~19.7 miles @ ~13.6 min/mi

"PFA!" I compliment Kristin when we pass 20 miles by her GPS. (Mine is ~6% stingier today; distance markers along the W&OD trail are in between.) Today is 5+ miles farther than her prior longest trek, and doubles Kerry's lifetime total count of 20+ milers (cf. 2014-12-13 - Magnus Gluteus Maximus). During our cooldown walk and recovery brunch we marvel at how good we all feel, in spite of heat and humidity. Kristin admits she had doubts that she could do it. "Two thirds of us knew you could!", say Kerry and I. Walk breaks every 5 minutes help.

"Be safe — don't chafe!" Kristin rhymes when I ask my friends to avert their eyes while I grease up. We begin before 6am and within the first mile my ultra-mentor Paul Ammann, heading the other way, greets us with "Z-Man!" Our trot proceeds westward to the Dulles Toll Rd. We turn back after checking the water fountain there; it's broken. Midcourse we enjoy the Vienna Community Center facilities. Our break lasts longer than planned when Kerry and I await Kristin inside while she stands outside and wonders where we are. No worries!

At various points four chipmunks and a fearless little deer eye us from trailside and then scamper away. A young lady runs past us carrying a big book, and returns holding two. (Is there a library nearby?) Cyclists and cars are uniformly polite today. With the finish line in sight we sprint the final few hundred yards to make moving-time pace sub-12 on Kristin's display. "PFA!"

(trackfile) - ^z - 2015-06-24