~20 mi @ ~17 min/mi

"Oh! Deer!" Square Peg spies a big buck picking his way through the brush of a downtown DC pocket park. We're ~3 miles into the Potomac Heritage 50k and Pokey diverts for the photo op. Dipak waits patiently. Today's a recovery run for some, a training trek for others, and a wonderful chance to be with friends for all. The stag staggers away after posing for a pic.

"Intermittent intermittent fasting!" recommends Dipak, rather than consistent intermittent fasting which he figures his body might get accustomed to. We pass Brian Kolb, hiking along with a massive kettlebell in his backpack, and chat with Paul Crickard and Smitty (Francesco Smith), both of whom are out enjoying the day. At mile 10 Peg punches out, so she can fulfill prior promises.

"It's an ancient boiler, used to power stonecutting machinery at a quarry here more than a century ago!" Pokey explains his theory about a metal mystery cylinder near the Potomac River bank. (Dear friend Mary Ewell posed for a photo here during the 2007-12-02 - PHT plus C-and-O Loop.) We arrive at the Chain Bridge aid station too late to continue upstream, and head back for a 20 mile DNF. Pokey bobs for apples, for the first time in his life, and succeeds — yay!

(trackfile) - ^z - 2019-11-24