~7.5 miles @ ~11 min/mi

The air is pregnant with a looming blizzard that will bring 20" of snow tomorrow. Paulette and Gray are visiting Deb Sagerholm's shop, Marco Polo's Treasures, where I leave the car. I know I've seen this industrial park from Rock Creek below, so with a zig and a zag around the outside perimeter of security fences I stumble my way downhill. Two friendly dogs bark at me from the Purple blazed trail where their owner is letting them roam. I progress upstream for about a mile, losing the trail and re-finding it repeatedly. Then I join Rock Creek Trail near the Beltway and commence five up-and-downs on the big hill by the Mormon Temple, the hill CM Manlandro calls "The Silencer". From Beach Dr to Kent St along Stoneybrook I go, about half a mile at 6% grade (150 feet climb) and the same amount down. My up times average 5:03 (fifth one = 4:49) and down times average 4:36. At 5pm sharp the Xmas lights click on and visitor's cars begin to cruise the Temple parking lot. I head home via Ireland Dr, up the grade that CM cursed when I snookered her into ascending it at the end of her first 15 mile training run (cf. 2008-12-13 - Rock Creek West Loop).

^z - 2009-12-23