Outside The Beltway

Time: 140:00
Distance: 20.5 mi.
Map


The Capitol Beltway (I-495) and the DC Mormon Temple

After my plan for a morning run in New York with Nick was derailed by having to deal with my car window getting smashed in Brooklyn last night, I was forced to run by myself in the evening in Washington, DC. I headed out the door unsure if I was mentally ready to get in a long run with the sun slipping towards the horizon. Once I got going, though, I decided it would be best to get 'er done and over with. I kept the pace very comfortable so that I wouldn't be repeating the last two weeks' long runs, both of which involved going to the well.

The run itself ended up being quite nice. Beach Drive is closed to auto traffic on Sundays and it was late enough that there was almost no one out. The Maryland border is about 6.5 miles out, so I continued past it on city roads heading north in Silver Springs, MD. Just before I reached the Capitol Beltway I saw an enormous white Wizard of Oz Emerald City or Magic Kingdom-esq lighted structure. As I got closer, it became apparent that it was a Mormon Temple. It absolutely dominates the skyline, particularly at night. I turned around at 70 minutes and ran back, at this point in nearly total darkness. Running through Rock Creek park was a bit creepy, but I did enjoy feeling totally alone with just the sound of the creek to accompany my footsteps. I got back to the house in 138:30, so I added 90 seconds along 11th to finish up around 7pm.