Start time: 2/7/09, 12:00pm
Location: Washington DC and Arlington
Distance: 14 miles
Average pace: 9:48min/mile
Total Miles For February: 26 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 71 miles

Well, the good news first: I had a great first 11.5 miles! That said, the last 2.5 miles? Ugh.

I am hoping the problem was related to dehydration; I made a big mistake when I plotted out my route (down Route 50 to Iwo Jima, run south past Memorial Bridge to 14th St Bridge, cross and run around the Tidal Basin to the Washington Monument, down one side of the Mall and up the other, then along Constitution to Lincoln Memorial, up the Potomac to Georgetown, and finally across Key Bridge and along the Custis Trail to get home) in that I had not even thought of the fact that most water fountains would be turned off because it’s the winter. So when I went to refill my water bottle around mile 8.5 (and I probably hadn’t drank enough to that point as it was), no dice. Oops. Also, it turns out that Thompson’s Boat House is closed for the winter as well.

Fortunately, one restaurant had an outside bar set up (because it was a glorious 55 degrees!) and the bartender refilled my water there, but the damage was already done. I had some calf cramps over the last 2.5 miles, and the slow downs are rather noticeable. On the bright side, up until that point the only dips in pace were when I had to dodge hordes of tourists, so yay for that! I’m also resolving to be better about stretching every day, I know I’ve been a little lax in that. It’s been almost two years since I’ve had these cramps show up, so hopefully better hydration and better stretching will keep them away again.

It was fun to just run all over the area, rather than just up and down the W&OD like I have on so many other runs. A little change of scenery is always nice.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2543056

(8:00, 9:13, 8:55, 9:33, 9:33, 9:55, 9:24, 9:50, 9:19, 9:29, 10:07, 11:09, 11:26, 11:24)