~16 miles @ ~12 min/mi

It's a delightful winter morning for a ramble, with temps in the 20's. Like yesterday, we mainly follow ice-free Beach Dr, down Rock Creek into DC. Barry Smith and Don Libes (newly clean-shaven, but concealing his chin behind a balaclava) have time constraints and must turn back early. Amy Couch and Stephanie Fonda and I continue to Broad Branch Rd. The Candy Cane City parking lot is full of training group cars. I offer Stephanie my windbreaker-mitten-shells to help her cold hands, and she says they're small. I feign insult, with "You know what they say about men who wear small mittens?" Stephanie banters back.

Superb conversation along the way ensues, with discussions of training, diet, self-awareness, injuries, and families. Amy is ramping up for a comeback marathon in April at Gettysburg. Stephanie is doing high mileage at a measured pace with intermittent fasting to promote ketosis. It's a thoughtful, fun sharing of ideas and experiences. The song "Tonight, Tonight" is playing on Stephanie's car radio as she prepares to give me a ride home. Runtastic and Garmin generally agree.

^z - 2014-02-19