THE ANTICS OF RUNNING IN DC Allesandra Plourde
DC running is a game of strategy, and mental preparation is necessary. Preparation in itself is the sport in the nation’s capital. Sometimes the hardest part is just to start and find a good rhythm. Overall, it goes a little something like this: stop, wait, cross, go, repeat. Following the traffic patterns down the same route every time. It’s. So. Hard. But, if you plan it perfectly to avoid rush hour or school dismissal and if you miss the cut off you better be prepared for the sidewalks to be mobbed. As if running wasn’t hard enough, the people certainly don’t help.
By mile two fatigue starts to set in. My quads ache. Next I feel like my entire body is shutting down. Actually, I’m just being dramatic as everyone is when they exercise. But I certainly convince myself that by 3 miles I will keel over on the side of the road. Soon it will be time to turn back. My breath becomes heavy. Passing through a pedestrian’s smoky exhale, who knows that doesn’t help. Now to dodge the dogs on leashes. A fun game. Oh, which way they will go? Accommodating uneven terrain is a necessary skill one must master in order to run in D.C. From sidewalk to grass to dirt, especially at the National Mall, you almost always have to look at where you place your feet. Then pebbles get in the tread of my shoe, eventually rubbing against the pavement when I make my way back to the road. This drives me crazy; I feel as though the slightest dip in my balance disrupts my entire focus. Then it’s a whole process to remove the rock before returning to a steady jog. “Why did I do this?” At least the views are pretty at The National Mall. The Washington Monument at one end and Lincoln
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