'Splorin'

My first planned exploration!

Mapmyrun is great for this: just like I used to, I planned out my route, wrote it down on a piece of paper and folded it up into my water bottle.

And, like usual in a new place or doing a totally new route, I didn't actually follow all of what I had written down.

i.e. - I got a bit lost. But that is part of the point! Getting safely lost makes you learn the city in a way that you wouldn't otherwise.

Down 4th Avenue, jog over to 3rd, then down to Independence. Left onto 7th and I am in new territory. All the way down to the waterfront.

Sadly, the waterfront isn't very visible on Maine Avenue. So I don't cross over to the water side. Which I should have done, had I wanted to actually follow my original route!

As it was, the road separates. I found myself lost. Hehe. After running around on 12th, I ran over to 14th, then ran on the far side of Independence, as opposed to the side I've been running on, until forced to get back onto the other side because of construction.

That's ok: it's always good to see something familiar, too!

Around the Lincoln Memorial to 23rd, then over to New Hampshire Avenue to Dupont Circle. Then, over to Massachusetts and up to the Navy Observatory.

It is HILLY for this Brooklyn girl up in the NW!!!!!!

Especially on Embassy Row.

I loved Embassy Row. So much to ogle! A nosy person's dream. Almost made me forget the 2-mile hill I was running up.

Almost.

After going around the Observatory, I ran back down Massachusetts, all the way home.

My legs were kinda tired at the end-a danger when 'splorin'. If you don't know the route, you don't know the hills. If you don't know the hills, you don't know how tired you might be.

Which might be a danger for tomorrow, given the long run planned.

But it was great, anyway.

I went slowly, partly because of the time, partly because of the traffic, partly because of the route, and partly because of the unfamiliarity of it.

Lovely. About 10 and 1/2