. Stay left and pick up Mt Vernon trail heading North (Potomac on your right).
  11. Continue on trail through Roosevelt Island parking lot up to Lynn St.
  12. Turn right on Key bridge returning to GRC

 

Week 11 February 11 Capital Crescent - Wisconsin 11

On Feb 11, week 11 we are running 11 :).  OK it is 10.8 so feel free to run the extra to get 11.  We are headed up Capital Crescent to River Rd (our first venture to Maryland).  We will have a nice steady uphill into MD on the the Capital Crescent to River RD, to Tenlytown and straight down Wisconsin to 34th street back to GRC.  Turn by turn:

  1. We run up Capital Crescent 6 miles
  2. Turn right on River Rd for 1.5 miles
  3. Turn right onto Wisconsin for 2.25 miles
  4. Turn right onto 34th street back to GRC

Week 12 February 18 Ridge Road Airport Run 12

The run this week will take us through the stomping grounds of last year's program out of Pentagon Row.  Essentially we are heading to pentagon row, up to Ridge Road, to 4 mile run, Mt Vernon (by/through Airport) and back to Key bridge.  Good times indeed.  The turn by turn directions are as follows:

  1. Over Key Bridge straight to Iwo Jima
  2. Enter parking lot and run towards the Carillon and down the path towards 110
  3. Continue on the path to its zenith by the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery
  4. Cross the road and continue towards the Memorial bridge to the right side of the circle
  5. Safely pass over Washington Blvd (main road leading to the circle) and bear right onto path next to Washington Blvd.
  6. Run past the Pentagon (it will be on your left) and when you see the 9/11 memorial you will take your first left by the guard shack and continue to the parking lot
  7. Run towards Pentagon City mall and take the tunnel to the parking lot outside of the mall/Pentagon Row
  8. Bear right on Army Navy drive...run up the hill (only real uphill for the entire route)
  9. Take first left onto Lynn street....which turns into Ridge Road...
  10. Continue on Ridge Road for 1-2 miles all the way down the hill to Glebe Road.
  11. IMPORTANT at the light at Glebe you will cross safely and enter the park on the left.  4 Mile run goes through this park... take 4 mile run towards the airport (glebe on left 4 mile run brook on right)
  12. Continue on 4 mile run til it ends by the parking lot at National Airport
  13. Take Mt Vernon North towards the airport all the way to Key Bridge and back to GRC

 

Lucky Week 13 - Castle 13 Miler

The route this week will cover the majority of the half marathon route.  We will be on busy DC streets the entire time so please be cautious and do not wear headphones.  Let's try to run in groups as to not get lost , no need to push yourself through the longest training run of the program.  The turn by turn is as follows:

  1. Run across the mall to Madison Dr turn left
  2. Turn right on 14th to Constitution...Cross safely to N side (whitehouse side) of street
  3. Turn left onto Constitution run past the Whitehouse, turn right onto 18th st
  4. Continue one mile to CT Ave  - Turn left
  5. Run through Dupont and turn right onto Columbia just past the Hinckley Hilton
  6. After a mile on Columbia you will be at the 16th st... cross over onto Harvard
  7. Continue on Harvard to the end at the reservoir - Turn right onto 5th st
  8. 5th turns into 4th... seriously...it does...  two more blocks and turn left onto Bryant
  9. After about 3 blocks turn right onto N Capitol... continue a little over a mile
  10. Turn left onto K st... run 4 blocks...
  11. Turn right onto 4th St NE for two blocks
  12. Turn left onto H st for 1/2 mile...
  13. Right onto 13th st for a mile
  14. Left onto constitution for a 1/2 mile
  15. Right onto 19th st for two blocks
  16. Right onto East Capitol for two ish miles
  17. Right onto 2nd ST SE for two blocks
  18. Left onto Constitution
  19. Left onto 4th st NW
  20. Right onto Mall/Madison to 14th st
  21. Left on 14th St to Jefferson
  22. Arrive back at Castle... Job well done

 

Week 15 - Bridges Bridges and more Bridges 8 Miler

This week's route has us going over every bridge in DC (ok, so no Chain bridge...) and we cruise by MLK (walking respectfully of course).  The route map is here and the turn by turn is:

  1. Key Bridge - Left on Mt. Vernon Trail
  2. Past Roosevelt island parking lot continue straight over Roosevelt Bridge
  3. Follow path to Virginia Avenue
  4. Turn right on Virginia Avenue
  5. Right on 21st Street
  6. Cross Constitution and head to front of Licoln
  7. Cross Memorial Bridge on the South (airport) side
  8. Stay left and connect with Mt Vernon trail South (towards airport)
  9. Cross over 14th street bridge
  10. TAKE STEPS AT END OF BRIDGE TO OHIO DRIVE
  11. Turn right on Ohio drive towards Licoln
  12. Run on the Tidal Basin past FDR and through MLK (walking of course)
  13. Cross Independence and back to Licoln
  14. Return to GRC via rock creek as usual