Evryday, nice 15-miler! And nice that your DW ran 8 of it with you. Erika, can't wait for the RR - sorry to hear you forgot your chip, though. Nono, you should write that RD and complain that the simulated race course was short. Sarge, that sounds kewl that your club rented a park cabin for lunch after your run! What a good idea! Robert and Franc, excellent job running through the rain and poop in the dark! Looking forward to your RRs too! Teresa, your son rocks! It's still cold and windy here, just like yesterday, but I put on more layers and headed out. I made it 5.6 miles to go over 30 for the week, but it wasn't particularly fun. I think Tazzie and Ladybug had fun, at least.

Robert and Franc, excellent job running through the rain and poop in the dark!

For the record, I learned that it is in fact easier to run through poop when it is dark and you can't tell the difference between a mud squish and a poop squish.

Aw. My wiener appreciates the hug. He gets his stitches out in T-minus 16 hours. Unfortunately, I've already been counseled that caring for him will get *harder* without stitches because he doesn't know he's supposed to take it easy (or as dad would say: take a teasy) for a few more weeks.

Late post for an early run. We were in DC this weekend getting a hit of culture (theater, museum, symphony) and this morning’s run finished up my cutback week. 15.3 @ 8:56. Kind of a gray and chilly day, shorts but two layers on top to cut the breeze. (I’ll have to try to coordinate a run with you on my next visit, Liz! We probably crossed paths this morning and didn’t know it.) I always love running in DC but today’s run was unique, to say the least. I didn’t realize they were doing a run-through for the inauguration festivities and parade and today’s run turned into a bit of a circus. The first hint was the cops everywhere, blocking off various streets. As I head down a path near the White House I get a big guy in an orange vest stepping out and barking at me, “SIR, this path is closed SIR!” Hmmm, I wonder if he’s in the military? I eventually wind my way down to the Mall and get my first glimpse of what Liz accurately calls the “ invasion of the porta-potties.” I have never seen so many porta-potties in my life. Sort of a runner’s heaven, really, when you think about it. About 300 porta-potties for each runner out there this morning! But that was just the beginning. I run down the Capitol and then turn to run the Mall. They are doing a sound check of the monster speaker towers they’ve erected near the Capitol. “And now the invocation from the Reverend Joseph Lowry…” and the like. But just as I’m running toward the Washington Monument, a recording of the national anthem starts playing, crystal clear and quite loud. It was like a cheesy movie soundtrack or something! Very strange. Snippets of John Philip Sousa and other marches follow, adding to the soundtrack. Who needs an Ipod? Then just as I get to 14th street in front of the Washington Monument a caravan of police motorcycles and buses comes roaring down the street. I have to wait while a motley assortment of 50 or so school buses and charter buses interspersed with dozens and dozens of police vehicles whiz by at a good clip, ignoring the traffic light. I go out around the Tidal Basin (stopping to visit Jefferson and, my favorite, the FDR Memorial) and back to the Lincoln Memorial (where staging and speakers are being set up) for another loop around the Mall. As I’m doing that, I realize that the people who were on the buses must have been members of marching bands. I can hear loud drumming in the distance. I’m also seeing more and more military personnel everywhere. Since my hotel is a straight shot up Pennsylvania Avenue I head back towards the Capitol and plan to turn up Penn. As I get closer, I realize the bands have started marching and they are all military bands…Marines…Navy…other services whose uniforms I don’t quite recognize. I turn to go up Penn and am startled to see that there are now soldiers in camouflage standing at attention every 20 feet or so on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue…block, after block, after block…hundreds, no, a couple thousand soldiers. They stand more or less motionless unless a flag is passing at which point someone barks out an order, boots stamp, and everyone breaks into a crisp salute. A few civilians have gathered along the route to watch this spectacle but the bleachers set up everywhere for the inauguration are empty. Every side street is closed. No one tries to stop me and I need to get back to my hotel so…here we go. I run up Pennsylvania Avenue, two feet behind the long line of soldiers, accompanied by various military bands, drum and fife, a Marine Corps color guard, etc. I feel like I’m getting an individual, up close and personal, preview of the parade. With the endless cordon of soldiers, it all feels surreal. I’m going faster than the marching bands so I get to catch up with the units up ahead. Because of obstructions on the sidewalk, I occasionally have to cut across the street between units. Thankfully, no one shoots me. By the time I get near the White House, I’ve caught up to the front of the procession—maybe 30 police motorcycles. I decide I’ll just jog along with them. As they turn directly in front of the White House, I follow. A sign warns, “Eyes left.” That’s because the presidential review stand is right there. It’s a huge box on stilts, painted white, enclosed in what I assume is bullet proof glass. It has an attractive presidential seal at the top. The fresh, gleaming white, paint job makes it looks sort of futuristic to me for some reason. As I trot past the White House, soldiers at attention, police lights blinking, I feel a little like Forrest Gump, running through history. I don’t stop to watch the bands arrive. Instead, I catch Penn Avenue on the other side of the White House and head back to my hotel. It’s definitely been one of the strangest runs I have ever experienced. Life really is like a box of chocolates. ETA: I saw some news coverage of this today and thought I'd paste a couple of photos. First, some of the hoopla at the Capitol. Then my escort down Pennsylvania Avenue. Finally, this photo was pretty much my perspective as I ran by the presidential viewing stand directly in front of the White House. Not your typical everyday run!

Life really is like a box of chocolates.

MMMM, chocolates! Cool run report, Tramps! Ilene, was it really 80? I'll stop complaining about 20 and windy... I hate hot weather more than cold. And 80 is hot.

Tramps! Cool report. You got to "see" the inauguration festivities without actually dealing with the crowds. I ran 16 miles this morning at a very slow pace - the streets were very icy, and I had taken a pretty spectacular fall on our sidewalk earlier on my way out to get the newspaper. I considered the possibility of a broken arm for about 90 minutes. Then it felt better and I decided it was just bruised so I headed out a bit later than planned. It made the morning a bit rushed, as I had to get showered and out the door to eat lunch with dear-old-dad. It's his one meal every week that isn't pureed, and he looks forward to it. Poor old guy. I didn't get a chance to read through today's entire thread, but I found srlopez' 2nd entry on this page a bit alarming.

.... I didn't get a chance to read through today's entire thread, but I found srlopez' 2nd entry on this page a bit alarming.

Don't worry, predawnrunner, srlopez and I are good friends, so my hugging his weiner is perfectly respectable. yes, dg, we are having a heat wave here.