Greenway run and Washington fun

I finally did it. I ran outside for the first time since December! And it felt great!

This morning I decided to head over to the greenway near my neighborhood and run 4 miles. The weather was perfect - sunny skies, light breeze, and about 65 degrees. The greenway is a mostly flat trail that runs along a swampy creek on a mixture of paved, boardwalk, and dirt/gravel surfaces. Last summer I frequently saw snakes beside or on the path - *shudder*. But otherwise it is a great place to get away from the traffic and enjoy some different scenery. I'll probably start going there about once a week, maybe more as the weather heats up.

Here's how the run went down:
mile 1 - 10:33
mile 2 - 10:34
mile 3 - 10:45 (includes a 1-minute walk break at the 2-mile mark)
mile 4 - 10:12
total time - 42:04

This may have been my last run for the week because tomorrow I am headed to Washington DC with my sisters for a short getaway! Yay! I would love to run along the Mall, past all the monuments, but realistically I know it won't happen. I'm debating whether to throw in my running clothes on the off chance that I might hit up the treadmill in the hotel fitness center for a quick 30-minute run...

Washington DC is one of my favorite cities, and I'm so excited to hang out there with my sisters. We used to live on Andrews Air Force Base (home of Air Force One), back in the late 70s/early 80s. I was too young to remember much about it, but I've since been back to DC twice as an adult. My mom loves to tell the story of how she and several other military wives got to ride down the Potomac at sunset in a military helicopter (in restricted airspace!). There's just something about the area that holds good memories and feelings for me.

Anyway, enough about that! I have some last minute errands and packing to do, so I better get to it. I'm taking the pup to the dog park this evening so she'll have a chance to wear herself out before her weekend at the kennel. More to come next week!