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SLR: 15 Miles Iron Triangle

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Good luck to everyone racing Cherry Blossom (or the Coast Guard Marathon, or any other races you may have) this weekend! Interested in a shakeout instead of some hills for SLR? We've got you covered! It'll be a chilly one tomorrow, but no rain in the forecast and we may even get some sun! Now let's get into it:

The Route: Get ready for some hills, it's Iron Triangle (strava, gps, pdf) week! This is an all time favorite SLR route and one of the best ways to get fit without even needing a workout. We'll head up Custis and onto Lorcom Lane where we'll make our way up Nelly Custis and Military until Old Glebe Road. From here we'll turn left on Old Glebe and then another left on Glebe (they really need to name these streets better) where we'll climb to the top of the hill and take a right at the traffic light at Williamsburg. After a couple more hills, we'll take a slight left on Sycamore and be treated to a wonderfully long downhill to the W&OD, where we'll follow custis back to the park for a 15 mile lollipop loop.

Want a Shakeout Instead? We've got your covered. We'll stick with the larger group until Custis, but instead of being tortured by the Rosslyn Hill, we'll head down past Roosevelt Island until the Memorial Bridge, where we'll follow the 110 Trail back to the cemetery for a nice 3.5-ish mile loop. Come talk race strategy, weather, and the fact they're actually opening the metro for once!

Want Something Shorter? But longer than a shakeout? For a few less hills and a few less miles, the Chain Bridge 10 miler is one of my all-time favorite loops. It'll allow you to be with the group for almost five miles before heading back in a much flatter way than how you came out. There are also excellent metro stops at mile 9 (East Falls Church) and 12 (Ballston-MU) where for a mere $2 you can be back to Rosslyn in a jiffy!

Need a Longer Route? An out and back on the W&OD is a great way to add some mileage on one of the best trails in the area. Heading west will take you into Falls Church, while going east will lead to Shirlington!

Thirsty? We've got mid-run drinks this week courtesy of Brian! He'll be leaving a cooler and trash bag at the top of Harrison and Williamsburg. Keep an eye out and remember to throw away all trash (Brian will be joining mid-run and coming back to clean up after, we're trying something new folks!). We've also got post-run drinks courtesy of former-SLR-leader-current-ultra-marathoner Erik, who also asks folks to clean up if they're the last group at the park. Other water fountains can be found at mile 3.5 in Zachary Taylor Park just off Military, at Fort Ethan Allen Park around mile 5, the Custis and W&OD interchange at mile 10, and along Custis at mile 12.

Need a Bathroom? Ethan Allen Park also has bathrooms around mile 5 and there are some others if you keep going down the W&OD after Custis for an extra mile and some indoor plumbing. Otherwise there is always a house or two along this route that has some contruction going on and a portopotty in the yard, so keep your eyes peeled!

If you're not running Cherry Blossom tomorrow, be sure to come to the DCRR (and seemingly every other club in the area) cheer zone at the corner of Ohio Drive and East Basin Drive. If you are running, be prepared for a scream tunnel for the ages to get you up that last little hill before the finish!

Happy Running!

Anna

SLR: 14 Miles Southeast DC

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Finally! A Saturday morning without rain! We were originally going to do the Big Loop this weekend at the request of a couple of folks running Boston, but I heard rumblings that it would be a little too far for most people and because the cherry blossoms are still (somehow!) blooming we're pulling an audible! Now let's get into it:

The Route: This week we'll be treated to a nice tour of the Wharf and the southern portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk as we take on Southeast DC (strava, gps, pdf). We'll head into the city via the Memorial Bridge, head down L'Enfant Plaza and through the Wharf to get to the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (new and improved as of a few years ago), make our way up the Anacostia Riverwalk and across the Sousa Bridge (named for the inventor of the Sousaphone), before heading to the Capitol via Pennsylvania and back to North Meade Park via the Mall.

Want Something Shorter? Coming back across the 11th Street Bridge and heading back via M Street will get you around 12.5 miles instead of the normal 14. There's also the option to take the metro back ($2 on weekends!) from a number of stations including Potomac Ave, Eastern Market, Capitol South, and Smithsonian!

Need a Longer Route? The Anacostia Riverwalk is great for adding additional mileage (and is super flat too if you need a workout)! For 18 miles, consider doing the full Anacostia Riverwalk Loop. Another option for around 16 miles is to take the East Capitol Street Bridge back across the river and continue down East Capitol Street all the way to the Capitol to head back. Hains Point is also still blooming and beautiful, so a detour there for a few extra miles never hurts!

Thirsty? We don't have any volunteers coming up for drinks (insert Bernie Sanders "I am once again asking" meme here) and as the weather gets warmer we'll need them more and more. As far as drinks along the route go, the water fountains along the Mall are (somehow!) turned on as of this week (thanks to Jill for scoping them out)! Other than that there is a fairly dependable fountain near the pirate ship playground at mile 7.7 that is a good bet.

Need a Bathroom? Along the Mall you'll find the usual selection at the Washington Monument. There are also some very well-positioned ones also at 7.7 near the playground. Otherwise along Pennsylvania Ave. there are a lot of restaurants and shops that generally will let you use their restrooms if you ask nicely. My personal favorite restrooms are the ones in Capitol Hill Books in the foreign language section.

We're in a bit of a downtime for the club as many of the other popular spring races (Cherry Blossom! Boston!) take center stage during April! This makes now the perfect time to start a training block for the Bunion Derby series, come out to Wednesday Night or Thursday Morning track for a great workout and better camaraderie!

Happy Running!

Anna