A Run Down Memory Lane

I went for a great run in the Nation's Capital this evening. It was a beautiful August evening in Washington (I never thought those words would ever escape my lips...or my fingers). Seriously, it was a comfortable evening in the 80s, low humidity and clear blue skies. Very unusual for Washington in August.

[At left: self-portrait from the Lincoln Memorial looking East toward's the Washington Monument and Nation's Capitol.]

I remember many hazy, hot and humid days in August in Washington, D.C. -- having lived here from 1979 to 1997 -- and I remember many summer softball games on the National Mall, sweating profusely as we played with a beer in hand on the fields between the Smithsonian Museums.

Some things have changed, and some remain the same. As I ran along the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and Capitol Building tonight, I passed many softball games--but didn't see any beer coolers. And at one point I passed a kick ball game (see above picture). I don't remember any of those back in the day. Softball was the only game in town. Summer softball on the Mall is a Capitol Hill tradition. All of the offices have a team and send interns down to the Mall around noon to reserve fields, where games are played back to back on the large square patches of grass -- sharing an outfield!

So I ran from my hotel at 14th and K, down 14th Street to the Washington Monument, then west to the Lincoln Memorial, where I ran up the steps, stopped, took a picture and ran back down headed east towards the Capitol...where I ran up the steps, stopped, took a picture and ran back down headed northwest on Pennsylvania Avenue towards the White House and my hotel.

[Above: self-portrait from the Nation's Capitol looking West toward's the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.]

The entire run covered six miles, and I finished in just under an hour averaging about 10 mins/mile. Not fast, but that includes stopping to cross streets and take pictures, so I wasn't really pushing it. Tonight was just a fun run down memory lane...and I enjoyed the trip.

Daren