Start time: 3/30/09, 5:20pm
Location: McLean, W&OD Trail, Bluemont Park, North Arlington
Distance: 9 miles
Average pace: 8:56min/mile
Total Miles For March: 73 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 190 miles

Originally I was supposed to pick up 9 miles this weekend, but my allergies were so bad on Saturday that they just weren’t going to allow it. So, after some thought, I decided that I’d finally take the plunge and try one of the “safe” routes I’d figured out where I could run home from work. The absolute shortest distance I could find would be an 8-miler, and adding that extra mile on would be fairly easy. So, I took the bus into work with a backpack full of running clothes, then at the end of the day changed and ran home: Chain Bridge Road to Westmoreland Drive all the way to the East Falls Church Metro. Then, the W&OD Trail for two or so miles to Bluemont Park, head through Bluemont to Wilson Boulevard, and from there home along Wilson and 10th Streets. (If I was running the shorter route, at the EFC Metro I’d instead have taken Washington Boulevard all the way to 10th Street and home.)

It was definitely a lot hillier than I’d remembered, and I’m feeling those after-effects now. Oof! And a couple of times on Westmoreland, the sidewalk on one side of the street would abruptly end, so I’ll need to learn the crossings a bit better. But it was a nice run, definitely. Not something I think I’d do every week, certainly, but it’s nice to have it as an option.

(8:43, 8:46, 8:37, 8:51, 8:51, 8:50, 9:19, 9:25, 8:57)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2683347