Hello Saturday Long Runners!
It's Nate, your faithful ersatz SLR leader...I am jealous of Anna as she is currently running around one of my favorite cities (one million internet points if you can guess where without looking at strava!) so I am here to kick off once again this week!
Where Are We Going This Time? This week we'll be treated to a nice tour of the Wharf and the southern portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk as we take on Southeast DC (strava, gps, pdf). We'll head into the city via the Memorial Bridge, head down L'Enfant Plaza and through the Wharf to get to the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, make our way up the Anacostia Riverwalk and across the John Phillip Sousa Bridge (possibly the most random person this side of Sen. Francis Case to get a DC bridge named after him?), before heading to the Capitol via Pennsylvania Avenue and back to North Meade Park via the Mall.
Want Less? This is the perfect route to bring your SmarTrip card, as we will pass four Orange/Blue Line Metro stops: Potomac Avenue (8.5 miles), Eastern Market (9 miles), Capitol South (10 miles) and Smithsonian (11 miles). Even if you are planning to run the full route, it's never a bad idea to bring one in case you need a heat-related bailout. Of course, you can also do an out-and-back of any length if you would prefer, but the river crossings make this a route that you can not easily modify otherwise.
Want More? Adding the rest of the Anacostia Riverwalk (up to Benning Road) and then coming back via Pennsylvania Avenue will get you 4 extra miles. You can also do any of the usual mall-area modifications, like adding Hains or heading back over Key.
Parched? There are water fountains at the pirate ship playground (~7.5 miles) as well as at Eastern Market metro (9 miles) -- this one is set back from the road a bit in the park area so you may not notice it at first glance. I'm told the mall fountains are largely off (thanks for nothing, park rangers) so probably a good idea to carry today!
Swimming Eyeballs? The pirate ship playground also has well-appointed restrooms, and we will also pass the "welp...they're there" restrooms by the Washington Monument. In a pinch, there are plenty of shops along Pennsylvania Avenue that will let you use theirs if you ask nicely (and don't drip on anything). Anna's personal favorite is in the foreign language section at Capitol Hill Books.
Happy Running, and have a blast!
-Nate
