~3 miles @ ~10 min/mi

"Stop walking! Turn back!" the voice shouts in the parking garage. Are you talking to me, I wonder? Yep — Ken Swab has just arrived and is climbing out of his forest-green Miata.

Monday holiday, slight achiness in right-hip ITB connection, taper time for upcoming 50 miler ... sounds like a short run and a long breakfast might be appropriate! So a little before 8am in downtown Bethesda Ken and I meet to trek out-and-back along the Capital Crescent Trail. The pace is comfortable, but I make Ken push it slightly at the end to get us below the magic "10" on the GPS displays. We skip the chance to pick up a half-full pack of Camels along the way, even though it would have looked cool to run with cigarettes dangling from our lips like hard-boiled detectives of film noir.

When done we go to the "Louisiana Kitchen and Bayou Bar" in Bethesda, where Barry Smith meets us for beignets and breakfast. Apparently the fantasy football league in which Barry and Ken compete isn't totally free: the loser of certain games has to buy the winner a meal! I take fried alligator beignets home to Paulette, and drop Barry off at the car dealership on the way. My route takes me near Cara Marie Manlandro's home but she doesn't answer the phone when I call, so CM and George miss out on the chance to sample some cajun food.

The Garmin GPS and the Runkeeper app concur.

^z - 2012-12-07