Map My Run: Cherry Blossom Saturday

I decided to skip the hilly Alexandria route this Saturday. Instead, I ran along Rock Creek, through Adams Morgan, and up to Cleveland Park before winding my way back down to Haines Point. My justification was two-fold: the cherry blossoms are out, and I wanted to avoid three straight Saturdays of the same route.

I couldn't have asked for better conditions for today's run. The weather was perfect, people were everywhere, and the scenery was spectacular. Running along the Potomac has become a workout staple, and the scenic Rock Creek Parkway is a great addition to the route. The Parkway twists and turns along Rock Creek, a small waterway that empties into the Potomac near Georgetown. For about two miles, you forget that you are in an urban environment as the parkway snakes its way through dense trees. The running path offers a smooth, dirt/gravel option...a welcomed reprieve for my sore and tendinitis-plagued legs.

Although the overall route is flat, the steep hill on 24th Street to Connecticut Ave NW is anything but a layup. The hill is about a half mile in length, and the grade is very steep. It is unlikely that I'll encounter such a grade in any race, but the hill served as a nice ego check.

The final outbound mile runs along Connecticut Ave., and the sidewalk was packed today. The terrain is a slight uphill climb, but not too difficult...especially because I encountered the hill so early in my run. The Cleveland Park Metro stop served as my turnaround point, conveniently 6.5 miles from home.

The return trip went well. I felt stronger than in weeks past, mostly because this route is flatter than my usual Saturday route. I failed to note the time I started the run...and I regret it because I felt strong from start to finish. It would have been interesting to crunch the numbers to gauge progress.

DC was packed today. Between the National Marathon, the Cherry Blossom Festival, and the first game at Nationals Park, the city was buzzing with people. I flirted with the idea of running the half marathon today, but the price ($80!) prevented me from signing up. Immersing myself in a competitive environment would have been the biggest benefit, but it wasn't worth the price of admission.

Cherry blossoms lined the street for the final five miles of my run. I've heard many stories about cherry blossom season in DC, and I can honestly say the scenery lived up to the hype. This year, the peak period is between March 27 and the first week in April...and the limited viewing window causes massive amounts of people to flood the city during peak week.

With about three weeks of training to go before the marathon, I'll probably start tapering my distance after next week. I'm going to attempt one more long (20 mile) run next weekend, if possible, before scaling back my weekly distance to about 30 miles. The tendinitis I've experienced lately is the main factor in my decision--the last thing I want is to hobble in to the marathon wondering if I'll be tough enough to withstand the pesky injury for 26 miles.