My Dad got our packets on a fun run night at Port City Brewing so we had our shirts and bibs way ahead of the race. He said it was super easy (as always) but didn't participate in the run.
Race day weather was mixed once again leading up until race day, but it ended up being a gorgeous morning. The high for the day was supposed to be in the mid-70s with it being in the low 50s at gun time. I'm usually always cold, but even in that kind of weather I thought long shorts, a tank top, and arm sleeves would be best. (The sleeves can double as sweatbands when you roll them down!)
Race morning was more eventful than most. My Mom was going to drop off my Dad and I by the start and she would pick us up at the end. We get in the car and immediately my Mom knew something was off because the driver's side door was slightly open and the center console was flipped open. She had forgotten to lock the car before coming in for the night, and somebody apparently rifled through trying to find money. (All they ended up taking was an iPhone cable, but they left an E-Z Pass which was easily worth more.) Thankfully, nothing irreplaceable was taken and nothing was damaged but it was still enough to be a little jarring and my Mom was eager to get back to the house to check the other cars. At one point on the drive my Mom said "DAMN! I had a bag of caramel M&Ms and I think they took those too!"
My Dad and I got our bearings in at the start and got our bracelets for beer saying our ID had been checked right away since the line was short. Seconds later, it had easily tripled and some of the race volunteers and employees decided to just go down the line checking IDs and attaching bracelets to keep things moving. Afterwards we decided to visit the bathrooms before the lines got too long (and they really weren't that bad.) The tulips at Mount Vernon were blooming and absolutely gorgeous!
We were still a little chilly that morning and thankfully there were some heatsheets and coffee available so we could at least stay a little warm while we waited. It was then time to say hello to some of my Oiselle Volee and take a picture as a group!
Since my Dad was still around I said some hellos and caught up real quick with some of the ladies then broke off to line up in the corral with my Dad.
The race starts out with a lovely downhill, and the rest of the race was pretty hilly from there on out. I told myself I would walk the uphills if the intervals on my watch lined up correctly, but I was not so lucky. After meeting one of my readers (Hi, Karyn!) I started taking more walk breaks but made an effort to minimize them on downhills and the flat portions. (Let's face it. During a hilly race, that's the fun part to run!) As we got closer to Old Town, the groups of spectators started to get a little bigger but there weren't many of them lining the course until that final stretch. I was totally fine with the small groups of spectators because the scenery for parts of the race were gorgeous!
This is across from National Harbor and off to the left is the Wilson bridge.
There were some really creative signs along the route, including this one that was good for a laugh.
Once I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch I was shocked again. I had finished the race only 49 seconds slower than Cherry Blossom. Considering the increase in difficulty between the two races, I was completely shocked that the two times were so close.
After getting my medal, breakfast burrito from District Taco and water, I was happy to see my Volee teammates gathered ready to hear the awards ceremony. We chatted for a little bit then took another quick picture together, and parted ways again since I saw my Mom.
She gave me a quick update on the car situation and that hers was the only one in the driveway that was unlocked and therefore the only one that was rifled through, but not the only one in the neighborhood that was hit that night. After posting about it on Next Door, a bunch of her neighbors spoke up and said that their cars had been rifled through too. One person said their purse was taken out and was found about a block away in someone's front yard with only the cash missing from her wallet. Soon afterwards we saw my Dad walk through the finisher's area and we went and got our free beers from Port City. (I think I got their Optimal Wit, a Belgian White Ale, and it was delicious!) As we talked about our races, we watched people get their picture taken at the photo booth and George Washington came over to take pictures with race participants and their families. Not an impersonator, but the one from the famous Washington Nationals President races that happen during the fourth inning of home games.
After I finished my beer (I was savoring it so it took me a couple minutes), we walked to the car and headed home. I got a quick shower and had an actual lunch before heading back home.
Overall I would definitely recommend this race and look forward to running it again next year. Getting there and back is super easy (especially if you have someone to drop you off and pick you up at the end!) The course is challenging but doable and scenic. Packet pickup is super easy. There's a medal involved so that's always nice. The only gripe I had with the race is the color of the shirt this year since it was a weird olive green but I love the logo!
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