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SLR: 12 Miles Bluemont L Loop

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Good luck to everyone racing at either Rock and Roll or Virginia Beach this weekend! Rock and Roll is this Saturday at 8 AM starting downtown and closing the Memorial Bridge, so plan ahead when getting to SLR! As such, we'll also be changing the route up in order to avoid the area (which unfortunately means we'll miss the Magnolia trees in the Haupt Garden, highly recommend going if you get the chance). The weather looks lovely for tomorrow, with temperatures in the upper 40s, with sun and no wind!

The Route: This week we'll be avoiding downtown and any bridges with a classic Bluemont L Loop (strava, gps, pdf). We'll start by heading up to Ballston via Wilson Boulevard then heading down the Bluemont Trail to the W&OD. From here we'll head west until making a right onto the Custis trail, which we'll follow down to the Mount Vernon Trail, under the Memorial Bridge, and back to the park via the 110 Trail. There are some lovely trees blooming along the way that are sure to be a treat!

Want Something Shorter? Instead of heading onto the Bluemont Trail, take a right and go down Custis for about 9 miles instead of 12. Another way to cut off some distance and miss some of the hills is to turn at Lynn Street back into Rosslyn instead of going on the Mount Vernon Trail. This will also net you a little over 9 miles.

Need a Longer Route? An out and back along the W&OD or Mount Vernon Trail makes it easy to get some more mileage. My personal favorite is to head down near the 14th Street Bridge for some views of the not-quite-blooming-yet cherry trees across the river.

Thirsty? The water fountains along the W&OD and Custis have been on all winter and it's a safe bet they'll stay that way. Check them out at the corner of the W&OD and Custis and along Custis right after Ballston!

Need a Bathroom? The ones along the W&OD should be opening momentarily (if anyone knows the date off the top of their head let me know! Usually it's mid-November to mid-March). Otherwise there are plenty of Starbucks along Wilson that I've used many times in a pinch.

The next club race is the Finally-Back-At-Fort-Hunt 10K this Sunday! Register or better yet, volunteer and get those Snowball Series credits out of the way!

Happy Running!

Anna

SLR: 10 Miles Chain Bridge Loop

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

For those running Shamrock next weekend, congratulations! You've made it to the last long run of the training cycle and that's something to be proud of. The weather tomorrow looks, well, bad quite frankly. Low 40s and raining is no ones favorite conditions, but remember: better now than on race day (flashback to 2018 Boston, which was much worse). Now let's get into it:

The Route: What I've affectionately nicknamed The Hilly Loop: it's Chain Bridge (strava, gps, pdf) week at SLR! We'll head up the Rosslyn hill before making a sharp left down the bike path and following it to Lorcom Lane up the hill before making a right onto Nelly Custis Drive where we'll crest the hill and veer right through the traffic circle onto Military Road. We'll climb two more hills along Military, the last of which will lead us to the corner of Old North Glebe, where we'll take a right then a left onto North Randolph Street and a right down the bike path and the big hill to the Chain Bridge. From here we'll enjoy a gradual downhill back to Georgetown and across the bridge to Rosslyn.

Want Something Shorter? An out and back on Military Road is your best bet for a shorter run. Alternatively, make it a loop and head back a slightly different direction to Custis (most roads lead there eventually).

Need a Longer Route? We've got plenty of options for bridges this week! Taking Memorial Bridge back and going straight to the park will make it 12 miles and taking Memorial Bridge and going up through Rosslyn will be 13. The 14th Street Bridge makes for a convenient 14 miler if you come back up by the Cemetery and 15 miles if you go through Rosslyn. For any more than that, throw in a loop of Hains for 18+.

Thirsty? The water fountain at mile 3.5 at Zachary Taylor Park has been a lifesaver on many, many runs. Additional water can be found at Fletcher's Cove Boathouse, just take a right off the canal and head down the steps and it's on the left.

Need a Bathroom? There's a portopotty around mile 4.3 at the Nature Center and working bathrooms (with indoor plumbing!) at Fletcher's Cove! I've also had a lot of luck with construction sites in front yards, so keep an eye out.

The Banquet is this Sunday March 10th at 4:30 at Maggiano's Little Italy in Friendship Heights and we need your help to hit quorum! In order to elect officers for the next calendar year, we need at least 50 attendees who are members in good standing. Sign up today!

Anna