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Epic run with Julia 1

July 18, 2019 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
When I asked Julia at the start of the run how far she wanted to go she had a) she had been sick yesterday), b) was probably over it, and c) wasn't really sure how far she wanted to run, so I just said we'd play it by ear and then promptly forgot to play it by ear or even bother to keep track of how long we'd been running. After yesterday's fantastic adventure with Ana, I knew I had to come up with something equally memorable and exciting--but unique--for Julia to avoid inciting a sibling rivalry. Again I crossed the park, but instead of going North toward Silver Spring, I took us south into the city. Being a rising college senior, I figured she'd appreciate being introduced to some of the cool, hip, young professional (i.e. formerly poor but rapidly gentrifying) neighborhoods of DC where all the cool kids are hanging out these days.

So it was that with the hot sun beating down mercilessly on our heads we made our way down shadeless 14th street through Petworth till we arrived in Columbia Heights. We spoke in Spanish for the first couple of miles but then switched to English since there was a lot we both wanted to hear about each other's adventure's abroad the past 6 months and having to speak in a foreign language just felt like too much effort. Upon reaching Columbia Heights, we rapidly sought refuge (i.e. water and bathroom) in a Subway (the fast-food joint, though there also happens to be a Metro stop there). After an apparently-much-needed 10 minute break, we headed for the fountains across the street where we frolicked for a couple of minutes getting thoroughly soaked (see video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/tMwuy1kZvGGeGin2A)

This would have been a logical place to turn around and head back, but since when are runs with Matt Simonson logical? No, instead, opted to take us over toward 11th Street where there are so hip restaurants with outdoor patios and then down Sherman Ave toward the U Street Cardozo area, finally turn back west when we were nearly within sight of the 9:30 club. We made our back uphill to the center of Columbia Heights and then cross through Mt. Pleasant and down into the park on Harvard Street. Julia noted that we had gotten pretty far from home to which I replied, "Far is matter of perspective." We were, in fact, by the zoo, and both she and I live way up by Chevy Chase Circle. It would've been at least 3-4 miles the crow flies and we were not crows. Rather, we chose to battle our way up the winding dirt trails of Rock Creek Park, including that section of the Western Ridge trail below Peirce Mill (I still find that spelling hard to accept) that is so steep and rocky you have to scramble on all fours. This turned out to be rather timely as Julia was feeling a bit fatigued and wanted a break. After scrambling up roots and boulders for 10 minutes and feeling like pair of polar bears climbing a mountain on the Equator, we paused of a while at the highest point along the trail and were greeted by a very happy and heavily panting husky.

Gazing down that cool waters of Rock Creek, we both instantly decided what our next move would be. Minutes later we were both submerged up to our necks in the cool water where we remained for another 20 minutes, followed by a (drinking) water stop at the Peirce Mill parking lot.

The rest of the run was, in Julia's words, "a strugglefest." I think she felt bad about holding me back but to be honest the 12-minute paces we were slogging along at felt like a normal running pace to me, thanking to the oppressive heat and humidity. We stopped once more, this time at the Rock Creek Nature Center on Military Road where I'd once volunteered and run planetarium shows in high school. We chatted the with rangers a bit--Julia had some rather insightful question about the administration of DC parks--and gulped down water from the water fountain. When we got out I claimed it felt cooler which Julia didn't believe at first until I convinced she'd feel better if she told herself it was true. Somehow, in the last few blocks between Utah and the Gunthery, she found the strength to pick up the pace, a feat I came nowhere close to duplicating on my self-pitying crawl home 10 minutes later. Julia's Garmin watch said 11 miles, but we figured that given it took us 1:47 minutes and that GPS isn't so accurate in the woods, we should call it 11.5. I'm including the distance to and from her house in the total.

On the whole, pretty fun run! Right, Julia......?