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SLR: 15 Miles Long Bridge Park

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Congratulations to everyone who ran Marine Corps Marathon and thank you to everyone who came out on the course to cheer! It was a great weekend in the DC running and I like to think DCRR was a huge part of that. We’ve got some great weather on deck this weekend as our fall colors are peaking. Now let’s get into it:

The Route: While running MCM last weekend and slogging through the last two miles (iykyk) I realized we haven’t done Long Bridge Park (strava, gps, pdf) in a while because of the construction by the Pentagon. Well lucky for us, the construction is done and you probably won’t throw up in Crystal City like I did last weekend. We’ll head around the Pentagon pond to Long Bridge Park, where we’ll get a tour of Crystal City’s new water park and head down Crystal Drive. This will take us to Potomac Ave and eventually to the Mount Vernon Trail. We’ll return up the Mount Vernon Trail and finish at the park. If you haven’t done this route before it can get a little confusing down in Alexandria, review the maps ahead of time and remember your goal is to get to the river.

Want Something Shorter? The Pentagon Pond is paved perfectly on the perimeter (try saying that three times fast). This makes for a great way to flush out your legs from last weekend. Otherwise hopping on the metro in Crystal City or Alexandria can cut the route without an out and back. You can also get on the Mount Vernon Trail in Crystal City, which will get you less mileage and a little loop.

Need a Longer Route? Heading down the Mount Vernon Trail will get you some extra miles in any amount. Alternatively, heading in and out of DC on any of the bridges will get you about 2 miles extra, depending on the bridge. For some more hills, add on Custis at the end of the run instead.

Thirsty? With fall also comes the time of year when every water fountain’s functionality is in jeopardy. The one on the Mount Vernon Trail by the airport has historically been on year round, but I wouldn’t depend on it. Bring fluids tomorrow!

Need a Bathroom? There are some slightly off the beaten path in Crystal City at Eads Park and there should be some slightly more on the beaten path in the water park, but I’m not sure when the latter open. Gravelly Point also has the “well, they exist” bathrooms (and rumor has it will be getting permanent facilities just in time for the heat death of the universe, or as NPS calls it “probably 2027”).

The next club race is the Alexandria Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning! This one of my favorite races in the region (and the metro is even open to get to the start)! We also need a tremendous amount of volunteers to keep this race running smoothly, so please consider helping out either race morning or the week before with packet pickup if you're in the area for the holiday! DCRR Memberships expire on November 30th! Renew yours today, tell your friends to renew theirs, and have them tell their friends to renew theirs!

Happy Running!

Anna

SLR: 12 Miles RFK

Hello Saturday Long Runners!

Marine Corps Marathon weekend is finally here and the city is already buzzing! The weather looks excellent for both SLR tomorrow and the race on Sunday (furiously knocks on wood). Good luck to everyone racing and thank you in advance to everyone working the water stop and cheering!! Now let's get into it:

The Route: Cue "I'm Still Standing"! This week we'll be doing an old classic (and the first SLR route I ever ran with the club!): RFK (strava, gps, pdf). We'll head down the Mall and through Capitol Hill, which always has some fantastic Halloween decorations out, so keep your eyes peeled! After that we'll run to the ever-degrading RFK Stadium, named for Robert Kennedy (no, not that one), before heading back to the park at North Meade Street.

Racing this Weekend? SLR is also hosting a shakeout run (strava) tomorrow morning in conjunction with our normal long run! Come out to get a nice last jog in before race day and meet up at Compass Coffee/Bethesda Bagels afterwards for breakfast (even if you aren't racing this weekend, come get some breakfast, talk about the weather, and give all your best pre-race advice that isn't already on NBC4)! Good luck to everyone tackling big races this weekend! The city is yours, go and take it! Before the race, former SLR leader and current ultra-marathoner extraordinaire Erik Price is helping organize a DCRR meetup at the northwest end of Bag Drop (closest to the exit where you'll head to the start) at 7:20. Meet up with your training partners before the start and get in the zone!

Want Something Shorter? This route is an out and back, which makes it pretty easy to cut off any amount of mileage. Just turn around halfway from where you'd like to end the run. Turning around at the top of Capitol Hill will get you 9 miles and Lincoln Park will get you 11 if you want some landmarks!

Need a Longer Route? Continuing back around RFK past the stadium will lead to the Anacostia Riverwalk, which is a wonderful way to add a few miles onto the route and possibly check out the Halloween decorations at the Wharf if you make a loop out of it! The Congressional Cemetery is also wonderful this time of year if you're looking for a different way to add on a few miles!

Thirsty? As far as I know the Mall Park Rangers have smiled upon us favorably and haven't turned off the water fountains yet, but it's anyone's guess when they will (and it's a safe bet that it will be on a hot day and you will be depending on them, so we're probably safe this weekend). There are also fountains at Lincoln Park that are questionably reliable, so bring some water if you're planning on doing the full route!

Need a Bathroom? The bathrooms outside the Washington Monument and the temporary ones outside the Lincoln Memorial are always a safe bet! Otherwise there will likely be a LOT of portopotties scattered throughout the Mall for the marathon on Sunday. Don't let these fool you, they will almost certainly all be locked until the morning of the race, as is sacred tradition among these parts.

Don't Have Plans on Sunday? DCRR is hosting a cheer zone at mile 16 on the Mall next to the Washington Monument along with working the water stop in the same area! Come out and cheer on your favorite training partners!

The next club race is the Alexandria Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning! This one of my favorite races in the region (and the metro is even open to get to the start)! We also need a tremendous amount of volunteers to keep this race running smoothly, so please consider helping out either race morning or the week before with packet pickup if you're in the area for the holiday! DCRR Memberships expire on November 30th! Renew yours today, tell your friends to renew theirs, and have them tell their friends to renew theirs!

Happy Running!

Anna