Pace Run along C&O Canal [Entered 6/29]

This morning, I got out earlier than on Saturday, despite my tired feet (from all that hardcore tourism, I tell you!), and went out for a peppy pace run. We had some early plans to get the free tickets for the Holocaust Museum (amazing place, by the way, but very somber) and for the Bureau of Engraving (neat tour showing how they make the paper money), so I had a narrrow time window to get my run done. I was out of the hotel by 6:00 am, and was ready to go by 6:15, synched up and stretched a little. I figured I had something like 45-55 minutes to get done. The plan was to go out for 20 easy minutes, and then go out further than that at pace, turning around at some point and retracing my steps. I was going to run on the C & O Canal towpath, heading away from DC this time. The Canal running path and bike path apparently goes for 12-20 miles all the way to Bethesda and beyond, which is really cool.

Anyway, down the street and across the Key Bridge again, and down to the running path, and I turned west for the next portion of the run. The surface was very much like the hike and bike trail in Austin, but running along a canal of water down below the hustle and bustle of the streets of Georgetown, with the Potomac just across a narrow strip of land to my other side, it was very peaceful, despite the fact that it was so near "civilization." I was able to lose myself in the solitude, and it was really fun going.

It was warmer today, around 75, and humid, but it felt okay because it was overcast. The 20 minute warmup came and went, and I had gone about 2.2 miles at 9:17/mile average pace. It felt really easy, but now it was time to get going. I decided to go out another 5 minutes along the path, and then turn around and crank it up for home. The five minutes of pace work was at about 8:15/mile pace, and then it was time to turn.

I pushed fairly hard coming back, but it seemed fun all the same. The return trip had more uphill stretches, but nothing like what we're used to in Austin. I finished in strong fashion, and did some minor stretching in the parking lot again as I cooled off some.

The stats? A somewhat abbreviated run, but good stuff. 2.2 miles of easy running (20 minutes) at 9:17/mile pace, and then 3.41 miles of pace running (27:33 minutes) at 8:05/mile average pace. Overall, 5.58 miles, 8:33/mile average pace. Not as fast as the last pace run in Austin, but for a vacation run, it was a good day's work.

I've had fun in DC, but it'll be nice to be back with the Gazelles herd starting Thursday. I'm better with the whole tribe.