Tonight I did not get out for my run till pretty late. And since I started the "run" before midnight, I will count it for Sunday, "technically speaking..." be damned.
DC Bike Path: 1/2 Marathon Training, Easy Run. Dist: (6.39)mi. Pace-avg: (16:41min./mi. Speed-avg: (3.6)mph. Speed-max: (5.1)mph. Burned: (701) Calories.
Today's plan called for a (4) mile Easy Run at a pace of (17:50) for a completion time of (1:11:22). I completed the (4) miles in (1:06:04.78) at an average pace of (16:31). I also had a warm-up and cooldown of (1) mile each, plus (0.39) miles of easy walking back to the house.
I was a little surprised to see as many people in the park as I did. Tonight's moon is waning gibbous, so there was plenty of light out to see the bike path. I took my SureFire flashlight (I even checked the batteries before I left the house) and my bike light, so I would have plenty of light if I needed it. The first person I saw was walking across the bike path from the footbridge towards a vineyard. They didn't use a flashlight, and didn't make any noise, but after that I turned off my iPod so I could hear my surroundings more effectively.
The next people I encountered were a young couple just before the first overpass, where the bike path follows the river under the road. I guess they were just there to make out, or something. I had to use my bright flashlight just to make sure I was seeing people, and not shadows. Continuing on under the bridge I followed the path that runs parallel to some neighborhood backyards, and about twenty (20) feet above the park. I thought I saw a cat in the moonlight in the middle of the path and clicked my tongue a couple of times. The cat ran off the path up towards the backyards, but then stopped after about five (5) feet. I shone my light on it, and immediately saw the two vivid white stripes that spell SKUNK! So I killed my light, and kept walking.
While walking parallel along the golf-course section of the bike path I heard voices and the creak and rattle of old bicycles. I turned around and stopped just off the path, turning on my flashlight so they would see me. Happily, they were also using bike headlights, so I'm sure my reflector vest and shoes caught the light, before that. The two girls [judging by their voices] and I exchanged hellos, and we continued on our paths. Once I passed the golf-course and the mid-park water fountain, I turned around for the return leg back home.
The only people I encountered on the return leg were two (2) bicyclists without headlights. I had to turn on my flashlight to make sure they saw me, because they were very busy talking. As soon as the light went on, they paid attention and kindly did not run me down. B-)
The park was beautiful in moonlight, but I was happy to get back onto surface streets and see some street lights.
-Lancer!!
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