We waited until noon to head out, figuring this departure time would provide us the best window for the warmest temperatures. I think that plan was successful. However, I should note that the warmest temperature of the day was 24 degrees.
Our plan was to leave Rosslyn, cross the Key Bridge, and run on the Capital Crescent trail to Bethesda. I was worried that this route would quickly become laborious due to the unchanging scenery on the trail. Luckily, I was completely wrong. First of all, despite the Potomac being frozen solid, the trail was actually warmer than the streets in Rosslyn because the trees blocked the wind. And the frozen river created the most peaceful of settings. It reminded me of a recent Runner's World "Run of the Month" in Livingston, Montana. I remember remarking how peaceful and quiet the run looked because of the frozen trees and snow on the ground in the picture. Our experience Saturday was similar. There were very few other people on the trail. Without the sound of the river, silence surrounded us for miles at a time. It was awesome!
We did spot several red birds and a couple of squirrels. The only other interesting sighting was a group of lunatics playing hockey on the frozen Potomac. It may be presumptuous for a Floridian like myself to judge any winter activities, but this one really screamed "DANGEROUS" to me. They seemed to be having a grand time, however, and were still at it an hour later when we ran by on our way out.
We stopped every 70 minutes or so to drink water and eat a couple of shot blocks. This was an interesting activity because the water in our water bottles was freezing quickly. My husband finally resorted to keeping the bottles in his back-pack in the spot closest to his body to prevent them from freezing. In addition, removing mittens to tear the shot block packages was truly painful. We were in good spirits though, when we arrived in Bethesda. We took a quick tour of some of the lovely homes in Chevy Chase before turning around and heading home.
The Capital Crescent Trail is actually a great trail for a long run because it is slightly uphill almost the entire way to Bethesda. While this may sound daunting, the fun starts when you make the turn-around. I ran the second 10 miles of the run 5 minutes faster than the first, a rarity for me on such a long run, because my back usually starts screaming around mile 14, requiring me to slow down. But the slight down-hill grade kept my spirits up and gave me an added energy boost.
Probably due in part to my wind burnt cheeks, nose, and chin, my usual back and IT band issues were absent.....or maybe I wasn't noticing them because my brain only had room to process the biting cold. Despite the cause, though, I was a happy camper because I felt so strong through the last mile of my run. It was a great feeling. I was able to maintain a 9:50 pace including our water breaks and traffic pauses in Rosslyn and Bethseda. This is encouraging for me because my goal for the marathon is the slippery, yet attainable goal of 4 hours. After this first 20 miler, I feel optimistic that my goal is within my grasp. Thanks in part to my wonderful husband for facing the cold to be my water boy, timer, and cheer-leader.
Next week is an easy 6 miler. (Yippee!!) Then I will begin building back up to next month, when I will pace the five hour group in the Breast Cancer Marathon in Jacksonville, FL. Then 3 weeks before the National Marathon, I plan to run another 20 miler. For this one though, I plan to run the first 10 miles easy (like this weekend), and then pick it up to my goal pace of 9:00 for the last 10 miles. I figure if I complete the last 10 miles on pace, I should feel confident going into the National Marathon in March. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for that gorgeous description of the frozen Potomac. What a great reminder of why even on the frostiest days, you've just gotta make yourself get outside and run!
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