~9.5 miles @ ~10.5 min/mi

It's Wednesday morning and I'm staying home to help put together Paulette's new cast iron bed, due to arrive today [1]. I figure dragging heavy boxes around will be good cross training! Meanwhile, at 5:15am I set out from home, headlamp bright, to Ray's Meadow via the CCT. On my way up Rock Creek two deer, eyes glowing green, startle me as I approach the high trestle. Another buck with a big rack crosses the road in front of me near the Beltway underpass. The Mormon Temple hill, according to CM Manlandro, is called "The Silencer" by marathon training groups because it tends to quiet conversation. I trot the half-mile up to Kent St and back down five times, downhill recovery time consistent at ~5 minutes, uphill splits 5:24, 5:20, 5:30, then pushing 5:09, and finally 4:42—whew! Red-white-and-blue lights gleam on the bushes at the LDS visitor's center. Pairs of ladies walk laps around the smaller church parking lot. A strobe on top of a radio tower illuminates the clouds like lightning.

^z - 2009-09-27