17 Miles!

Today's training walk was 17 miles.

I was pretty apprehensive going into it, and am honestly quite surprised to still be a moving, functioning person after it. But it appears I am. :)

But before I get to the after, I should tell you about the during...

I left my apartment at 10 this morning and headed through my neighborhood to mail a package and return library books before shifting north, towards DC. I hadn't walked the Mount Vernon Trail in months because it had been snow covered every time I wanted to. It was in the mid-40s when I set out and I believe the low 60s when I finished, so snow was not an issue today!

It was quite handy that I set out at 10 exactly, because then I ended up taking photos every hour on the hour throughout the walk.

Top row: 11 am on the Mt. Vernon Trail; 12 pm crossing into DC, 1 pm lunch break
at my office. Bottom Row: 2 pm walking down 23rd St to the Lincoln Memorial,
3 pm back on the Mount Vernon Trail crossing under the 14th Street Bridge, 4 pm:
the final mile and a half of my 17 miles, with a yummy milkshake for motivation. 

(I wanted to put the photos next to the descriptions, but Blogger is being uncooperative, so if you care about more detail of the day, read on...) 

11 am:
I was walking past the airport, along the Mount Vernon trail. The trail was packed with joggers, walkers and cyclists today so it's kinda amazing none showed up in the photo. 

At this point I was walking at a good pace, enjoying the fact that I didn't have to stop for lights and traffic as I do in the city. But... being on the trail can get a bit boring!

I followed the trail to the 14th Street Bridge and then crossed the Potomac, ending up right by the Tidal Basin and behind the Jefferson Memorial. From there I crossed under the highway and headed to East Potomac Park. 

12 pm: 

I drive over this bridge every Monday- Friday, but it was the first time I had ever walked it. And the first time I ever noticed it is an memorial bridge. Once I crossed the water I was in L'Enfant Plaza, which I took to Independence Ave and then down across the Mall at 7th Street. From 7th I headed to F and to my office for a lunch & phone charging break. 

1 pm: Of course, before I got to my office I stopped in at my favorite - Taylor Gourmet, for the yummy, and soon to be departed fall/winter special salad, the Logan Square. I had lunch at my desk, charged my phone and mapped out the rest of my route as the morning ended up being a bit different than I had previously planned. Quite coincidentally, I discovered that my stopping point was exactly at 8.5 miles - my halfway point! Definitely not planned, but a welcome discovery no less!

2 pm: After crossing in front of the White House, (which, side note featured a varied assortment of protesters today. I guess it's much more enjoyable to protest in warm and sunny weather) I continued up Pennsylvania Ave to 23rd Street, where I then headed south, towards the Lincoln Memorial and the Memorial Bridge and back to the Mount Vernon Trail. Even after a 30 minute lunch break I was still feeling pretty tired as I trekked along the trail, so I did sit on a bench for 10 minutes enjoying the day, and an apple. 

3 pm: Still on the Mount Vernon Trail. Again, it's nice because I can walk faster without worrying about traffic signals, but it is long and boring! The only part of my route that I covered twice today was about 2 miles of the trail. I exited it as soon as I could in Crystal City and stopped for my favorite treat ever - a Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake from Good Stuff Eatery. 

4 pm: That milkshake made the last two miles home bearable. By the final mile I was walking so slow. I definitely think that there is something mental about it at that point. Physically I had been feeling fine, but I think just knowing there was only 20 minutes to go, I don't know. I think my brain told my feet we were almost done and my feet missed the "almost" part. 

4:30: I arrived home! 

In total it took me 6 1/2 hours, but right around 5 1/2 were actually spent walking and the other hour was eaten up by getting food, eating lunch and my one 10 minute break by the river. That puts me right at my target speed for the Avon Walk. 

While I was feeling pretty rough in that final minutes of walking, within 2 hours of coming home I was back out the door running errands and now I feel pretty good. My feet are a bit sore, and I'm definitely tired, but not nearly feeling as debilitated as I did a few weeks ago after my 15 mile walk. Tomorrow I have to do 9 miles, so we'll see how raring to go I am in the morning!