Running on Capitol Hill

I'm blasted by a wave of humidity and heat as I stepped outside of my apartment last week; DC humidity clings to your skin and envelops you in a heat blanket.  My sunglasses fogged up and my body screamed, "go back inside!"  Even at 7am, the temperature was 85 degrees.

HA!  There was no way I was getting up to do my 5-mile run.

As I drifted off to sleep, I realized that the reason behind signing up for this 1/2 marathon was to push myself beyond my comfort zone.  Out of bed it was.

Typically, I begin my runs by Union Station, and follow a path past the Senate Reflecting Pool and up the stairs to the Capitol building.  From the Capitol, I make my way along the National Mall.

 It's there that I see hundreds of tourists swarming the free museums, eating their ice creams and taking photos.  This energy keeps me excited and distracted--helping me continue running even when all I want to do is stop.

Luckily, the 3-day heat advisory is over, and I'm feeling less like a fried lobster after my runs.  This is my 4th week of intense physical training and I'm finally beginning to feel a difference.

I have a 6-mile run to complete this weekend: it's been at least six years since I've run one, so here goes nothing!

13.1 miles here I come...

One of my New Year's resolutions was to run a half marathon by the end of 2011.  As I looked at the calendar today, I realize that I only had a few more months to actually make it happen!  I knew I needed at least 3-months to train, so it was now or never.

Alas, I signed up for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon on October 2nd.  The race begins in Alexandria, VA and ends in National Harbor, MD.

I've never run more than 6 miles in my life so this will be a challenge.  I ran a 5K in Hyde Park while I was studying in England and I did a year of cross-country in high school.  Other than that, my experience in long-distance running is slim to none.

My training regimen will be a mixture of shorter runs, kickboxing, strength training, yoga, and 6-11 mile runs on Saturdays.

Training officially starts tomorrow so any tips would be greatly appreciated. Wish me luck!