Today's 11 miler felt awesome the whole way through, from start to finish. I ran the trail to DC and then down to Hains Point and back.
My first item of note is the weather. When I went outside, it felt around 60 degrees and stayed in the mid-60s toward the end of the run. This is my first outdoor run of the season when I just wore a t-shirt and shorts - no light jacket, no gloves, and no ear warmers. I noticed that I wasn't the only person taking clothes off. Most people wore tank tops, and one man wore... nothing more than a knee brace, sneakers, and silver short shorts with an orange streak. At least he was mildly attractive. I don't think I'll be able to say the same for all of the half-naked men I'll see on the trail this summer.
My second item of note is the type of people in DC today. The last time I ran this exact path, there were mostly tourists in the city to see the cherry blossoms. It was much colder, but it was so beautiful. It was like a dream to run through the hidden gem of Hains Point and its cherry blossoms practically by myself, though of course toward the Jefferson Memorial I ran into the tourists. Today was different. There were significantly fewer tourists, but a lot of people were out. They were the cyclists and the runners. (*Note that I said "cyclists" instead of bikers. Isn't it strange that cyclists ride bicycles and bikers ride motorcycles?) Although the scenery was much less beautiful, it was a better crowd for the type of activity I had set out to do.
You can see so many landmarks from the western side of the Hains Point - Reagan Airport, the Masonic Memorial in Old Town Alexandria, the Wilson Bridge, and National Harbor. Here, I can let my mind wander to two different places: 1) The airport's all the way over there? And I have to run back there, and then some? or 2) This is beautiful and I am so thankful for the opportunity to take it all in. Obviously, the second thought is more productive so I try to stick to that one.
On the eastern side of Hains Point, you can see the beautiful buildings at Fort McNair and the DC waterfront. I can even see L'Enfant Plaza, which is right near where I work. Today on the eastern side, I saw the encampment of many, many cyclists and runners. Team in Training had set up training out there today. I passed at least three groups of cyclists and runners receiving pep talks and tips from their coaches. Team in Training does outstanding work for people suffering from leukemia and lymphoma, and they have great training support. There are so many perks to being on their team. Seeing all of them was a surprising source of extra motivation today. I am training on my own. Yet, even though nobody is running right next to me, my supporters, Periclean Scholars, and Periclean partners are supporting me the whole way through.
After this week's success, I am looking forward to even more warm weather and another great long run next Saturday.
I know this doesn't pertain to running, but it encouraged me to keep my pace (so I guess it counts). After my run and weight routine, I showered as fast as possible and tuned in to Elon's commencement ceremony. Congrats, Elon grads - especially those in the Sri Lanka cohort of Periclean Scholars! You're now members of the PSAA!
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