~7.5 miles @ ~15 min/mi

"This afternoon I'll be in a wheelchair!" declares Kerry's daughter at mile 7. With a big day of shopping ahead she decides to run with Mom early Saturday morning, and does half a dozen miles more than ever before. (Go Green!) A big doe ambles across the W&OD Trail just in front of Amy and Stephanie. Two spotted fawns lurk nearby. Heavy rains pause for a few hours, and when we finish ice remains unmelted in the cups of cold coffee we sip before the start. The downtown Herndon train station provides a group selfie opportunity.<

"They've outrun their coaches!" Friendly groups are out training for the Marine Corps Marathon. We walk the hills, pause for photos, take meditative breaks in pathside bushes, remember U2 concerts, and share trail talk about old, new, and planned tattoos. Lotus flowers blossom in the pond near American Dream Way. At the downtown Herndon animal hospital we take a break in front of the mural by Keith Naquin.

At the mural Stephanie and Amy pose for puppy pics. After the run they solve the world's problems at the Silver Diner over quinoa pancakes & veggie huevos rancheros.

It's all good. (except for a GPS glitch which pauses the trackfile for ~20 minutes - actual distance ~7.5 miles)

(trackfile) - ^z - 2017-08-25</small>