Woke Up Today to Everything Great

(I've got to stop using Guster lyrics as post titles.)

This morning I dressed in all black and snuck out at sunrise like a ninja. My (seemingly never-ending) rest period was over - it was finally time to start training for Marine Corps Marathon.

Since technically I am still recovering from 20in24 I didn't want to push things too hard too fast. I decided on 8 miles - far enough to test my legs but short enough not to re-aggravate any lingering injuries.

As I stepped out the door I immediately noticed the humidity. Regardless of the fact that it was only in the 70s it was bound to be a hot, sweaty run.

One thing I love about early morning runs, especially on Sundays, is that there aren't many people out. I only saw a couple of other runners on my first few miles. It was so quiet - all I heard was the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds. At one point I was startled by the sound of a duck landing on the creek. I know this isn't the first time I've said it - and it certainly won't be the last - one of the reasons I love DC is that you can feel like you've completely escaped the city while you're in the middle of it.

The closer I got to Georgetown, the more people I started to run in to. The sun was fully up and out at this point, and the views of the Potomac were gorgeous.

Somewhere around Mile 6 I got to the mall and did a little stair running at the Lincoln Memorial.

Hi, Abe.

It was nice to see the construction on the reflecting pool (finally) coming along. Hopefully by next summer it'll be filled and this view will be much more picturesque.

From there I headed past the WWII Memorial, my softball field, and the Washington Memorial.

I decided that since I was already at mile 7 I'd head toward the Dupont metro stop and end things there. I passed the South lawn of the White House and headed up 17th street.

I ended my run at the Dupont farmers' market. It wasn't open yet, but the smells of fresh fruits, vegetables, and cheeses emanating from the stands were a treat.

I ended up covering 8.9 miles - farther than I'd originally intended - and kept a decent (sub-9:00/mile) pace throughout the run. I'm feeling great, though I do have some stiffness in my Achilles tendon. If anyone has experienced this and has recommendations for me on what to do, I'm all ears.

All in all it was a great run and a great start to my last day of being 27. If I can close out 28 in a similar fashion, I'll be thrilled.