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SLR - 15 Miles - Iron Triangle

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Just a reminder that SLR now and throughout the summer will be starting at 7 AM! The weather for tomorrow looks as good as you can get in DC in late May: high 50s, overcast, and no wind. This week is also Sara Putterman's last SLR as a DC-area resident, be sure to wish her the best on her new adventures out in Denver and thank her for all that she's done for the club as VP of Operations, MCR co-founder, and much more!

The Route: This week we'll be attacking the hills of the Iron Triangle (strava, milermeter, pdf, gpx). This 15 mile loop runs up near the chain bridge before almost nearly following the old DC boundary down to Falls Church and back to Rosslyn via the W&OD and Custis Trails. Although Military, Glebe, Williamsburg, and Sycamore are not as busy on weekends, please remember to exercise caution as these are still open roads with high speed limits.

Want Something Shorter? To keep some hills and enjoy the canal in the spring, consider following the Chain Bridge Loop for a 10 miler. We also will pass the East Falls Church Metro station at mile 9 as well as Ballston-MU around mile 12 (you'll have to get off of Custis in Ballston, but it's a short run to the metro station from the trail).

Need a Longer Route? The W&OD makes it easy to add any number of miles to this route. The recent construction in Falls Church is mostly done and the trail and new bridge over 29 is a must-see if you haven't run it yet (to do this go west on the trail instead of east when we hit the trail in Falls Church). It's also possible to add on by continuing east on the trail instead of turning onto Custis.

Thirsty? There are a few water fountains on this route, but as is often true in the summer it's best to carry what you'll need. Zachary Taylor Park at mile 3.5, the corner of Custis and the W&OD at mile 10, and on Custis at mile 12.1 are your sure bets for fountains. Edgar will also be at mile 10.2 on Custis with mid-run drinks! Thanks once again to Christie for post run drinks this week! We're always in need of volunteers, especially in the summer, so be sure to reach out if you're interested and able!

Need a Bathroom? When I ran this route on Thursday there were plenty of portopotties sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods, including one on Nelly Custis (2.8), one just off Glebe (5.5), one just off Williamsburg (7ish), and one at Benjamin Banneker Park (9.0). Most of these are in yards for construction, so I won't 100% guarantee they're open, but I would put money on at least 1-2 of them being available. In a pinch, there are also bathrooms at Bon Air Park on the W&OD just after the turn onto Custis, which will require a little more mileage but has the perk of indoor plumbing.

The next club race is the Women's Distance Festival and Run After the Women 5K on Sunday June 4th, even if you don't want to race a 5K we also always need volunteers! There's also still time to read "For the Glory: The Untold and Inspiring Story of Eric Liddell, Hero of Chariots of Fire" by Duncan Hamilton for the next book club meeting on June 25th.

Happy Running!

Anna