DC recap

Well, there was no running on the DC trip afterall. But I did do a LOT of walking on Saturday, basically from 7:30AM to midnight! Friday and Sunday were mostly spent folded up in a car… It was a long way to go for such a short trip, but I had a lot of fun with my sisters, and I always enjoy getting out of town for a few days.

We were able to squeeze a lot of sightseeing into the limited time we had. We started at the National Museum of American History, where I think we all agreed the highlight was seeing the original Star-Spangled Banner that inspired our national anthem. It was huge, measuring 30’x34’! Next, we moved onto the sculpture gardens outside the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum. These were beautiful spaces and had some interesting works, but the sun was blazing down on us in what turned out to be 92-degree weather. Too hot for much contemplation!

We sought solace from the sun in the National Museum of the American Indian, the newest addition to the Mall. This museum interested me primarily from an architectural standpoint (its design is reminiscent of the wind-sculpted cliffs of the southwest), but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the exhibits as well. After a quick dinner break, we joined a tour group to visit the major monuments, including the Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, Vietnam, Korean, and WWII. Halfway through the tour a storm moved in, dumping rain on us at the Vietnam Memorial. The rain seemed to suck the remaining life out of us, and we were happy to head back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

I hope to post a few pics from the weekend once my sisters email them to me. Someday I will actually get a good digital camera of my own!

One other highlight of the weekend was a trip to the Fractured Prune, a donut shop that is part of a small chain that started up in Ocean City, Maryland. Yum! I’ve been to the original shop in Ocean City (I have family in that area), and there is actually one here in Charlotte that I’ve avoided for fear of starting a really dangerous habit! This place has the best donuts! I’ve always sort of dreamed of opening my own shop… Future franchisee…? Hmmmm, something to consider!

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Since this is a running blog, here’s how I fared last week:
2 runs for a total of 7 miles
2 strength training sessions for a total of 1:20

I’m disappointed in the shortage of running, but my legs took a beating on Saturday, and I was probably due for a step-down week anyway. This morning I did 40 minutes of strength training and hope to fit a run in either tonight or tomorrow morning. My goal is to get in 4 runs this week for a total of 12 miles.