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SLR: 21 Miles The Big Loop

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

We're looking at another hot and humid one tomorrow morning, even though I swear summer ended a couple of weeks ago! Bring water, take advantage of all of our drink options, and take it easy out there. Now let's get into it:

The Route: In terms of DC Running, The Big Loop (strava, gps, pdf) might be the most famous long run route in the area. It has the naming convention of "The" Ohio State, the scenery of Rock Creek Park, and the downhills of the CCT all rolled into one, well, Big Loop. We'll embark on a journey up Rock Creek Park, cross Maryland via Leland St (including the dreaded hills, and a few turns as mentioned on the cue sheet, when in doubt follow signs for Leland!!), and finish all the way down the Capital Crescent Trail. Running this loop is a big accomplishment (pun intended) and no marathon training cycle is complete without it (unless of course you just ran Berlin, in which case the Big Loop is completely meaningless and you're absolutely crushed it last weekend)!

Want Something Shorter? The Bethesda Metro Station around mile 13 is a great midway point to ensure you get all of the fun hills in this route for a few less miles on the back end! Keep in mind that the Blue/Orange/Silver lines are closed between DC and VA this weekend, plan ahead. If you're looking for something other than a metro route or an out and back in Rock Creek Park, the wonderful Ross Ridge Loop is a great way to get 14 miles in, take in the sights of Rock Creek, and still have company for a good chunk of the route.

Need a Longer Route? For a couple extra miles, continuing down through Georgetown and across the Memorial Bridge instead of the Key Bridge will add a couple miles to an already long day! Honestly, though, 21 is generally long enough for what you're training for!

Thirsty? There are some great water options every 5-8 miles along this route, so bring a bottle but expect some nice filling points! My favorites are at mile 5.5 just before you get on Beach Drive (with a new bottle filling station up near the bathrooms), along the Capital Crescent around mile 15 before the little bridge near the water treatment center, and at Fletcher's Boathouse around mile 17.7 as a good last fill before finishing out strong! As these runs get longer, fueling becomes more and more important! Don't forget to bring a few gels tomorrow so you're still feeling strong on that long downhill!! We've also got double mid-run drinks tomorrow morning courtesy of Jerry (Peirce Mill) and Jana & The Berlin Crew (Bethesda, also a great band name). Thanks again to Nick for post run drinks as well! 

Need a Bathroom? Those also come roughly the same frequency as the water fountains! Mile 5.5 just before getting on Beach Drive has two different sets of bathrooms (pro tip: going up the hill by the community garden and Mill gets you private bathrooms instead of the multi-stall ones). There are additional bathrooms along Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park every 1-2 miles, keep your eyes out for them along the side of the road near the various picnic areas! There aren't a ton of great options along the Capital Crescent trail aside from Fletcher's Boathouse at mile 17.7, but there are a few gas stations along the way that make a good stop in a pinch!

The Book Club meets on Sunday at FourFive Coffee in Rosslyn to discuss Running to the Edge by Matthew Futterman. Reach out to Eunja or Virginia to RSVP!

Happy Running!

Anna