15+ miles @ ~10 min/mi

Curse you, GPS! How can somebody slow down at the end of a run when the average-pace display says it's possible to get under a nice round number, but only by pushing hard for the final five miles? Arggghhhh!!

Two deer saunter across the road and vanish into the bamboo thicket as I begin today's solo trek at 0606 on a cool (~50°F) Saturday morn. Another deer startles and dashes away through the brush on the Ireland Dr path down to Rock Creek. A couple more flinch at my approach in the park. Cheerful chipmunk dashes across the path in front of my toes.

An Avon fund-raiser to fight breast cancer is underway, with the ballfields at Candy Cane City turned into a pink tent city. Pastel markers that say "Mile 25" and "Mile 26" are only 0.7 miles apart — perhaps they're deliberately out-of-place to encourage participants near the end of their Day One "marathon"?

The circuit goes nicely: Rock Creek Trail - Beach Dr - Military Rd - Western Av - River Rd - Capital Crescent Trail and home.

cf. trackfile [1]), 2004-07-17 - Rock Creek and Capital Crescent Mini-loop, 2008-12-13 - Rock Creek West Loop, ...) - ^z - 2011-05-08