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SLR: 14 Miles Custis W&OD Out And Back

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

We're looking at a balmy morning tomorrow with temperatures maybe even reaching the low 20s by the time SLR is wrapping up. There is still ice on every surface not deemed shovel-worthy by Arlington County and DC, so we're in the same boat as last week as far as route options go. If you can't tell by those first two sentences I'm going a little crazy from it (and I'm sure you are as well), so come out and complain together, at least until our faces freeze. Now let's get into it:

The Route:We're doing a classic Custis W&OD Out and Back (strava) this week with a twist, instead of going towards Falls Church (which does not plow their trails) we'll head deeper into Arlington like we do on the Arlington Loop. We'd do a full Arlington Loop, but the Mount Vernon trail also does not get plowed (however it DOES get shoveled in chunks by the abosolutely lovely Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, who accept donations in time and money if you're available). This should be enough to get a reasonable amount of mileage in the morning, but there are certainly still a few icy spots (and more to come today as we melt a little and then refreeze), so please be careful out there!

Want Something Shorter or Longer? It's an out and back, which means cutting mileage is pretty easy if you turn around earlier and or later. If you want something other than a loop, Bluemont is plowed and the sidewalks along Clarendon and Wilson are in tip-top shape aside from a few small snow banks near the streets. A loop of Custis-W&OD-Bluemont from Rosslyn will get you roughly 10 miles (usually a little less, call it 9.5) if anyone is looking for that distance. 

Need a Bathroom or Water?There are very few bathrooms that are open currently, but I believe the one at the corner of the W&OD and Four Mile Run around mile 5.5 does get unlocked at some point in the morning, whether that's when we're running is a mystery. The water fountains, however, are freeze proof and proving it this week! There is one on Custis after the Corkscrew Crusher and another at the corner of the W&OD and Custis that are both operational as of this week.

The next club race was supposed to be the Belle Haven 8K this weekend, however due to Mount Vernon Trail conditions that has been postponed to March 2nd (which, I hope, will be warmer and more enjoyable). Signups for the Club Challenge 10 Miler (February 26th) are now open! Join our team and mentally prepare for the hills with some this weekend.

Happy Running!

Anna

https://mountvernontrail.org/

SLR: A 14 Mile Out and Back On Clear Trails

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Surprise! It snowed again yesterday enough to make every surface a little slick, but luckily that should all be cleaned up by tomorrow and we will be having SLR. The only question now is where we're going to run, I'll outline a few options but we'll likely pick tomorrow morning based on what is and isn't cleaned off (I'm planning on heading out early and getting a lay of the land, but if anyone is doing an afternoon run today let me know how the trails look). So let's get into it, I guess?

As I said above, we've got a couple options for routes that I know are clear, I'll lay out the options I see, but happy to have more if folks have other ideas:

1. Custis - W&OD Out and Back: This has been a staple for me over the past two weeks and Arlington county does a great job at plowing both trails. You know who doesn't? Falls Church. We'll likely head over to W&OD via Custis then hang left for any extra miles. Bluemont has also been consistently clear and is a great option for not an out and back.

2. Capital Crescent Out and Back - The Capial Crescent has also been consistently plowed, but ususally is a day or two behind the Arlington trails. The biggest pro of this route is that the Potomac and Canal are both frozen which gives some good sights, though we did _just_ do that route a few weeks back.

The Mount Vernon Trail is not plowed (sigh) so we will be avoiding that. In general DC sidewalks are 50/50 and there were a lot of slick spots today, so going that direction is out of the question as well. The Cemetery Hill has yet to be plowed and was a sheet of ice earlier this morning.

So I guess in general if you're someone who absolutely needs to know the route ahead of time tomorrow's SLR may not be for you. If you like a little adventure with some familiar areas, come on out!

The next club race is the Belle Haven 8K next Sunday, January 26th at 7 AM. We're giving out coffee mugs for prizes and need plenty of volunteers to run this smoothly! Nominations for Club Awards are also open until January 19th! If you (or your training partners) had a stand out year be sure to mention it in the form!

Happy Running!

Anna