~18.9 mi @ ~16.2 min/mi

"I hate my hair!" somebody remarks at 0542 on Friday morning as Dawn Patrol sets off in the dark on the Mount Vernon trail from Theodore Roosevelt Island. Miles and hours later, back on the island's boardwalk path: "I hate my hair!"

In between, stories of young daughters with a far better sense of direction than their parents, multiple Starbucks stops and pauses to pet puppies, training and dietary advice, a fragrant hedge of honeysuckle, bright graffiti, DC Wharf lobsterman sculpture - and at the corner of M and Half St SE, comrade Barry magically materializes with slushy-cold Gatorade for an impromptu midcourse Aid Station. (Thank you, Sir!)

"They look like gigantic white Legos!" Passing Kennedy Center construction we wonder if one person could lift the foam blocks that lie strewn like toys for a gargantuan child. We stop for selfies on Capitol Hill. A historic marker now graces the former home of one of us.

The Marine Corps Memorial brings an emotional moment, as soldiers prepare for a ceremony. A big bag of frozen blueberries melts into a slurry that threatens to stain someone's shirt. It's a lovely day for a ramble around downtown Washington with dear friends.

(trackfile) - ^z - 2018-09-02