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SLR: 12 Miles Cathedral Clintons

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

It's Nate, your faithful ersatz SLR leader, writing to you this week...I heard there is this little race up in Boston this weekend! Good luck to all of our club members who are running and have a blast! If you're here, please note the weather because this is going to be our first Hot One(tm) of the season. Forecast is for the upper 60s at the start. You aren't heat-acclimated yet, so stay hydrated, listen to your ol' meatbag, and don't push yourself too hard!

Where Are We Going This Time? This week we'll be heading up Rock Creek Park and up (and up and up) Calvert and Cleveland to Cathedral Clintons (strava, gps, pdf). Your friendly neighborhood Episcopalian is always awed by the cathedral's majesty! (And really wants to go to a choral service soon!) After trudging uphill for seemingly the entire run, we'll be treated to the best downhill in DC (as voted by Anna, last time we did this) along Massachusetts Avenue, passing Embassy Row and the White House back to the park.

Want Less? From Mass Ave, take a right on 22nd Street and then another right on M Street to cut this down to 10 miles. If Metro is your thing like it is mine, we will pass Woodley Park at 5 miles, Dupont Circle at 7-3/4 and the Farragut Square stations at 8-1/4.

Want More? Heading down the Mall towards Capitol Hill will also get you a few more miles and a few water fountains along the way. Running along the Mount Vernon Trail to get back to the park instead of passing the cemetery will also tack on an extra mile.

Parched? There are not many options on this one. There is one fountain in Bryce Park, which is on the far (south) side of Mass Ave when you turn left off of Wisconsin. There is another along the short route at the corner of 23rd and P -- I have used this one and can vouch that it worked then -- but if you want the full length, it is easy to detour to it and then continue east on P over to Dupont Circle. Of course, there are always the usual ones on the Mall that my park ranger friends swear will actually work this time. In light of that vote of confidence I recommend carrying today.

Swimming Eyeballs? Unlike Anna, I do not condone using random port-o-potties in the yards of under-construction houses...but if you're desperate, you do you becuase there will probably be one. Open City, the Cathedral's cafe, opens at 7am and is another option in a pinch. (Or for a drinks break!)

Don't forget there is Happy Hour on Thursday at Carpool in Ballston, in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank! Come on out and donate if you can!

Happy Running!

Nate

SLR: 12 Miles Pentagon Army Navy

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Sorry for the last minute change in routes, we were originally slated to do Potomac Overlook Loops this week, but we’re switching it up due to the weather (if you’ve run there in the rain you know what I mean). Rest assured we’ll get to it in a few weeks in honor of our departing president Ben! In the meantime we’ll enjoy a spin around National Landing (does anyone call it that yet?)! Now let’s get into it:

The Route: This week we'll be doing the classic Pentagon Army Navy route (strava, gps, pdf), which will take us around National Landing (which is really just Pentagon City/Crystal City) via Army Navy Drive before coming back along the Four Mile Run and Mount Vernon Trails, where we will be treated to some lovely tulips at Lady Bird Johnson Park! Don't forget to cross at South Meade Street when crossing Glebe Road, that's a bit of a tricky intersection and safety is always the priority!
Want Something Shorter? For a little over 11 come back through the Cemetery instead of going all the way up to Rosslyn (this also saves you from my least favorite hill by Roosevelt Island). If you want an even shorter run, come up South Eads Street off of the Four Mile Run and take the 27 Trail back for around 10.5 miles! There are also metro stations in Pentagon City and Crystal City that can get you back easily, consider the turn into Crystal City off of the Mount Vernon Trail as your point of no return (as in you're committed to running at least 4 more miles back to the park).

Need a Longer Route? An out and back on the Mount Vernon or Four Mile Run trails can get you some more mileage without too much mental energy. Otherwise heading into the city over any of the bridges can add about 1-2 miles (depending on which bridges) and save you from what will likely be a headwind on the Mount Vernon Trail. Going into the city also lets you see some of our remaining Kwanzan cherry trees and a LOT of tulips!

Thirsty? There's a water fountain along the Mount Vernon Trail just past the metro bridge right before mile 7 and one up near Roosevelt Island at mile 11, but I doubt either will be turned on tomorrow morning. Does that lack of functioning fountains infuriate you? The Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, a nonprofit organization who supports trail maintenance and upkeep along our lovely MVT is soliciting donations in support of replacing water fountains along the trail to freeze-proof, year-round fountains with bottle filler stations! They have current funding for eight replacement fountains along the entire stretch of trail (including the ones at Roosevelt Island), but there is room in the contract for three more fountains if they can secure funding (including some at LBJ Park).

Need a Bathroom? There are portopotties at Gravelly Point at Mile 8 if you really need them in addition to the ones at Roosevelt Island at Mile 11. Both of these are of questionable cleanliness, but better than the alternative.

We’ve got a happy hour in partnership with Capital Area Foodbank on April 24th at Carpool in Ballston! Come out and donate if you can!

Happy Running!
Anna