Rock Creek Regional Park

Time: 80:30
Distance: 12 mi.


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Well, the weather is finally cooperating for a few days--it was about 50 degrees and I headed out this afternoon in a t-shirt and shorts. I ran just outside the Beltway through what I believe is called the "Rock Creek Regional Park." The bike path through this area continues from the top of Rock Creek Park along Beach Drive through Chevy Chase, MD and farther north. I started at the intersection of Cedar Lane and Beach Drive in Chevy Chase and did a simple out-and-back run on the winding and somewhat hilly bike path. There are a smattering of distance markers along the way, though none of them seemed to form a coherent measure for the trail.


Clown shoes?

I also finally started running in a new pair of kicks, courtesy of the OK Runner. The Nike LunarTrainer is essentially a beefed up Free with a new "LunarLite" midsole that is supposedly more durable and distributes weight more evenly across the bottom of the foot. I like that the upper is wide and flexible and that it has a wide midsole base. Weighing at under 9 oz (25% lighter than the Nike Elite 3s I have been running in), it might just be a trainer for the next month as well as my marathon race day shoe. Unfortunately, the shoes aren't miracle workers, as my legs felt pretty dead today, and my left sesamoid was a little sore.

Wheaton and Northwest Branch Trails

Time: 90:00
Distance: 13 mi.



After an errand in Rockville, MD I was looking for somewhere interesting to run. After ruling out an inexplicably snowy Rock Creek Regional Park in Rockville, I stopped at Wheaton Park in Silver Spring, MD without much of an idea what to expect. After doing a few short loops in Wheaton Park, I found a connection to the Northwest Branch Trail, which runs 3.5 miles south to US-29. This made for a very nice out-and-back section and combined with the Wheaton Park trails was a great, almost completely soft surface, 13 miles. The run felt a lot like an east coast version of Austin's greenbelt, with a few rocky and technical sections. If I did this run again, it would probably be best to start at the parking lot at US-29 and run up to Wheaton Park and back.

My legs were a little tired by the end, and my left sesamoid is still getting a bit sore after about 50 minutes of running.

Georgetown Branch Trail / Capital Crescent Trail Fartlek

Time: 88:30
Distance: 14 mi.
Map

Workout: 2 x 5:00, 2 x 4:00, 2 x 3:00 with half rest; shooting for sub-tempo (5:00?) pace

I decided to explore the north side of the Capital Crescent Trail, which is actually (for the moment?) called the Georgetown Branch Trail (named after the railway line which used to pass along this area) for the first few miles. The beginning is located just north of Rock Creek Park in Silver Spring, Maryland. For some reason the mile markers begin at 0.3, but I went a little ways beyond the 7 mile mark, near the Potomac and just before the Capital Crescent Trail meets up with the Chesapeake and Ohio Towpath.


Start of the Georgetown Branch Trail (and eventual Capital Crescent Trail) in Silver Spring, MD

Running out I got down to about 6:15 pace and was feeling fairly good despite it being a chilly day. Changing gears to 5:00 pace was a bit of a challenge, though and I ran about 5:10 pace for the two 5:00 intervals, and probably something similar for the 4:00 intervals. By the 3:00 sections I got down to 5:00 pace (judged by the half mile markers). I didn't feel fantastic, but given the that I have done very little anaerobic running, I was happy just to work through it. I did have to stop to lose my thick running shirt, which seems to be too much if I'm doing a hard effort regardless of how cold it is outside.