What a difference a week can make. After weeks of yucky winter weather we received a reprieve --- sun and temps in the 40's. Heat wave!
This morning the goal was to complete 11 miles. Mission accomplished. 11.21 miles done.
Given my prior week's workout schedule I decided to pull back this morning and join a slower pace group. Good decision. It was fun to catch up with some of my summer running buddies and given the route (more on that later) I was happy to have taken a more measured approach.
This morning the theme was scenic --- with some hills to make life interesting. As always it was beautiful to run around Cap Hill, the Mall and Georgetown.
Then came Wisconsin Ave. Oh boy. Last week we batted the short but steep Calvert Hill --- yes my heart rate may have red-lined once I got to the top. The prior week we battled the icy hill up Massachusetts Ave to the National Cathedral.
This week it was all about intensity. Let me set the stage from around mile 5. We:
•turned off the Mall at 15th and headed to Pennsylvania Ave
•cruised over to M Street and headed through Georgetown. Though flat the uneven bricks did cause me to nearly wipe out --- nearly full on Superman lunge. Luckily I somehow recovered before face planting onto the sidewalk. Very elegant.
•and then we saw the beginning of the hill of death. It went on...and on...and on...and on. We turned on Wisconsin Ave (elevation: 6 ft) and proceeded to run uphill for nearly 2 miles up through Georgetown before reaching the National Cathedral (elevation: 363!!!) and beginning our well deserved decent back to Logan Circle.
That Wisconsin Ave ascent was insane. Needless to say, my legs got a serious workout today. We'll see if I can even walk tomorrow. Good times.
